Turkey Sausage and Vegetables

I found this recipe in a magazine once and made a few alterations to lower the points value and still be filling. --4 PP per 3/4 cup plus 3 pts per 1/2 cup potatoes--

Ingredients:

7 oz Hillshire Farms Turkey Smoked Sausage cut into slices
2 cups diced onion
2 cups diced bell peppers
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 package refrigerated garlic mashed potatoes

Directions:

Spray skillet with cooking spray
Brown turkey sausage on both sides
Remove from pan
Spray skillet with cooking spray
Soften onion, bell peppers and zucchini
Add frozen corn and turkey sausage
Stir until heated through
Serve over garlic mashed potatoes

Shepard's Pie

My dad LOVES shepard's pie so I figured I could come up with healthier recipe. I also had limited time so I used refrigerated mashed potatoes instead of making them from scratch which would have made it a little healthier. It tasted great though and he didn't complain about it being tomato based instead of beef stock based. Hope you try this and enjoy! --7 PP for 1/6-- (Also, sorry the picture isn't great. I forgot to take it before we put the leftovers away)

Ingredients:

9 oz 90% lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 container refrigerated mashed potatoes
1/3 cup ww shredded mexican style cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Brown ground beef and onion in skillet
Drain of fat
Add tomatoes, sauce, mixed vegetables, rosemary, salt, and pepper
Cook until vegetables are warmed through
Pour into casserole dish
Spread mashed potatoes evenly on top
Bake for 10 minutes
Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese
Bake additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted

Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

This is such an easy way to grill. It takes minimal time because everything is in small pieces and its easy to control portions. --3 PP per chicken kebab-- I usually serve these with a baked potato cooked on the grill as well.

Ingredients:

15 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
1/2 cup Andria's steak sauce
2 tsp minced garlic
8 oz mushrooms, cleaned
3 bell peppers, cut into chunks
1 yellow onion, cut into chunks

Directions:

Combine chicken, steak sauce, and garlic in plastic bag
Refrigerate to marinade for at least 4 hours
Heat grill to medium heat
Remove from fridge and place chicken on skewers
Place vegetables on skewers (I cook the mushrooms and other vegetables separately because mushrooms tend to cook faster)
Place chicken on grill and cook through (about 5 minutes on each side)
Place vegetables on grill and cook until soft but crunchy (about 4 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear)
Enjoy!

Stuffed Shells

I was feeling like pasta with meat sauce but decided to get a little more creative. I basically made meatballs and stuffed them in jumbo pasta shells. --5 PP for 3 shells--

Ingredients:

7 oz uncooked jumbo shells
9 oz 90% lean ground beef
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp ground basil
2 Tbs seasoned dried bread crumbs
2 Tbs Reduced fat grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Egg Beaters
2 cups marinara (I use Ragu Light Tomato & Basil)
2/3 cup WW Italian cheese blend

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cook pasta according to package directions
Brown ground beef in skillet
Drain excess fat from beef
Add oregano, basil, bread crumbs, parmesan, egg beaters, and 1 cup marinara to beef
Stuff meat mixture evenly into shells
Place in 9 x 13 pan
Pour remaining marinara on top
Bake for 15 minutes
Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on top
Return to oven for about 5 minutes (or until cheese melts)

Beef Stroganoff

This is a very simple meal to throw into the crock pot before work in the morning. Warning though...as soon as you walk in the door and smell the aroma your mouth may water.--5 PP for 1/6--

Ingredients:

1 lb beef for stewing, trim cut
10 oz sliced and cleaned mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 cup fat free sour cream

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except sour cream in crock pot
Stir until soup is well incorporated
Cook on low 8-10 hours
Stir in sour cream
Heat 10 mins


*I serve this over egg noodles with a vegetable side

Oven Roasted Vegetables

This vegetable dish is delicious. I can eat it as a main course if I want because the vegetables bring about a certain meatiness (especially the eggplant). Served over pasta with a little olive oil and parmesan cheese makes for a great weeknight meal. If I don't make this dish as the centerpiece of my meal then its an excellent side. If you make the whole recipe as a side dish then you'll definitely have leftovers for a while. Plan your week out so that it goes with 2 or 3 meals that way you won't have to work as much the rest of the week :-) --0 PP per 1/2 cup--

Ingredients:

2 yellow squash, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
1 eggplant, sliced and quartered (depending on size--make about the same size cuts as squash and zucchini)
2 red bell peppers, cut roughly same size as previous vegetables
1 yellow onion, quartered and separated
1 lb bunch asparagus, cut into smaller chunks
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp garlic salt (more to taste)
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Spray 2 baking trays (with sides) with cooking spray
Combine all ingredients in LARGE bowl (larger bowl makes it easier to toss)
Distribute vegetables evenly over baking trays
Bake 15 minutes
Stir vegetables to prevent sticking
Bake 15 minutes
Enjoy!

