Cauliflower with Cheese and Bread Crumbs

Monday, the day I happened to do my grocery shopping, I also happened to be having an extreme vegetable craving. So, now I have a fridge full of fresh produce, and I'm looking for creative, new ways to cook them. I stumbled across this recipe for cauliflower and decided to give it a try. It was pretty good. Like most things, it would be better with extra cheese! :-)

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
non-stick cook spray
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut cauliflower into florets and cook in a steamer basket until tender.  Add bread crumbs, garlic salt and pepper to a skillet sprayed with cooking spray.  Cook until bread crumbs are browned.  When cauliflower is tender add it to the skillet with bread crumbs; stir to mix.  Sprinkle cheese over top and allow to melt.

Recipe makes 4 serving.  Each serving is one weight watcher point.

Basic Vegetable Soup

I love this soup because it's so adaptable! I rarely make it the same way twice. Once you've made the broth, you can add just about any veggies you like. It's a perfect cold-weather meal and a great way to use up leftover veggies.

Ingredients:
(Basic Broth)
1 large can V8 vegetable juice (48 oz)
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
3 cups of water
6 beef or vegetable bouillon cubes
black pepper to taste
(vegetables/add in ideas)
you can use fresh, frozen or canned veggies.
mixed veggies
carrots
potatoes
corn
green beans
spinach
any kind of beans (kidney, lima, etc.)
diced tomatoes
zucchini & squash
broccoli & cauliflower
any variety of pasta
and the list could go on and on....

Directions:
add all ingredients except pasta to the crock pot and cook on low for at least 6 hours. Frozen and fresh vegetables may require longer cooking times. If you are adding pasta to the soup, I suggest cooking your pasta separately and adding it to the soup just before serving. If you cook the pasta in the crock pot it tends to absorbs too much of the broth. I like to serve this soup with oyster crackers and grilled cheese sandwiches.

The basic broth for this soup is zero weight watcher points. The addition of pasta and starchy vegetables will add points.

Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Over Rice

Can I just say that I LOVE the crock pot. I am seriously sick today....like finding it hard to move....possibly might die sick! :-) But of course, dinner still must get made. So I quickly came up with this recipe, tossed in the ingredients and let the crock pot do the rest. It was that simple and surprisingly good!

Ingredients:
8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup Kraft fat free parmesan cheese
1 bag frozen brocoli
1/2 TBS garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
rice

Directions:
Put chicken in crock pot and cover with soup. Sprinkle spices and parmesan cheese over top and cook on low for 6 hours.About a half an hour before serving add broccoli to a  pot of water and cook on the stove over high heat until broccoli is tender. Shred chicken with a fork and return to crock pot. Drain broccoli and add to chicken mixture. Serve over hot rice.

The chicken mixture is 4 points if divided into 4 servings. White rice is 2 points for a 1/2 cup or 4 points for cup.

Fruit Dip

I made this the other day for a party, but I forgot to take a picture. So the picture above is not mine; it was just an image I found on the internet. Anyway, this recipe is so easy, inexepensive and yummy!

Ingredients:
1 8 oz. tub fat free cool whip (thawed)
1 small box vanilla instant pudding

Directions:
Combine cool whip and dry pudding mix. Stir with an electric mixer until completely blended.(about 2-3 minutes) If you don't mix thoroughly, the pudding will not dissolve and taste grainy. Refrigerate for at least an hour and serve with a variety of fresh fruits.

If you divide the dip into six servings, each serving is 3 points. Be sure to add additional points for fruit.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1/4 cup reduced fat, grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs olive oil

Directions:
Mix cheese, garlic salt and pepper together in a small bowl.  Rub parmesan cheese mixture into both sides of chicken breasts.  Heat oil over medium low heat.  Add chicken breasts and cook for 7 minutes on each side. (depends upon the size and thickness of chicken)

Each serving is around 4 weight watcher points if this is divided into 4 servings..

Dijon Herbed Chicken

Just tried this today, and it was great! It was so easy!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp. light Italian salad dressing
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 lb total)

Preparation:

Combine mustard and salad dressing in shallow dish. Mix bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, and basil in another dish. Spread mustard mixture on both sides of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then pat crumb mixture onto both sides, pressing firmly. Bake at 400 degrees for 19-24 minutes until chicken registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read meat thermometer. 

 

Serves 4.  Each serving is 6 weight watcher points.

