Spaghetti with Bacon Meatballs

Spaghetti with Bacon Meatballs 
Recipe adapted from Real Simple
Makes 4 Servings

 1 small onion
4 slices raw turkey bacon, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
2 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
1 large egg
kosher salt and black pepper
7 ounces spaghetti
1.5 cups marinara sauce

Heat broiler. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. In a food processor, combine onion, bacon, garlic, and parsley; pulse until finely chopped, 10 to 15 times. Transfer to a medium bowl, add beef, Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and mix gently to combine. Form beef mixture into 16 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on a foil-lined broilerproof rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat spaghetti sauce in a large skillet over medium heat, 2 to 3 minutes; add the meatballs and toss gently to coat. Serve over the pasta and sprinkle with parmesan. 

Nutritional Information: 458 calories, 50 carbs, 10 fat grams and 40 protein grams.

  Review: I can honestly say that i'd never thought to put bacon in my spaghetti - but this tasted great! I loved how easy these cooked in the oven, too, and the macros made it a nice, filling meal with lots of protein - awesome! It reheated great at work, and made a nice lunch and dinner. I'll be making this again - too easy not to.

One Pot Spaghetti

One Pot Spaghetti
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
8 ounce fresh mushrooms, diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1 1-pound jar light spaghetti sauce
½ cup water
7 ounces uncooked pasta, broken into pieces
2 tbsp reduced fat Parmesan cheese, divided
parsley for garnish (optional)

In a large saucepan cook meat and onion until onion is tender and meat is browned. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add broth, spaghetti sauce, and water and bring to a boil. Add noodles and reduce heat.Cover and cook 17-20 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir occasionally and add more water if necessary (I didn't have to!). Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Information: 455 calories, 8 fat grams, 55 carbs and 38 protein grams.

Review: So easy and so good! Loved that it cooked the pasta in the sauce (nice to not have to get tons of dishes dirty!), and it made large, hearty portions. This one was too easy to make, we'll definitely be having it again. Great weeknight meal, too - ready in under 30 minutes and only required onion chopping. And lastly, it reheated well - haven't tried the one we froze for testing - i'll keep you posted!

Italian Wonton Bites

Italian Wonton Bites
Makes 12 Appetizers

12 wonton wrappers
24 turkey pepperonis
12 tbsp reduced fat spaghetti sauce (3/4 cup)
56 grams reduced fat mozzarella cheese (for inside cups)
28 grams reduced fat mozzarella cheese (for on top of cups)
4 tsp fresh, shredded parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, diced, as garnish
Red pepper flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray nonstick spray into muffin tins. Add one wonton wrap to each muffin cup and add 14 grams of cheese for each 3 cups/serving. Bake for 8 minutes – checking frequently to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven, add 1 tbsp sauce and 2 pepperonis to each cup. Top with final ounce of cheese across each cup, 1 tsp of parmesan across each set of 3 cups and sprinkle each with basil.

Nutritional Information (per cup): 55 calories, 9 carbs, 2 fat grams and 4 protein grams.

Review: Yummy! These were saucy, so they were a tad messy! I'd suggest using less sauce to make them a little bit easier to manage, or doubling up the wontons so they can hold it better. Other than this, I'd make them exactly the same - great little bites, fun appetizer and flavorful. Good bites - LOVING making recipes with wontons!

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan
Inspired by Recipe Shoebox
Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, 4 4-oz. chicken breasts (or 8 2-oz. chicken tenders) - defrosted/not cooked
¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
8 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup reduced fat mozzarella, grated
1.5 cups spaghetti sauce
8 oz. pasta (long shape of your choice)
Parsley, fresh for garnish (optional)

Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, beat egg. In second medium bowl, mix bread crumbs, spices and grated Parmesan cheese together. Dip chicken in beaten egg and then toss into bread crumb mixture to coat on both sides. Place chicken on bottom of crockpot; add mozzarella on top. Cover chicken with sauce. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Serve over cooked pasta.

