Spinach and Sausage Baked Pasta

Another skinnytaste.com favorite!  I made a 9x13 of this the first time we tried it, and it was completely gone within 48 hours...our little family of four devoured it!  I'm setting it up on my freezer meal rotation since it was such a hit!


Spinach and Sausage Baked Pasta
www.skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 • Size: 1 3/4 cups • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 10 pts
Calories: 398 • Fat: 12.5 g • Protein: 27.5 g • Carbs: 44 g • Fiber: 6 g • Sugar: 1.5 g
Sodium: 636 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

• olive oil spray
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
• 8 oz fat-free ricotta
• 8 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded
• 14 oz uncooked sweet Italian chicken sausage, removed from casing
• 12 oz high-fiber or low carb rigatoni pasta
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves smashed garlic, roughly chopped
• 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 4 cups Quick Marinara Sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 9- x13-inch baking dish with olive oil spray. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 6 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese.

Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, brown the sausage breaking up into small bits until cooked through; set aside. Add the oil to the skillet and sauté garlic about a minute, careful not to burn. Add spinach and season with a little salt and pepper and cook another minute. Return the sausage to the skillet and add the marinara sauce; cookon low about 2-3 minutes.

When the pasta water comes to a boil, cook pasta according to instructions for al dente, but undercook them by 4 minutes less; drain and return to pot.

Put half of the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half of the meat sauce. Spoon the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce in an even layer. Coverwith the remaining pasta and the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino Romano cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.

Jambalaya

Slow Cooker Jambalaya
adapted from AllRecipes.com
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced 
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
white rice or instant rice (I used 2 packs of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Garlic & Butter flavor)

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.  (I do this the night before and put it in the fridge.  I put it in the slow cooker before I leave in the morning.)

Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Mix in cooked rice cook for about 15 minutes to warm through.

Crock Pot Italian Sloppy Joe

From skinnytaste.com

I love these little things!  The first time I cooked them, we completely forgot to put the provolone cheese on the sandwiches once it was time to eat (I'd cooked them in the slow cooker a day or two before), and they were still very yummy!  There is a suggestion to serve the sloppy joe mixture over roasted spaghetti squash, which I intend to do, but haven't done just yet!  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes (Tutorosso)
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

For serving:

• 6 whole wheat 100 calorie potato rolls**
• 6 slices reduced fat provolone (Sargento)
• 1 cup baby spinach

Directions:

In a medium non-stick skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up as it cooks into small bits until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add onions and garlic, and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, rosemary and fresh cracked pepper.
Cover and cook on low 4 hours. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

To serve, place heaping 1/2 cup of meat on a roll and if desired, top with cheese and baby spinach. 

Makes 6 servings.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Another skinnytaste.com recipe!  I adapted this bread recipe to muffins, and pack 2 of them for Little Girl's lunch at least once a week.  I love this recipe because I can easily bake 2 batches (24 muffins), throw them in a freezer bag, and pull out two at a time as needed.  I put them into a lunch bag frozen, and they are perfectly thawed by the time lunch time rolls around.  Easiest. Lunch. Ever.  Bonus -- they have veggies in them!  

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (I used unbleached)
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (regular whole wheat flour would work)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 1-1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini (not packed)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

Add chocolate chips and gently mix to combine.

In a medium bowl, mix egg, vanilla, melted butter, apple sauce and zucchini. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just blended.  

Pour batter into a large 9x5 inch loaf pan. (Or muffin cups, lined with with foil wrappers)

Bake at 325° for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and let it cool before slicing.

Alice Springs Chicken

Thanks to the world of Pinterest, I stumbled upon this recipe.  Months after pinning it, I finally cooked it....Yummy!!  This recipe comes from amysfinerthings.com.

Sherry’s Aussie Chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness (sometimes it’s easier to filet them, instead)
• seasoning salt
• 6 slices bacon, cut in half (What is it with me and all the bacon recipes this week?!)
• ¼ cup regular mustard
• ¼ to 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 cups shredded Colby/Jack cheese

Sprinkle and rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon.  ***Do not discard grease.*** Saute chicken in the bacon grease for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned.  Move chicken to a 9×13 pan.

In a small bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayo and dried onion flakes.  Apply the honey mustard to each breast, then layer with mushrooms, bacon, and shredded cheese.

Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done.  (Be sure to cut into a breast to see that it is fully cooked before serving to guests who will find raw meat in their main dish.  Ask me how I know…)

Serve with honey mustard sauce.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

From skinnytaste.com, where I LOVE to find recipes!  

I haven't followed the directions below, exactly; instead, I just throw everything into the crock-pot and let it do it's thing.  I'm still including the directions below...just in case I one day magically find some extra time to do it the right way!

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup flour (to make gluten-free use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead)
• 2 cups water 
• 4 cups fat free milk
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 1/2 medium chopped onion
• 8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms 
• 2 chicken bouillons
• fresh ground pepper
• pinch of thyme
• 10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small
• 16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
• salt

Directions:

Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.