Spinach and Cheese Manicotti

This was delicious, but... I'm not going to lie to you....it wasn't a quick, throw-together meal. And it was kind of messy to make. :-) I felt the results were worth it, but you could make it simpler by using jumbo shells which are easier to fill than manicotti noodles. You could also layer the filling in between lasagna noodles. Filling the manicotti was the hardest part.

Ingredients:
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
14 manicotti shells
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 jar pasta sauce
1/4 cup Kraft reduced-fat parmesan cheese
1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese (I found this at Aldi - it was a mix of parmesan, mozz. and ramano)
1 egg white
1 TBS orgegano
1 TBS basil
1/2 TBS garlic salt
black pepper to taste

Directions:
dd pasta to boiling water and cook for about 9 minutes; drain and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl mix cottage cheese, parmesan, shredded cheese and egg white.  Add spices and 3 TBS of pasta sauce to the cheese mixture; stir well.  Fold in spinach.  Cover the bottom of a baking dish with a thin layer of pasta sauce. Add cheese mixture to a large zip-loc bag and snip off one corner of bag.  Squeeze cheese mixture into each manicotti noodle.  Line filled noddles in the baking dish.  Pour remaining pasta sauce over the filled manicotti. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

2 manicotti are 7 weight watcher points.

Turkey, Rice & Broccoli

This is a meal my mom made a lot when I was growing up.  It's still one of my favorite quick meals. You can get everything you need at Aldi, which also makes it an inexpensive meal! :-)

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 box chicken flavored Rice-a-Roni
1 package frozen broccoli florets

Directions:
Brown turkey and set aside.  Spray the bottom of a skillet with cooking spray and add rice mixture (not flavor packet). Cook until the rice is slightly brown. Add the cooked turkey to the rice.  Slowly pour in 1 1/2 cups of hot water.  Add flavor packet and broccoli.  Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes or until water is absorbed.

If this is divided into 6 servings, each serving is 5 weight watcher points.

Crock Pot Re-fried Beans

If you've been following my blog much, I'm sure you've noticed that we eat a lot of beans. :-) I love them for so many reasons. They're full of protein, they're filling and they're also really inexpensive! So here's yet another bean recipe. This was new for me. I always use canned re-fried beans, but after seeing how delicious and easy these were, no more canned for us!

Ingredients:

2 cups of dried pinto beans, sorted to remove any pebbles 
water 
1 yellow onions
3 whole garlic cloves
1 tsp cumin
1/2 package of taco seasoning

Directions:
Add the beans to a large pot and add enough water so the beans are fully immersed, leaving two to three inches of water on top. Put the lid on and let them soak overnight.

In the morning, drain and rinse the beans under cold running water.

Put them in the crock pot with enough clean water to cover the beans with about an extra inch of water.

Stir in the cumin and taco seasoning.

Peel and cut the onion in half, and put it in the crock pot. Peel all of the garlic, but toss them in whole.

Cover the crock and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the beans are tender.

Remove the onion and the garlic cloves. If the beans are soft and you still have a bit of liquid left, carefully drain it, saving a little to help with smashing the beans and for added flavor.

Using a potato masher or hand mixer mash the beans.

1/2 cup of beans is 2 weight watchers points.

Chicken Pot Pie Bake

Creamy chicken pot pie with much less fat! :-)

Ingredients:
8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed (I shredded mine)
2 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup (they are carrying a Fit & Active brand at Aldi now)
2 cans of mixed vegetables, drained
2 rolls of Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits (small biscuits, not the grands)
1/2 cup skim milk
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray the bottom of a casserole dish.  Mix cans of soup and milk thoroughly; add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in chicken and vegetables; pour mixture into casserole dish.  Slightly flatten 18 biscuits with your hands. You will have two extra biscuits. I leave them out to make the dish easily divided into 6 servings. Lay biscuits in evens rows on top of pot pie filling.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until biscuits are browned on top.

If divided into six servings, each serving is 7 weight watcher points. Each serving should include 3 biscuits.

Low-Fat Corn Muffins

These are simple and DELICIOUS!!! They go great with chili or stew.

Ingredients:
1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (8.5 oz)
1 can cream corn
2 large egg whites.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin or line with paper cups.  Mix all ingredients together; batter will be slightly lumpy.  Pour batter evenly into 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

Each muffin is 2 weight watcher points.

Shredded Italian Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:
2-3 lb eye of round roast
2 cups of water
1 packet McCormick au jus mix
1 packet Good Season's dry italian dressing mix
1 green pepper cut into strips

Directions:
Add water and seasoning packets to crock pot; whisk together thoroughly.  Add the roast and peppers.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours. The roast should be falling apart and easy to shred with a fork. Shred meat and return to the au jus sauce.  Serve on Italian, hard rolls and top with peppers and mozzarella cheese.

