Cornbread Casserol

Ingredients:
1 Box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 can of creamed corn ( 8oz )
1 bunch green onion ( approximately 2-3 tbsp. minced )
4 oz  diced ham
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese ( divided into halves )

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400. Grease your pie pan or whatever baking dish you will be using.
Mix together everything reserving half of the cheese for later. Pour into the baking pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until you can cleanly pull out a toothpick.


Serves 6

Calories 332

Carbs 35  Fat

14  Protein

14  Sodium

1,125  Fiber

2

One Pot Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. skinless chicken breast tenderloins/chunks ( I used tenderloins and cut them into 3 pieces each )
1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
1 tbsp. black pepper ( as always my tbsp. is approximate since I'm more of an eyeballer )
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup lite soy sauce ( low sodium variety is my fav )
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup oil ( I used canola oil )
1/4 cup honey

Directions:
Mix all of your ingredients into a skillet or wok. It will be slightly soupy. That's ok. As you add heat it will thicken up. Keep tossing everything while cooking making sure everything is thoroughly coated.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes on high heat until chicken is done and red peppers are tender. I served this over a bed of steamed white rice.

Serves 5.

Calories 481

Carbs 29 Fat

23 Protein

40 Sodium

2,610

Fiber 1

Chicken Lazone

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast tenderloins
1 stick of butter
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
salt & pepper to taste
1 package angelhair pasta

Directions:
Mix all dry spices together. In a skillet place chicken tenderloins in 1/2 stick of butter. Sprinkle 1/2 the spices over. Flip when ready and use remaining spices. Remove chicken from skillet, and reserve juices.

Combine cream, cheese and remaining butter with juices. Bring to a boil. Let stand to thicken.

Make pasta per box instructions. Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Save some of sauce to pour over top of chicken when plating.

Serves 6.

Calories 500 Carbs

49 Fat

10 Protein

52 Sodium

395 Fiber

3

Chicken Lombardy

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
carton sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onion
garlic powder, salt & pepper ( to taste, I did about 2 shakes of each )
dried chives
1/2 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup marsala wine

Directions:
Sautée 4 tbsp butter in pan with mushrooms & onions. Set aside.

Pound chicken breasts thinly. Dredge in flour. Put in frying pan with remaining butter. 3 minutes on each side till golden brown. Reserve pan drippings.

Place chicken in baking dish. Top with mushrooms & onions. Set aside.

In pan drippings add wine, broth and seasonings and bring to boil. Pour over chicken and veggies. Sprinkle cheese & chives on top. 
Bake in oven on 350 for 15 minutes until cheese bubbles. I think this would pair nicely over angel hair pasta.

Serves 6.

Calories 401 Carbs

18 Fat

17 Protein

32 Sodium

669 Fiber

1

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients:
Bag of frozen chicken breasts
1 jar salsa verde (Herdez brand)
Taco seasoning (Chi Chi's  makes a white seasoning that's great)
Brick of cream cheese ( I always use 1/3 fat variety )
Small jar of green chilies
20 tortillas (Mission extra fluffy)

Directions:
Put everything in the crock pot except tortillas & cream cheese for 6 hours on low. Shred with fork. Add in cream cheese. Stir. 2-3 spoonfuls in tortillas and roll up. Bake 15 minutes on 300. Serve warm. I usually top with hot sauce and sometimes a dash of cheese or dollop of sour cream.

Serves 10 ( 2 per person ).
Calories 340 Carbs 36 Fat 9 Protein 27 Sodium 1000 Fiber 2

Italian Style Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef  ( I'm on a Laura's organic 92/8 kick )
2 large eggs
1/2 cup diced frozen onions
1 cup italian breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt & pepper ( I'm horrible at measuring spices. I pinched each one. Maybe a tsp each then??? )
1 cup marinara sauce ( divided in half )
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Mix together everything except sauce and cheese. The only way I like to do this is with my bare hands. I feel otherwise it doesn't get mixed thoroughly.  Put in baking loaf pan. Top with half the sauce and cover with foil. Bake in the oven on 350 for 40 minutes. Take out, top with cheese, and remaining sauce. Put back in oven for 5 more minutes.