Nutritional information: 457 calories, 56 carbs, 8 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: WOW - we have a new favorite slowcooker recipe! I loved not having to cook the chicken - just drip it in egg, dip it in bread crumb mix, drop on cheese, pour on sauce and walk away while it cooks into yumminess! Austin was a BIG fan - even better than when using the oven. The chicken just falls apart and the breading added a lot to the dish. We'll be having this A LOT - I think it's Austin's favorite slowcooker dish!

Supreme Pizza Lasagna

Supreme Pizza Lasagna
Makes 6 Servings

½ cup red onion
8 oz. mushrooms
1 large bell pepper, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
400 grams fat-free ricotta cheese
1 egg
150 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 - 4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ½ cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
¼ cup progresso Italian Bread Crumbs
50 turkey pepperonis
Optional for spice: red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 475. Toss onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic and oil in a bowl. Season with salt to taste. Place vegetables on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray cooking spray lightly over top of vegetables. Roast for 22 minutes, until golden brown.While they’re cooking, in a medium-sized bowl, add ricotta, egg, 60 grams of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Combine until mixed thoroughly. Layer a rectangular baking pan with one cup spaghetti sauce. Lay four noodles on top. Spread half of ricotta mixture on the noodles. Then, once done, spoon half of vegetable mixture on top. Repeat with one cup sauce, four noodles, remainder of ricotta mixture, remainder of vegetable mixture and one cup sauce. Top with 50 turkey pepperonis spread evenly, then last four noodles, remaining ½ cup sauce and remaining 90 grams of cheese. Sprinkle on bread crumbs. Bake covered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 410 calories, 49 carbs, 12 fat grams and 22 protein grams.

Review: YUM – it tasted just like pizza to me, but then lasagna. I just really liked it. I always get nervous making my own recipes, but I had all of the vegetables to roast (they were about to go bad!), then the pepperonis were on hand and it just kind of hit me – supreme pizza lasagna! The servings were filling and me and Austin both liked it a lot. I’ll definitely make this again, good dish for a crowd!

whole dish

Vegetables to roast! You can do a huge tray, and then use for several recipes!

Margarita Pasta

Margarita Pasta
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from Real Simple

10 oz. spaghetti
3 large beefsteak tomatoes, each cut into 4 thick pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
4 oz. reduced-fat mozzarella, grated
6 tsp full-fat grated parmesan
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp crushed red pepper
¾ cup fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
Salt and Pepper

Heat broiler. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot. Meanwhile, arrange tomatoes into a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Season with ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, sprinkle the slices with mozzarella and parmesan. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, warm oil with garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the garlic oil, basil, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve topped with tomatoes and additional basil.

Nutritional Information: 449 calories, 56 carbs, 15 fat grams and 23 protein grams.

Review: What's not to like? I'm a  huge margarita pizza fan so I figured i'd be a fan of this! The pasta really gets a lot of flavor from the garlic mix, and the tomatoes came out super juicy and cheesy. Just make sure to use large ones so you have enough surface for the cheese to go on! We thought this one reheated well, too. The tomatoes weren't as crispy, but still good, and since the pasta had so much juice with the tomatoes and "sauce' it didn't dry out, always a must for reheating! This was also a 20 minutes or less recipe for sure - and another yummy meatless dish. To reduce the calories/fat, I'd suggest using 2.5 or 3 oz. of mozzarella instead, I don't think it would be missed! I would definitely leave the olive oil at this level though.

Pasta Bar Menu for 30

I hosted a January baby shower for my sister and a little over 30 of her closest friends. The cold weather meant I wanted to serve hot food, so the sternos, pans and stands (purchased at Costco) came in handy. I also made signs for each side of the pan, so guests could see the name of the dish, including main ingredients. Lastly, instead of one big pan of each dish, I used two smaller pans in each one and allowed guests to serve from both sides. I also made sure to include one meatless dish and one meatless salad - hoping there would be a little something for everyone. Please note, this menu does NOT include desserts. I ordered cupcakes for the event. As usual, if you notice anything missing or have any questions please let me know!

