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