Fiesta Taco Bubble-Up

First of all, this is a Weight Watcher's recipe - yay! I love these bubble-up dishes made with biscuits. I would make this every week - it's that good. The leftovers were super good too; I had those for lunch today.

Check out these other Bubble-Up dishes I've made:
Bubble-Up Enchiladas (WW recipe)
Chicken & Biscuits Alfredo Bubble-Up (not as healthy, but delicious of course)

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 7.5 oz package refrigerated biscuits, (10 biscuits to the pack) (I had to buy 2 5-packs)
taco seasoning packet
1⅓ c salsa
2 c diced peppers, I used red, orange and yellow
1 c diced onion, I used red onion
1 c light shredded cheese, I used 2% Mexican blend
green onions
fat-free sour cream for topping, optional


Preheat oven to 350F, spray a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.

Brown your ground beef and add taco seasoning. Mix ground beef and salsa together in a bowl. Cut up peppers & onion, and cut your biscuits into 6 pieces each.


Place half of your biscuit pieces in the bottom of your casserole dish, top with half of your meat mixture, half of your peppers and onions and half of your cheese. Repeat layers and finish with your chopped green onion on top.

Loosely cover with foil and bake in oven for 35 minutes, remove foil and continue baking for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then cut into 6 servings. Top with a spoon of fat free sour cream (optional)



Original recipe found here.

Southwestern Quinoa & Black Bean Casserole

Ok, so this is really yummy. I also love to make my One Pot Mexican Quinoa, but this is SO GOOD. It requires more prep time though. I chopped the onion, jalapeno, bell peppers, and green onions on Sunday. I also went ahead and cooked the quinoa. That took away a good amount of time right there. I also don't see why you couldn't put this together the night before, and pop it in the oven the following evening. I cannot even imaging someone not liking this dish.  Must make!

3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
2 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, minced
1 tablespoon oil
4½ c cooked black beans, rinsed (I bought the large can)
1¼ c vegetable broth
2 c cooked quinoa
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
4 bell peppers, diced
1¼ c shredded Mexican cheese (I used 2%)
sliced green onions

Black beans: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and jalapeno, sauteing for 4 minutes and stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and black beans. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Mash beans to desired consistency. I like to make them a little more like refried beans while still leaving some of the beans whole. The mixture should be thick, not watery. If you still have a lot of moisture, let it cook out by keeping it on the heat for another few minutes. Taste and season with salt.
Quinoa: In a dry nonstick skillet over medium high heat, toss and toast the cooked quinoa with the cayenne, chili powder, cumin, and salt for 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt. Set aside.
Peppers: In the same dry nonstick skillet over medium high heat, place the diced peppers and do NOT stir. This allows the peppers to get a brown roasted look on the outside. Wait for 2-3 minutes before stirring, then let them "roast" for another few minutes before removing from the heat.
Assemble: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon black bean mixture into a glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with quinoa, bell peppers, and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese was golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with green onions and let cool 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream, tortilla chips, on tacos, on a salad, or just eat it plain!

Original recipe found here.

Chicken Tamale Pie

Words cannot... I mean it's just so good... I don't even know what to say. Blown away. BLOWN AWAY. The bottom corn/cornbread layer, the enchilada sauce, the shredded chicken, cheese... oh it was awesome. Make it... and make it it soon. 

⅓ c fat free milk
¼ c egg substitute
1½ tbsp taco seasoning, divided
¼ tsp ground red pepper
1 (14¾ oz) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix (Jiffy)
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
2 c shredded cooked chicken breast
¾ c shredded white cheese (I used 2% monterey jack)
cilantro

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine the first 7 ingredients (milk through green chiles), using just ½ tablespoon of the taco seasoning, in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a round pie plate (mine was glass) coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 20-30 minutes. While corn is baking, toss the chicken in the remaining 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. When corn is done - it will be just barely set and golden brown - pierce entire surface liberally with a fork (it might stick a little bit to the fork). Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. 

Original recipe found here.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

I could eat this every week! YUM! I can't wait to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sweet Hungarian Paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 
1 1/2 heads green cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) petite dice tomatoes with juice
1 can (15 z.) tomato sauce
1/4 c water
2 c cooked brown rice (I just used a bag of the boil-in-bag brown rice)
2 c low-fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add ground beef and cook until it's browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove ground beef and set aside. In the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil, chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Add water to the pan. Simmer until it's hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

While it simmers, cut cabbage in half, cut out the core, and remove any wilted outer leaves; chop the cabbage coarsely into 1 inch pieces.Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan; add the cabbage and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

When the meat and tomato sauce mixture has cooked and thickened a bit, stir in the 2 cups of cooked rice and gently combine. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray and the layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture.

