Meatballs Stroganoff

Oh YUM!!  This is really easy and so tasty. It does call for heavy cream... which I rarely cook with, but it's SO worth it! I also read that you can substitute it for cream cheese if you wanted to, but seriously... make it with the cream. Also, the website this recipe came from did not have specific amounts and instructions, so I'm going to do my best.

1 bag frozen turkey meatballs (I used a little more than half the bag, enough to cover my pan)
2 c beef broth
salt/pepper
1 1/2 tsp each, dried herbs (parsley, oregano, basil)
2/3 c red-fat sour cream
1 c heavy whipping cream
wide egg noodles (I used a little more than half of a 16 oz bag)

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Also get your water going for the noodles. Cook according to package directions. Once the skillet/oil are hot, add meatballs and brown, about 5 minutes. Add 2 c beef broth and all your herbs, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil and then simmer about 10 minutes, until broth starts to reduce. Add sour cream and cream. Add cooked noodles and let simmer about 5-10 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool about 5 min. The sauce will thicken and be delicious and creamy. Enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Broccoli Grape Harvest Pasta Salad

Another healthy, delicious pasta salad I'll be taking for lunch. It's so yummy! The original website has nutritional info. Yum!

1/2 (16 oz) box  farfalle (bow-tie) pasta

1 lb fresh broccoli

1/2 c light mayo

1/2 c non-fat plain Greek yogurt

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c diced red onion

1/3 c red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

2 c seedless red grapes, halved

6 cooked turkey bacon slices, crumbled

1/4 c chopped pecans

 

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems and separate into small pieces.  In a large bowl, whisk together mayo, yogurt, sugar, red onion, vinegar and salt and toss with broccoli, hot cooked pasta and grapes.  Stir to coat.  Cover and chill for up to 3 hours.  Stir in bacon and toasted pecans just before serving, enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Cheesy Chicken and Pasta Casserole (Weight Watchers Recipe)

Well, Will leaves for Montreal tomorrow, and he'll be gone for a few days. I decided to make this dish tonight so I'd have leftovers to eat on for a couple days. It's delicious and easy! The original recipe put the chicken into the casserole raw, but I decided to cook mine in a skillet first, after sprinkling with salt/pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes... just for a little added flavor.

2 c cooked penne (I used 1 box of Ronzoni SmartTaste)
2 c cooked chicken breasts, chopped
2 cans red-fat cream of mushroom soup
2 c skim milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
8 oz low-fat cheddar cheese, plus a little more to sprinkle on top

Cook penne pasta according to package directions. I used thinly sliced chicken - heat a little olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Sprinkle chicken with salt/pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook 3 min per side. Let cool and chop. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix 2 cans cream of mushroom with 2 c milk. Add salt/pepper, and 1 c cheddar cheese. Add in chicken and cooked pasta. Stir together, then pour into a 9x11" casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with a little more cheddar, and bake an additional 15 min.

Original recipe found here.

Almond Joy Cookies

Nothing healthy about these, but they sure are good!

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c sweetened shredded coconut
1 c chocolate chips
1 c sliced or slivered almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare two sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs and beat until creamy.

Meanwhile mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until you have a thick cookie dough. Add the coconut, chocolate chips and almonds and mix until well combined.

Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared pans, and bake for about 10-12 minutes. (When you take the cookies out of the oven they should still be a bit doughy looking in the middle—they will stiffen up). This recipe makes about 24-30 cookies.

Original recipe found here. 

Enchilada Pasta Casserole

I really don't think it's possible to go wrong with this dish. I think kids would like this a lot too. I just ate a LOT of it and I'm pretty full. I feel like you can't really see the dish with my picture, but the original website has some great pictures... so check it out.

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
5 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/4 c light sour cream
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce (I used the red sauce)
1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 c shredded monterey jack cheese, divided
1 c frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
12 oz egg noodles
Salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, bring water to boil and cook egg noodles according to package instructions. In the meantime, in a very large skillet, brown your ground beef then drain the fat. Then add the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine. Add in the cream cheese until melted and combined.

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, enchilada sauce, half the cheddar cheese, half the monterey jack cheese, corn kernels, and diced green chiles. Stir to combine. Pour mixture over the beef and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.

In the meantime, drain your pasta. After you’ve drained it, add the pasta to the beef mixture. Make sure everything is coated in the sauce. In a large casserole dish, pour in the pasta mixture and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has completely melted.

Original recipe found here.

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta

This is delicious! I made this to take for lunch. Will got home, tried it, and now he has to take it for lunch too. It's that good. Very healthy as well. In fact, it's so good I feel like I should take it to a family event soon or something. The original recipe was Minted Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Feta. I don't like mint unless it's with chocolate or something sweet, so I left it out.

4 cups chicken broth (this is to boil the orzo in... just use water if you want)
1 1/2 c dry orzo pasta
1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 c crumbled fat-free feta cheese
3/4 c finely chopped red onion
½ c chopped celery
2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Cook orzo in boiling chicken broth until tender, or just according to package directions in water. Whatever. Drain and rinse orzo. Combine with chickpeas, feta, red onion, celery, and basil in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a blender and pulse until well combined. Pour over the orzo salad and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Original recipe found here.