Hummus Roasted Veggies

This recipe for yummy roasted vegetables uses something that is always in our refrigerator, which is hummus. It can be so versatile, using olive hummus, garlic, black bean, roasted red pepper or garlic. The hummus caramelizes on the outside of the vegetables making them slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. hummus (I used roasted beets and garlic)
Broccoli florets
Baby carrots
Mini bell peppers, cut in half
Onion, sliced in wedges

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Preheat the pan lined with parchment paper for 10 minutes in the oven while it is preheating. In a large bowl, mix the cut vegetables with the hummus. If the hummus is too thick, add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Use your hands for this part. Spread the veggies out on the heated pan and roast for 20 minutes, flipping over half way through.

Broccoli Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This is one of my new favorite dishes. The spaghetti squash is so filling that this one "pot" dish is perfect for dinner. The only challenge you will have is trying to finish it all.

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, cut in half
2 chicken breast halves, chopped into 1 inch pieces
Large head of broccoli, boiled, drained and chopped
2 tsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp. freeze dried chives (or 1 tsp. fresh)
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbs. shredded Gouda cheese

Microwave the spaghetti squash halves each half at a time in a microwave safe dish with a lid. Add 2 Tbs. water underneath the squash and cook cut side up for 15 minutes. Let cool and scrape both halves into a large dish and set aside to cool. Save the spaghetti squash "shells"! In a large saute pan, add the chopped chicken and broccoli. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper and stir for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with the dried chives and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the chicken and broccoli mixture to the bowl with the cooked spaghetti squash. Mix everything together well.

Line a baking pan with tinfoil and place each spaghetti squash "bowl" inside. Divide the filling mixture evenly between the two skins. Top with the shredded Gouda cheese and broil for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Broccoli Feta Quiche

Who needs pie crust for quiche when you have potatoes? This quiche recipe is great for a side dish or for breakfast. Feta and broccoli is one of my favorite combinations and in this dish, that is no exception!

Ingredients:

20 oz. Simply Potatoes, Garlic & Herb Hash Browns
1/4 c. feta cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 c. All Whites, liquid egg white
10.8 oz. broccoli cuts (Steamfresh), cooked and drained

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a quiche pan with non stick cooking spray and press the hash browns into the bottom of the pan. Top with the feta and broccoli, salt and pepper. Pour the egg whites over everything and bake in the oven for 35 minutes.

Slow Cooker Broccoli and Cheese Strata

This is one of the best breakfast dishes I have made in the slow cooker, hands down. My husband and I absolutely loved it. It is cheesy, stuffed with broccoli, and tastes like a cross between an omelet and breakfast casserole!

Ingredients:

2 c. broccoli florets, cooked and drained
4 slices bread (I used Brownberry Extra Grainy 17 grains and seeds)
1 Tbs. salted butter
1 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 c. milk, 1%
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. water

Spray a 1 quart casserole dish that fits inside of your slow cooker with non stick cooking spray.

Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter. Arrange 2 slices butter side up in your casserole dish.

Layer cheese, broccoli and remaining 2 slices of bread, buttered sides down.

Whisk the milk, eggs, egg whites, seasonings and hot sauce in a medium bowl and pour over the bread.

Place small wire rack on the bottom of the slow cooker (or if your dish fits like mine and is elevated, you don't need to add the rack). Pour the water in the bottom of the slow cooker and place the casserole inside your slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high for 3 hours. Let cool slightly, slice, and serve!

Broccoli Cheddar Couscous Bites

These broccoli cheddar couscous bites are great as a side dish or appetizer. If you have kids and are sick of eating tater tots and they are really picky, give them a side of these instead. They are cheesy, soft with a crunch around the edges, and full of broccoli!

