Cowboy Stew

Yield: 6 servings (7ww pts each)

• 28oz can of baked beans
• 1 lb stew meat
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 4 medium potatoes, cut up to 1/4” thick pieces
• garlic, salt & pepper to taste

1. throw everything into crock pot
2. cook on low 8-10 hours

This recipe was weird to me at first glance but in the end, it was quite tasty! Our version was a little bland so make sure you taste towards the end and spice accordingly. This would be good with some green pepper and perhaps even some jalapeno, too! Also, I added some water because it looked to thick…that was a mistake – it got a bit runny in the end…so no water needed!

Another Taco Bake

yield: 8 servings (5 ww pts each)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• small onion, chopped
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• shredded cheddar
• 1 tube reduced-fat crescent rolls

1. preheat oven to 375-degrees
2. unroll crescent rolls in 9x13 baking dish, pinch together to make crust
3. bake 6-8 minutes
4. meanwhile, brown ground beef with onion and set aside
5. in a bowl, mix tomato sauce, taco seasoning, corn and beans together
6. top crescent rolls with ground beef, top ground beef with tomato sauce mixture
7. top with cheese
8. bake 15-20 minutes

Filipino Pork Chops

yield: 4 pork chops (5 ww pts each)

• 1/2 can 7-up
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp black pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes

1. combine everything in a bag and add pork chops
2. marinade overnight
3. preheat oven to 350-degrees
4. pour bag contents into baking dish
5. bake for ~20 mins, to 165-degrees internal temp
6. serve with rice

You could fry these in the skillet or even trim your chops or loin into long thin strips and grill, bake or fry them on a skewer. These were delicious. I had even over cooked them a bit so they were a little dry and STILL tasted delicious. We’ll definitely have these again. The marinade is really unique. You don’t taste a lot of soy and you don’t taste vinegar at all. I’m not sure really what it is specifically that you do taste, but the flavors all blend together perfectly. This recipe is a keeper!

Monterrey Chicken

yield: 4-5oz chk breasts (6 ww pts each)

4 (5 oz) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 Cup Barbecue Sauce
1/4 Cup Hormel Real Bacon Bits
1 Cup 2% Colby and Monterey Jack Shredded Cheese
1 (14 oz.) Can Rotel tomatoes, drained
Sliced Green Onions (didn’t use)
Pepper

1. preheat oven to 400-degrees
2. if chk breasts are thick, cut them in half so they’re thinner
3. place chk into 9x13 baking dish
4. season chk with pepper
5. top with favorite bbq sauce, rotel tomatoesand bacon bits
6. bake ~20 mins (until they reach 165-degrees)
7. top with shredded cheese and green onion and bake 5 mins
8. SERVE ‘EM UP!

We loved these! Our bbq sauce is a little spicy so it really added a different taste. The rotel tomatoes sounded weird, but they really added a lot, too. I didn’t feel like we missed anything with the green onion not being on top…but if you have it, use it!

Broccoli Potato Soup

yield: 11-1cup servings (2 ww pts each)

4 Cups Fat Free Chicken Broth
12 oz. Potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Cup Chopped Celery
1 Cup Chopped Carrot
16 oz. Frozen Chopped Broccoli, thawed (I used fresh)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Skim Milk
6 oz. Velveeta Light

1. clean and chop veggies
2. combine everything into crock pot
3. cook on low for 8-10 hours
4. delicious!

My “lesson learned” on this recipe was to make sure it cooks all day. I tried to cheat with half a day due to my own laziness and it definitely needs the full day. Also, since I was cheating…I cranked it up to high at the end and my cheese all separated. So while it was still tasty and delicious…it was ugly.

My Menu (12/04/09-12/17/09)

Fri: chinese take-out
Sat: homemade pizza & queso bites
Sun: broccoli potato soup w/ garlic chips
Mon: monterrey chicken w/ veggie
Tue: filipino pork w/ rice
Wed: chicken fajitas w/ spanish rice
Thu: taco bake
Fri: frozen pizza w/ breadsticks
Sat: onion pork chops w/ potatoes & veggie
Sun: out to eat
Mon: cowboy stew
Tue: sweet & sour chicken w/ rice
Wed: meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes
Thu: pigs in a blanket w/ tater tots

Lots of new recipes this round, stay tuned - hopefully they're all delicious (and easy) enough to be posted to my food blog! Yum!

Sausage Tortellini Soup

yield: 10 bowls (6 ww pts each)

• .5 lbs pork sausage, browned
• onion, chopped
• green pepper, chopped
• 1 can green beans, drained
• 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, don’t drain
• 8 cups chicken broth (you could do beef if you prefer)
• 1 pkg frozen tortellini (I used the cheese variety)
• 1 Tbsp fennel seed
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• pepper to taste

1. Brown sausage in a skillet with the onion and green pepper.
2. Combine everything but tortellini into crock pot.
3. Add tortellini about 1-2 hours prior to serving.
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
5. ENJOY!

Beef and Tomato Bake

yield: 6 servings @ 7 ww pts each

1 lb ground beef
1 can of tomato soup
1 can of corn
minced onion
1 cup reduced-fat bisquik
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
garlic salt
pepper

1. preheat oven to 400-degrees
2. brown hamburger, add onion
3. once beef is cooked, add corn and soup to skillet
4. pour beef mixture into 2-qt baking dish
5. mix egg, milk, cheese and bisquick
6. add garlic salt and pepper to taste
7. plop clumps of bisquik mixture onto beef mixture
8. bake 25 mins

This was pretty good and really easy. My only complaint was that it is a little bland so it might be worth your time to add more veggies and seasonings. Perhaps even some diced tomatoes.