I paired mine with garlic green beans, but maybe even garlic mashed potatoes & a caesar salad would be fantastic.

Serves 6.

Calories 281 Carbs

19 Fat

11 Protein

24 Sodium

906 Fiber

1

Mississippi Pot Roast

Ingredients: roast ( this is bottom round ) pepper rings ( the entire jar ) 1 stick of butter ( 8tbsp) 1 packet powdered ranch dressing mix 1 packet au jus mix Directions: Put it all in the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Make sure that you put the peppers in first, the roast on top. Sprinkle both packets over roast, and place entire stick of butter over that. The layering is important. You may use regular pepperochinis, but I think the slices work better for serving later, and you don't get any seeds this way either. Serves approximately 6: Calories 480 Carbs 2 Fat 35 Protein 37 Sodium 646 Fiber 0

Boneless Glazed Apple Pork Chops

Ingredients:
6 boneless porkchops (4oz each)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar 
4 red delicious apples sliced in quarters
Directions:
Toss it all in the crock pot on low for 4hrs. Make sure apples are on top or they will get too soggy. Stuffing is just Stovetop Pork made to box directions.

Serves 6.

Calories 516 Carbs

34 Fat

28 Protein

46 Sodium

208 Fiber

4

Monterey Chicken

1 can corn ( I use one with NO added salt )
1  can black beans ( again low  sodium variety )
2 cups shredded Monterey cheese, halved ( I like Kraft 2% )
3 cups water
1 tbsp. butter
1 package Knorr Creamy Chicken Rice & Pasta side
6 chicken breasts
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder

Cook your chicken breasts in any method you chose. I chose to put mine in the skillet with a little chicken broth, and my spices above. Set aside.

Make your Knor rice as directed by package.  I use 3 cups of water + tbsp of butter vs 2 they recommend because you're going to add your corn and black beans to this mixture. I make sure I thoroughly rinse them before adding because they are packed solution in the can and that's just  gross. Roughly it's about 20 minutes on low after a rapid boil.

You're basically going to mix everything together, including half the cheese. Scoop out about a cup of the mixture, place your chicken breast ontop, and top with some of the remaining cheese.

Serves 6

Calories 518 Carbs

50 Fat

11 Protein

53 Sodium

1,249 Fiber

6

Broccoli Chicken Cheddar Casserole

1 bag extra wide egg noodles
1 bag frozen chopped broccoli
16oz Velveeta cheese
1 cup milk
1 bag frozen chicken breast tenderloins
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced onion
salt & pepper to taste

I placed the chicken breasts in the crock pot and  covered them with the chicken broth so I would be able to shred them later. Cooked on low for 4-6 hours. Shred with fork.

Boil noodles per bag directions. When I drained the water, I drained it into another pot so I could use the already steaming water to soften the frozen broccoli. Then I drained broccoli and set aside.

Dice your cheese into cubes over low heat. Mix with milk until everything is well melted. I totally cheat and do like 30 seconds at a time in the microwave, stiring in between. Approximately 2 minutes this way, but the stiring is very important. Add in spices.

Mix everything together. Put in casserole dish. You may choose to top with some more cheese at this point. I did not. I popped it in the oven for 5-10 minutes on 350 just to insure everything was mixed and melted together.

Serves 6.

Calories 498 Carbs

49 Fat

9 Protein

52 Sodium

725 Fiber

4

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

For months I have been wanting to make these, but my family was not too keen on the idea of cabbage. When I finally convinced them all the egg rolls they consume are filled with it, they seemed to be on board.

1 large head of cabbage ( at least 12 leaves )
1 lb ground beef ( I prefer 90/10 at a minimum )
1 large egg
1/2 cup quick  rice dry
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup crushed oyster crackers
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
46oz V8 ( I used low sodium variety or the extra spicy depending on the crowd )
grated parmesan cheese ( optional )

Boil your cabbage because its going to make taking it apart that much easier. Do this while you are browning your ground beef with green pepper and onions. In a separate bowl combine egg, rice, crushed crackers, & soup mix. Once beef is browned, you can add in this mixture and set aside.