Main Dishes: Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto; Baked Italian Sausage Pasta; Pasta Fagioli (meatless)

Salad: 'That Good Salad' - one meatless one with meat

Bread: 2 loaves of French bread with spread

Bread close up

Pasta Close up

Salad (same salad - one with bacon and one without for our non-meat-eating buddies)

Signs show which has bacon and which is meatless

Dessert: Hire out! :) Unless you're a baker, which, i'm not!

RECIPES

Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto

Makes 12 Servings (x3 of normal recipe)

24 oz. rotini
3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained (300 grams)
¾ package basil leaves cut into ribbons
6 tbsp slivered almonds (42 grams)
6 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
6 oz. fat free feta cheese
36 oz. Chicken
3 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (for chicken)

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan. While pasta cooks, add chicken, olive oil and salt and pepper to a large pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 4-6 minutes. While pasta and chicken are cooking, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Combine tomato mixture and the reserved cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add pasta to chicken pan, and add mix to pan. Stir well. Serve in tray and sprinkle top with feta.

Baked Italian Sausage Pasta
Makes 12 Servings (x2 of normal recipe)

2 packs of 5 Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage links, casings removed
22 oz. pasta of your choice (I used Ziti), cooked per package instructions
6 tbsp parmesan
200 grams fat-free ricotta cheese
4 tbsp fresh basil, finely diced
4 cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce
100 grams Fresh Mozzarella, grated
2 tsp dried basil

Preheat oven to 400. Set a large pan (that has a lid) to medium and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add sausage to pan, and top with lid. Cook sausage for 15 minutes, turning and breaking up with a spoon every few minutes. In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine parmesan, basil, ricotta cheese and 3 cups spaghetti sauce and mix thoroughly. Add cooked pasta. Stir. Shred now-cooked sausage with two forks. Add to mixture and stir. Divide mixture into two rectangular baking dishes that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread remaining 1 cup sauce on top. Bake for 12 minutes. Spoon into serving pans, pat the tops flat with a spoon, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and dried basil.

Pasta Fagioli Recipe
Makes 8 Servings

2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, small to medium size
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 celery stalk, diced
2 15 oz can cannellini beans
2 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 large bay leaf
2 tbsp basil, dried
2 tbsp parsley, dried
2 tsp oregano, dried
8 cups fat free chicken broth (or 2 cans)
4 cups water
Sea salt and pepper to taste
16 oz. small pasta (I used mini fusili)
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
80 grams fresh mozzarella, grated

In a deep pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Blend can of beans with one cup water in electric blender until smooth. Repeat with second can of beans and another cup of water. Add blended beans to pan then add the tomato sauce, celery, chicken broth, basil, bay leaf, parsley, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water and bring to slow boil. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is al dente*, according to pasta directions. Ladle into pan, and top with parmesan and mozzarella.

*Do NOT cook pasta early on this recipe. It's important that it cooks in the other ingredients to make it less soupy/easier for guests to eat.

That Good Salad (double it for two salads)

Dressing (Make TWO of mixture below for two salads if you do one meatless):
3/4 Cup EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup lemon juice

Salad (Make TWO of mixture below for two salads if you do one meatless; just omit bacon from second one):
2 bunches Romaine Lettuce
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
8 strips bacon, fried & broken into pieces
1 cup caesar salad croutons

Mix ingredients together; cover & refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour dressings over salads just before serving and mix well.

Bread

2 loaves Italian bread, sliced to 1-inch thick

Spread for bread: 10 tbsp butter, softened; 4 tsp olive oil, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsp oregano, salt and pepper. Preheat broiler. Mix all ingredients except cheese. Spread on bread. Arrange on baking sheets and broil for 5 minutes. Add to bread basket.

