Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole 
Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
Makes 6 Servings

1 onion, diced
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 tbsp minced garlic
⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup low-calorie spaghetti sauce
1 tube reduced fat crescent roll dough
¼ cup parmesan cheese
 ½ cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet, cook onion, beef, and garlic until beef is fully cooked. Drain off and excess grease. Add red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and pizza sauce to beef mixture. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, Meanwhile, spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with crescent dough and press to seal seams. Sprinkle dough with parmesan cheese. Spread meat mixture over crust and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes until golden brown. 

Nutritional Information: 267 calories, 21 carbs, 10 fat grams and 22 protein grams.

Review: Pretty yummy! Super easy to make and it reheats well. We served each with a big Caesar salad (lettuce, a bit of parm, and light Caesar dressing) to boost up the calories. I’ll definitely make this again – may even add some more red pepper flakes for extra spice!

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!

Spinach and Ricotta Pizza

Spinach and Ricotta Pizza
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

16 oz. Trader Joe’s plain pizza dough
Cooking spray
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup low-calorie spaghetti sauce
2 tbsp grated, full-fat Parmesan cheese
1 cup spinach leaves
1 tsp minced garlic (from jar; or grate a bulb of roasted garlic)
100 grams fresh, full-fat mozzarella cheese
85 grams fat-free ricotta cheese
2 medium-sized tomatoes, sliced

Remove pizza dough from refrigerator, cut open bag and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Coat pizza pan with cooking spray. Spread dough on pan. Brush evenly with oil. Spread sauce evenly over dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan; top evenly with spinach and garlic. Sprinkle mozzarella over spinach. Spoon teaspoonfuls of ricotta over mozzarella. Bake at 500° for 4 minutes. Turn, and bake for 6 more minutes, or until crust browns (keep your eye on it!). Remove from oven and carefully add tomato slices. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information: 416 calories, 56 carbs, 14 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: Awesome - broiling pizza is genius - more crispy but not too crispy. The spinach was a nice add as was the garlic. The olive oil went a long way, and each bite tasted juicy. Austin (our tomato grower) suggests that this not be made in the off season. Since tomatoes are the star of the recipe, definitely go with fresh, in-season tomatoes - so just make it while it's hot! The cheeses blended well, and that tiny bit of Parmesan still made an impact. We will absolutely be making this one again - may add fresh basil next time but honestly, it didn't need anything else!

Individual serving = yummmmm!

Pepperoni Pizza Cups

Pepperoni Pizza Cups
Recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Makes 12 appetizers or snacks

Cooking spray
1 tube of refrigerator biscuits
1 ½ cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce
4 oz. 50% reduced fat Cabot cheese, shredded
24 turkey pepperoni slices
30 grams Parmesan Cheese, shredded
dried oregano
dried red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray. Cut each biscuit in half then press dough into the bottom and sides of each muffin tin. Repeat with remaining dough. Spoon 2 tbsp sauce into each cup. Top each with 2 slices of pepperoni, 10 grams cheddar cheese, 3 grams Parmesan cheese, and oregano and red pepper flakes. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is brown.

Nutritional Information (per cup): 140 calories, 15 carbs, 7 fat grams and 5 protein grams.

Review: Perfection in a cup! I love the biscuit bites and know these will become a standard, fabulous little snack, much like the big pigs in a blanket. You could toss anything in here, but I loved the simple pepperoni, cheese and sauce mix. They were also SO easy - it took me about 5 minutes to assemble - the same time it took the oven to preheat. They tasted well reheated, too. Can't wait to make these again!

pan of yumminess

Egg & Veggie Breakfast Pockets

Egg & Veggie Breakfast Pockets
Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Makes 4 Servings

