There are a few recipes that are so completely delicious that they make their debut on our dining table often.  I have made these Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells for years with several variations including making them vegetarian and vegan.  They are easy to make and packed with tons of cheesy goodness. Serve them up with a 3 points+ Alexia Garlic Baguette and a nice salad for a complete dinner that your entire family will love. They taste even better the next day and freeze well too!

CHEESY CHICKEN STUFFED PASTA SHELLS (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

• 12 shells uncooked jumbo shells
• 1 1/2 cups marinara
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups fat free ricotta cheese
• 4 oz chicken breast, cooked, skinless, diced – Make it yourself or use rotisserie chicken
• 16 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• 4-5 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 tsp black pepper and sea salt
• 1 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2) Cook manicotti shells in salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Set aside.

3) Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over bottom of pan and set aside.

4) For filling, in a large bowl, stir together egg whites, ricotta cheese, chicken, spinach, garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil and Italian seasoning. Stir in 1/4 cup each of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

5) To assemble, spoon cheese mixture into manicotti shells and place filled shells in a single layer in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake about 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings, 2 stuffed shells for 7 points+

* Make it VEGETARIAN by using chickenless chicken and/or omitting the chicken.

** Make it VEGAN by omitting the chicken, using Veggie Shreds Mozzarella and clicking HERE for recipes for “mock” Ricotta or using tofu for the ricotta.

Nutritional information per 2 stuffed shelled serving calculated at caloriecount.com

Make up your filling while you boil your noodles according to the box directions.

Spray a 9×13 pan with your olive oil mister (nonstick spray) and spread a small layer of your marinara sauce ~ 1/2-3/4 cup. Stuff your shells and place them in the pan.  Then,top with remaining sauce and remaining cheeses.

Bake at 350 for ~ 30 minutes.

This was one of the first recipes I added to my site during my first year blogging.  Bringing it up from the archives reminds me that I NEED to make it for us again soon.

Last chance to enter my Get Fit Giveaway ~ The winner will be drawn tomorrow night.

Night all!

Happy Tuesday all! I really LOVED reading your Name One Thing comments yesterday ~ you all really make the most of your Monday’s.  The BEST thing about today is that it isn’t Monday ~ Kidding LOL!  Actually, the BEST thing about today is that I had a 100% ON TRACK day that was packed with delicious & nutritious foods, a NEW RECIPE and I used my lunch to get in a workout.

Thank you all for inspiring me with your Name One Thing workouts yesterday! I thought of all the things you did as pondered if I should do my train walk of 2.5 miles to/from the train today.

I didn’t let the rain or the wind scare me off!

I packed up an Egg-Wich and took it on the go with me to eat on the train. 

2 slices of Trader Joe’s FF Multi-Grain Bread, a “fried” egg, sea salt, pepper & ICBINB spray (5 points+).

Usually my egg-wich holds me over until lunch, but, today I was starving 3 hours later.

I am absolutely IN LOVE with this new Fage 0% Blueberry Acai Greek Yogurt ~ it’s thick, creamy and the blueberry filling tastes like homemade with fresh berries.

3 points+ for the entire thing.

I started off with a banana plus 4 strawberries…..

Then, topped it with my new FAGE and 2 Tbsp of Coconut Almond Granola (1 points+)

I am SO PROUD OF ME for getting out and getting my walk on today.  I actually had planned on going to the gym, but, I forgot my card.  I totally was kinda nervous to work out with my co-workers anyway…..but, I didn’t let that stop me.

I put on my shoes and headed out to walk.  I ended up finding a route that I LOVE and power walked my way through 3.4 miles!

When I got back, I couldn’t wait to dive into my BURGER SALAD!!!

In the mix:

• Organic mixed greens, romaine, red cabbage & shredded carrots
• Cucumber slices
• Cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds (1 points+)
• 2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Dried Berry Blend (1 points+)
• Amy Lu’s Caramelized Onion Smoked Gouda Chicken Burger (4 points+)
• All topped with Trader Joe’s Low-Fat Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette (2 points+)

DESSERT ~ I seriously need to buy some Dum-Dum’s – this was the perfect ending for something sweet. (1 points+)

Train snacks ~ an orange & lite string cheese (1 points+)

Dinner tonight came about based on The Husband and I decided what sounded good for dinner and the rainy weather.  There is something so good about having rich, creamy pasta dishes on a rainy day.  I instantly thought about the Low Fat Alfredo Sauce I made before with big, thick fettuccine noodles.  The only thing is we didn’t have ANY fettuccine and that would go against cooking with what we hand on hand for the week.