TO-DO LIST

Weekend Before

1. Make grocery list and buy all ingredients you need.
2. Make sure you have plenty of plates, napkins, silverware, etc. - especially if you're using paper products

Day Before

1. Dice package of basil and two tomatoes
2. Defrost 36 oz. chicken
3. Defrost 2 packs of Jennie-O turkey sausage
4. Cook 22 oz. ziti and put in large zip lock bag
5. Make ALL Pasta Fagioli – put in large Tupperware dishes and store in refrigerator
6. Mix dressing for salads and store in plastic containers on counter
7. Clean lettuce using salad spinner. Dice lettuce and store in large zip lock bags
8. Shred cheeses if not purchased shredded

Day of

timeline to have food on sternos at 6 p.m. (adjust timeline for time of event start)

• 3 p.m. Put out plates, sternos, etc., where you want to serve them
• 3:15 p.m. Remove Pasta Fagioli from refrigerator
• 4 p.m. Make salad in bowls you plan to present them in – put in fridge (do not add dressing yet)
• 4:30 p.m. Make spread and spread on bread
• 4:45 p.m. Start pasta with sundried tomato pesto (important that this cooks day of as you need to reserve pasta liquid, helps for consistency, etc.)
• 5:20 p.m. Start baked Italian sausage pasta (noodles are already made for this)
• 5:30 p.m. Start microwaving pasta fagioli to get it heated up a bit before it goes on sternos; stir in between heat
• 5:40 p.m. Remove salads from refrigerator, place on counter for serving and drizzle with dressings
• 5:45 p.m. Bake bread and add to basket
• 5:50 p.m. All pastas, bread and salad should be in dishes ready to go. Top each dish with cheese if desired and cover loosely with foil to keep warm before serving.

Mushroom and Sausage Stuffed Shells

Mushroom and Sausage Stuffed Shells
Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking
Makes 4 Servings

2.5 links of Italian turkey sausage (1/2 pound), removed from casings
8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, diced finely
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp nutmeg
¾ cup fat-free ricotta cheese (186 grams)
1 egg, beaten
60 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
2 tbsp reduced fat Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of fresh spinach, chopped
2 ½ cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce
16 jumbo pasta shells, cooked per instructions
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add sausage and cook until crumbled. Remove from heat. Add mushrooms and onions then sauté until brown, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and mix with sausage. In a large bowl combine ricotta, 1 oz. mozzarella, Parmesan, the egg, spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper, to taste. Mix thoroughly then add the sausage mixture. Pour 1 ¼ cups of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Place the 16 cooked shells in the pan. Stuff each shell with the mixture. Pour remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and top with remaining mozzarella. Bake for 3-5 minutes.

Nutritional Information (4 shells): 441 calories, 49 carbs, 14 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: AMAZING. New favorite Italian recipe. Seriously. Just the right amount of food, great mixture of cheese, the mushrooms and garlic gave it extra bite and texture and the spicy sausage was perfect - added a lot of flavor for not a lot of calories. This was a an easy recipe to put together and will DEFINITELY be made again! I'm so excited that I tried these and while I loved my last stuffed shells recipe (with 96/4 ground beef and frozen spinach), this spicy Italian turkey sausage and fresh spinach mixture blew that one out of the water. For real! I hope you try this and love it!

one serving

Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara
Adapted by Dinner at Christina’s
Makes 4 Servings

12 oz. spaghetti
6 slices turkey bacon
1 tbsp minced garlic, jarred
2 eggs
¾ cup parmesan cheese
black pepper, for garnish
Salt, to taste

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil; add pasta. Cook 8-10 minutes. While water is coming to a boil, brown bacon in a large pan over medium heat until almost crispy. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and dice bacon. In a bowl, crack eggs and whisk well. Add cheese and black pepper. Set aside. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Immediately add pasta back in pot, and add egg mixture. Use two forks to toss pasta in egg mixture. Add pasta water to thin it. Add bacon/garlic mixture and toss well. Add black pepper for garnish. Add salt if desired.

Nutritional Information: 460 calories, 58 carbs, 13 fat grams and 30 protein grams.

Review: We loved it! I would never in a million years think that eggs and parm would make such a yummy, thick, rich pasta sauce - I was pretty fascinated by that! This recipe was super easy to cook and I was pleased that it had so much protein even though it wasn't my usual 1 pound of meat recipe. Also, CHEAP. Estimation: $1 box of pasta $.25 eggs $.75 parmesan serving, $1 bacon serving; $.15 garlic/pepper/salt serving = $3.15 for entire recipe or $.78 per serving and let me tell you - it was FILLING! I'm a huge fan and will be making this easy, flavorful pasta dish again!

