Skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole

Another new recipe for us.  Not sure what went wrong, but it was really watery.

Skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Size: 1/6th • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts Calories: 318 • Fat: 7 g • Protein: 27.3 g • Carb: 34.3 g • Fiber: 3.6 g   

Ingredients:

• 6 oz no-yolk noodles (Ronzoni Healthy Harvest, or brown rice pasta for gluten free)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, minced fine
• 3 tbsp flour (gluten free use rice flour)
• 1 3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1 oz sherry (optional)
• 10 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1 cup frozen petite peas (thawed)
• 2 (5 oz) cans tuna in water, drained (I used albacore)
• 4 oz 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar (I used Cabot)
• butter flavored cooking spray
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions:
Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large deep skillet. Add onions and cook on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat
Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spray 9 x 12 casserole with butter flavored cooking spray.
Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined, increasing heat to medium and whisking well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. When boiling, add sherry, mushrooms and petite peas, adjust salt and pepper to taste and simmer on medium, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 7 to 9 minutes). Add drained tuna, stirring another minute.
Remove from heat and add 1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar and mix well until it melts. Add the noodles to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated. Pour into casserole and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray and top and bake for about 25 minutes. Place under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp (careful not to burn).

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

We tried this recipe from the site where I found the WW recipes.  It was very good!

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 35 min 

Ingredients:

7 ounces thin spaghetti
1 tablespoon salted butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
Two 10.75-ounce cans 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 cup nonfat milk
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, but only cook it until it's al dente (you still want a little bite to it). Drain the pasta and set it aside.

3. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery and bell peppers. Cook until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix milk and soup until smooth. Add this mixture to the vegetables in the pan. Stir in cheddar cheese. Continue to heat the mixture until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Add in chicken, pasta and tabasco, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle Jack cheese on top.

4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and golden brown.

Tips:

*If you're trying to figure out a serving size for this casserole, simply use a knife to divide the pan into 6 equal servings. There's your serving size (it's pretty substantial)!

*Leftovers of this casserole are great for a couple of days after making it.

*Turn this casserole into a day-after-Thanksgiving meal by adding leftover turkey instead of chicken.

Nutritional Information per serving:
Serving size: 1/6th of the casserole
Calories per serving: 490.5
Fat per serving: 22.5g
Saturated Fat per serving: 12.3g
Sugar per serving: 3.3g
Fiber per serving: 2.7g
Protein per serving: 31g
Cholesterol per serving: 89.3mg
Carbohydrates per serving: 39.4g

WW POINTS per serving: Points Plus Program: 13 Old Points Program: 11

This one was yummy!

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 369
• Calories from fat: 28%
• Fat: 11.4g
• Saturated fat: 5g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g
• Protein: 35.6g
• Carbohydrate: 31.3g
• Fiber: 3g
• Cholesterol: 79mg
• Iron: 2.4mg
• Sodium: 479mg
• Calcium: 360mg

Ingredients

• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth $
• 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, divided
• 1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts $
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion $
• 1 cup evaporated skim milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese $
• 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese $
• 1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips) $

Preparation

1. Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterey Jack, cream cheese, and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Slim & Healthy Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole

We tried another recipe from the Weight Watcher list.  It was OK.  Not too exciting, but OK.

Slim & Healthy Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 55 mins

 Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons low sodium taco seasoning mix
• 1 can (11 ounces) Mexican corn, drained
• 1 jar (12 ounces) chunky salsa
• 6 corn tortillas (10 inches each)
• 1 can nonfat refried beans
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 cup grated reduced fat Monterey Jack or Mexican style cheese blend
• Chopped fresh tomato and chopped fresh green onions for garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Mist a large skillet set over medium heat with nonstick cooking spray. Add the onion, garlic and beef to the skillet, breaking up the beef and stirring until the beef is browned and onion is softened. Drain the beef mixture. Stir in the taco seasoning, corn and 1 cup of the salsa and mix well.
3. In a small bowl, combine the refried beans and water until smooth and spreadable.
4. To assemble, spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place 2 tortillas over bottom of the dish. Cut one tortilla to fill any gaps as layers are assembled. Spread ⅓ beans evenly over tortillas. Top with ⅓ beef mixuture and ⅓ of the cheese. Repeat layers one time. Arrange remaining 2 tortillas over cheese. Top with remaining beans and beef mixture.
5. Cover and bake in 400 degree oven until hot about 25 minutes. Remove foil and top evenly with remaining salsa and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, another 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let rest and set for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh tomato and green onions if desired.

Martha’s Notes:

Nutritional estimates per serving: 298 calories, 9.1 g fat, 27.9 g carbs, 5.4 g fiber, 26.8 g protein and 7 Weight Watchers PointsPlus Values. Substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef if you prefer. Chopped chicken would also work well.

The person sharing the recipe said:

I was able to slim it down by 2 pointsplus values, by using fat free refried beans, using reduced fat cheese and cutting the amount of cheese in half.

I really, really liked this one!

It made far more than 8 servings, but our tortillas were on the small side, so that is probably part of it.  We will use less salsa next time b/c the dish was very salty, and we could tell some of that came from the salsa.  We did not include scallions, chili powder, and green chili peppers.