Weight Watcher points:
4" italian roll : 2 pts (these can vary from 2-4 points, so be sure to check the label!)
Shredded beef: about a point an ounce or since it is a lean meat you can count it as a set points value of 5

Cheesy Broccoli, Chicken & Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup instant rice, uncooked
8 oz cooked chicken breast
1 can Campbell's 98% fat free cheesy broccoli soup
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 package frozen broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp garlic salt
1 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese

Directions.
Whisk together garlic salt, soups and broth; pour into a greased casserole dish.  Shred chicken and add to soup mix.  Stir in rice and broccoli.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

If divided into 6 servings, each serving is 5 weight watcher points.

Angel Hair Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes, Fresh Spinach & Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable broth
•   1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
• 14 oz Barilla Plus angel hair pasta
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup light sun-dried tomato dressing (or light Italian dressing)
• Fresh sliced mushrooms

Directions

Cook and drain pasta; set aside. Heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a skillet over medium heat and saute the garlic 1 minute, until tender. Mix in the spinach, and cook until almost wilted. Pour in the broth, and stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms. Continue cooking until heated through. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the spinach and tomato mixture. Serve with Parmesan cheese. 

This recipe makes 7 servings. Each serving is 5 weight watcher points. 

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Ingredients:
12 reduced fat string cheese sticks
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbs reduced fat parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Cut each string cheese in half.  Dip cheese in egg white and roll in bread crumbs. Add to a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 400 degrees for six minutes. Serve with marinara sauce.

Each mozzarella stick is one weight watcher point.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love to make this recipe on cold evenings! :-) It's also a great recipe for using up leftover chicken or turkey meat!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
40 oz chicken broth
1 large can of mild enchilada sauce
1 jar picante sauce

Directions:
Add all of ingredients except for chicken to a large pot.  Use a whisk to mix all ingredients until there are no lumps.  Add chicken.  Bring soup to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until soup it hot and bubbly. Serve with 2% shredded cheddar and baked tortilla chips.

*Note* If you don't have cooked chicken, you can add raw chicken to the soup.  Just make sure to increase cooking time until chicken shreds easily with a fork.

This makes about 8 servings.  Each serving is 3 weight watchers points. Add additional points for cheese and chips.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

 

Ingredients:

1 Box Spice Cake Mix

1 Can Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Directions:

Thoroughly mix dry cake mix and pumpkin.  Drop dough onto a greased baking sheet using a cookie scooper to make them all the same size.  Leave space between cookies because you will flatten them a little.  I did this by spraying the bottom of a metal measuring cup with cooking spray and lightly pressing the top of each cookie.  Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Recipe yields 36 cookies.  Each cookie is 1 weight watcher point.

Cranberry Stuffed Baked Apples

Ingredients:
2 granny smith apples
1/8 cup brown sugar packed
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 TBS of low-cal butter substitute, separated (I used Brummel & Brown)

Directions:
Core apples.  I chose to remove the peel, but you can leave them on if you like.  In a bowl mix brown sugar, cranberries and cinnamon. Divide cinnamon mixture in half and stuff each apple.  Place in an oven safe dish and fill the bottom of the dish with water. Top each apple with 1 TBS of butter substitute.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until apples are desired tenderness.

Each apple is 4 weight watcher points

Crock Pot Italian Chicken

This chicken literally took less than five minutes to prepare, and it was delicious! We will definitely have this again soon!

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup low-fat Italian dressing
Dried rosemary to taste

Directions:
Trim all fat from chicken breasts and place them in the bottom of the crock pot.  Pour dressing evenly over chicken breasts and sprinkle desired amount of rosemary. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

If you divide the chicken evenly into 4 servings, each serving will be 4.5 weight watcher points.

Baked Mostaccioli

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces mostaccioli pasta, uncooked
• 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste, Italian flavor
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups fat-free cottage cheese (16 oz)
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
•  6 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1.5 cups)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Cook mostaccioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook the turkey and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink;drain if necessary.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and marjoram; set aside.
4. Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce into an 9"x9" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with half of the mostaccioli, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Layer with remaining mostaccioli, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. 

If divided into 8 servings, each serving is 5 weight watcher points.

Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers

This is a review of a recipe I got from a great website where I get many ideas and inspirations for my own recipes.  I thought I would just pass along the link and you give you the opportunity to explore this great site! Her recipes are definitely a bit too in-depth and gourmet for my every-day needs, but I have gotten some great recipes from her!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/08/chicken-and-white-bean-stuffed-peppers.html

Slim 'n' Trim Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

6 cups cooked macaroni (I used Barilla Plus Penne)
1 1/2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 3/4 cups 2% shredded colby cheese or sharp cheddar
1/2 cup skim evaporated milk
2 tsp dijon mustard
2TBS reduced fat parmasean cheese
2 TBS seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
3TBS chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, combine macaroni, cheddar cheese, onion and parsley
In blender or food processor combine cottage cheese, milk and mustard. Process until smooth.
Pour over macaroni mixture and mix thoroughly.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Turn into 2 quart casserole dish coated with non-stick spray
mix bread crumbs and Parmesan.
Sprinkle over casserole

Bake 20 minutes



Makes eight servings at 5 weight watcher points per serving.

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

These are pretty tasty, and I lucked out by finding canned beans that were labeled "spicy." They were already seasoned with cumin and chili powder, so I didn't need to add more spices. They do fall apart a bit, but they held up better than some black bean burgers I made in the past. I will definitely make these again.

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans (drained)

1 large egg white 

1 clove garlic

1 tsp chili powder 

Salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Directions:
Add one can of black beans, garlic and onion to a blender or food processor.  Blend until almost smooth.  Pour mixture into a bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Add a small amount of olive oil or pam cooking spray to a pan.  Scoop burgers into 9 even amounts.  Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side. Serve on a one point bun and top with your favorite burger toppings.

Serves 9.  Each patty is 2 weight watcher points.  Add additional points for bun and toppings.

Un-Fried Zucchini

If you have a lot of zucchini in your garden or if you just love zucchini, this is a fun, easy recipe!

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slice
3 TBS seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 TBS grated low-fat Parmesan cheese
1 egg white

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). In one small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, pepper, garlic salt and Parmesan cheese. Place the egg whites in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini slices into the egg whites, then coat the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy.  Serve with warm marinara sauce.

The entire batch is 2 weight watcher points.  Add 1 point for a 1/4 cup of marinara sauce.

Rosemary Chicken and White Beans

This meal didn't photograph well, but it's so yummy I had to share.  I found the recipe and tried it on a whim, and I'm so glad I did.  I made a few adjustments because I didn't have all of the ingredients called for in the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken pieces (I used boneless skinless breasts)
1 can white beans ( I used two cans because I wanted left overs)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp rosemary
2 carrots sliced thin
1 stalk of celery sliced thin (I omitted this because I didn't have any)
1/3 cup light italian dressing (I used light sun-dried tomato dressing and added a little extra to cover the extra beans)

Directions:
Rinse and drain beans; add to crock pot.  Layer carrots and celery next.  Place chicken pieces on top of veggies.  In a small bowl combine dressing, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Pour mixture over chicken.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Weight Watcher Points:  1/4 of the chicken and half a cup of beans is 7 points.

Portobello Sandwich with Provolone Cheese

Ingredients:
Portobello Mushroom Caps
Slices of Provolone Cheese
2 TBS of your favorite marinade or salad dressing (I used fat free honey dijon dressing)
Light hamburger buns

Directions:
Add marinade/dressing and mushrooms caps to a zip lock bag; shake to coat.  Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Add mushrooms to a non-stick skillet and cook for 4 minutes on each side (or until tender) over medium heat. Add half a slice of provolone cheese to each mushroom during the last mintue of cooking. Serve on a light bun and add your favorite toppings.

Weight Watcher Ponits: Portobello Mushrooms are zero points, so just add points for the dressing, bun and cheese.  My sandwich was only about 2 points! :-)

Crock Pot Mushrooms

This past weekend Matt and I went to the Renaissance Fair, and while the costumes where somewhat scary, the food was awesome! For lunch I had a bowl of mushrooms served in a beef broth. Mushrooms are a great zero point snack and so filling. Inspired by this meal, I came home and searched the internet for ways to prepare mushrooms in the crock pot, and this is what I came up with.