Shredded Chicken and Pinto Bean Enchiladas

I was feeling like Mexican food and didn't want to waste a ton of WW PP on going to a restaurant. I made this based on things I had in the house. It was okay but I wish I would have had enchilada sauce instead of tomato sauce and V8.--5 PP each--

Ingredients:

12 oz uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
16 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Rotel (or canned tomatoes with green chilis)
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 cup V8
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
11 low carb soft taco sized flour tortillas (the package usually comes with 10 but mine had 11...yay! lol)

Directions:

Place chicken breasts and broth in crock pot
Cook on low heat for 8 hours
-----
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat skillet with cooking spray on medium heat
Cook onion and bell pepper until tender
While cooking shred the cooked chicken with fork
Add to vegetables
Pour remaining chicken broth over chicken and vegetables
Stir in chili powder, cumin, and beans
In a separate bowl combine tomato sauce, tomatoes and V8
Spread 1/4 cup of mixture across bottom of baking dish
Create an assembly line of tortillas, meat mixture, cheese, baking dish
Fill each tortilla evenly with meat and cheese
Roll and place edges down in baking dish
Once all are assembled pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over
Bake covered 30 minutes
Serve each tortilla with a dollop of fat free sour cream

Stuffed Green Peppers

To be honest, the only reason I made this dish was because I had a LOT of bell peppers as well as already cooked rice. I know it may seem lazy but if you plan ahead and know that you're going to be using ingredients multiple times in a week then by all means prep them just 1 time. I knew I'd be making chicken fried rice and bell peppers so I cooked all of the rice at the same time. I also usually dice a couple onions at the beginning of the week and keep them in a bag in my refrigerator. Mom likes this because she can use it for omelets in the morning and it makes cooking after work a whole lot quicker. :-) Anyway, this is pretty simple and can actually be made the night before or morning of. Just do everything but the baking. Its nice to just come home and throw dinner in the oven. You can also probably make this in the crock pot if you prefer really tender green peppers. I like a little crunch so I bake them. Its up to you!--5 PP each--

Ingredients:

9 oz 90% lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup canned tomato sauce
4 green bell peppers, tops and seeds removed
1 cup reduced sodium V8

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat skillet to medium high heat
Brown ground beef in skillet with onion
Drain of fat
Add rice, garlic powder, and black pepper
Pour 1/2 cup tomato sauce into mixture
Stir until everything is combined
Divide filling into 4 equal parts
Fill peppers with meat mixture
Top each pepper with remaining tomato sauce
Place peppers in baking dish
Pour V8 along bottom of dish
Cover dish with aluminum foil to steam peppers
Bake in oven 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on tenderness preference

Chicken Fried Rice

I made this the same day as the chicken pot stickers mostly because pot stickers weren't a round enough meal for me and also I had a lot of ground chicken since you can only buy it in a 1 lb package at my grocery store. Hope you try and enjoy. It was a little bit of an experiment so change it up like I did!--4 PP per 1/5 of skillet (approximately 1 cup)

Ingredients:

8 oz ground skinless chicken
1/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 eggs
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 medium bell pepper, diced
6 scallions, diced (its what was left in the bunch so really just use what you have)
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 Tbs teriyaki sauce
1 Tbs low sodium soy sauce

Directions:

Coat skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium
Cook chicken in skillet breaking up chunks
Remove chicken from skillet
Coat skillet in cooking spray again
Crack eggs directly into skillet and scramble until loose eggs form
Remove from heat
Coat skillet in cooking spray one last time
Cook carrots, pepper, and scallions until softened
Add brown rice and stir until heated
Add peas, chicken, and eggs
Once combined, add teriyaki and soy sauces
Cook until frozen peas are heated then serve

Chicken Pot Stickers

I was really craving Chinese food so steamed pot stickers and chicken fried rice sounded good. --1 PP each--

Ingredients:

8 oz ground skinless chicken breast
1 cup napa cabbage, chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 Tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch (disolved in 2 Tbs water)
sprinkle dry mustard (about 1/4 tsp)--optional
pinch ground pepper (about 1/8 tsp)
20 wonton wrappers
1 cup fat free reduced sodium chicken broth