Ingredients:

2/3 c. uncooked couscous
1 1/4 c. water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 c. broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 c. yellow onion, finely diced
3 gloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin tins with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a medium saucepan, cook the couscous and water according to the package directions. Drain and add to a medium size bowl. Let cool slightly before adding the rest of the ingredients. Add in the eggs, broccoli, onion, garlic, cheese, paprika and salt and pepper. Stir everything together well. Divide into the mini cups (they do not expand so you can fill right to the top). Press the mixture down slightly, then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the tops are slightly golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then try to gently remove (use a knife on the edges to loosen if necessary) the couscous cups to a serving tray.

T.i. Chicken Cutlets with Broccoli Slaw

My favorite meat is and probably always will be chicken. As long as every piece of fat is removed (and I mean EVERY little piece...), I can eat it with everything and every possible flavor combination out there. I had two chicken breast halves that needed to be used up in the refrigerator, and for flavor profiles, I grabbed a few random items and threw them together. Sometimes, and this is a rarity, the recipe doesn't turn out so hot. But most of the time it ends up as the weirdest flavor combination that you would never normally pair together, and it works.

Broccoli slaw:

1 bag Mann's Rainbow Salad (or carrot, broccoli, cauliflower and red cabbage)
1/4 c. Miracle Whip, light
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
1 tsp. parsley, chopped

Whisk the Miracle Whip, vinegar, sugar, lime juice, salt and pepper together until the sauce is smooth. Add in the vegetable mix and parsley and stir together until everything is just combined.

Chicken Ingredients:

2 chicken breast halves, halved again (you end up with 4, or if one is large, 5 pieces)
2-3 Tbs. Thousand Island dressing
1 tsp. finely chopped cilantro
1 Tbs. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, chopped smaller
2 Tbs. Panko
1 tsp. salt and pepper
3 Tbs. Italian style bread crumbs

In a small bowl, mix the Thousand Island dressing with the cilantro and shredded cheese and set aside. In a shallow dish, combine the Panko, salt and pepper and Italian bread crumbs with a fork and set aside. Rip off a large piece of parchment paper and place it on a flat work surface. Place the 4-5 pieces of chicken on top of the parchment paper towards the middle, and cover with another piece of parchment. Use the side of the meat tenderizer (flat, not spikes) and flatten out the chicken pieces until they are all about 1/3 inch thick. Place one side of the chicken down into the dressing mixture and press slightly. Place into the crumb mixture and press the crumbs onto the chicken on both sides. Place back on the parchment and repeat for the remaining chicken pieces.

Heat a large, flat skillet to medium heat and add about 1-2 Tbs. olive oil. Place the side of the chicken with the dressing on it down on the heat first. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is white half way up the sides. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2-3 minutes until it is no longer pink in the middle. Place a large heap of the slaw on the bottom of the plate. Top with two chicken cutlets. I also added an over easy egg on top (you can omit the egg if you aren't a fan).

Ham and Broccoli Egg Bake

Egg bakes in a 13x9 pan are always a great go-to when you have to feed multiple people for breakfast and fairly quick. They only take about 35-40 minutes in the oven and you can literally make a combination of whatever random ingredients are in your fridge. One of my favorite reasons for making these, minus it's versatility, is the fact that it is crustless. I love anything quiche related, but I can't stand when they are made with pie crust!

Ingredients:

4 c. chopped broccoli florets
1 1/2 c. deli ham, chopped (Oscar Mayer, honey ham)
8 oz. low fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 green onions, thinly sliced
10 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside. Place the chopped broccoli, ham, and onions at the bottom of the pan, and spread out in an even layer. Whisk the eggs together, adding around 1 tsp. of salt and pepper. Pour the eggs on top of the broccoli and ham in the pan, and evenly spread the Mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 35-40 minutes (mine took 38). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before cutting into squares and serving.