Crisp and Creamy Baked Chicken

yield: 4 servings @ 8 ww pts each

1lb chicken breasts

1/2 pouch of shake ‘n bake

2 cups instant white rice (we used brown)

1/2 can of cream of celery

1/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheese

1. preheat oven to 400-degrees

2. spray 9x13 baking dish

3. coat chicken with shake ‘n bake, place in baking dish

4. bake chicken for 20 mins

5. prepare rice per package directions

6. mix soup and milk together

7. once chicken is done, top with soup mixture and cheese and bake additional 5 minutes to melt cheese

My Menu (11/20/09-12/03/09)

I decided that I'm going to start publishing my menu. I figure it might give you some ideas when you're not sure what to plan for and it'll give me easy reference for when I'm going back trying to figure out the links to any recipes I might need. And of course...depending on how some new recipes go, you just might see them land on this blog if they're not already here. Only if they're delicious enough though!

And - my disclaimer - I will never call myself, nor my menu, fancy. It's pretty limited to quick and budget-friendly recipes that I can get onto the table within 30 mins or so. I do try to use recipes that are Weight Watcher compatible, but it doesn't always work out that way for every meal. Most of my meals are kid-friendly. At least for our kid they are.

I plan our menu and grocery shop for two weeks at time (with the exception of some perishable items). I've cut our spending on groceries in half by doing this along with clipping coupons and watching the ad sales...it's refreshing to not be throwing spoiled food we forgot about away week after week.

Fri: @ Disney Playground show, eat out
Sat: beef tacos
Sun: cajun shrimp w/ brown rice & veggie
Mon: greek burgers w/ tater tots & veggie
Tues: french dip subs w/ chips
Wed: baked ziti
Thurs: Thanksgiving @ Lake Mills
Fri: sausage tortellini soup w/ bread
Sat: order pizza
Sun: shrimp scampi w/ brown rice & veggie
Mon: bbq chicken packets
Tues: chili w/ crackers
Wed: deep dish pizza
Thurs: tuna & noodles w/ peas

Enjoy!

Tuna Cakes

yield: 6 patties (2 ww pts each)

2 cans of water-packed tuna, drained

1 egg

15 crackers, crushed (we used Ritz)

seasonings to taste (we used salt, pepper, onion and garlic)

1. mix all ingredients

2. fry (pack a 1/4 cup measuring cup and empty onto skillet)

3. ENJOY – TWO POINTS EACH!!

Next time I’m doubling this because the patties are fairly small and after feeding the three of us, there were no leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. But on a good note – this was a hit for Mike, myself AND Bryker! Anything that tastes good to our 20-month-old is considered a serious success!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

I’m not a stuffing lover so I was hesitant on this recipe – but it was DELICIOUS! 

yield: 6 servings (6 ww pts each)

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 pkg stuffing mix for chicken

1/2 cup water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

1 tsp dried basil leaves (I just used the generic italian seasoning combo)

1 cup shredded mozzarella

 

1. preheat oven to 400-degrees

2. cut the chicken up and place into 9x13 baking, top with basil/italian seasoning and cheese

3. in a bowl mix together the water, tomatoes, garlic and stuffing

4. top the chicken layer with the stuffing mixture

5. bake for 30 minutes

 

Onion Soup Mix

This isn’t a specific recipe.  Next time you’re at the store, pick up some onion soup mix (usually comes two packs to a box).  Then, when you’re looking for a way to change up an old favorite – get it out of your cupboard.  We’ve used onion soup mix for quite a few things at our house – it’s delicious!

> Use instead of bouillon cubes when slow cooking a roast (or in addition to depending on how big your roast is).

> Slow cook pork loin or pork chops with mix and water (we’ve baked our chops in it and they’re still tasty but more flavorful when you slow cook them).

> Cut up some potatoes and place in a baking dish.  Dissolve the soup mix in a cup or so of water and pour on potatoes and bake.  This is a family favorite. 

So – what ideas do you have?  Have you tried a version of something with onion soup mix before?  Share your experiences!

Mom’s Cheesey Chops

This is one of Mike’s favorite meals at my parent’s house.  Recently I made it for him at our house…without doubt it was a hit!

yield: 6 servings

6 pork chops (we used 4)

1 can cream of chk soup (used the 98% fat-free)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can/pkg french fried onions (we tried the Hy-Vee ones and are here to tell you they’re just like the name brand ones – yum)

1 pkg hashbrowns, thawed (we use the o’brien ones)

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

salt and pepper to taste

1. preheat over to 350-degrees

2. brown pork chops, season to taste and set aside

3. combine soup, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper to taste

4. stir in potatoes, half the onions and half the cheese

5. spoon into 9x13 baking dish

6. place pork chops on top of potato mixture and cover

7. bake for 40 mins

8. top with remaining cheese and onions, bake additional 5 mins for cheese to melt

 

ENNNNNNJOY!  You can thank my mom for this one.  It’s delish!  And not ww-friendly!  But who cares!?!