Directions:

Combine chicken, cabbage, soy sauce, disolved corn starch, mustard (optional), and pepper
Fill 20 wonton wrappers with chicken mixture:
Have bowl of water on side
Place chicken mixture in center of wonton wrapper
Wet 2 adjoining sides of wonton wrapper with water
Press dry sides to wet forming a triangle
Spray skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium
Brown wontons on both sides (may have to add more cooking spray)
Arrange wontons in skillet so that they are barely touching (this will prevent sticking)
Pour chicken broth over wontons and cover
Cook about 5 minutes then place lid at an angle to vent steam
Continue cooking until all chicken broth is evaporated and wonton skins are soft
Serve with soy sauce

Beef and Guinness Stew

Okay. This may not be the healthiest thing in the world but it is certainly delicious! I first had Beef and Guinness Stew while visiting friends in Ireland last summer. Upon first bite, Corinne (my travel buddy) and I fell in love with this magical dish. It took me a while to try to re-create it but I figured St. Patrick's Day would be the perfect day to try. The meat came out so tender it was amazing and of course I enjoyed a bottle of Guinness and Irish soda bread with it. Here's how I made my favorite dish from Ireland (feel free to try your own spin on it)!--14 PP per 3/4 cup--

Ingredients:

1 lb stewing beef (its easy because its already cut up)
2 Tbs flour
2 small onions, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
1 bottle Guinness
1/2 cup fat free beef broth
1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 cups mashed potatoes (I had leftovers from previous meal but you can buy packaged)

Directions:

Coat skillet with cooking spray
Brown beef in skillet (do not strain)
Move beef to crock pot and toss with flour
Add onions, carrots, and celery to skillet with beef drippings
After softened, add garlic
Deglaze the pan using half of the bottle of Guinness
Pour vegetable mixture over meat in crock pot
Add remaining Guinness and beef broth
Stir in thyme
Cook on low heat for 8 hours
Top with dollop of mashed potatoes

Chicken Parmesan

I saw a commercial for Olive Garden and started craving chicken parm. Its probably one of the most unhealthy items you can order at an italian restaurant, but I found a way to lighten it up. I served it with spaghetti w/marinara, garlic bread, and a balsamic salad.--3 PP per serving of chicken, 4 servings--

Ingredients:

2-5 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts with fat removed
1/2 cup egg beaters
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup marinara sauce (I use Light Ragu and add sauteed onion and garlic)
1/3 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella (I used WW Italian blend)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pound thin
Pour egg substitute in bag and coat chicken breasts
Pour bread crumbs onto plate and coat chicken (may need more crumbs depending on how you like it)
Heat skillet on medium high heat
Coat skillet with cooking spray
Add chicken and sear on each side until crust is golden
Place on baking sheet (I use a wire rack on top of the baking sheet to make both sides crispy)
Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until center is no longer pink
Remove from oven
Place on top of pasta (I used spaghetti and marinara sauce-Light Ragu with onion and garlic) in a 9 x 13 pan
Pour 1/2 cup marinara sauce on top of chicken breasts
Sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese is melted (approximately 8 minutes)

Chili Pizza

Saw something similar to this in a magazine once. Decided to replicate it in my own way. There will be *s for different variations you can do. I've made this many times so just add things you think sound good! This recipe is 6 PP for 1/8 of the pizza.

Ingredients:

9 oz 90% lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped*
1/2 bell pepper, chopped*
1/2 tsp chili powder*
1/4 tsp ground cumin*
1 can diced tomatoes in chili sauce (or no salt added diced tomatoes and add chili powder)
1 package refrigerated pizza dough
1 cup reduced fat shredded mexican blend (I use weight watchers 4 cheese blend)
1/4 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese (Kraft)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Brown ground beef in skillet with onion and bell pepper
Drain mixture of grease and excess liquid
Return meat and vegetables to skillet and add chili powder and cumin
Once combined, mix in diced tomatoes
Heat through
While heating, press dough across bottom and halfway up sides of a 9 x 13 dish coated with cooking spray
Sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese across dough
Cover cheese with meat and tomato mixture
Bake for 15 minutes
Remove and sprinkle with remaining cheeses
Bake for an additional 5 minutes

**Another variation is to add beans in chili sauce to meat mixture. If you do this be sure to rinse the beans because the extra liquid will make the dish too difficult to serve