We had a bunch of veggies that needed to be used up, Laughing Cow Wedges and some Hot Italian Sausage in the freezer.  Add in a healthy Alfredo with a Kick and you get one delicious Spicy, Veggie Packed, Queso Alfredo Pasta.

This pasta dish has just the right amount of heat from the smoky chipotle peppers and spicy Italian sausage to warm you up from the inside out. 

You could definitely make this even more decadent by putting it in a casserole dish, topping it with a little pepperjack cheese and baking it for a Super Cheesy, Queso Fredo Baked Pasta!

Start to finish this dish is totally a 30 minute or less meal!

PENNE WITH SAUSAGE, VEGGIES & SPICY QUESO FREDO (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

The Pasta

• 2 Hot Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups fresh mixed vegetables (whatever you have on hand)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 oz whole wheat penne pasta

Spicy Queso Fredo

• 8 Laughing Cow Queso &Chipotle Wedges
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 1/2 Tbsp whipped butter
• 2 Tbsp parmesan
• Sea salt & black pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  In a small sauce pan, make the Spicy Queso Fredo by adding the Laughing Cow, milk, butter and parmesan to the pan.  Turn the burner on low and slowly let the cheeses melt while the sausage veggie pasta cooks, whisking as needed.

2.  Cook pasta according to packaged directions.  While the pasta water is boiling, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage, crumble and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes.  Remove sausage and set aside.

3.  Add olive oil to the sausage pan, then, add the vegetables, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.  Sauté until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 5-7 minutes. 

4.  Return the sausage to the pan, add pasta and drizzle with sauce.  Season with sea salt and black pepper, then, dig in!

Makes 6 servings, 1 heaping cup each, 7 points+

Nutritional information per serving based on 6 servings calculated at caloriecount.com

STE P – BY – STEP

The folks at over at Laughing Cow asked if I would help them develop a recipe using their Light Queso Fresco with Chipotle.  At first I imagined delicious, spicy cheesy nachos loaded with all the fixin’s.

But, I figured, that might be too predictable.  In the past, I’ve used these 1 points+ cheese wedges on sandwich, in wraps, crepes and on crackers.

But, tonight, I took these spicy cheese wedges to a whole new level with a Spicy Queso Fredo Sauce that melted beautifully over crisp veggies, spicy sausage and whole wheat penne.

You can use any variety of veggies you have on hand ~ just mix and match or buy an already prepared fresh vegetable mix like this Trader Joe’s Asian Veggie Blend.

After cooking up the sausage, add the oil, veggies and garlic to the pan

Season with crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper cooking until crisp tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Return the cooked sausage to the pan and toss.

Add the cooked pasta and toss again.

Drizzle with your super creamy, spicy queso fresco.

Gently toss everything together and dig in.

Dessert ~ 5 Cadbury Mini Eggs for 2 points+!

Q’s

How have you used your Laughing Cow Cheese?

I have used it to make Mock Grilled Cheese and my favorite combination is with Jam on Crackers.  The options really are endless.

Night all!

As I have told all of you recently, I cannot get enough soup.  Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the produce, but I LOVE having thick, healthy soups in the winter time and often load them up with fresh vegetables.  I put a fun spin on traditional Minestrone Soup by adding in a bunch of vegetables to bulk it up and using cheesy tortellini for the pasta.  Comfort food at it’s finest ~ this soup is chalked full of veggie goodness and a complete meal in a bowl.

MINESTRONE SOUP WITH TORTELLINI (print here)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 oz lean Canadian style bacon, diced
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped
• 28 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz fire roasted, diced tomatoes with garlic
• 4 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• A few pinches crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 bunch organic kale, roughly chopped
• 1 package tortellini, I used pesto flavored or 1/4 pound uncooked whole-wheat pasta
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil plus Canadian bacon and cook 1-2 minutes until slightly browned.

2.  Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot; cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

3.  Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, spices and kale, bring to a boil.

4.  Add tortellini/pasta; return to a boil and cook until the pasta is tender, about 5 minutes for the tortellini and 8 minutes for the pasta.

5.  Remove from the heat and stir in the basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

* Make it VEGETARIAN by subbing the Canadian bacon for fakin’bacon or omitting.