Cover tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes, or until the mixture is just starting to bubble on the edges. Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to slightly brown.  YUM!

Original recipe found here.

Spaghetti Squash & Peppers in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Obviously I'm obsessed with spaghetti squash. I came up with this recipe on my own, because I was limited on what I had and needed to use some things up. I had half a bag of sweet mini peppers, half an onion, and a spaghetti squash. I was going to combine that and make the skinny alfredo sauce (from Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo), but I know Will prefers tomato-based sauces, while of course I love creamy sauces. I compromised and mixed the skinny alfredo with some marinara to make a delicious creamy tomato sauce! I love the flavor the peppers gave to the dish. Winner!

1 large spaghetti squash, baked/shredded (See Spaghetti Squash Mac & Cheese to see how I prepare my spaghetti squash)
1/2 large onion, minced
1 1/2 c diced sweet mini peppers (about 14 peppers)
olive oil spray

1 tbsp light butter
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c skim milk 
1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese (I used Garlic & Herb)
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt/pepper, each
1/2 c marinara sauce
crushed red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, green onions (optional, for garnish)

Place cooked & shredded spaghetti squash in a large bowl. Spray a skillet with olive oil spray and heat over med-high. Cook onions and peppers for a few minutes until slightly soft. Add to bowl with spaghetti squash.

Now prepare your sauce. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a sauce pan over med-high heat. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add flour and mix with a whisk. Slowly add the milk next, while stirring with whisk. The chunks of flour/butter will melt. 

Once the milk is warm, add the wedge of Laughing Cow cheese. Continue stirring and let the cheese melt. Heat the sauce until boiling, but stir the entire time. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Next add the marinara sauce. Stir well, then pour into the bowl with the spaghetti squash & peppers. Mix it all together and pour into a greased 9x13" dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 min. Enjoy!!

I made the Roasted Parmesan Green Beans to go with this.

Slow-Cooker Breakfast Casserole

For the last few years, I've made these amazing Sticky Buns for Christmas morning breakfast. This year I wanted to try something different. It was a success!! It smelled delicious and was just perfect when we woke up.

If you have a big crock pot (6 quarts or so) you will probably want to follow the original recipe. But the site said you can't make it in a smaller crock pot because it won't fit. I think my crock pot is somewhere around 3-4 quarts, so I just (kind of) halved the recipe. Below I posted how I made the casserole in my crock pot.

20 oz hash browns (I used a bag of the shredded "Simply Potatoes" hash browns, near the eggs - you can also use frozen, shredded or cubed)
12 oz ground sausage, browned (we used the reduced fat kind)
1 c shredded 2% cheddar cheese
1/2 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 of an onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
8 eggs
1/4 c skim milk
1 tsp salt/pepper, each
additional seasonings (use whatever you like, I also used some seasoning salt, this stuff called bacon salt, and some parsley)

Spray a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes on the bottom of slow cooker. Top with half everything else: the sausage, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, onions, and red peppers. Repeat the layers again, and then top with the last 1/3 of potatoes.

Beat eggs, milk, and salt, pepper, and other seasonings in large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended. Pour egg mixture evenly over potato-sausage-veggie mixture.

Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or on high setting for 4 hours or until eggs are set. Sprinkle a little cheddar over the top, let it melt, and enjoy! Top with green onions, salsa, tomatoes, mushrooms, avocado- whatever you like!

Original recipe found here.

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash & Zucchini Tomato Bake

I just threw this together myself - didn't have a recipe... but it's pretty simple, and pretty DELICIOUS! After our amazing Thanksgiving feasts yesterday, I felt like I definitely needed a veggie dinner tonight. I had two zucchini I needed to use, plus some tomatoes, and a spaghetti squash... so I just combined it into something that turned out very, very tasty! Will thought this was awesome too. He thinks it should be in regular rotation.

1 large spaghetti squash
2 large zucchini (made into noodles using mandolin, or you could just cut it in chunks too)
3 tomatoes, sliced
1 c (or more) marinara sauce
1/2 c shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 c (plus a little extra) shredded Parm

Bake and prepare your spaghetti squash. To see how I do mine, see the recipe for the "Mac & Cheese" Spaghetti Squash.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine zucchini noodles and spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl. Stir in marinara sauce. In a sprayed 9x13" baking dish, layer tomato slices (I used six), then sprinkle shredded Parmesan over tomatoes. Pour spaghetti squash & zucchini noodles with marina over tomatoes. Layer with six more tomato slices. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese around the tomatoes, and then some Parmesan cheese on top of each tomato. Bake for 15 min, then broil on high for a couple minutes to brown the cheese. Enjoy!!