Easy Alfredo Tomato chicken

Easy Alfredo Tomato chicken

Recipe found at 365 Days of Slowcooking
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. chicken
2 cups Classico light spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup light alfredo sauce (2 servings)
1/4 cup Kraft parmesan cheese
4 oz. mushrooms
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
8 oz. barilla pasta

Place chicken in the bottom of a crockpot. In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over chicken. Cook on high for 3 hours. Shred chicken loosely with two forks. Cook pasta per instructions. Serve chicken/sauce mixture over pasta.

Nutritional Information: 424 calories, 56 carbs, 6 fat grams and 38 protein grams.

Review: This is a great, simple pasta dish. I liked the combination of sauces and thought it tasted even better once it was mixed with the pasta and refrigerated overnight. I'll definitely be making this again, although i'll probably double it and freeze half of the slowcooker mix - I think it would defrost/reheat well for later!

Chicken Brushetta Bake

Chicken Brushetta Bake
Recipe adapted from a Lauren’s Kitchen recipe (from Stovetop)
Makes 4 Servings

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package stove top stuffing mix for chicken
1/2 cup water
1 tsp minced garlic
18 oz. chicken
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 oz. fresh mozzarella, grated
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar, grated

Heat oven to 400°F. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened. Spray a square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put raw chicken on bottom, then stuffing mix. Press until flat, then top with cheeses and basil. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

whole dish - 4 servings

Nutritional Information: 396 calories, 38 carbs, 7 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: LOVED. Great mix and I never cook with stuffing so it was fun to use a new starch. The mix came out tasting a lot like brushetta, and I loved that it called for so much cheese, but was still so relatively low calorie. It was filling too - and the chicken layer at the bottom was moist. I love cooking chicken in the bottom of a casserole - genius. We'll be making this one again for sure -Austin was a fan, too.

Tomato and Mozzarella Press

Tomato and Mozzarella Press
Makes 1 sandwich

1 Arnold Sandwich Thin
½ tsp fat-free mayonnaise
1 tsp Trader Joe’s pesto
8 grams Fat-Free Feta Cheese
8 grams Fat-Free Mozzarella, shredded
4 grape tomatoes, diced
8 spinach leaves, halved
4 basil leaves, finely diced

Spread mayo and pesto on both sides, and top one side with cheeses, tomatoes, spinach and then basil. Put top on and drop it on the George Foreman for 3-4 minutes. Enjoy.

Nutritional Information: 182 calories, 30 carbs, 4 fat grams and 12 protein grams.

Review: I was a huge fan of this little guy! Austin was jealous so about an hour later I went down and made 2 more (I had another half – Austin had the other one and a half!). He loved it too! They’re just simple, yummy and quick – I’ll def be making these again!

Italian Chicken Wraps

Italian Chicken Wraps
Makes 1 Serving

4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into pieces
1 Mission Carb Balance, soft taco size
½ tsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp low calorie spaghetti sauce, divided
15 grams Fat-Free Feta Cheese
15 grams Fat-Free Mozarella, Grated
Salt, Garlic Salt, Red Pepper Flakes and Italian Seasoning to taste

Defrost chicken, cut into pieces. Set pan to medium and spray PAM and pour olive oil in pan. Drop chicken in and sprinkle with all four seasonings; mostly Italian Seasoning. While it cooks, measure cheeses and turn on George Foreman. Once chicken is cooked, after about 4 minutes, put on plate. Put tortilla in the chicken pan and heat for about 1 minute on each side. Remove from heat and lay flat. Spoon 2 tbsp sauce on tortilla, then chicken, then cheeses. Fold into a wrap and place on the George Foreman for 3 minutes. While it cooks, heat up the other tbsp of sauce. Remove wrap from heat, cut in half and serve with the extra sauce. Serves 1.

Nutritional Information: 326 calories, 26 carbs, 6 fat grams and 40 grams of protein.