Easy Soup

Love a hearty soup but don’t have the hours to dedicate to making it?  I have a solution.  I didn’t calculate ww points because it is what you make it…obviously a cheddar soup would be higher points than a broth soup.

yield: 6 bowls (give or take)

Bear Creek soup mix, whatever kind you love (we used cheddar potato)

cooked meat to add, we used hamburger

cooked veggies (since this is fast, you don’t have time for them to tenderize in the soup)

1. boil water per soup directions

2. cook meat and any veggies you want to add

3. add soup mix to water at a rolling boil

4. add meat and veggies to soup

5. simmer for 15 mins or more

Banana Biscuits

This is from a friend of a friend who's husband decided to get creative with their kids...and wow - it's delicious!

yield: 10 biscuits

1 banana

honey

cinnamon

sugar

refrigerator biscuits

pam

1. preheat the oven to 400-degrees

2. spray muffin tin with pam

3. put honey into bottom of each tin (fyi, only use ten of the twelve slots if your pkg only gives you ten biscuits)...just enough honey to cover the bottom

4. place a slice of banana in the honey (if you're a banana lover, I'd place two or three slices)

5. sprinkle each slot with some cinnamon and sugar

6. place biscuit on top

7. bake 8-10 minutes, until biscuits are golden

8. once they come out of the oven, turn your muffin tin over onto a cookie sheet

Mushroom-Garlic Pork Chops

I take no credit in this recipe at all...well, other than that I went through our cook book and found it. Another Campbell's recipe. And quite delish!

yield: 2 servings (8 ww pts each)

2 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 can mushroom with roasted garlic soup
1/2 cup milk

1. preheat the oven to 375-degrees
2. place chops in baking dish and top with soup and milk
3. mix soup and milk together a bit
4. cover and bake 30-40 minutes

The directions actually call for you to cook the chops on the stove, but while entertaining a toddler I require things I can just throw in and walk away...so I baked it instead...and YUM! Next time I'll add some minced onion...and perhaps I'll brown it a bit in a skillet prior to baking. But if you're looking for something easy - just throwing it in the oven was still delicious! And if you like mushrooms, throw some in! The more, the merrier!

Beef Taco Bake

A super easy recipe straight from Campbell's! Literally. We have a Campbell's cook book and when you need an easy and quick idea - it's great.

yield: 4 servings (43 pts for the entire dish, but you could EASILY reduce that...so 11pts/serving)

1 lb ground beef, browned

1 can tomato soup

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup milk

6 (8") tortillas, cut into 1" pieces

1 cup shredded cheddar

1. preheat to 400-degrees

2. brown hamburger (I added some minced onion and seasonings we enjoy)

3. while hamburger is browning, tear up tortillas and set aside

4. once hamburger is ready, stir in soup, salsa, milk, 1/2 cup of cheese and the tortillas

5. mix until all tortilla pieces are coated

6. spoon into 9X13 baking dish

7. bake 20-30 minutes

8. top with rest of cheese and serve

I had mine with some leftover lettuce and tomatoes from BLTs the other day. It'd be great with sour cream if you're a sour cream lover. And like I said, it'd be easy to make this healthier and more weight watcher friendly. Simply use less beef and tortillas...and fat-free cheese.

Fish Stick Tacos

I was a bit surprised that this would be considered a ww recipe on the ww site, but it is and I was happy to give it a try!

yield: 4 servings (5 ww pts each)

8 fish tenders (they're a little bigger than the sticks)

4 large burrito wheat flour tortillas (we used smaller ones)

1/4 cup sour cream (or save some points and skip it)

1/2 cup salsa

2 cups lettuce, shredded

1 large tomatoe, diced

1/2 cup shredded cheese

(we also used diced green pepper and onion because we had it)

1. bake fish sticks according to package

2. warm tortillas on fry pan, in oven or even in the microwave for a few seconds

3. prepare tacos with two fish sticks and all your favorite taco toppings and enjoy

This was a pleasant surprise. I'm not so much of a "fish taco person" so I was a little hesitant but really - fish sticks are a far cry from "real" fish tacos - so we went for it. YUM! The sticks get crisy when baking and are so delicious in a taco! We'll definitely do this one again! I love easy and this recipe is E-A-S-Y!

Tortilla Pie

yield: 4 servings (6 ww pts each)

1 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I used a tsp or so of dried)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin (we didn't use this)
5 medium corn tortillas (we used flour)
30 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
8 oz diced green chilies
1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. preheat over to 400-degrees
2. in a small bowl, mix tomato sauce, salsa, cilantro, chili powder and cumin
3. on a large nonstick skillet, warm tortillas and set aside
4. drain and rinse the black beans and then mash and set aside
5. in a pie dish, place 1/4 cup of the salsa mixture in the bottom
6. layer with a tortilla, more tomato mixture, mashed beans, 2 Tbsp of chilies and then 1 Tbsp of cheese
7. repeat until ingredients are gone
8. bake for 20-30 minutes

We only had one can of black beans so I used 1 can of black beans and then 1 can of corn in my "bean mash" and it was really tasty. While I'm sure it's good with all beans, I like the variety and color that the corn gives it. We also had our tortilla pie with some spanish rice and while it may be a meat-less dish, I'm proud to report that we all got full!