Carefully separate the leaves. Cut the vein out of the center in a lil V. This makes wrapping much easier. Spoon in about 2-3 tbsp. into each leave.  Fold tightly and refrigerate over night. This helps them stay formed since they are chilled and compact. ( though it's not necessary if you want to skip that step. I've done it both ways )  Place them in the crock pot. Pour the bottle of V8 over the top. You may choose to add water. I'd suggest maybe about a cup. Just so everything is completely covered. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Be careful when taking them out. I had to use a spatula because the cabbage softens quite a bit, and they fall apart easily if not wrapped tightly. The less you handle them, the better. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Makes 12 rolls total.  2 rolls per person so 6 servings.

Calories 315 Carbs

23 Fat

15 Protein

22 Sodium

349 Fiber

4

Chicken Parmesan

1 box of  thin spaghetti
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 1/2 lbs chicken breast
1 cup Italian dressing
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese
1 jar favorite sauce ( I cheat, I know and I LOVE chunky garden veggie by Ragu )
1 can diced tomatoes ( preferably Italian style )
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper

Place your chicken in the Italian dressing. Then coat in breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. You can choose to bake them or pan fry them. Depends on how cautious you are about counting calories. This recipe is for baked. If you're going to bake them place them on a cookie sheet on 350 for about 45 minutes.

Make your spaghetti to box directions. Stir in jar sauce, diced tomatoes, and spices.

Once chicken is done you can plate your spaghetti, put the chicken on top, and melt some sliced cheese over each piece. I usually serve with a side salad and some garlic bread.

Serves 8.

Calories 527 Carbs

61 Fat

16 Protein

35 Sodium

1183 Fiber

8

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb ground beef ( I only use 90 or higher. This was Laura's 92/8 )
12 flour tortillas ( medium size )
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice ( I use pepperjack )
2 tbsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
(keep in mind I'm not a measurer...I do a dash, pinch, ect. So it could be more or less. This is a round about figure)

Enchilada Sauce:
8oz tomato sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1  cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil ( or whichever you prefer )

You will brown your ground beef, and season it. Mix in 1 cup of shredded cheese, and about half of your enchilada sauce. Spoon the mixture into your tortillas, and roll tightly seam down into a shallow baking dish. Pour remainder of enchilada sauce over the top making sure to cover everything as much as possible. Top with cheese. Bake on 350 for 15 minutes until cheese thoroughly melts. I generally pair mine with rice, and/or beans.

Serves 6. ( 2 enchiladas per person )

Calories 413

Carbs 37 Fat

19 Protein

27 Sodium

1,087 Fiber

3

Chicken Pot Pie

So sorry I've been missing in action. I'm still cooking all the time. I just haven't blogged about anything in awhile. To be real honest, I completely forgot I had started this. So with that said, here is my latest.

1 bag frozen chicken breast tenderloins. Approximately 2.5lbs
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup ( I am a Campbell's chicken & herb girl )
1 bag frozen peas & carrots . Approximately 4 cups
1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 onion minced
1 tsp minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste
4 pie crusts ( I use 2 frozen, and 2 refrigerated. Frozen on the bottom slightly thawed, and refrigerated on the top )

Pre cook your chicken anyway you want. I general cook mine in the crock pot on low for about 6-8 hours with some chicken broth. It will be bland, but it's not supposed to be anything other than roasted chicken. Once it's done, your going to shred it with a fork.

In a separate bowl mix together your soup & broth till it's well mixed. Stir in veggies, seasonings, and lastly chicken. Spoon into frozen pie crusts. Once everything is level, top with refrigerated pie crust. Seal the edges together with a fork, and cut slits on the top for steam. Bake on 450 for 25-30 minutes, and let cool for about 10 before serving.

Makes 16 servings.

Calories 297 Carbs

27 Fat

13 Protein

16 Sodium

640 Fiber

2

Crockpot Orange Chicken Stirfry

Ingredients:
2 bags of frozen stir fry veggies ( I like Meijer's. Broccoli, carrots, celery, water chestnuts, red peppers, onions, & mushrooms ) approximately 5 cups
1 bag frozen chicken breasts ( again Meijer has precut chunks to save you time ) approximately 36oz
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp. diced green onions
1 tsp grated ginger

Directions:
In crockpot mix chicken with everything listed below it on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from sauce. Pour sauce in wok, and add in frozen stir fry veggies. Toss until well cooked. Add chicken back in. Add cornstarch if necessary to thicken sauce ( I never do this because I think that the veggies soak in the sauce ). Serve over rice.