Review: Yummy chicken wrap - if you don't feel like making pasta it's a nice carb substitute! I also like the grill marks on the mini grill - makes for a crispy outside with a yummy, cheesy inside. The chicken helped it be more filling, too! If you're still hungry I'd suggest adding a small side salad with Italian dressing!

Pepperoni Pitza

Pepperoni Pitza

Makes 1 Serving

1/4 cup low-calorie spaghetti sauce

1 large Trader Joe's pita (about 8" or 220 calories)

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp minced garlic, jarred

28 grams fresh mozzarella (1/4 cup)

10 grams fat-free feta cheese (1 1/2 tbsp)

6 turkey pepperonis

Set oven to broil. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray and set pita on it. Use rubber brush to spread olive oil on pita top evenly. Add sauce and brush to even, then sprinkle with red pepper flakes and garlic. Top with mozzarella and feta, then add pepperonis. Broil for 7-9 minutes, keeping an eye on it to ensure it doesn't crisp (they cook fast).

Nutritional Information: 371 ccalories, 51 carbs, 10 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: This recipe is truly an old standby. We used to make these on the medium-sized pitas but you had to have 1.5 pitas to be full. We've tried more sauce and less sauce, more olive oil and less olive oil. We used to cut the pepperonis into small pieces. Point being, we've found that the recipe above is the best for us (love the addition of garlic!) and that 6 pepperonis is plenty, and didn't want the extra step of making them smaller. If you like your pitza crispy, air on the side of 8 to 10 minutes - even if it looks a little brown on stop - still amazing. We like ours "medium" so we usually remove at 8 minutes.

Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto

Pasta with Sundried Tomato Pesto
Makes 4 Servings
Recipe adapted from Cookinglight.com

8 oz. pasta shape of your choice
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (100 grams)
12 basil leaves
2 tbsp slivered almonds (14 grams)
2 tbsp reduced fat Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 oz. fat-free feta cheese, divided
12 oz. chicken, diced
1 tsp olive oil
Salt to taste (for chicken)
Optional: additional basil, diced for garnish

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving ¾ cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan. While pasta cooks, add chicken, olive oil and salt to a large pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 4-6 minutes. While pasta and chicken are cooking, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Once pasta is done, add the reserved ¾ cup cooking liquid and pulse until smooth. Add pasta and pesto to pan with chicken. Stir well. Serve and sprinkle with feta and additional basil as garnish.

Nutritional Information: 448 calories, 53 carbs, 12 fat grams and 33 protein grams.

Review: Um, glorious! Loved it! It originally didn’t call for chicken but I wanted more protein, and I also added the olive oil for the chicken, and used ¾ cup cooking liquid rather than 1 cup (1cup seemed like too much – would have made it soupy to me). I've made this one for company and think it's very fancy and flavorful - I love the addition of almond slivers, it really gives it a nice thickness that makes it taste heavy and filling!

Ultimate Sausage Cheese Pizza

Ultimate Sausage Cheese Pizza
Adapted from Lifetime’s Cook Yourself Thin
Makes 1 personal pizza

4 ounces Trader Joe’s pizza dough
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup low-calorie spaghettis sauce
1 link precooked Italian style chicken sausage, diced
2 pieces jarred roasted red pepper, diced
1 tsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
½ cup mushrooms, diced
30 g fat-free mozzarella cheese
15 g fat-free feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set two medium sized saucepans over medium heat, spray with olive oil cooking spray. For one pan, heat oil, add garlic and cook for one minute. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. For the other pan, place sausage and bell pepper in pan. Cook 7 to 8 minutes until sausage is browned. Spray a pan with olive oil cooking spray, set dough in the center, and use your hands to stretch the dough into an 8” circle. Spread dough with sauce, layer on cheese, sausage/pepper mix, mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until edges are crisp and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let pizza sit 2 to 3 minutes before eating.

Nutritional Information: 507 calories, 62 carbs, 14 fat grams and 31 protein grams. This is a little high for me, so I may only do ½ of a sausage link to take off 50 calories next time!

Review: We LOVED it – very filling and yummy. The crust was crispy, the mushrooms and sausage mixed well. I also liked how the olive oil blended in. Yum!