Greek Burgers

Disclaimer: If you don't like feta or don't even want to try feta, go find another recipe.

yield: 4 burgers (6 ww pts each)

1 lb lead ground beef, thawed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup onion, minced (I used onion powder because I was lazy)
5 tsp feta
3/4 cups spinach leaves (we didn't have these)
1 tomato, sliced
4 hamburger buns (we used the Arnolds Sandwich Thins)

1. mix hamburger up with all the spices, garlic and onion
2. make 8 thin patties
3. put feta in center of one patty and then top with another patty and pinch edges closed
4. grill (we used the forman)
5. eat on bun with spinach leaves and tomatoes

We served ours with hummus and pita chips and OH MY is this a delicious burger. It's similar to a gyro and DE-LISH-US! We've already started thinking of ways to make a similar recipe with the same ingredients but make it even a step easier (I'm not a fan of the mixing of ground beef so I try to avoid it when I can). Another recipe that we HIGHLY recommend! Also - if you want to keep it easier, you could just do 4 patties and top with the feta, it doesn't have to be in the middle. I do think you taste more of it by it being in the middle though. YUM!

Baked Turkey Sausage Ziti

Now, when it comes to ground turkey - I think some people either turn and run at the thought, or others dive in head first. I'm here to tell you that you don't have to do either. We're a family that enjoys turkey burgers and italian sausage ground turkey, but when it comes to plain ground turkey - we'll stick with beef. I know families that use only ground turkey and I know families that have never even tried it. With this recipe, I think you could turn a "non-believer" into a "believer" and if you think they might still be too stubborn to appreciate it - just don't tell them what it is and let them eat it first. Trust me, they won't know the difference in this dish!

yield: 6 servings (7 ww pts per serving)

1/2 lb ground turkey, italian sausage variety
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I used fresh ones I'd peeled and diced)
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
italian seasoning
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
12 ounces whole wheat ziti (I used normal penne pasta we had in the pantry)
cooking spray

1. preheat oven to 350-degrees and spray 9x13 baking dish
2. brown sausage in pan, add onion and green pepper
3. while doing this, cook pasta as directed
4. once sausage is cooked, add tomatoes and italian seasoning to taste
5. let mixture simmer for 20-30 minutes
6. pour into baking dish
7. top with shredded cheese
8. bake 20-30 minutes

To be honest, this meal was MUCH better than I really thought it was going to be. All three of us LOVED it and gobbled up our servings without a second thought!

Breakfast Sandwich

I love protein for breakfast...especially when that protein is an egg (or two). So, this really isn't a recipe, but maybe just some inspiration for you to spice up your breakfast...and a reminder for me to do the same...

yield: one breakfast sandwich (5 ww pts)

1 arnolds sandwich thin
1 egg, cooked hard
1/2 piece of white cheese (whatever you have will work)
1 piece of ham (or whatever lunch meat you might have)

1. make the sandwich
2. enjoy eating the sandwich
3. appreciate not feeling hungry again an hour later because you ate some PROTEIN

Parmesan Knots

These are HIGHLY recommended for you to try...from me...and everyone that tried them!

yield: 30 knots (1.3 ww pts each)

1 tube of refrigerated biscuits
1/4 cup canola oil
3 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp garlic powder (I used garlic salt)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
cooking spray

1. preheat oven to 400-degrees and spray baking sheet
2. cut each biscuit into thirds
3. roll out into "snakes" about 3-4" long...this doesn't need to be a science
4. tie into knots
5. bake for 8-10 minutes
6. while baking, combine the canola oil, parmesan, garlic, oregano and parsley in a large bowl
7. once knots are done baking, toss in mixture
8. serve with marinara...or nothing...

These are a great side dish or even just an appetizer to share.

Praline Bars

These aren't healthy so I didn't really want to add up the ww points, but I did. Regardless - delicious and a great (and easy) dessert to "wow" some folks with.

yield: 24 bars (4 ww pts each)

bars

1/2 cup butter, melted

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup walnut pieces

cooking spray

frosting

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1 cup powdered sugar

1. preheat oven to 350-degrees and spray 9x13 baking dish

2. mix all ingredients for bars together and pour into baking dish

3. bake 25-30 minutes

4. let cool completely before frosting

5. to make frosting, combine all ingredients minus the powdered sugar in a saucepan and melt

6. stir in powdered sugar and stir until smooth

7. frost bars and ENJOY!

Funfetti Cookies

A friend shared this delicious recipe with me recently and I just HAD to try it. I wouldn't classify it as ww-friendly for all my ww friends out there, but I calculated the points just in case you want to splurge on these delicious treats!

yield: 24 cookies (frosted are nearly 5pts each, unfrosted are 3pts each)

box of funfetti cake mix

funfetti frosting

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

cooking spray

1. preheat oven to 375-degrees

2. spray cookie sheets

3. mix oil, eggs and cake mix together

4. roll into 1-inch balls

5. squish into cookies about a quarter-inch thick using the bottom of a glass

6. bake 6-8 minutes

7. cook and frost

These were a hit for all ages I had "test" them. YUMMY! And so simple to make! And just a "tip"...I'm a horrible froster when it comes to cookies (and anything else). So I microwaved the frosting for 20 seconds and poured it into a ziploc bag where I snipped a corner off and then went crazy and made my frosting look really exciting with all my drizzles. Topped it off with the funfetti...and served :)

Cheeseburger Pie

yield: 6 servings (really, it's probably more like 4 servings though) @ 5 ww pts each

cooking spray
1 lb ground beef
onion, chopped
salt & pepper
.5 cup shredded cheese
.5 cup reduced fat bisquick
1 cup skim milk
2 eggs

1. preheat the over to 400-degrees and spray a 9" glass pie plate with cooking spray
2. brown hamburger and onion, season to your liking
3. spread hamburger and onion mixture into pie plate
4. top with cheese
5. in a small bowl, combine the milk, eggs and bisquick
6. pour onto hamburger mixture in pie plate
7. bake 30 minutes

We enjoyed it most with some ketchup on top and Bryker LOVED this dish. It's a kid-pleaser for sure!