**You can also use a cornmeal mixture such as jiffy cornbread instead of pizza dough (need 2-3 boxes depending on how thick you prefer the crust--bake halfway according to package directions before adding meat mixture)

Tomato and Spinach Penne

Seeing as it is currently Lent, I've had to come up with satisfying meatless recipes for Fridays. This recipe is 4 PP per cup.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups uncooked penne
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups baby spinach
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried ground basil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions
Heat olive oil in skillet
Add grape tomatoes and cook until skin begins to wrinkle
Add garlic and salt
Cook about 1 minute until fragrant
Add baby spinach and stir until wilted
Stir in vinegar and basil
Heat until combined
Pour over drained pasta
Stir in parmesan cheese

Crock Pot Mushroom and Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Don't let the picture stop you from trying this. I am obsessed with this dish. I had something similar at a restaurant and had to recreate it at home. SO GOOD! I usually serve this with a green vegetable and rolls. --5 PP each--

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
10 oz mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs Cooking sherry
4 oz fat free cream cheese
4- 5oz boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed of fat
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

Directions:

Heat olive oil in skillet
Cook mushrooms until browned
Add garlic, salt and pepper
Cook until fragrant then add sherry
Heat until alcohol is evaporated
Remove from heat and add cream cheese
Stir until incorporated and set aside
Cut chicken breasts along thickest point to form pocket
Stuff equally with mushroom mixture
Place in crock pot
Pour chicken broth over chicken
Sprinkle with salt and pepper for flavor
Cook on low for 8 hours (may need to add additional broth depending on size of crock pot)

Macaroni & Cheese

I did this meal for Ash Wednesday since I was supposed to abstain from meat. I served it with fish sticks and steamed veggies. --7 PP per cup--

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
3 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 oz Velveeta 2% milk cheese
4 oz 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese (I used Cabot)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions
In a saucepan combine milk and flour
Heat pan and stir until mixture is thickened (stir constantly)
Add salt, pepper, velveeta, and cheddar cheese
Stir until combined
Pour over drained pasta
Coat pasta and serve

Meatloaf

While still on my comfort food kick, I thought meatloaf and mashed potatoes would be really satisfying. The meatloaf is 3 PP per serving. 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb 90% lean ground beef
1/2 cup salsa
1 slice Healthy Life Bread, torn into small pieces
1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray loaf pan with cooking spray
Combine beef, salsa, bread, and egg in bowl
Form mixture into loaf and place in pan
Top with ketchup
Bake for 30-45 minutes (until cooked through)

I served this with mashed potatoes and green beans with caramelized onions.

Chicken Pot Pie

After watching Food Network all weekend, I decided comfort food would be a nice Sunday dinner. Soooooo I made Chicken Pot Pie--7 PP--

Ingredients:

13 oz chicken breast, cut into small pieces
11 oz uncooked potato, diced
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery chopped
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth
1 package refrigerated reduced fat crescent rolls

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Coat skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium
Add chicken to pan and cook through
Bring small pot of water to boil
Add potatoes to boiling water and cook until soft
Remove chicken from skillet and add onions, carrots, and celery
Cook until soft
Add peas and corn
Cook until warmed through
Add flour to pan and coat vegetables
Pour milk and chicken broth over vegetable mixture
Stir until thick
Add cooked potatoes and chicken
Pour into 9 x 13 pan
Top with crescent roll dough
Bake until dough is crisp and brown (15-20 minutes)
Allow to cool and cut into 8 equal pieces

Salisbury Steak

This is not a time consuming recipe and one of my dad's favorites.--5 PP Value--

Ingredients:

1 lb 90% lean ground beef
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8-10 oz sliced mushrooms (its less time consuming to purchase them washed and pre-sliced from the store)
1 small onion, diced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups beef gravy (I prefer a fat free pre-canned like Heinz just to save more time)

Directions:

Heat skillet over medium heat coated with cooking spray
Combine ground beef, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Form ground beef mixture into 5 patties (3.2 oz each if weighing)
--if want thinner must press thin because they will shrink up and get thicker
Place patties in heated skillet and brown on each side
Cook until juices are clear
Remove patties from heat
Spray skillet with more cooking spray and add mushrooms and onion
Cook until soft
Add dried thyme and stir to coat
Add beef gravy and combine (if appears too thick add 1/4 cup water)
Place patties back in skillet and coat with gravy to reheat
ENJOY!

I usually serve these with mashed potatoes or egg noodles to soak up the gravy mixture. I also have a green vegetable as a side to make the meal well-balanced.