Baked Vegetable Casserole

The tomatoes MAKE this dish! I would have used more if I had extra tomatoes! YUM!

2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of salt
2 tomatoes
1 eggplant
2 medium sized zucchini
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c chopped onions
1/2 c marinara sauce
2 c part-skim mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste 

Cube up your zucchini and eggplant. In a large skillet heat oil and toss in your cubed vegetables & onion over medium heat, sprinkle salt on top (I also used Cavenders).  Heat and toss until vegetables are a little tender. Add marinara and stir well. Transfer the vegetables to a sprayed or foiled baking dish - I used a 9x13". Slice your tomatoes and arrange slices on top of other vegetables. Sprinkle a bunch of cheese on top! Sprinkle with pepper to taste and bake for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned, and veggies are tender. I broiled mine for a minute to really brown the cheese! 

Original recipe found here.

Spaghetti Squash Marinara Bake

I just threw some stuff together for this. I have made spaghetti squash several different ways, but never with marinara or tomato sauce. Now Will typically prefers less creamy tomato-like sauces, and I always prefer creamy (of course). So I figured this would be his favorite spaghetti squash recipe. It was. Don't get me wrong, he loves all the others, but since he likes tomato sauce so much, this is his fave.

1 spaghetti squash (cooked, shredded)
marinara pasta sauce
1/2 c shredded Parmesan
1/2 c Panko

To see how I prepare my spaghetti squash, see previous recipes. (Listed below)

Put your shredded spaghetti squash in a big bowl and add as much marinara sauce as you want, it's up to you. Put that in a sprayed 8x8" cooking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then Panko. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 min or until slightly browned on top.

Other spaghetti squash recipes:
"Mac & Cheese" Spaghetti Squash (favorite)
"Skinny" Spaghetti Squash Alfredo (favorite)
Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin
Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Tomato Bake
Simple Herbed Spaghetti Squash

We had this with Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" and mushrooms stuffed with Laughing Cow cheese.

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

Oh my - delicious. I have seen this on Pinterest for a while - claiming that it's like hash brown casserole (a favorite of mine). I tried it. It's amazing and I enjoyed leftovers for lunch today even more! YUM.

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tbsp light butter
1 small yellow onion, cut in half and very thinly sliced
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh thyme
½ c light sour cream
½ c red-fat shredded cheddar cheese

This is how I always prepare my squash: Poke holes in squash with a fork and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for about an hour at 375 degrees. Let it cool off and then slice it down the middle. Remove the seeds and things from the middle. Then just use a fork to shred the strands of squash out. Lately I've been baking and prepping my squash the day before I need it. That way it's all shredded in a big bowl in the fridge ready to go. 

In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter, onions, red pepper and thyme and cook until the onions are slightly brown in color. Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Combine the shredded squash, onions, sour cream and half the cheese together and mix well.  Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish and top with remaining cheese.

Place in oven at 375º for 20 minutes until golden brown on top. 

Original recipe found here.

We had red wine & garlic mushrooms and roasted broccoli with this! I love how the broccoli gets crispy when roasted. 

Eggplant Lasagna

This was seriously good and Will thought it tasted like Eggplant Parmesan. The top gets nice and crispy, even though the eggplant aren't pan-fried at all. YUM! I cut the original recipe in half and just made half, which is what I posted below.

1 large eggplant, sliced thinly & peeled (I sliced mine into circles instead of lengthwise)
1 c marinara sauce
3/4 c low-fat ricotta
3/4 c shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 c shredded Parmesan
1 c Panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8" baking dish and lay out one layer of eggplant in the bottom of dish. Mix ricotta & mozzarella together. Layer half of mixture on top of eggplant. Cover with marinara sauce, and top with some Parmesan. Repeat: eggplant, ricotta/mozz mixture, sauce, Parmesan. Then I did one more layer of eggplant, a little bit more sauce, Parmesan cheese, and then the Panko. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is nice and brown. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Easy Cheesy Zucchini & Squash Bake

Simple. Easy. Delicious!!

2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2-4 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp thinly sliced green onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup low-fat white cheese (I used lowfat mozzarella)
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked.  Serve hot.