** Make it VEGAN, by omitting the Canadian bacon, plus cheese and using Whole Wheat Pasta for the Tortellini.

Makes eight, 1 1/2 cup servings, 6 Points+ each!

Nutritional Information per serving

STEP-BY-STEP:

Canadian Bacon is by far the “healthiest” bacons you can get, in my opinion.  I liked the version at Trader Joe’s (surprised!) because of it’s awesome stats.

Start off by adding olive oil with your diced Canadian bacon to “brown” it over medium heat.

Add your garlic, onion, carrot and celery cooking until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add kale, tomatoes, beans, broth and bring to a boil.

Plus spices!

This is your optional step.  I LOVE mixing up a traditional recipe with something fun!  Why add plain WW pasta when you can add Trader Joe’s Pesto Tortellini.

Add your choice of pasta and cook according to the package instructions ~ about 5 minutes for the tortellini.

Remove from heat and stir in your chopped basil.

If desired, top with parmesan and Enjoy!

This is the type of soup that is fantastic the first day but even better the next as all the flavors blend together.  It’s total comfort that packed with veggies and healthy!  What more could you ask for? Try it and get creative with your mix-in’s.

Thanks everyone for being so understanding on my last post about my struggle to find balance and for your tips.  I know it time I will find my groove again…..for now ~ I hope you enjoyed this recipe from my archives, it is by far one I NEED to make again ~ YUM!

You still have time to win your signed copy of Rocco’s new book!

Tomorrow I head over to TJ’s Test Kitchen for a fun Fit Bloggin’ Pizza~tastic day!

Night all!

Hello Blog World!  It’s me, Jay ~ “The Husband” with my not so “secret” spaghetti sauce recipe for you.  I am pretty lucky guy in that Danica is a great cook and does 95% (actually 99.9%) of the cooking in our house.  This is one of the recipes that I like to surprise her with by making on occasion to give her a break from cooking. 

It’s not really a recipe because I usually just throw things together by emptying out the fridge in my sauce.  I really like chunky, chunky spaghetti sauce so I usually bulk it up with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes and whatever else I can find.  My spaghetti sauce usually starts with a jar or a can of pasta sauce.

In this recipe I used Jennie-O Turkey Sausage (a la Biggest Loser) along with lean ground beef because it’s the only kind Danica buys lol. From there, just run through all the spices and add  dashes of whatever you think sounds good in pasta sauce.  The two “secret” ingredients that make this sauce taste homemade are adding the wine and the fire roasted tomatoes.

Get Ready For Spaghetti ~ Chunky Sausage & Tomato Pasta Sauce

(print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb 96% lean ground beef
• 3 Jennie-O Lean Hot Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 oz mushrooms, siced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup good quality red wine (something you would drink)
• 25 oz Trader Joe’s Arrabiata Pasta Sauce
• 15 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (my wife snuck these in!)
• 2 tsp sugar
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 14.5 oz Barilla Angel Hair Pasta
• Fresh parmesan and parsley for topping, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add ground beef, turkey, onion, mushrooms, and garlic.  Cook until the meats are browned and cooked through.  Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.

2.  Add the Arrabiata Pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and sugar.  Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to medium low and allow to simmer.  Your sauce will thicken as it cooks.  Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper just before serving.

3.  As the sauce cooks, bring a large pot full of water with a splash of salt and olive oil to boil.  Add pasta and cook for 6 minutes.  Drain pasta and set aside

4.  To serve, add 1 cup of pasta then top with a heaping 1/2 cup “secret sauce”, a sprinkle of parmesan and parsley, if using.

Makes 8 servings, 1 cup pasta, 1/2 cup sauce, 1 tsp parmesan, points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Danica is doing well in her recovery, but, I am pretty sure she will not be able to stay away from here for long.  She will be back tomorrow for our weekly menu and a new recipe or two!

Happy Wednesday all!!!  I have to say that I LOVE the tip for handling chips & salsa on yesterday’s post.  Who would’ve thought to sip water in between each chip you break into pieces and to be the chatterbox at the table?  It totally makes sense that you cannot shovel as many chips in while doing that.  Thanks for the tip Christine!  I pretty much think that is why she is an awesome WW leader ~ it’s ideas like that!

So, now you all know how to identify me at a Mexican Food restaurant LOL…..

I had to start today’s post with surprise # 5 million from The Husband. This one though ~ he took to a whole other level.

He knows I always LOVE everyone’s “Fall Displays” but I have never put one up.  Although I did use to have a Casper the Ghost Poster thingy I hung on my door while in college ~ ha!

