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.