Original recipe found here.

Light Cheesy Squash Casserole

I love squash casserole, but I was looking for a lighter recipe. I found this great lower cal recipe, and it comes from... 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet. Thought that was funny. Only 95 calories per serving, and it's nice and cheesy!

2 lbs yellow summer squash — sliced
3/4 c chopped onions
1 tbsp light butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 c skim milk
3/4 c shredded fat free cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
cooking spray
1/2 c Panko

Spray a large pan and heat over medium-high heat. Saute onions and squash for 5-7 minutes, until soft. In another smaller sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; add cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Add to the squash mixture; stir well.

Spoon squash mixture into a shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle squash mixture evenly with Panko. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Original recipe found here.

Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

SO DELICIOUS. I've made Lasagna Roll Ups before, but these are CAPRESE Lasagna Roll Ups. Amazing. I know I've mentioned several times how much I love tomatoes in the oven, and I love Caprese anything (See: Caprese Grilled Chicken). I had this recipe pinned on Pinterest for a long time. So glad I finally made it!

8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
14 oz freshly shredded, low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 c part-skim Ricotta cheese
1 large egg white
1/3 c freshly, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/4 oz)
freshly ground black pepper
4-5 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/6 inch thick slices)
1/4 c chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 c marinara sauce, recipe follows

Simple Marinara Sauce
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c finely chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Marinara Sauce
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions to hot oil and saute about 3 minutes until soft, adding garlic during last minute of sauteing. Pour in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow sauce to cook for about 25 - 30 minutes (which will allow some of the water in crushed tomatoes to evaporate) while you prepare pasta and lasagna filling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package to al dente. Drain pasta (DO NOT rinse with water) and align lasagna noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper.

For filling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix in 12 oz. of the Mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper to taste.

Place 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. Put 4 thin tomato slices over cheese mixture then sprinkle fresh basil over top. Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Place lasagna roll ups, seam side down in dish. Top each roll up with about 2 tbsp of the pasta sauce (covering edges of pasta so they don't dry out while baking). Sprinkle top with remaining shredded mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, plate pasta and garnish with plenty of basil ribbons.

Original recipe found here.

Skinny Hawaiian Pizza Pasta

I could have eaten the whole pan!! But I didn't, I ate a serving, which is only 300 calories! Yay! This is so yummy. I love that we have lots of leftovers, making this a perfect school year dish. It really does taste like a delicious Hawaiian pizza. While the dish was baking, it definitely smelled like I had a Hawaiian pizza in the oven. Mmmm.

1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp Splenda granulated sweetener (if you don’t use splenda in your food, use whatever sweetener you choose)
3 c uncooked whole wheat pasta spirals
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
1 c cooked ham (I used sliced and cut it smaller)
1/2 c mini turkey pepperonis
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
1 c reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, mushrooms, green pepper, and red pepper for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring often. Add tomato sauce, basil, oregano, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and sugar. Bring sauce to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes and let sauce thicken. Stir frequently.

While sauce is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta. Discard bay leaves from sauce. Stir in the pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni, ham, and pineapple. Transfer pasta to a greased shallow 3 quart baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered or until completely heated through. 

Delicious sauce with veggies. Ham/pepperoni not added yet.

 Yum. Combined with meat & pasta sauce mix.

 Sprinkled with cheese!

 And yum.

Original recipe found here.

Stuffed Mushroom Casserole

Mushroom lovers will love this delicious side dish! Only 137 calories per serving. This tastes just like a delicious stuffed mushroom, but in casserole form!

16 oz mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bellas)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 c reduced fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 egg whites
1 tbsp light butter
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage (substituted rosemary)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray  casserole dish with an olive oil spray. In a medium, nonstick skillet melt 1 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Add in onions and celery, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in mushrooms, garlic, thyme, sage and salt and pepper, and cook until mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes.
 

Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl, and stir in all remaining ingredients, except for the shredded mozzarella. Pour into prepared casserole dish and top evenly with the shredded mozzarella.
Place into oven and bake until cheese becomes golden and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes. Of course, I broiled mine for a couple minutes too!

Original recipe found here.

Zucchini Lasagna

I had seen this Skinnytaste recipe floating around Pinterest for a while. Then my friend Hannah tried it & posted it on her blog. So I made it for my Mom's birthday!

Prepping the zucchini is pretty time consuming though. You slice it thin with your mandoline, then you have to salt it, let the moisture release, blot with paper towels, broil/grill it to release more moisture. Blot with more paper towels, etc. I had 3 trays of sliced zucchini to do that to, so it took a while. I also went through quite a few paper towels. So this wouldn't be a during-the-school-year recipe, but it is VERY TASTY.