5 eggs
2 tbsp egg substitute, divided
1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp minced garlic
½ cup chopped onion
1 package reduced fat crescent rolls
1 ½ cups baby spinach leaves
¼ cup fresh basil, diced
4 tsp grated parmesan cheese
2 oz. fat-free feta cheese
½ cup low-calorie spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 400. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan, 1 tbsp egg substitute, ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add spinach and basil, then pour egg mixture into skillet. Cook without stirring until mixture begins to set around edges. With a large spatula, lift and fold partially cooked egg mixture so the uncooked portion flows underneath. Cook until heated through. Unroll crescent rolls on wax paper, and separate into 4 rectangles. Press seams together. Divide egg mixture into four, and place one serving on each crescent rectangle. Top with feta, then pick up one side and fold over to the middle. Pick up the other side and do the same. Press together the new seam, and fold over the ends, using your fingers to press the sides closed. Repeat with the other three. Brush top of each with egg substitute. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Serve each with 2 tbsp spaghetti sauce.

Nutritional Information: 325 calories, 27 carbs, 16 fat grams and 18 protein grams.

Review: Love this flavor! This was my first time having spaghetti sauce for breakfast but wow - it works great with this! The pocket was just crispy and soft enough - the onions added nice crunch and the spinach mixed in well. The garlic helped give it a bit of kick, and the egg filling went well in the crescent. All in all a good breakfast. Yes, a bit high in fat, but it kept me full for hours. It also reheated very well - it wasn't as crispy but it was just as good and didn't lose its flavor.

the outside before cutting!

Two Cheese Naan Breakfast Pizza

Two-Cheese Naan Breakfast Pizza

Makes 2 Servings (above is one serving!)

1 piece of naan
3 tbsp low-calorie spaghetti sauce
2 eggs

2 tbsp egg substitute
¼ tsp dried basil, divided
1 tbsp fat-free milk
40 grams 75% reduced fat cabot cheese
5 grams grated parmesan cheese
1 serving Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage crumbles

Turn on broiler. Whisk together eggs, milk and half of basil. Heat sausage in microwave per package instructions. Pour egg mixture into a small pan over medium heat. Add in sausage, and cook until eggs are just done; should still be wet. Remove from heat. Place naan on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread sauce on naan with the back of a spoon. Top with egg mixture, shredded cheese and sprinkle with remaining basil. Broil for 5-7 minutes until cheese is just browned. Keep an eye on it to avoid burning.

Nutritional Information: 303 calories, 16 carbs, 10 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: It's my new favorite breakfast dish. Seriously! The spaghetti sauce added a great base, and I loved the egg/sausage mixture. The cheese mixture was great too - loved the difference that a tiny bit of fresh, grated Parmesan cheese made. And the naan is still succeeding as the best pizza "crust." Don't get me wrong - this recipe would be great with a pita (although it would take the calorie counts down A LOT), but the crispiness of the naan helps make this breakfast special. And short of the awesome taste, it filled me up. Perfect breakfast!

whole pizza before slicing into 2 servings

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
Recipe adapted from a For the Love of Cooking recipe and a Self Magazine recipe
Makes 4 Servings

½ pound tomatoes, cut in ¼ inch slices
½ pound zucchini, cut in ¼ inch slices
½ pound yellow squash, cut in ¼ inch slices
½ red bell pepper, cut in 1-inch strips
½ yellow or green bell pepper, cut in 1 inch strips
¼ pound mushroom caps, cut in ¼ inch slices
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil
2 - 4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 to 1 ½ cups spinach
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and black pepper, to taste
400 grams fat-free ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
130 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
3 cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce (1 28 oz. jar)

Preheat oven to 475. Toss tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peppers, mushrooms, salt, garlic and oil in a bowl. Place vegetables on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray cooking spray over top of vegetables. Roast for 22 minutes, until golden brown. 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 an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with one cup spaghetti sauce. Lay two noodles on top. Spread half of ricotta mixture on the noodles. Then spoon half of vegetable mixture on top and finish by layering on spinach leaves. Repeat with one cup sauce, two noodles, remainder of ricotta mixture, remainder of vegetable mixture and remainder of spinach leaves. Top with last two noodles. Then top with remaining sauce and remaining 70 grams of cheese. Bake covered** in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

**This really fills the dish, so make sure you spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and place spray-side down over the top so that it doesn't stick to the cheese.