Stromboli

yield: 4 servings...I'd recommend making a double batch for leftovers

1 can of the dough refrigerated pizza crust (Hy-Vee brand is good)
some meat you like
some veggies you like
some cheese and/or sauce you like
some spices you like
milk
cooking spray

1. preheat over to 425-degrees and spray cookie sheet
2. lay out pizza dough on cookie sheet
3. visually divide it in three sections vertically
4. in the center section layer your spices, cheese/sauce, meat and veggies
5. with a pizza cutter make cuts on the outer two sections about an inch apart, 2 inches deep
6. criss-cross the "tag" ends on each side over the fillings...kind of like a braid
7. brush with milk and top with more cheese and/or seasonings
8. bake for 10-14 minutes

Cookies 'n Cream Tortoni

Yield: 6 servings, 3pts each

9 reduced-fat Oreos, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine, melted
3 (3 1/2 ounce) fat-free vanilla pudding, cups (such as Hunt's Snack Pack)
1/2 cup fat-free cool whip, thawed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place paper or foil muffin cup liners in each of 6 muffin cups; set aside.
2. Place 4 cookies in a zip-top plastic bag; finely crush cookies using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
3. Combine cookie crumbs and butter; stir well.
4. Press cookie-crumb mixture evenly into bottom of each muffin cup liner.
5. Place remaining 5 cookies in plastic bag, and coarsely crush.
6. Combine 1/4 cup crushed cookies, pudding, whipped topping, and vanilla in a bowl; stir well.
7. Divide pudding mixture evenly among prepared muffin cups.
8. Top each evenly with remaining crushed cookies.
9. Cover and freeze until firm.

I put the pudding mixture into a ziploc bag and cut an end off to squeeze some into each muffin tin...just makes it easier and a little cleaner. Obviously, where are you going to go wrong with this recipe? Oreos, pudding, coolwhip...yeah, sounds delicious and tastes delicious! Just let them sit at room temp for about 5-10 minutes before serving...AND ENJOY!

Ole' Enchiladas

yield: serves 8 @ 5pts each

1 cup salsa
10 ounces tostitos baked tortilla chips (we did half and half with tortilla chips and baked doritos)
5 ounces evaporated milk
4 ounces chopped green chilies
10 1/2 ounces fat-free cream of chicken soup
10 ounces Velveeta 2% cheese product
12 1/2 ounces cooked chicken breasts (we used two of the Oscar Meyer grilled chicken strips found near the lunch meat)

1. combine salsa, milk, chilies, soup, cheese and chicken in saucepan
2. heat until cheese is melted
3. fill a 9x13 casserole with chips
4. pour sauce over chips and bake in 350 degree oven until bubbly, about 20 minutes

We had some peppers and onions around so we included those in the saucepan mixture. This was delicious! Mike was worried it'd taste more like nachos but it didn't - it was so tasty and filling! Bryker loved it, too! And it warmed up good for leftovers, yum yum!

Jalapeno Chicken

HEADS UP - this needs to marinate overnight. It's worth it though, trust me.

yield: serves 4 @ 2pts each

1/3 cup steak sauce (such as Heinz 57 or A1, whichever you prefer)
1/3 cup jalapeno jelly, melted
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
cooking spray

1. combine first 4 ingredients in a large heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag
2. add chicken; seal bag, and shake until chicken is coated well
3. marinate in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally
4. remove chicken from marinade
5. grill to perfection

This was really flavorful and moist - YUM! And really it wasn't spicy at all, we used 57 sauce and you tasted that more than anything. Next time I think I'll throw more jalapeno jelly in and perhaps even some jalapeno slices to spice it up a little.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I found this on a website I really like to use for some cooking inspiration and YUM! This is soooooo tasty!

yield: 4 servings (5 ww pts per serving)

foil
cooking spray
2 chicken breasts
1 cup of small broccoli florets
4 pieces of any kind of cheese you like
seasonings (whatever you like for chicken)
toothpicks

1. lay out four square foil pieces and spray them with the cooking spray
2. take each raw chicken breast and cut it in half so it creates two thinner chicken breasts of the same width (does that make sense?)
3. lay each piece of chicken on a foil piece
4. season to your liking
5. top with cheese slice and broccoli
6. roll as tight as you can and stick with toothpicks to hold shape
7. loosely close the foil packet
8. grill/bake for about 20 minutes (or until chicken reaches 165-degrees internally)

Obviously there are a lot of variations you could do with this recipe. The original recipe used swiss cheese and did an egg wash and bread crumbs. Next time I'd probably only use half of a slice of cheese and see about added different (and more) veggies into it. I also think it'd be really tasty if you marinated the chicken breasts (after you sliced them into thinner pieces) in italian dressing and THEN stuff them. Yum! We'll definitely have this one again!