He went to Michael’s and created a display on our porch to add to our pumpkin family….

Then, headed over to his Sister’s house and left this on her porch.  I was cracking up when the nephew’s called and said that it scared them when they got home because they thought something was on the porch

This morning breakfast started at 5 am with just a banana and coffee.  After I trekked in on the train, I stopped by the Café and picked up a “custom” breakfast burrito…..

I asked what was in the Breakfast Burrito and he said he could make it ANYTHING I wanted….

, So, I created a wish list that went like this…..

* Egg Whites with every single veggie you have cooked without oil or butter

* 1 slice of bacon, no cheese or potatoes

* Salsa & hot sauce on the side

All rolled up in one of the BEST tortillas I’ve ever had ~ it was doughy, cheesy and spicy.  I estimated my burrito at 7 points+ for the slice of bacon, 1/3 cup egg whites & tortilla.

I pretty much fell IN LOVE even more with the Waterfront Café at this point.

I wasn’t actually hungry for my lunch today until 1 PM and then I was only sorta hungry.  I decided to trade in the BIG SALAD I packed for a cup of Pasta e Fagioli soup from the café.

This was absolutely delicious ~ packed with veggies, beans but no pasta. (6 points+)

I LOVE that you can compost your soup cup and spoon ~ no rinsing required.

Tonight I played the “Sous Chef” while The Husband whipped up his super secret chunky pasta sauce over angel hair pasta.  He doesn’t do it often, but, it is honestly one of my favorite things he makes.

1 cup Barilla Plus Pasta topped with 1/2 cup Chunky Sausage & Tomato Pasta Sauce. (8 points+)

You get hints of smokiness from the fire roasted tomatoes along with a little spice form the Italian sausage followed up by the richness of wine.  It’s AMAZING!

Served with 2 slices of Alexia Garlic Bread (3 points+)

He told me it’s just spaghetti but said he would spill the recipe if anyone wants it

Tomorrow is D-Day for my arm ~ wish me luck!!! 

Q’s

I have heard that almost EVERYONE at the new work place dresses up for Halloween.  I have a few ideas in mind, but, I would LOVE more!  What are your BEST costume ideas?  They can be bought or made…..any and all ideas are welcome!

Night all!

Happy Sunday all!  How are you all doing??  I completely & totally unplugged this weekend turning everything off.  I cannot remember the last time I went an entire weekend without turning the computer on or checking email.  It is kind of crazy how much we got done even if I am completely and totally behind with you all now.  I will be playing catch-up all week, but, it was totally worth it.

I DID miss you all, but, I can say, I am back in action and have so many FANTASTIC things to share….like this delicious Salad Party we hosted today!

The folks at Wish Bone asked over the summer if I would like to host a Salad Savvy Party and create some tasty new recipes using their new dressings. I am a pretty big fan of Wish Bone Dressings because they are truly versatile.  I LOVE using them for quick marinades, pasta salads and of course on my BIG SALADS since they are only 1 points+ each.

We thought it would be fun to have our nephews over to our salad party and let them Build a Better Salad!  This was definitely a stretch since our 7 year old nephew pretty much only likes ranch with sunflower seeds and lettuce.  I definitely think it helped get them both excited about “cooking” in the kitchen because we let them pick out all the ingredients they thought would be fun in salad.

The goal of each of our salads was to make sure they were delicious no matter what new Wish Bone Salad Dressing you used.

A special Thanks to Wish Bone for providing us with everything we needed to host our Salad Party including the dressings, plates and gift cards to buy the ingredients.

The first salad up was our “GROUP” salad.  The first thing that came to the boys mind when we told them it didn’t have to be ALL vegetables was pasta salad.

I absolutely LOVE this pasta salad ~ it might be my favorite in the group.  The Bruschetta dressing is slightly sweet and slightly tangy, so we decided to include all of those delicious flavors in our pasta salad.  I think the thing that makes this pasta salad fun is all the little “treats” you come across as you eat it….from the mozzarella balls to the sun dried tomatoes and garlic stuffed green olives. 

BRUSCHETTA PASTA SALAD (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz ratatouille pasta
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella balls
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup snap peas, diced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 10 black olives
• 5 garlic stuffed green olives
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 4 artichoke hearts, sliced in half
• 1/3 cup Wish Bone Bruschetta Vinaigrette
• Sea salt & black pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS

1.  Cook the pasta according to the packaged directions.  Rinse in cold water and place in a large bowl.

2.  Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.