Tomato Pesto Pizza

Recipe found on Favorite Family Recipes
Tomato Pesto Pizza
Makes 1 personal pizza

4 oz. Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough
½ tsp dried basil
½ tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
25 grams Trader Joe’s pesto
30 grams Trader Joe’s Fresh Mozzarella
6 Cherry tomatoes, sliced
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Spread out dough. Spread pesto on dough, and top with mozzarella. Add tomatoes, parmesan and basil. Sprinkle with salt if you would like. Bake for 12-14 minutes until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information: 488 calories, 55 carbs, 22 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: It was SO good – almost tasted like flat bread since I made them super thin! Love, love loved it – will be making again. Next time I hope to have a large tomato so I can do big slices!!

Garden Summer Pasta

Recipe from Oh Livin (blog)
Garden Summer Pasta
Makes 4 Servings

10 oz. tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp oregano
4 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + 2 tsp for sautéing zucchini
2 tsp Sherry vinegar
8 ounces linguine
2 baby zucchini, diced
4 tbsp reduced fat parmesan, plus more for serving

12 oz. chicken, diced and cooked in salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the parsley, garlic, salt, flakes, sherry and olive oil. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp olive oil and the diced zucchini. Cook for 2 minutes until BARELY tender. Remove from heat. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguine until al dente; drain well. Add chicken to the zucchini pan; cook in nonstick spray with salt until no longer pink. Add the linguine to the bowl along with the zucchini and chicken and toss. Add cheese, toss again and serve in bowls.

Nutritional Information: 426 calories, 49 carbs, 13 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Um.. FABULOUS! I loved how light it was but the olive oil/parm made a yummy mixture – it was great. Austin loved it too. Yay!

Spinach-Mushroom Pizza

Spinach-Mushroom Pizza
Recipe adapted from Fitness Magazine
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. dough
1 cup pizza sauce
1/3 of 10-oz. frozen spinach pack, thawed and drained well
¼ cup red onion, diced
2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (60 grams)
½ cup mushrooms, sliced
6 tbsp fat-free ricotta
2 tbsp parmesan
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450. Spread dough. Top with sauce, spinach and onion. Sprinkle with mozzarella and mushrooms. Dollop ricotta over pizza and sprinkle with parmesan. Drizzle olive oil all over. Bake until pizza is puffed and cheese melts, 10 minutes. Take the pizza out and preheat the broiler. Broil the pizza until cheese is browned, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, then broil for 2 more minutes. slice into wedges and serve.

Nutritional Information: 397 calories, 10 fat grams, 58 carbs and 14 protein grams.

Review: We REALLY liked it – I personally think that dropping dollops of ricotta on ANY pizza is absolutely genius and makes it look fancy. I’m such a dork. Since we have spinach left over from that pack I’m probably going to make this pizza again Sunday for next week – woo!

one serving

Spicy Spaghetti Pie

Spicy Spaghetti Pie
Inspired by a Cook’s Country recipe given to me by Biz)
Makes 6 Servings

12 oz. thin spaghetti
4 oz. sliced deli pepperoni
3 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
7 tbsp whipping cream
½ cup chopped fresh basil
3.5 oz. (or 98 grams) mozzarella, grated
Salt

Preheat oven to 475. Spray 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta with salt until cooked. Drain. Meanwhile, cook pepperoni in a large skillet over medium high. Heat until crisp, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, flakes and ¼ tsp salt and bring to boil. Stir. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Add cream and basil and stir for 2 minutes. Add pasta to prepared dish. Press with spatula to flatten. Transfer mixture to dish and pour over noodles. Turn dish to ensure it’s soaked in. Bake for 7 minutes, add cheese, then bake for another 3 minutes until brown and bubbling, Let cool 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 441 calories, 56 carbs, 17 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: We REALLY loved it - so flavorful. I was nervous to cook with whipping cream but it made such a creamy fabulous difference and didn't add too many calories! I was also nervous to cook with pepperoni - but this concoction was a favorite - definitely going to be a regular, thanks Biz!!