Quesadilla Burgers

yield: 8 burgers (4pts/burger)

cooking spray

8 slices of fat-free american cheese

4 whole wheat tortillas

1 lb lean ground beef

1. make 8 little hamburger patties (like sliders), we buy the roll of ground beef (hey - I'm a sale shopper) so I just defrosted it enough to where I could slice it into eight patties and it was still slightly frozen so it'd hold shape, this made it REALLY easy

2. grill (or fry) the hamburger patties

3. cut tortillas into forths, set aside

4. once the patties are done, spray a pan with cooking spray and set it to medium heat

5. place one tortilla section down, top with half of a slice of cheese, then the burger, another half slice of cheese and then top with another tortilla section

6. heat until the bottom tortilla gets browned (2-3 mins), then flip and repeat

7. serve it up...we had ours with salsa but you could do normal toppings like ketchup and mustard, too

The verdict? HUGE hit. We'll do this again for sure. It was really tasty and we even had ours with some steamed (zero point) veggies - YUM! If you wanted to save half a point, you could opt out of two half slices of cheese on each burger...but frankly - it's worth it! And yes...I took a picture with a bite out of the burger - I wanted you to actually see the burger, lol!

Cheese Wontons

This is a recipe for cheese wontons "weight watcher style".

yield: 12 wontons (1 ww pt each)

3/4 cups of shredded cheese, whatever kind you like
12 wonton wrappers
cooking spray

1. preheat oven to 350-degrees
2. coat mini muffin pan with cooking spray
3. gently push wrappers into each muffin
4. spread cheese into each wrapper
5. pinch the edges of each wrapper together
6. spray with cooking spray (this makes them bake crispy)
7. bake 10-15 mins

While these may be missing a little bit of that fried deliciousness...they're still quite tasty! And forgive me...but they didn't last long enough after they were out of the oven for me to take a picture...oops! I think the way Mike described it recently to someone was, "Sam has really been doing some wonderful things with wonton wrappers." Seriously, I could have died laughing. Filling with cheese and baking = Wonderful...just in case you didn't know :)

Deep Dish Pizza

yield: 6 servings (6 ww pts per serving)

cooking spray

1 lbs lean ground beef: browned and drained

1/2 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

1 can of refrigerated pizza crust dough (10 ounce)

6 slices of mozzarella cheese

1. prehead the over to 425-degrees

2. combine beef and spaghetti sauce

3. spray bottom of 9x13 baking dish

4. spread the pizza crust dough into the baking dish, bring it up on the sides

5. lay three slices of cheese on the crust

6. top with meat mixture

7. bake for 12 minutes

8. finish off with last three cheese slices

9. bake additional 5-7 minutes

10. enjoy

What I love about this is all the possibilities. You could add as many veggies as you want to this...or heck, take out the meat entirely and make it a veggie pizza for fewer calories/points!

Chocolate Shake

A friend brought this recipe to my attention...and having the sweet tooth I have, I absolutely HAD to try it! It is unbelievable simple and satisfied the chocolate love in me instantly - what a tasty treat!

yield: 4 shakes (1 ww pt per shake)

1 pkg of fat-free sugar-free chocolate pudding mix
2 cups ice
2 cups skim milk

1. blend it all together and enjoy

We have a magic bullet so I actually made two larger shakes (so it was 2 pts each instead of 1 pt) and just put one in the freezer for another day. Having one shake actually satisfied my chocolate craving AND filled me up...this recipe really makes quite a bit! Yum! I think next time I might even add four points worth of peanut butter and turn my 2 point shake into a 4 point shake and maybe even share my other one with the other peanut butter love in our house! Yum!

Wonton Quiche

This is a great appetizer recipe for entertaining. And beyond the actual recipe, you could do so many different things with it!

yield: 36 quiche (1.5 ww pts each)

cooking spray
mini muffin pan(s)
36 wonton wrappers
small onion, finely chopped (I used onion powder)
1 cup egg beaters
1 can of fat-free evaporated milk
.5 cup of low-fat shredded cheese
4 slices of turkey bacon, crumbled (I used 2 tablespoons of bacon bits)

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. spray muffin pan
3. press wrappers into each muffin cup
4. spray edges with cooking spray so they crisp when baking, set aside
5. fry the chopped onion up and set aside
6. in a bowl, mix the milk, egg and cheese
7. add bacon and onion
8. fill each muffin cup with about one tablespoon of the egg mixture
9. bake 20 mins

What I love most about these...you could do so many variations of this recipe to change it up a bit. I tried doing a mexican one later with just a dab of my favorite salsa on top - YUM!

Slimfast Brownies

My friend, Sarah, introduced me to these brownies and they are fantastic! They're great to satisfy those chocolate cravings when you're on a diet!

yield: 24 pieces (2 ww pts per serving)

cooking spray
9x13 pan
1 can of chocolate slim fast
1 brownie mix

1. preheat over per brownie mix instructions
2. spray bottom of pan
3. mix slimfast and dry brownie mix
4. poor into pan
5. bake as directed on brownie mix

These come out pretty "fudgey" but they are delicious!