3.  Chill for 1 hour and enjoy!

Makes 8 servings, 1 1/2 cups, 5 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Salad # 2 included all of my FAVORITE things in a salad.  Your first bite is the crisp greens and sweet beets, followed up with the smoky bacon, sweet & nutty pecans and salty feta cheese.  This salad is actually perfect “naked” without dressing, but, adding in the Mediterranean or SuperFruit Berry Vinaigrettes really make this one FANTASTIC salad.

MEDITERANNEAN BEET, BACON & PECAN SALAD (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups organic mixed greens
• 1 cup roasted, fresh beets, quartered (I used Trader Joe’s roasted & fresh beets!)
• 1 oz fat free feta
• 1/4 cup roasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 2 pieces turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup Wish Bone Mediterranean Italian Dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  In a large bowl, build your salad starting with the mixed greens and finishing with the turkey bacon.

2.  Toss with dressing just before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Salad #3 was developed entirely by our middle nephew who is 11 years old (can you tell even by the title?!) He put everything into the bowl that he LOVES but made sure to balance out the rich mozzarella & garlic stuffed green olives with sweet and tangy pomegranate seeds & salty sunflower seeds. 

GET ME TO THE “GREEK” SALAD (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups organic mixed greens
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella balls
• 4 garlic stuffed green olives
• 4 black olives
• 2 artichoke hearts, sliced in half
• 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup Wish Bone Greek Vinaigrette

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, build your salad starting with the mixed greens and finishing with the pomegranate seeds.

2. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Who says that you can’t have salad as dessert?  The Husband had the “grand finale” salad and he really did take this Waldorf inspired fruit salad over the top.  The soft butter leaf lettuce was the perfect addiction to all the crunchy, sweet fruit and rich nuts.  The SuperFruit Berry Vinaigrette actually brings together all of the flavors in the salad with a little tang and a little sweetness.

WALDORF INSPIRED FRUIT SALAD (print here)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cup butter leaf lettuce
• 1/2 cup English cucumber, quartered and sliced
• 1 nectarine, diced
• 1 large pluot, diced
• 1/2 cup large red grapes
• 2 Tbsp roasted walnuts, chopped
• 1 Tbsp sliced almonds
• 1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup Wish Bone SuperFruit Berry Vinaigrette

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, build your salad starting with the butter leaf lettuce and finishing with the pomegranate seeds.

2. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

The BEST PART about having a Build a Better Salad Salad Party……

Having fun making the salads, getting to try them ALL and knowing they are all less than 5 points+ per serving!

Want more salad party ideas? Wish Bone has a TON of recipes and ideas on their site.

HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE MENU THIS WEEK

I AM cooking ~ Now that I have week 1 under my belt, it’s time to find my routine again! Recipes to post when I make them for the items not linked.

• Italian Sausage & Pepper Pasta, garlic bread, salad
• Ginger Teriyaki Shrimp Skewers, Brown Rice, Cucumber Salad
• Grilled Soy Honey Glazed Pork Chops with Jicama Hashbrowns & stuffed zucchini or green beans
• Lazy Chicken Enchiladas with salad
• BREAKFASTS ~ Summer Vegetable Frittata
• LUNCHES ~ Ginger Soy Chicken & Edamame Stir Fry with Brown Rice

Get READY TO WIN your own Wishbone Salad Savvy Kit coming up tomorrow.

Night all!

I think out of all the Won Ton Recipes I have ever made from potstickers to tiny tacos to banana nutella won tons, that these 2 points+ Low Fat Lasagna Cups might take the cake or the cupcake that is I LOVE pasta of all shapes, sizes and styles, but, lasagna is probably my 2nd favorite pasta after mac n cheese.

As I was browsing ideas for how to use up my Won Ton Wrappers aside from ravioli’s when I came across this idea for making Lasagna Cupcakes.  I was intrigued by the name and when I clicked to the recipe, I knew I had to create my own Weight Watcher friendly 2 points+ Lasagna Cupcakes.

I LOVE the idea of having little cheesy, saucy bites of vegetable lasagna.  I LOVE how the tops of these Lasagna Cups are covered with cheesy goodness and you can break off bits of the crunchy outer shell.

You could easily take a short cut and use a jarred sauce, but, if you have the time, make your own with or without meat and with RED WINE~ it’s definitely worth it!  The cups are delicious on the first day, but, as with any good red wine pasta sauce, they are even better the next day.