Nutritional information: 423 calories, 48 carbs, 13 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Seriously? I've never made this before?! What?! Loved it. Austin said it was fantastic, and he didn't miss the meat. It was a perfect blend of veggies and cheeses - it was OOZING cheese - fantastic. I loved the roasted veggies, too. It really added so much to this dish (over sautéing them, I think!). Next time, I could see myself doubling the veggies, then using half over quinoa and then half for this lasagna - I would just hate to not roast more now that I now how awesome they come out! And while this does occupy your oven for a bit of time between the roasting and cooking, if you're pre-cooking other meals you could easily be cooking on the stove or in a slowcooker, or prepping for your other meals on the cutting board!

pic of whole pan

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

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!

Upside Down Pizza

Upside Down Pizza
Recipe adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
½ cup onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups jarred low-calorie spaghetti sauce
125 grams (a little over 1 cup) fresh mozzarella cheese, grated (divided)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)
1 (8 ounce) light crescent rolls
¼ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 egg white
Dried basil for garnish


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add onions and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add beef, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until beef is no longer pink, 6 – 8 minutes. Once done, add spaghetti sauce and stir. Add salt if desired. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of sauce. Top with half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan cheese. Add remainder of sauce then remainder of cheeses. Top with crescent rolls, pinching seams together. Brush egg white on top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is brown. Sprinkle with dried basil as garnish.

Full pan cut and ready to eat - 6 servings

Nutritional Information: 367 calories, 24 carbs, 18 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: We loved it! I was a little worried about crescent on top and truth be told I probably could have closed the seams better, but I was ready to stick it in the oven and try it! The sauce mix with the layered cheeses was really good - almost tasted like a parmesany spaghetti. And the breaded top added a lot to it - the crescents really baked up when on top, whereas i'm sure if they were on bottom it would have been much less doughy. We really liked it and wouldn't change it a bit - i'm glad I added the red pepper flakes and seasonings - the extra heat made it even more appealing!

Tomato and Mozzarella Sammy

Picture coming soon!

Tomato and Mozzarella Sammy

Makes 1 Sandwich

2 basil leaves, finely diced

2 slices of Nature's Own wheat bread

1/4 tsp olive oil

2 slices of tomato

2 tsp light butter

1 tsp minced garlic, jarred

2 tbsp low-calorie spaghetti sauce

55 grams fresh mozzarella

Turn George Foreman on to heat up. Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread. Place butter side down in grill, then quickly add sauce, cheese, tomato, basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Top with second piece of bread (butter out) and close the lid. Heat for 4-5 minutes until desired crispiness.

Nutritional Information: 301 calories, 25 carbs, 16 fat grams and 20 protein grams.

Review: LOVE this sammy. Great flavor and love the fresh basil and tomatoes. The addition of butter and olive oil makes it taste very bad for you! For extra calories/protein - consider adding turkey pepperoni slices!

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.

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!

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

Rotini Italian Sausage Pasta

Rotini Italian Sausage Pasta
Recipe from Aggie's Kitchen
Makes 4 servings

8 oz. rotini
4 links of al fresco chicken sausage (Italian flavored), chopped
4 servings of fat-free mozzarella cheese
2 cups low-calorie spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper
2 tsp olive oil

Set water to boil. Once water is close to boiling, set small/medium-sized skillet to medium and pour in olive oil. Once water is boiling and pan is hot, drop pasta in water and sausage in pan and cook simultaneously for 7 minutes. Turn sausage often and stir pasta often. Heat pasta in a covered medium-sized bowl in microwave until hot, rinse and chop basil and measure out cheese. Drain pasta and place pasta, sausage, cheese and basil in the bowl with sauce and toss. Season with salt and pepper; serve hot.

Nutritional Information: 462 calories, 58 carbs, 11 fat grams and 32 protein grams

Review: It was SO good, friends. Very filling though – I actually couldn’t eat the last 6-7 bites it was so filling. Loved it though, wouldn’t change a thing and it made the house smell fabulous!