King Ranch Chicken

So apparently there are one million and one variations of this recipe. Well, I had one ready for us to try and was going to see what I could do to change it around a bit to make it a bit more ww friendly...

yield: 6 servings

2 chicken breasts: cut into small pieces
1 onion: chopped
1 green pepper: chopped (we didn't have one so we missed out on this)
1 can of mexi-corn: drained
1 can of rotel tomatoes: drained
1 can of fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 tsp chili powder (I used .5 tsp of hot and .5 tsp of mild)
black pepper to taste
1 tsp minced garlic
1 package of the small tortillas (we used flour ones)

1. saute the onion and green pepper in a large frying pan
2. add chicken, garlic, chili powder and pepper
3. cook until chicken is cooked through
4. add rest of the ingredients
5. cook until heated through
6. serve with tortillas and shredded cheese

For ww points, if you really limit the shredded cheese (which isn't hard to do because this is really flavorful without it) and tortillas...you can make this really low points. Per serving without any shredded cheese or a tortilla, it is 3 ww pts. Each tortilla is 2 pts. So I took half of a tortilla and broke it into little pieces and ate the mixture with the tortilla pieces in it so it was only 4 pts.

And I was kind of slacking on the photography portion of this recipe...but here is what it looks like in our tupperware for Mike's lunch...lol...

Broccoli Cheese Chicken

This one could be anything you make of it... You can follow the recipe totally, or you can waiver with your spices and make it an entirely new dish. Very easy and very tasty! I found it on another blog...yum...

yield: 4 servings

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
14 oz frozen broccoli florets
1 can of broccoli cheese soup
.5 can of cream of chicken soup
.5 cup of milk
1 pkg of egg noodles
lemon pepper (I used a smattering of other spices from our cupboard instead)
salt

1. cook the egg noodles per the package directions
2. cook chicken in frying pan, season with lemon pepper and salt
3. add soups, milk and broccoli once chicken is cooked through
4. simmer for another 10-20 minutes until broccoli is fully cooked
5. serve on egg noodles





With the four hearty servings, this one comes out to 11 ww pts per serving...but like I said, that is four HEARTY servings. And I calculated this with 1.5 lbs of chicken breasts because that is what we used...you could easily cut back on that...and the noodles...for fewer points.

Best Lasagna Ever

When I found this recipe, it was prefaced with a statement declaring it to be the "best lasagna ever". So I had to find out.


1.5 lbs ground beef (I used 1 lb)
.5 lb hot breakfast sausage (I used 1lb of turkey italian sausage)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 - 14.5 oz cans of whole tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes, undrained)
12 oz can of tomato paste
4 Tbsp dried parsley, seperated into two 2 Tbsp portions
2 Tbsp dried basil (I used the generic "italian seasonings")
2.5 tsp salt (seperated as 1 tsp, 1 tsp and a .5 tsp)
3 cups lowfat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
.5 cup grated parmesan
12 slices of mozzerella cheese
10 lasagna noodles
1 Tbsp olive oil


1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add in .5 tsp of salt and olive oil.
2. Brown ground beef and sausage, add garlic in a large skillet. Set aside.
3. Add tomatoes, paste, 2 Tbsp parlsey, basil and 1 tsp of salt.
4. In a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan, 2 Tbsp parsley and 1 tsp salt. Set aside.
5. Cook lasagna noodles until "al dente".
6. Arrange 5 noodles on bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
7. Spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture on.
8. Top with six mozzarella slices.
9. Spoon half of the meat mixture on.
10. Repeat steps 6-9. End with meat mixture on top.
11. Top with generous amount of grated parmesan.
12. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350-degrees.


My "lesson learned" on this recipe. Drain the tomatoes. Ours came out a little watery but was perfect as a leftover. This recipe was a HUGE HUGE HUGE hit! Mike and Bryker both went crazy for it. Bryker ate a size as big as I did and Mike was thrilled for leftovers to take in for lunch the next day (he never takes his own lunch). The flavors are robust so if you prefer your lasagna to be a bit blander...I wouldn't recommend this. Yum! Serve with breadsticks and enjoy!

Au Gratin Taco Bake

This one is another find that I consider worth sharing...yummy!!!

yield: 6 servings

1 lb ground beef
1 package au gratin potatoes
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
shredded cheddar cheese to top

1. preheat over to 350-degrees
2. brown beef, drain
3. mix all the ingredients together and put into baking dish
4. bake for 60 minutes at 350-degrees
5. top with cheese and bake additional 5 minutes to melt cheese

My only "lesson learned" on this one is that you really want to make sure to get all your potatoes into the mixture versus having too many poking out at the top...this will make sure they all good through and won't break your teeth when you bite into them - lol! (Disclaimer: Person posting this recipe is not responsible for any broken teeth due to this recipe or any other recipe on this blog...there, glad that is clarified - ha!)





Per serving, this one comes out to be just over 5.5 ww pts.

Chicken Chili

Another recipe from kraftfoods.com. I was a little hesitant because normally the idea of chicken and chili flavors going together just don't hit the right spot for me. But, seeing the low calorie side of life again - I decided to give it a whirl again tonight. As usual, I modified the recipe to our liking so of course - feel free to do the same with our version...

yield: ~6 big bowls

1.5 lbs chicken breasts: uncooked
1 can light red kidney beans: undrained
1 can dark red kidney beans: undrained
1 can tomato sauce, no salt
1/2 pkg of frozen corn
1-1/2 cups salsa
2 Tbsp chili powder (I did one hot and one mild)
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes (or chop up 1 small onion)

1. throw everything into your crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours
2. around 6 hours you'll need to shred the chicken
3. serve with baked scoops for some crunch

My calorie count isn't exact on this one but it'd be about 400 calories per bowl. And that even would include a sprinkling of cheese on top. I was a little bit "naughty" and had mine with tator tots - not sure why but tator tots are a serious weakness of mine. So clearly that would up the calorie count. Anyway, calories aside, Mike said - and I quote - "Wow, Honey. You've really been on quite a roll. This is good. I mean REALLY good." So, there you have it. Once again, the mister is pleasantly filled to his brim and I'm quietly gloating about my recent success's - hehe. I took some pictures but we all know that chili doesn't really photograph well, so take these for what they're worth...pictures of chicken chili.