Broccoli Slaw Noddle Salad with a Peanut Hoisin Soy Sauce

Ingredients:

1 bag broccoli slaw (that has broccoli, carrots and red cabbage)
1 pkg. Rice stick noodles, cooked (takes only 3 minutes in boiling water or less)
1 c. Peanut butter, chunky
1/3 c. Hoisin sauce
1/4 c. Soy Sauce, low sodium (give or take, thins out the sauce)

In a medium size saucepan set on medium heat, spray with non stick cooking spray. Add the broccoli slaw and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes until the slaw is slightly tender. Remove from the pan and set aside with the noodles. To the same pan on medium heat, stir the peanut butter, Hoisin and soy sauce together until everything is well combined. Add in the noodles and cooked slaw and toss everything together.

Cheddar Broccoli Tots

Ingredients:

1 large head of broccoli
1 egg
1 egg white
2 green onion, chopped
1 c. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot, cook the broccoli in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.  Drain and pat dry on a paper towel. Chop very fine and place in a medium size bowl. Add the egg and egg white, onion, shredded cheese, breadcrumb and seasonings. I like to use my hands to make sure all of the ingredients are mixed well together, but you could also use a spatula. Spoon about a tablespoon or so of the mixture into your hands and form into an oval shape. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes, flip over, and continue to bake for 7-8 more minutes.

(Makes approximately 28-30 tots. 7 tots per serving equals 5 WW points. )

Veggie Swiss Casserole

Ingredients:

1 bag (16 oz.) frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower blend
1 can cream of onion soup
1 1/2 c. (4 oz.) shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese, divided
1/3 c. sour cream, low fat
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can (2.8 oz.) French fried onions, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the frozen bag of vegetables (if they are stuck together in one large lump, microwave until they loosen from each other), the onion soup, 1 c. shredded Swiss, sour cream, and 1/2 of the can of French fried onions together. When mixed thoroughly, pour into a greased 13x9 inch pan, or casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining 1/2 c. Swiss cheese and the remaining French fried onions and bake for 5-10 minutes longer.

 (Photo from 2014)

Broccoli and Leek Soup

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of broccoli
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. margarine
2 medium leeks
1 medium baking potato, peeled and diced small (1/2 inch pieces)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. chicken broth
3 c. water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1/2 c. milk, 1%
1/3 c. chives

Cut the florets of the broccoli off and save for later. With a peeler, peel the outside layer off of the broccoli stems. Slice the stems into small pieces. Heat the olive oil and margarine in a soup pot on medium heat. Add the leeks and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the broccoli stems, potato and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broth, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Add the florets, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree the soup until smooth with the immersion blender. Stir in the milk and chives.

Easy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

16 oz. frozen broccoli, cooked and drained
12-14 oz. chicken, cubed and cooked
15 oz. cream of mushroom soup, 98% fat free
1 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper (I used fresh grated)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the above ingredients together, minus half of the cheese. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Pour the mix into the casserole dish and spread out in an even layer. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 c. of cheese. Bake for 25-27 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

(Makes 6 servings, 5 WW points per serving)

Makeover Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. steam-in-bag broccoli
1 Tbs. oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 c. sliced mushrooms
3 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 milk, 1%
3 c. rotisserie chicken breast, chopped
1/2 c. fat free Greek yogurt
1/4 c. light mayo
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare the broccoli in the microwave according to the directions on the package. In a large skillet on medium-heat heat, add the oil to the pan. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms brown and there is no liquid left in the pan (8-12 minutes). Sprinkle the mushroom mixture with the flour and cook for 1 minute while continuously stirring. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in broccoli and chicken and cook for another minute. Stir in the yogurt, mayo, salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a prepared casserole dish.  Top with the cheese and stick under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is crunchy.

 

(Makes 6 servings, 7 WW points per serving)

Cornbread Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 tsp. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. chopped broccoli, raw
2 green onions, chopped
2 Tbs. margarine
1/3 c. cornbread crumbs (crumbled from fresh or day old cornbread)
8 oz. mushrooms, stems removed, but saved for the filling
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

In a small saucepan, melt the margarine. To the margarine add the broccoli, green onions, and mushroom stems. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the pepper, cornbread crumbs and cilantro and stir together. Fill each mushroom cap with the cornbread mixture. Arrange in a circle on a microwavable plate. Top with shredded cheese and microwave for about 2 minutes (might take 3 depending on how big the mushrooms are).