Ingredients:
2 containers of fresh mushrooms
3 TBS low fat margarine spread ( I used Brummel & Brown)
1 package dry ranch mix
water

Directions:
Thoroughly clean mushrooms and place in the bottom of crock pot.  Add margarine to a microwave-safe measuring cup, and microwave for 30 seconds or until melted.  Add water to the measuring cup until liquid reaches 1/2 cup. Add ranch mix to measuring cup and whisk until dissolved.  Pour over mushrooms and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

The entire pot of mushrooms is 4 points.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1lb 93% lean ground beef or turkey
1 can kidney beans
1 can chili beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 package taco seasoning
1 packet dry ranch dip mix
1 1/2 cups water
Optional: 2% shredded cheddar, light sour cream, baked tostidos


Directions:

Brown ground beef on stove top.  Stir taco seasoning and ranch mix into meat.  Add all other ingredients.  Do not drain any of the cans first.  Just pout them in.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Top with 2% cheddar cheese.  Serve with light sour cream and baked Tostidos.

One cup of soup (with out cheese) is 4 weight watcher points.

Blender Salsa

Ingredients:
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
Juice of one lime
1/3 cup of chopped white onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2-1 cup of fresh cilantro (depending on your taste preference)

Directions:
Pour whole tomatoes (undrained) into the blender first.  Lightly drain Rotel tomatoes and add to the blender.  Add all remaining ingredients. Blend on low until salsa is your desired consistency.  Pour into a container and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

NOTE: I made this according to the directions, and my blender was VERY full! It became a little messy after I blended. You might want to try blending this in two smaller batches and then combining them after they are blended.

Weight watcher points: ZERO! :-)

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

These are AMAZING!!! This is a brand new recipe to me, and I am really excited about it. It combines the flavor of buffalo wings with the dipping sauce! I made them for my parents using all of the low-fat ingredients, and they couldn't tell!  If you like buffalo wings give these a try! You can adjust the amount of buffalo sauce to increase the spiciness to your taste.

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup your favorite buffalo sauce (I used Texas Pete's Buffalo Wing Sauce)
1 cup fat free ranch dressing (I used Kraft Free Ranch)
4 oz (1/2 brick) light cream cheese

Directions:

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot.  Pour buffalo sauce and ranch dressing over top. Cube cream cheese and add to crock pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken and shred with a fork. While chicken is out of crock pot, whisk sauce to make sure cream cheese is mixed in.  Return chicken to crock pot and stir into sauce.  Serve on a one point hamburger or hot dog bun.

If you divide the meat into 10 servings, each serving is 4 weight watcher points.  Don't forget to add a point for the bun!

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

I love pot roast, but I've been avoiding it.  I used to always make my pot roast with a boneless chuck roast, but they are too high in fat.  I made this dish using an eye of round roast.  It's one of the leanest beef roasts you can get, and it was DELICIOUS!


Ingredients:
3lb eye of round roast (trimmed of visible fat)
desired amount of red potatoes with skin on (I used about 7 medium sized)
1 bag of baby carrots
1 package of mushrooms, washed (optional)
1 packet of dry brown gravy mix
1 packet of dry italian dressing mix
1/2 cup water
1 onion quartered


Directions:
Place roast in the bottom of crock pot. Mix gravy and dressing packets with water and pour over roast. Layer potatoes over roast and top with carrots and onion. Add mushrooms last.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours. 


The beef roast has a set point value of 5 points because it is a lean meat, or you can figure it at one point per ounce. Carrots are one point; potatoes are about 3 points for 3 or 4 of the medium sized red potatoes and mushrooms are zero points.

Bean and Rice Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 package of fat-free taco shells
1 1/2 cups rice (instant or regular)
1/2 can black beans drained and rinsed
2% shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, or mexican blend)
1 jar of enchilada sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare  rice according to package directions, but add 1 cup of salsa to the water before bringing to a boil.  Pour enough enchilada sauce into a baking dish to cover the bottom. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce into a shallow dish or plate.  Dip both sides of a taco shell into the enchilada sauce.  Add 1/8 cup rice, 1/8 cup of black beans and 1/8 cup of cheese to the shell.  Roll the taco shell tightly tucking in the ends. Add the enchilada to the baking dish. Continue to make desired amount of enchiladas and line them up in the baking dish.  Pour any remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until insides are hot and cheese is melted.  (for spicier enchiladas, add a sprinkle of canned green chili peppers to each enchilada)

Weight Watcher Points: 4 points for one enchilada

Turkey Meatball Subs

These are so easy and tasty.  And best of all....it's inexepensive! You can get everything you need at Aldi!

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen turkey meatballs
1 jar marinara sauce
1 green bell pepper cut into wide strips
6" sub rolls
2% mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Place meatballs and peppers in crock pot.  Pour marinara suace over top and stir.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  Add four meatballs and desired amount of peppers to a sub roll.  Top with 1/4 cup cheese. 