Baked Turkey and Jack Cheese Chimichangas

6 PointsPlus Value

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 30 min

Serves: 8

No need to fry this traditional Mexican dish: Simply bake until the tortillas are lightly browned and crisp. Serve with spicy salsa and a dollop of sour cream.

Ingredients 2 spray(s) cooking spray      1/2 pound(s) uncooked ground turkey breast      16 oz fat free canned refried beans      1 3/4 cup(s) fat free salsa      4 1/2 oz canned green chili peppers, mild, drained and diced    1 tsp chili powder      3 Tbsp uncooked scallion(s), thinly sliced    1 cup(s) reduced-fat shredded Monterey Jack cheese    8 item(s) (large) burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s)      1 cup(s) fat free salsa      1/2 cup(s) fat free sour cream    Instructions Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Coat a 13- X 9- X 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add turkey to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from pan and then add beans, 1 3/4 cups of salsa, chili peppers, chili powder and scallions. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes; stir in cheese. Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil; warm in oven for 10 minutes. Assemble chimichangas by spooning about 1/2 cup of turkey mixture onto each tortilla; fold in sides and roll up. Place chimichangas, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until tortillas are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes. Serve each topped with 2 tablespoons of salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Notes For a flavor boost, look for epazote, a pungent herb with a taste similar to cilantro, at Mexican and Central American food stores. Chop some up and sprinkle it over the finished dish.

Flank Steak Tacos

Another yummy new recipe!

We skipped the Paprika since we didn't have any, and we didn't use the Cayenne Pepper since we don't use hot/spicy things.

Flank Steak Tacos

serves 8 ( 2 tacos= 7 points+) add points for toppings

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. paprika
• 2-¼ tsp. cumin
• 1-½ tsp. brown sugar
• ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 ( 2 lb.) flank steak
• 16 small, flour tortillas

Combine first 8 ingredients (and salt & pepper). 

Rub over both sides of steak. 

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Grill steak to desired doneness. Let stand 10 minutes. 

Slice against grain.
Divide steak evenly among tortillas and top with your favorite toppings.

Bubble-Up Enchilada Casserole

Tonight, we tried another new recipe.  I was a little leery of the biscuits, and it still seemed weird seeing them all cooked up, but the whole thing tasted really good.  We used ground beef instead of bison. We left out the green chiles b/c we don't do hot, spicy things or peppers.  I wanted a small can of biscuits, but we could only get large biscuits in an 8 count, so I only used 4 of them and cut them into sixths.  We paired it with corn. Quite yummy and easy.

Bubble-Up Enchilada Casserole

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground bison
• 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chiles
• 1 can reduced-fat refrigerator biscuits
• 1-1/2 c shredded low-fat Mexican cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 13" x 9" casserole dish with non-stick spray. Brown the bison in a large skillet and drain if needed. Add the cans of enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and chiles, then stir to combine. Cut the refrigerated biscuits into fourths, then stir them into the meat mixture.

Add the mixture evenly to the casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the cheese, then bake an additional 10 minutes. Let the casserole stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Adapted from: WeightWatchers.com & Emily Bites

PointsPlus™ Value: 8

Pork Chops with Cream Gravy

We tried a new recipe tonight--another one I found on the 30 Weight Watchers recipes site.  It was really good!  The gravy was lumpier and thicker than I think I've ever had, but it was good.  I would absolutely eat this again.

Pork Chops with Cream Gravy

serves 8 ( 7 points +)

• 1 egg
• ½ c. skim milk
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1-¼ c. Panko Japanese bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 boneless pork chops ( 4 oz. each)
• 3 T. light butter, divided
• ¼ c. flour
• ⅓ c. fat-free beef broth
• 1-½ c. 2% milk

In a shallow bowl, whisk together egg and skim milk.
In another bowl, combine Panko, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.


Heat a large nonstick skillet or cast iron pan. Add 2 T. butter and melt.
Dip pork chops in egg mixture, then coat in Panko mixture. Place in pan and cook for 4 minutes per side or until browned.


Transfer pork to a large baking pan coated with nonstick spray. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink.


Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 T. butter in pan. Stir in flour. Gradually add beef broth and then milk. Bring to a boil, while continually whisking. Cook until thickened. Serve with pork chops.

Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Melted Mozzarella

We tried a new recipe tonight that I found on a Pinterest link for 30 Weight Watchers meals. It was tasty.  I like Spinach, but I have never put it with chicken like this.  I always just eat it as a side, but it was good on top of the chicken. 

We did tweak it a little.
We used 16 oz. of frozen Spinach, which was too much for me.  We also skipped the roasted Red Peppers.  We used 2 teaspoons of Garlic Powder rather than 3 Garlic Cloves.

Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Melted Mozzarella
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • S Size: 1 cutlet, spinach, cheese • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 153.3 • Fat: 4.2 g • Protein: 24.5 g • Carb: 4.0 g • Fiber: 1.3 g • Sugar: .7 g

Ingredients:

• 21 oz (3 large) chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise to make 6 cutlets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 10 oz frozen spinach, drained
• 3 oz shredded part skim mozzarella
• 1/2 cup roasted red pepper, sliced in strips (packed in water)
• olive oil spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly spray a grill with oil (I used my George Forman) or grill outside on a gas grill. Cook chicken on the grill until no longer pink, careful not to overcook or you'll have dry chicken.

Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Add oil and garlic, sauté a few seconds, add spinach, salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes until heated through.

When chicken is done, lay on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment for easy clean-up. Divide spinach evenly between the 6 pieces and place on top. Top each with half oz mozzarella, then slices of roasted pepper and bake until melted, about 6-8 minutes.

Italian Casserole

I am not sure what this is called or where I found it, but I made a very yummy Italian dish tonight for dinner. 

Warning:  It makes a ton of food.  We will be eating on it for days.  If there are only 2 of you eating, you might half the recipe.  You'll still have plenty for leftovers.

The recipe serves 10. (Oops!  Guess that's why we have so much food.)
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ready to Eat in 55 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry ziti pasta (I used wheat pasta.)
• 1 onion, chopped (I just used Onion Powder b/c I can't stand the smell of onions in the house. I just sprinkled it in to taste.)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce (I used sugar free or no sugar added Ragu.)
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream (I actually used slightly less than this.)
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

 

2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

 

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish. (Wait!  I had to use a cake pan b/c there was so much.) Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

 

4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. (I didn't leave it in that long.  I took it out when the noodles began to darken.)

5. Enjoy!

 

Surviving the First Week with Chocolate

Educators across America are finding ways to survive their first week back with students.  For some, the week has been amazing, everything going well, time to get it all done.  For others, they are struggling to find time to get it all done--the teaching and the paperwork.  Everyone is having to get used to getting up early, standing on their feet all day, and coming home to take care of their families after a long day at work.

What are you doing to survive?  Getting to bed early?  Taking a nap before dinner? Eating all the chocolate you can find?  Spending an extra 30 minutes to an hour at the gym?  Taking a walk?

I'm not much of a snacker, but this week, I have been craving chocolate.  I mean seriously craving chocolate.  So . . . last night while at the store, I got all the ingredients for my favorite low carb chocolate muffins/cupcakes.

Ingredients:
1 box of sugar free chocolate cake mix (I get Sugar Free Devil's Food.)
1 15 oz can of Pumpkin
1 bag of sugar free chocolate chips
package of cupcake cups

Procedure:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the cake mix (just the powder, not anything else the mix calls for), Pumpkin, and half the bag of chocolate chips. (It should mix to the point that it looks like a normal cake mix batter.)
3. Scoop into the cupcake cups, which you put into a muffin tin. (I can usually make 16 cupcakes/muffins.)
4. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top of each one.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
6. Enjoy!

I find that I have to eat them with a spoon or fork and not just bite into them like most muffins, but that is totally up to you.

After a day, I put them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh, and then when I'm ready for one, I heat it for 25-30 seconds.

Each one this size is 2 Weight Watchers points.  You can make mini-muffins for 1 point each.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Today for lunch, we prepared Chicken Broccoli Casserole.  It was OK.  It gets your vegetable in, and broccoli is really good for you.  It seems like we had more broccoli than chicken, but it really was OK.  We made enough for at least 3-4 to eat.  We will be eating it for leftovers for a few meals.

I don't know where I got this recipe, so I cannot give you the site, but here it is.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Approximately 3 cups of shredded chicken
16 oz bag of frozen broccoli (cooked)
1 container of cream of mushroom soup*
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Garlic powder and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. Cook your chicken and broccoli.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
4. Pour into a 9x9 baking dish.
5. Cook for 25 minutes.  

Italian Chicken Casserole

Today for lunch, I decided to try out one of the recipes I had found last weekend, Italian Chicken Casserole. I don't know where I found it, but there are several pins on Pinterest with the same recipe.

Italian Chicken Casserole 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped or diced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (I didn't have any, so I just added garlic powder.)
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, basil, & oregano
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 oz light cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 (8 oz) package angel hair pasta, cooked (You can use wheat pasta or any type you would like.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 glass pan or casserole dish. (I sprayed it with Olive Oil spray.)
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.
4. Stir in garlic and onion. Let cook for about 3 minutes or until soft.
5. Add chicken, tomatoes and heavy cream. (At this point, I realized my skillet was not going to be large enough, so I switched to a larger pot.)
6. Allow to boil for a few minutes at medium-high heat.
7. Turn down heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
8. When sauce has slightly thickened, add in cream cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, stirring constantly until the cheeses are melted.
9. Add pasta and toss to coat.
10. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. (I must have done something wrong b/c I had a lot, so I split the contents and put it in two casserole dishes to bake.)
11. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella evenly over all.
12. Bake 30 minutes.

This picture is not that good, but the casserole was good.

Healthy Recipes?

Do you have any healthy, delicious recipes?  I am looking for low carb meals/dishes, but I'm looking for anything that is healthier and delicious.

I have found some on Hungry Girl and Pinterest.  I'll let you know when/if I try them and what we think.