Did I mention they only take minutes to make and bake?!  Serve them up with a simple green salad and I bet everyone at the table will be impressed.

LOW FAT LASAGNA CUPS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups Veggie Marinara, jarred or homemade
• 3 ounce fresh spinach, minced
• 1/2 cup carrots, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Dashes of sea salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese
• 1 oz parmesan, grated
• 24 small square wonton wrappers
• Fresh basil leaves for garnish, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a 12 cup standard muffin tin on a cookie sheet and spray each cup with nonstick spray.  Set it aside.

2.   In a medium bowl, combine spinach through crushed red pepper flakes.. Mix well then stir in 1/3 cup of the mozzarella.  Set aside.

3.  Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin.  Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese mix and mozzarella cheese. Then, top with a little marinara sauce. Use around 1-2 teaspoons of all the ingredients depending on your personal preference, smoothing the surfaces with the back of a spoon after each addition. Repeat layers ending with marinara sauce. Top with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

4.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove use a knife to loosen the edges then pop each lasagna out.

5.  Garnish with basil and serve.

Makes 12 Lasagna Won Ton Cups, 2 points+ each

Nutritional information per cup, calculated using caloriecount.com

STEP – BY – STEP

I definitely think the “secret ingredient” ingredient in this recipe are these Extra Thin New Hong Kong Won Ton Wrappers.  You get 10 for 2 points+, meaning this recipe adds ONLY 5 points+ for all 24 ~ SCORE!

You could “technically” use a cookie cutter to cut perfect won ton circles to fit the tin, but, I kind of liked the idea of having crispy cheesy noodle edges hanging over the sides.

Press each won ton into the tin.

For me lasagna is ALL ABOUT the cheese so don’t be shy. Sprinkle a little mozzarella here and a little parmesan there.

Top with you fun spinach GREEN ricotta veggie mix.

Add your sauce of choice Jarred or homemade sauce and more CHEESE, please!

Then, you just layer it up all over again……I made sure my second layer of won tons crossed the other way so I had 8 edges showing instead of 4….it probably doesn’t matter either way though.

Finishing with cheese on top!

Pop them in the oven, bake for 20 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes as you ponder how many you can have.

The BEST part about having these single serving lasagna cups is that you can have more than 1 and not kill your points+ budget.

These would be “fun” to serve as an appetizer during the holidays too because they can be red/green in December “orangy-green” in October (ok, that might be stretching it)

Anyway, you make them or serve them….try these!  If you can’t eat all 12, then, just freeze them!

To FREEZE:  wrap them in plastic wrap, place in an airtight container and freeze them for the next time you want homemade lasagna in minutes without having to cook.

Enjoy!

Hi, I’m Shannon from Shannonskitchencreations.com and Danica asked me to be one of her guest posters this week! I was thrilled to be able to share with you a little about me and my site. I am a SAHM of 3 small children and I have been working hard to get back that pre-baby body from 7 years ago. I am a weight watcher’s lifetime member, but I have never been able to get back to that “Golden” number! I started my site originally to just document some of my favorite sinful recipes, but after having my third baby in January I decided to add healthier recipes to my blog. I create down home comfort foods done in a lighter way. I love fried chicken, pizza and ice cream. So you will find lots of those recipes with weight watchers points. I have lost 40 lbs so far with 20 more to go! I also love to review and giveaway healthy foods. Up next is 5 bags of Food Should Taste Good Chips! I just recently started a second mommy fashion blog called whatshotmommy.com! Here I share video tutorials and bargains on how go from frumpy to fabulous! Check it out!

The recipe I chose to feature in this post is one that has been sitting in my recipe box for over a year. I get Food Network magazine and love tearing out recipes that sound and look delicious. I am a huge fan of Buffalo wings. I love the spicy kick mixed with the creaminess of the blue cheese dressing. However, in restaurants they are deep fried and very high in points!! So when I took out this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese I knew the nutritional info was going to be scary….IT WAS!!!!

Each serving had 868 calories, 48.2 grams of fat, 1465 mg of sodium, 79.6 grams of carbs, 3.9 grams of fiber and 28.9 grams of protein! 1 cup was 23 points + each!!! Ouch!!!