Weight Watcher Points:
4 meatballs - 3 points
Roll - 3 or 4 points depending on brand
Mozzarella Cheese - 2 points for 1/4 cup
Marinara is zero points unless you put more than 1/4 cup on your sandwich

Double Chocolate Muffins

I made these back when I first started Weight Watchers, and I had kind of forgotten about them.  Well, an intense chocolate craving this week reminded me! They are so simple and very tasty! You can't taste the pumpkin.  You really only taste chocolate.

Ingredients:

1 Box Double Chocolate Muffin Mix or Chocolate Cake Mix (both available at Aldi)
1 Can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, just plain pumpkin)
1/2 cup water

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Batter will be thick.  Line cupcake trays with paper liners.  Fill 24 cups evenly with batter.  I used a cookie scoop and found the measurement to be about 1 1/4 scoops per cup. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes.

Each muffin is 2 weight watcher points.

Lightened-Up Buffalo Chicken Salad

One of my favorite meals out is a buffalo chicken salad from Granite City.  I've never been brave enough to look up the nutrition, but I know it's bad! My mother-in-law saw this recipe on "Cook Yourself Thin" and passed it along to me.  It was wonderful! In my opinion, the highlight was the creamy blue cheese dressing! Since starting weight watchers I've been sticking to vinaigrette dressings to save points, but this dressing is low in points and delicious! Next time I plan to add diced tomatoes and black olives to the salad!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons hot sauce (more if you like hot)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound chicken tenders
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs (I used regular bread crumbs)
 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
6 celery stalks, thinly sliced

Dressing Ingredients:
 1 ounce crumbled blue cheese (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons nonfat or low-fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the hot sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt in a shallow dish until well blended. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

2. Put the bread crumbs shallow dish. Dredge each chicken tender in the bread crumbs, completely coating both sides. Transfer to the rack of a broiler pan or to a metal rack fitted over a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until chicken is cooked through and crust is golden brown, about 12 minutes.

3. While the chicken is baking, stir together the cheese, yogurt, buttermilk and pepper. Toss with the lettuce and celery until well coated. Divide the dressed greens and chicken tenders among 4 serving plates and serve immediately.

This recipe serves 4 at 6 weight watchers points per serving.

Quesadillas

A few weeks ago my sister in law told me about these awesome 1 point tortillas! I had heard of them, but I'd never been able to find them at the store. She told me where to find them at Dominick's, and when I found them I knew I wanted to try to make a lightened-up quesadilla! Here's the recipe I came up with:

Ingredients:

2 Tortilla Shells (note: one  tortilla shell is 1 ww pt, but 2 shells are 3 pts)

1/4 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese

2Tbs light sour cream

2Tbs chunky salsa

1Tsp olive oil

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together salsa and sour cream; set aside.  Add 1/2 tsp of the olive oil to a skillet. Place one tortilla in the pan spreading it around to coat the bottom side with oil.  Spread the sour cream mixture over the tortilla.  Evenly sprinkle the cheese over the sour cream mixture.  Cover with the second shell and cook over medium heat.  Watch carefully! When cheese is melted and the bottom tortilla is slightly brown and crispy, remove the quesadilla to a plate.  Add the other 1/2 tsp of the olive oil to the pan and return the quesadilla to the pan, uncooked side down. Cook for another few minutes or until bottom tortilla is crispy. Cut into four triangles and enjoy!

The entire quesadilla is 7 weight watcher points

Easy Vegetarian Lima Beans

I might be in the minority on this one, but I LOVE  lima beans, especially the ones from Cracker Barrel.  I decided to try to make a lighter copy-cat version, and I'm really pleased with how they came out.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz. bag of frozen lima beans

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 chicken bullion cube

1Tbs light butter spread (I used Brummel & Brown)

1 clove of garlic, pealed and slightly smashed

 garlic salt, black pepper,  & onion powder to taste

Directions 

Add chicken broth  and bullion to a pot and bring to a boil. Add lima beans and enough water just to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low; add all other ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until beans are tender. 

One cup of beans is 2 weight watcher points .

Pizza/Pasta Casserole

This is a recipe I made out of left-over ingredients in my fridge and pantry.  I'm already thinking of ways to change it and make it better for next time. Since we had so many pizza toppings left over, I decided to try turning them into a casserole! It would be easy to incorporate all of your favorite pizza toppings and make this your own! If the points are too high for you, you could use less cheese or leave out the pepperoni and make it a vegetarian casserole by adding green pepper, mushrooms and spinach.