This rounds out to just under 7 ww pts per serving. And sooooooo satisfying!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches...

Last night we had some friends over and I was uncertain of what to make. So after thinking about it for a while I had this idea of trying to create a shredded buffalo chicken sandwich. I figured, ehh - if it flops, we'll order pizza... This is a little spicy, so beware.

yield: ~ 8 sandwiches

1 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts: uncooked
1 can of reduced sodium chicken broth
1 can of cream of celery
1/3 cup of franks red hot
2 Tbsp flour
garlic salt to taste
onion powder to taste
pepper to taste
crockpot liner (which I had ran out of, grrr)
village hearth italian buns

1. place everything in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours
2. shred the chicken with two forks around the 4-6 hour mark

We served these on a village hearth bun (80 cals per bun). Mike was thinking it'd be better on a slice of bread...sort of as a hot beef sandwich would be served, I thought maybe on top of pasta. The issue with the bun was that it was so messy we all had to use a fork, but it tasted fantastic. My only complaint would be that I would want more of the franks red hot flavor without more heat...but this was fantastic. A huge success with our guests and us! Oh, I did have ranch out to be used as a condiment for the sandwich if one was interested. The entire sandwich with the bun and no ranch came to 170 calories. Top that. :)

A sandwich on it's own with just the meat and a bun, no cheese or ranch, 3 ww pts per serving.

Chicken and Rice Packets

I stumbled across this recipe a while back for a chicken and rice foil packet. The actual recipe wasn't really our type of "thing" but the idea was good. And then you take my love for a sort of one-dish cooking with the packet...and voila...I threw something together tonight that one could call a "chicken and rice packet". So here is what I made, any other soup or sauce and/or vegetable could be easily swapped out for whatever your preference is. For example, you could do salsa instead of a cream soup and corn instead of green beans and POOF - a santa fe chicken and rice packet.

yield: 2 servings

2 chicken breasts: thawed
1 cup instant brown rice: uncooked
1 cup warm water
1 can fat-free cream of chicken soup
1 can green beans
whatever spices you want for your chicken

1. preheat oven to 400-degrees
2. soak rice in water for 5-10 minutes
3. take two pieces of foil for packets and spray one half of each with non-stick spray
4. once rice has soaked, place rice on foil
5. top with soup and green beans
6. place chicken breast on top
7. sprinkle with preferred seasonings
8. bake 30 minutes

We really enjoyed this, it was filling and tasted like one of those recipes you take from your family cookbook. Definitely a good cold weather recipe. Enjoy!

At 2 servings, this is 9.5 ww pts per serving. But the "one serving" on this recipe really equals two "servings" according to ww guildelines. So if you put it to a 4 servings recipe, that'd be 4.75 ww pts per serving! Yum!

Tiramisu

Okay...so I LOVE LOVE LOVE desserts and with that, I LOVE tiramisu. I found this recipe for a low-cal version and figured I'd give it a whirl at dinner with my parents tonight. I was a little anxious about the verdict because the reviews online were hit and miss. But, the verdict came in with a big thumbs up! Definitely a tasty dish and the one pkg of cream cheese (you'll read about that soon) was just right. So if you really love cream cheese, go for two...if you aren't the biggest fan, settle for one. A couple variation thoughts would be to use a flavored coffee, or even add some baileys or kaluha for a little "umph" and then you could always swap out the sugar for splenda and cut even more calories out. This is a steal for the calories. Enjoy!

yield: 12 servings

2 pkg lady fingers
2 Tbsp coffee (we don't drink coffee so I just made mine from instant)
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup boiling water
2 pkg fat free cream cheese: softened (I don't like cream cheese so I only used one)
1 tub light cool whip: thawed
1 tsp cocoa powder

1. lay one pkg of lady fingers on bottom of 9X13 baking dish
2. mix coffee and 1 Tbsp sugar together, brush (or spoon) half of coffee onto lady fingers in dish
3. beat cream cheese in large bowl until creamy, add 1/2 cup of sugar and mix well
4. stir cool whip into cream cheese mixture
5. spread half of the cream cheese mixture on top of the lady fingers in the dish
6. top with remaining lady fingers, coffee and the rest of the cream cheese mixture
7. sprinkle with cocoa
8. refrigerate at least 4 hours

Each serving is 150 calories, that is with the 2 packages of cream cheese. If you were to use one, it'd be like 125 calories per serving. So not a huge savings as far as calories go.

I ran up a few ww pts "scenarios" on this one...

The way I made it, 4.3 ww pts per serving.

Using Splenda instead of sugar, 3.75 ww pts per serving.

Exactly made per the recipe calls, 4.75 ww pts per serving.

Made using Splenda and fat-free Cool Whip, 3.4 ww pts per serving.

For nearly an entire extra point, I'd go ahead and switch to Spland and the ff Cool Whip next time. Yum!