Broccoli-Carrot Fritters

 Ingredients:

2 c. broccoli

1 c. carrots, sliced

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fresh grated pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 egg

2 Tbs. - 3 Tbs. olive oil

Place the broccoli and carrots in a pot and cover the vegetables with water. Bring the pot to a boil and boil for 4 minutes. Drain and pat the vegetables with paper towel to remove any extra water. Finely chop the vegetables and transfer them to a medium sized bowl. Stir with the flour until well combined. Then add the cheese, salt, pepper, onions and egg and stir together. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add the oil. For the dough into 8-10 patties and place on the hot oil. Cook on each side for 4 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

 

Hummus Feta Quiche

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 c. milk
1 c. hummus
1/2 c. Heart Smart Bisquick
1 1/4 c. chopped broccoli, cooked
1/2 c. fat free feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk the eggs, milk, hummus and Bisquick in a large bowl. Fold in the broccoli and feta cheese. Spray a quiche pan with non stick cooking spray, and pour in the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is slightly golden brown.

(Makes 8 slices, 4 WW points per slice.)

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 box lasagna noodles, cooked half way
2 leeks, chopped
1 large head broccoli, fine chopped
2 c. button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 c. chopped fresh Parsley
14.5 oz. can Hunt's whole peeled plum tomatoes, juice added, tomatoes chopped
1/3 c. Romano shredded cheese
8 oz. reduced fat Mozzarella shredded cheese
24 oz. can Hunt's 4 cheese pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the leeks, broccoli, mushrooms, Parsley, plum tomatoes with juice, and Romano cheese. Set aside. Pour about 1/4 of the can of Hunt's pasta sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan. Mix in the rest of the pasta sauce with the vegetable combination. On top of the pasta sauce, make a layer of noodles. Pour half of the vegetable mixture on top and spread out. Add another layer of noodles, and then the rest of the vegetable mixture. Top with 1 c. Mozzarella cheese and spread out. Add the last layer of noodles, and remaining Mozzarella cheese on top. Bake uncovered in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting. (If you don't like a crunchy top on your lasagna, cover with tinfoil and bake).

 

(Makes 8 servings, 8 WW points each.)

Garlic Broccoli and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli, chopped
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. canola oil

Preheat skillet to medium heat and add the canola oil. Add the mushrooms, broccoli, garlic and garlic salt and stir everything together to combine well. Cover the skillet with a lid and let the broccoli and mushrooms steam fro 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Makes 2 servings, 1 WW point per serving)

Broccoli Parmesan Soup

Ingredients:

12 oz. Frozen Broccoli, cooked as directed on package
1 1/2 c. chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 Tbs. minced dried onion
1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
3 French Onion Laughing Cow wedges
1/4 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

In a food processor, pulse the broccoli, chicken stock, minced onion, 1 tsp. salt and 3 Laughing Cow wedges until well combined and the consistency that you want it (you can add more stock to make it less thick). Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Add the cracked pepper, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 tsp. salt if necessary. Simmer for 4-5 minutes or until the soup is cooked through. (Makes 2 servings, about 4 cups total, 3 WW points per serving.)

I served grilled cheese croutons in my soup, but the possibilities are endless!

"Gou-da" Chicken Pie

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. shredded chicken
1 large head of broccoli, chopped fine
1 c. shredded Farmer's Gouda cheese
4 eggs
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1 9-inch pie crust (I used Pillsbury)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, onion powder and ground mustard with a fork or whisk until well mixed together. Stir in the chicken and broccoli, and set aside. Unroll your pie crust and place in a greased pie or quiche pan. Pour the chicken mixture into the pie crust. Top with the Gouda cheese, and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.