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups of Barilla Plus Rotini Pasta (Aldi now makes their own brand of plus pasta!)
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar (6 servings) of marinara sauce
26 slices of pepperoni (I used regular, but you could use turkey pepperoni to make it even lower in points)
dried oregano or italian seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta on stove top until almost soft; leave slightly al dente. Drain pasta and pour it into a greased baking dish.  Pour pasta sauce over top.  Slice 16 of the pepperoni slices into small squares; add to casserole dish.  Add one cup of the cheese.  Stir well.  Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese evenly over top and arrange the last 10 pepperoni on top.  Sprinkle with desired amount of oregano or italian seasoning. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese melted.

If you cut into 8 servings, each serving is 6 weight watcher points
If you cut into 6 servings, each serving is 8 weight watcher points

Feta-Stuffed Zucchini

I just tried these for the first time, and they are AMAZING!!! It was so yummy, I forgot I was eating a vegetable! If you like zucchini, you should definitely give these a try!

Ingredients:
2 zucchini (about 7 inches long, halved lengthwise)
1 tablespoon Brummel & Brown or other low-fat butter spread
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg white
1 1/2 tablespoon flour
2 ounces feta, crumbled
Paprika

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an ovenproof dish. With a small knife, cut around the zucchini, leaving a rim. Cross hatch the center, then scoop out with a grapefruit knife or the tip of a small spoon.

In a small skillet, melt the butter until shimmery. Add the zucchini scoopings, shallot and garlic and saute until soft.

In a small bowl, beat the egg white lightly. Stir in the flour, feta and cooked zucchini. Stuff the zucchini boats. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 25 minutes 30 minutes, then brown slightly under the broiler.

The entire batch is only 5 weight watcher points! :-)

Mexican Beans and Rice

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 cups hot cooked rice (microwavable for speed or parboiled)
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• 1 15-ounce can less sodium black beans or pinto beans
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a medium skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté onions and jalapeno peppers until softened. Sprinkle cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add rice, crushed tomatoes, sweet corn and black beans, and simmer for 10 minutes. Top with 2% shredded cheddar and serve as a side or a vegetarian main dish.

Recipe makes 6 serving.  Each serving is 5 weight watcher points.

White Bean Chicken Chili

This was something new I decided to try.  It's great topped with low-fat cheese and sour cream!

Ingredients:
2 cans white beans (undrained)
1 small can chicken broth
1 jar picante sauce
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Shred chicken with a fork.

This makes 8 one-cup servings at 4 weight watchers points per cup.

Personal Thin-Crust Pizzas

Sorry it's been a while since I posted a recipe! I have some pictures in my camera of recipes just waiting to be posted, but I've been really busy lately.  For Mother's Day this year we went to my Mother-in-law's house and made homemade pizzas! It was fun and delicious! I thought I'd post the basic recipe, but the variations are endless! You can add just about anything you want! The pizza pictured above is just pepperoni and cheese, but the ones we made on Sunday were topped with tons of veggies!

Ingredients:
Flat Out Wraps (available at most grocery stores in the bread aisle or near the deli. We used the Aldi Fit and Active version of the Flat Out Wraps. These are in the refrigerated section near the deli meats and cheese)
1 Jar of Marinara or Pizza Sauce
1 Bag Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1 Package Pepperoni
Italian Seasoning (to taste)

Directions:
Place wrap on a cookie sheet or pizza pan.  Spread with desired amount of sauce and toppings. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning, and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Watch closely to avoid burning.

Weight Watcher Points:
1 Flat Out Wrap - 1 point
1/2 cup Marinara Sauce - 1 point (varies by brand)
8 Slices of Pepperoni -2 points
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese - 4 points
8 black olives sliced - 1 point

Zero point toppings:
Onions
Green Pepper
Mushrooms
Spinach
Diced Garlic
Sliced Tomatoes

Barbecue Sloppy Joes

I don't really care for traditional sloppy joes, but I love this barbecue beef sandwich! It was easy to make and very filling! I paired the sandwiches with Lays Baked Barbecue Chips and served on 1 pt hamburger buns.

Ingredients:
1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef
1/4 cup Kraft Masterpiece barbecue sauce
2 TBS unpacked brown sugar
1 TBS vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 can tomato sauce (8oz)

Directions:
Brown ground beef. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (about 15-20 minutes)

Makes 8 servings (about 1/4 cup) Each serving is 3 weight watchers points.  Add additional points for buns and chips.