Serves 5

Calories 292

Carbs 24 Fat

5 Protein

39 Sodium

850 Fiber

2

Chipotle Beef Tacos

Ingredients:
2lbs ground beef ( I use the leanest available )
2 tbsp McCormick salt free fiesta citrus seasoning ( chili pepper, cumin, garlic, onion, brown sugar, and lemon peel )
8oz Herdez chunky salsa ( basically tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green peppers )
2 chipotle peppers finely chopped

Directions:
Brown the beef and season with the rest. Then I spooned into the tortillas and topped with avocado, tomato, cheese & sour cream.

Serves 6 ( makes 12 tacos... this is for FILLING only not additional toppings nor tortillas )

Calories 180 Carbs

3 Fat

12 Protein

15 Sodium

510 Fiber

1

Pizza Bread

Ingredients:
1 loaf of self rising pizza dough thawed
1 package sliced pepperoni ( I used turkey pepperoni )
2 cups shredded cheese ( I used reduced fat Italian 5 cheese )
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. Italian seasonings ( McCormick perfect pinch Tuscan is my current favorite )

Directions:
Roll dough out and cut slits up and down both sides about 1 inch apart. Layer your meet & cheese ingredients in the center. Next time I would like to use frozen spinach & ricotta in addition to this, but my kids didn't want that, so we stuck with some basics. Fold the slits inward criss crossing so there is no longer any gap. Top with minced garlic and Italian seasonings on top. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes on 400 or until top is golden brown and cheese begins to bubble out a bit.

I paired this with a small balsamic salad to make it a meal. You could cut it into small slices for an appetizer. My kids also dipped theirs into some red sauce.

Feeds 6 ( as a meal, you could easily divide that into 12 as an appetizer )

Calories 337 Carbs

32 Fat

12 Protein

25 Sodium

1,403 Fiber

2

Sausage & Hashbrown Casserole

Ingredients:
Bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns
2 packages beef smoked sausage cut into 1 inch slices
1 green pepper diced
1/2 sweet onion diced
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup cooking oil

Directions:
Heat up cooking oil in frying pan and add potatoes. Make a smooth layer. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in veggies, & spices occasionally stirring so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan for about 5 more minutes. Add in sausage and cook for 5 additional minutes.  Total cook time about 20 minutes.

Serves 6

Calories 378 Carbs

29 Fat

24 Protein

13 Sodium

772 Fiber

1

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen chicken breasts ( approximately 2 1/2lbs )
1 cup sriracha ( halved )
1 cup chicken broth
1 box mini penne pasta
4oz low fat cream cheese
1 packet powdered ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup milk ( 2% was used in this recipe )
1 small container bleu cheese crumbles

Directions:
Place chicken, chicken broth & 1/2 cup sriracha in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Once done remove chicken, shred with fork. Toss with remaining sriracha. Set aside.
Boil noodles according to box directions and drain. Toss in cream cheese, 1/2 bleu cheese crumbles, milk & powdered ranch. Stir till well blended. Combine with chicken. Top with remaining bleu cheese.

Serves 12

Calories 307 Carbs

31 Fat

9 Protein

25 Sodium

693 Fiber

2

Chicken Piccata & Cheesy Orzo

Ingredients:
Chicken Piccata~
1 bag frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts ( approximately 2 1/2lbs )
1 cup white cooking wine
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped shallots

Cheesy Orzo~
1/2 box orzo
1/2 bag frozen broccoli florets
2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 cup milk


Directions:
 Place chicken in skillet. Pour mixture of remaining ingredients over top and allow to saute. Flip occasionally to prevent scorching/burning.

Boil orzo as directed in box. Add in frozen broccoli after boil for a couple minutes with heat on low. Drain and rinse. Mix in 1/4 cup milk, & cheese. Stir.

Serves 6
Chicken Piccata~

Calories 248 Carbs

2 Fat

6 Protein

38 Sodium

490 Fiber

0

Orzo~

Calories 216 Carbs

29 Fat

7 Protein

9 Sodium

126 Fiber

2