Will had so much he fell asleep right after everyone left. I mean within 3 minutes. & it's true - you really won't miss the noodles!

1 lb lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 large zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick
15 oz part-skim ricotta
16 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
1 large egg

In a medium sauce pan, brown meat and season with salt. When cooked, drain in colander to remove any fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for at least 30-40 minutes, covered. Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick. (I actually used some homemade tomato sauce my mom had given me instead of crushed tomatoes).

Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/8" thick slices, add salt and set aside for 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel. Broil zucchini slices for 2-3 minutes on each side to release more moisture. Dry on paper towels, and squeeze out more water! Ok, now you're ready.

Preheat oven to 375°. In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well. In a 9x12 casserole dish spread some sauce on the bottom and layer the zucchini to cover. Then place some of the ricotta cheese mixture on the zucchini, then top with the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover with foil.

Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes. I also boiled mine for a couple minutes to brown the cheese - I am kind of obsessed with my broiler. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Tomato Bake

This was delicious! Like I've said before, tomatoes get so juicy in the oven. So good. I always bake my spaghetti squash like this, it's the easiest way I think: Keep whole, poke with fork so it won't explode, put on a baking pan, bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Let cool some, cut in half (it's easy when it's cooked), let cool some more. Scoop out the middle part with the seeds. Use a fork to pull all the spaghetti squash out.

About 3 cups cooked spaghetti squash (1 medium one)
2 large garden tomatoes sliced
salt
garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, dried parsley for sprinkling
5 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend (separated)
fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread about 1 cup of spaghetti squash on the bottom. Top with a layer of sliced tomatoes, then sprinkle seasonings over the tomatoes. Follow with about 1.5 oz cheese. Add another layer of squash, tomatoes, the seasonings, and cheese. Then put a final layer of squash, and a final layer of cheese and seasonings. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered!

Original recipe found here.

We had roasted zucchini with this, and a Cilantro Cream Chicken dish. It was good... but not good enough to be posted on the blog. It was just kind of bland, nothing special. But the zucchini and spaghetti squash were awesome!

Easy Skillet Lasagna

I love this for several reasons: 1) it's really delicious, 2) one serving is only 275 calories, 3) it's easy and super fast. This will be a great dish to make during the school year - because it's quick and easy. The recipe called for 2 cans diced Italian tomatoes. I used some of my mom's whole canned tomatoes I crushed up and her tomato sauce. Then I just added some Italian seasoning. Yum. If you don't include the time it takes to cook the lasagna noodles, this recipe is ready in about 12 minutes! Oh, and this is a meatless dish, but obviously you could add meat.

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 c mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 c tomato sauce
3 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 c skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c part skim mozzarella cheese
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
About 6 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds & fully cooked
2 tablespoons parsley (dried or fresh)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until it thickens up a bit, around 5 minutes.

Add noodles to skillet and stir into the mixture well. Add scoops of ricotta cheese over the noodles; add in mozzarella and Parmesan. Stir in parsley.  Cook about 2 more minutes, or until mixture is thick. Serve immediately with additional basil or parsley.

Original recipe found here.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Will said this is probably his favorite mexican/chicken casserole dish I've made. That says a lot! Super easy and delicious. I love that it has avocados too!

1 c sliced onion
2 c shredded chicken
2 c red enchilada sauce; divided
1 c black beans; drained and rinsed
1 c pinto beans; drained and rinsed
1/4 c freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced (I only used 1)
6-8 corn tortillas
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c sliced black olives
sour cream (optional)
diced tomatoes (optional)
green onions (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Turn a large, dry, non-stick skillet to medium high heat and add sliced onions. Let onions cook till they turn a golden brown color; stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet add the shredded chicken, 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, black beans, pinto beans, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes.

In a 8"x8" casserole dish tear up 3-4 of the corn tortillas into 1" pieces, and layer them on the bottom of the dish. Spoon half of the chicken filling on top of the torn tortilla pieces. Layer the caramelized onions on top of the chicken filling, then lay the avocado slices on top of the onions. Spoon the remaining chicken filling over the avocados. Tear up the remaining 3-4 corn tortillas to make a top layer over the chicken filling. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce evenly over the top layer.

Spread out the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the casserole and then sprinkle on the sliced black olives and tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, add green onions, and let cool slightly before slicing. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

7/12/2015