So I decided to modify the recipe with some healthy alternatives. I swapped out the half and half for 1 % milk, used low fat cheese and sour cream and opted for whole wheat pasta. I was able to shave a whopping 15 points off per serving, so 1 cup is only 8 points +!! This was spicy, creamy, cheesy and just down right awesome!!! Enjoy and make sure to visit and like me at Shannon’s Kitchen Creations on Facebook for new recipes and giveaways and at What’s Hot Mommy for all my makeup, skincare and fashion accessories ideas and giveaways!!!

Light Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

 Adapted from Food Network

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken, cooked
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce)
• 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 1/4  cups 1 % milk
• 1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheese blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack and mozzarella
• 1/3 cup light sour cream
• 1/4 cup light blue cheese dressing
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 7 baked tortilla chips crushed

INGREDIENTS

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.

2.  Meanwhile, melt 1 1/2  tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/4 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.

3.  Melt 1 1/2  tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the milk, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

4.  Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.

6.  Top with blue cheese dressing, crushed tortilla chips, and parsley. Bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings, 8 points + each

Nutritional information, 1/6 of casserole – 8 points +

297 calories, 10.6 grams of fat, 94 mg of sodium, 32.3 grams of carbs, 1.2 grams fiber, 17 grams protein

Thanks Shannon for sharing your story, success and one recipe I already know we HAVE to try!  I LOVE the idea of putting crushed tortilla chips on top of my mac n cheese along with buffalo chicken ~ YUM!  Your recipes are fantastic and you are truly an inspiration!

Danica

Hi Danica’s Daily Readers ~ This is Zesty of Zesty Cook!  Danica asked if I could take over for the night so she could work on some last minute preparations for The Husband’s birthday festivities coming up this weekend.  I know she is super excited to share the details with you all and I am pretty sure you all will be blown away by them like I was.

I am always glad to help out so today I am sharing with you one of my quick &easy  Vegetarian Weight Watchers points+ friendly recipes that I created based on what I had on hand.

Who doesn’t LOVE pasta with freshly sautéed mushrooms, wine, butter and CHEESE that loaded with flavor (wine!) and cooks up in minutes?!

Feel free to get creative and use any vegetables you have on hand ~ they all work well in this dish….just make sure you include a little wine and cheese

MUSHROOM, ARUGULA & TOMATO FETTUCCINI

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz Whole Wheat Fettuccine
• 12 Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp. Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 12 Grape tomatoes
• 1/2 Cup white wine
• 1 Cup Arugula
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 tsp. Olive oil
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan; salt and add pasta.  Cook according to directions and drain.

2.  In a large pan, turn on medium heat and olive oil and half the butter.  Add mushrooms and begin to cook down – 4-5 minutes

3.  Season with salt and pepper, add red pepper flakes and cumin.  Cook another 3 minutes .

4,  Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 more minutes.

5.  With heat still on medium, toss in the white wine and cook down for 1 minute.  Add remaining pat of butter and stir.

6.  Toss in the arugula and let wilt for 2 minutes.

7.  Add cooked drained pasta and toss gently.  Shred Parmesan cheese before serving.

Zesty Tip: For the sauce, if you are finding it too dry, add a little bit of the reserved pasta water before draining down the sink.  This will bring a nice starchy salty flavor to the sauce and give it a nice balance.

Makes 6 servings, 7 points+ each (or 4 servings, 10 points+ each)

Be sure to check out Jen of Cooking for 8 & Losing Weight over at Friends For Weight Loss.  She posted one tasty looking 3 points+ Sloppy Joe Meal!

Q’s

When you are making a quick pasta toss like I did, what do you put in the dish?

I LOVE pasta in any way, shape or form and think it pairs well with just about anything I have in the fridge or pantry.  It usually involves fresh veggies, wine, cheese, a little olive oil and butter!

Thanks Zesty! ~ make sure you all stop by his site Zesty Cook ~ I guarantee the pictures of his recipe creations will make you drool!

  I will catch up with everyone tomorrow ~ so much super secret fun stuff going on over here!  You all will be in the “know” on Friday…..Gahhhhh, I can’t wait!

Night all!

Happy Saturday all!  Last night Tracey and I organized a little get together than involved making super decadent, cheesy, Gnocchi Dough Balls in a delicious Olive Oil, Basil Garlic Sauce topped with TWO Cheeses, seasoned Italian Bread Crumbs and crunchy walnuts.

Sounds really tasty, huh?!  You know what ~ IT WAS and the BEST part about it ~ we made both recipes Weight Watchers Friendly and HEALTHY!