Guilt-Free Chocolate Cake

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Rachel.  I love this cake! It doesn't get much easier than this! I serve mine with Breyer's fat free chocolate ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 chocolate cake mix
1 can diet coke (any diet cola works, even generic brand)

Directions:

mix coke and cake mix and bake as directed. Do not add any other ingredients listed on the box!
Cool and serve with ice cream or top with fat free cool whip

This is 3 weight watcher points for 1/12 of the cake

*Note* you can use any combination of diet soda and cake mix.  For example: yellow cake mix and a can of Sprite or Diet Cherry Coke and a chocolate cake mix.

Iced Coffee At Home! :-)

I can't stop drinking iced coffee! I have a real problem! It was starting to take a toll on my budget, so I've been making it at home.  It's just as satisfying, and when I make it in my favorite Starbucks cold travel cup (pictured above) it just makes me happy! It did require purchasing a few things, but they will last for several batches!

What you need:

• Your favorite coffee.  For the me the bolder the better.  I used Starbucks Ethiopia Sidamo

• Flavored coffee syrup. This is available at most grocery stores, but Starbucks also sells their syrups by the bottle. ($6.95 a bottle...I think). Starbucks puts unflavored Classic syrup in their iced coffee. I like vanilla in mine
• Half & Half or milk.  I prefer half & half, and it's lower in points than I expected!

What you do:

Grind your coffee if it's whole bean. Brew a pot of coffee like normal, but make it DOUBLE strength.  Add double the amount of grounds, but keep the same amount of water as normal. Prepare a plastic drink pitcher by filling it half way with ice cubes.  When coffee is finished brewing, pour it over the ice.  The ice will melt, but your coffee will not be watery because it was double strength.

Fill your favorite cup about 3/4 way full with iced coffee.  Add desired amount of syrup and half & half.  Add more ice to fill cup, and Enjoy!!!

1 cup of iced coffee with 2 TBS of vanilla syrup and 1/4 cup of half & half is 3 weight watcher points.

Lightened-Up Chicken Stips and French Fries

This is too simple to really be considered a recipe, but it's a great way to satisfy that craving for fast food chicken strips.  My sister-in-law Rachel reminded me the other day about Shake-N-Bake.  I hadn't used it in a long time, but it's really point friendly!

Ingredients:
1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenders (trimmed of fat)
1 Box Shake-N-Bake (I used the garlic flavor)
1 Bag Frozen Steak Fries

Directions:
Coat chicken pieces in breading and place on a cookie sheet.  Bake according to package directions.  Place desired amount of steak fries on a cookie sheet and bake according to directions.

The brand of steak fries I bought were 16 fries for 4 weight watcher points.  The chicken is one weight watcher point per ounce plus one point per piece of chicken for the breading.

Chipotle/Qdoba Copy Cat Black Beans

We LOVE Chipotle! It's one of very few fast food restaurants we still go to. In my quest to make everything lighter and healthier, I set out to make my own version of their black beans. I served mine over cilantro lime rice, but they would be great as a side dish or added to burritos as well!

Ingredients:

1 lb dried black beans
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 jar of your favorite salsa

Directions:

Sort through dried beans and remove any pebbles.  Add beans to a large pot and cover with water. (beans will almost double in size so use a large enough pot). Allow to soak for at least 6 hours (I left mine over night).  Drain beans and add to crock pot.  Cover beans with fresh water.  Stir in salsa and taco seasoning.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beans are tender.

Each 1/2 cup of beans is 2 weight watcher points

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili is a big favorite on my husband's side of the family.  I'd never heard of it until I started dating Matt. Now, it's one of my favorites.  It is typically served over spaghetti noodles, but since starting Weight Watchers I eat mine with rice because rice keeps me full longer than pasta. (One cup of pasta and one cup of white rice are both 4 points.) You can also eat it on a hot dog bun and top it with cheese!

Ingredients:

2 lbs 93/7 lean ground beef
2 cans (8 ounce) tomato sauce
1 can (5 ounces) tomato paste
4 Tbs chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbs vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion salt
2 tsp steak sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2-3 dried bay leaves
1/4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions:

Brown ground beef on stove top; then add to crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients to crock pot and stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over warm spaghetti noodles and top with shredded cheddar.

One cup of chili is 4 weight watchers points.  Be sure to add points for pasta and cheese.