A little while back, the folks over at Bertolli asked me if I wanted to put a healthy spin on this Baked Gnocchi Recipe.  I think recipe renovations are one of my FAVORITE things to do.

We lightened this recipe up by reducing the amount of cheeses used, using low-fat cheeses and one tasty red sauce.

The result was unbelievable!  We were all left scraping every last bit of goodness off our plates and talking about how much better it tastes than any restaurant we have ever been at.  It is recipes like this recipe that help me convince The Husband Vegetarian Dishes are not bad at all!

If making your own Gnocchi seems like too much work, you can easily use a fresh, frozen or packages gnocchi and have dinner on the table in under 20 minutes!

BAKED RICOTTA GNOCCHI WITH 2 CHEESE & WALNUTS

INGREDIENTS

Ricotta Gnocchi

• 8 ounces low-fat ricotta cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground  pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed

Baked Gnocchi Casserole

• 18 oz Bertolli Organic Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic Pasta Sauce
• 16 oz Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi (above) or packaged Gnocchi
• 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (about 4 oz.)
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted walnuts
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Stir together the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan Cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl until evenly combined. Mix in 1 cup of flour. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough.

2.  Divide the dough into 3 pieces, and roll into 1/2-inch-thick ropes on a floured surface. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces, crease with a fork and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3.  Preheat oven to 425°.   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Boil half the gnocchi until they float to the surface, 3 to 5 minutes, then drain.   Repeat with remaining gnocchi.

4.  In a large bowl, combine sauce, gnocchi, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1 tablespoon Parmesan and 1 tablespoon basil. Top with remaining basil, cheeses, walnuts and bread crumbs.

5.  Bake uncovered 12 minutes or until bubbling.

Makes 6 servings, 7 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving using caloriecount.com

STEP– BY– STEP

Start by making your Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi or cooking your package Gnocchi according to the instructions. 

Combine all ingredients except the flour.

Start by adding 1 cup of all purpose flour (not whole wheat or it makes the gnocchi taste grainy).  Add 1/4 cup additional flour as needed to make the Gnocchi form into a dough ball.

Pour your Gnocchi ball onto a lightly floured surface.

Divide into 3 equal portions.

Hire your friend to who is AWESOME at making homemade Gnocchi to do this part

Roll into three logs, about 1/2 inch thick.

Slice into 1 inch pieces and press with your fork to make fancy indentations.  You could also use your Gnocchi board too.

Place finished gnocchi on a lightly floured plate or cookie sheet while you roll out the rest. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add half the gnocchi.  They will take about 3-5 minutes to cook, but, you will know when they are done when the float to the top of the surface.  Drain and set aside.

The SECRET INGREDIENT to this recipe was provided by the folks over at Bertolli.  They sent me a coupon asking if I wanted to give their new Organic Olive Oil, Basil and Garlic Sauce a try in our recipe renovation.

I honestly LOVE the Bertolli sauces because you do not really need to “doctor” them up to make them taste like homemade sauce and they make a great base for just about any pasta recipe you are making.

Their stats are great and they use REAL ingredients!

Once you have finished cooking all your gnocchi, add HALF or your TWO cheeses, 2/3 of the Bertolli sauce and 1 Tbsp of freshly chopped basil.  Toss gently to combine.

Pour into a 2 quart baking dish.  Top with remaining basil.  I also thing a nice swirl of homemade or store bought pesto would be FANTASTIC in place of the basil.

Sprinkle with remaining TWO cheeses, breadcrumbs and toasted, chopped walnuts.

Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes until everything is toasty, bubbling and golden.

Cheesy, gooey, nutty, doughy, good ~ definitely restaurant quality stuff here

Divide into 4, 6 or 8 servings depending on how hungry you are…..

Serve with colorful low points+ salads for the complete meal!

Both The Husband, Sean, Tracey and I LOVED this dish and cannot wait to make it again! 

You can definitely take a short cut by using packaged Gnocchi, but, if you have the time to make your own ~ do it ~ it really makes a world of difference.

Q’s

How do you eat your Gnocchi?

Tracey and I were chatting about this while cooking. Up until last night, we both had only eaten it with pesto or in a browned butter sauce.  I definitely think that with cheesy goodness and nuts might be my favorite new way.  I WISH we had leftovers

I will be back tomorrow with my daily, weigh in thoughts and weekly menu! Oh and you will have a chance to win your own Pasta Making Kit courtesy of Bertoli on Monday….stay tuned!

Night all!