Turkey Spinach Spaghetti Pie

This savory spaghetti pie delivers in flavor while still remaining on the healthier side. Even being Weight Watchers friendly, the fact that there is only 4 ounces of pasta in this whole pasta pie is amazing, and it is SO cheesy!

Ingredients:

4 oz. Barilla Veggie Spaghetti, broken in thirds, cooked and drained
8 oz. cream cheese, 1/3 less fat
3/4 c. liquid egg whites
1/2 c. light sour cream
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
10 oz. chopped cooked turkey (I used Oscar Mayer Carving Board)
10 oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. shredded Marble Jack cheese
1 chopped roasted red sweet pepper, from bottle

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the egg whites and sour cream and mix until combined. Stir in the basil, garlic powder, turkey, spinach, shredded cheese and roasted pepper.

Add in the pasta, stir and pour into the prepared dish. Spread out in an even layer. Bake uncovered for 50-55 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

(Makes 8 servings, 8 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving)

Spicy Farmer's Casserole

Casserole's are always comforting as the weather starts to get colder in the fall. The best part is that you can make this up the night before and re-heat before you eat! The spicy potatoes go great with the sweet green pepper and ham. Better yet? This recipes is Weight Watchers friendly!

Ingredients:

20 oz. Simply Potatoes Southwest Hash Browns
3/4 c. shredded Marble Jack cheese
1 c. diced cooked ham
2 sliced green onions
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh pepper
1 1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
1 c. liquid egg whites

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2 quart square baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Spread the potatoes out in an even layer. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and sliced green onion. Add the diced ham and green pepper. In a large bowl, whisk the milk, egg white, salt and pepper together. Pour on top of the ingredients in the casserole. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

(Makes 6 servings, 4 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving)

Hamburger Casserole

While my nieces and nephew were up at our house for two weeks visiting (ages ranging from 3 years old to 6), I wanted to make a few recipes that fed multiple people while still being kid friendly. This recipes is perfect because most kids love noodles and hamburger, and it is covered in a melted cheesy top layer!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 lb. ground beef (lean)
1 large onion, diced small
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 tsp. garlic salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
28 oz. can pureed tomatoes
16 oz. box macaroni noodles
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. shredded cheddar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil on medium heat and add in the ground beef. Using two forks (or spatula), stir the meat until half of it is browned. Add in the chopped onion and cook with the meat, stirring occasionally so that the onions and meat continue to cook evenly. Add the seasonings and stir together. Add the tomatoes to the pan and continue to cook for a few minutes. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions, drain and set aside.

Pour the meat and tomato mixture in with the noodles. Taste the mixture and add in more garlic salt if necessary.

Pour the noodle mixture into a 13x9 baking dish (I also had to use an 8x8 because this recipes makes a lot!). Use the spatula to smooth out the top, and then sprinkle both cheeses evenly. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Roll Overnight Casserole

While downstate for Memorial Day weekend, I wanted to enjoy vacation more and think about having to prepare things less. This ooey gooey breakfast bake is perfect in that you can make it up the night before, bake the next morning, and all you have to do to finish it off is drizzle frosting on top! 

Ingredients:

1 bag (12 pack) frozen cinnamon rolls (that comes with icing)
4 eggs
1 c. milk
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Spray a 9x13 baking dish (or foil pan like I used) with non stick cooking spray. Cut each frozen cinnamon roll into 4 triangles and lay in the bottom of the pan. In a medium size bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and seasonings.

Pour the egg mixture over the cinnamon roll pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight (make sure you also put the frosting packets in the fridge). The next morning, preheat the oven to 375. Remove the plastic wrap and loosely (and I mean do not at all press this down) place a piece of tinfoil over the casserole so it does not brown as quickly. Bake for 40 minutes. While baking, take the frosting packets out of the refrigerator to reach room temperature. Test the middle of the casserole to make sure it is cooked (use a knife) and if not, remove the tinfoil and cook for 5-10 more minutes. Let cool slightly before glazing with the frosting packets.

Beef and Hash Brown Casserole

I don't know many people who don't like hash browns or consider them a comfort food. This recipe is a very easy one to put together, and you may even have the key ingredients in your freezer waiting to be made into something delicious!

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz.) bag frozen hash browns
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 (10.75 oz.) can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. milk, 1%
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 c. shredded cheese (I used a processed American with salami, which is why it didn't melt normally on top)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish or large quiche/pie pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the cream of mushroom and milk together until well combined. In a large bowl, add the hash browns, beef, sliced onion and soup mixture.

Spread out half of the potato beef mixture in an even layer on the bottom of your prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top. Spread out the remaining potato and beef mixture and once again top with cheese. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the cheese is a golden brown (even if you use normal cheddar, it will melt normally but still get golden on top!). Let cool slightly before serving.

Reubenburger Pie

This recipe is from the cookbook that I made of my Aunt Jean's favorite recipes. It seemed like a perfect recipe for the upcoming St. Patty's Day Holiday!

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2/3 c. oats
1/2 c. Thousand Island dressing
1 egg
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 (16 oz.) can sauerkraut, drained
2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a quiche or pie dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the beef, oats, dressing, egg, salt, pepper and garlic powder together (use your hands!).

Pour into the prepared pan and spread out evenly, pressing up the sides. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Carefully drain at least half of the extra liquid by slightly tilting over the sink.

Combine the sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and caraway seeds in a small bowl with a spatula.

Pour the sauerkraut mixture into the middle of the meat crust and spread out evenly. Bake in the oven for another 8-10 minutes until the meat is golden brown and the Swiss cheese is melted through.

Let the pie cool for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing (this gives the juices time to soak back into the meat, making it easier to cut and serve).

Skinny Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Spring is slowly getting here...but until then during those last few weeks of cold nights, cook up some chicken pot pie casserole! It is a body-warming dish packed with fresh vegetables and tender chicken. And who can resist the flaky biscuit on top! If you are on Weight Watchers, this recipe makes 16 servings, each serving being only 7 Smart Points, which includes the biscuit on top!

Ingredients:

6 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
5 small red potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1 c. carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, sliced (including leaves)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (1 inch cubes)
2 c. frozen peas
3 c. milk, 1%
1 1/4 c. flour
2 Tbs. fresh thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 pkg. reduced fat Pillsbury buttermilk homestyle biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large baking dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large pan, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the onions, potato, sweet potato, carrots and celery. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken pieces and frozen peas. Bring back to a boil, turn back down to medium-high, cover and cook for 5-6 more minutes. Place a strainer above a large bowl and strain the liquid out of the pan. Reserve the solids separately and add the liquid back to the pan.

Heat the broth to medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk the flour and milk together until the lumps are gone. Add the flour liquid to the broth and whisk. Cook for five minutes or until the sauce gets thick, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken and vegetables back in and also add the thyme, salt and pepper. Stir together until everything is coated with the thick sauce.

Pour the mixture into a prepared large baking dish (sprayed with cooking spray). Pour the chicken and veggie mixture into the pan and evenly spread out. Open the biscuit package and cut each biscuit into small pieces. Top the "stew" with the biscuit pieces randomly and as even as possible on the top. Bake for 16-18 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown.

Baked Veggie Pasta with White Sauce

This recipe, created by random stuff in my refrigerator (sometimes dinner is like an episode of Chopped in my house), turned out amazing. If you don't like pasta with "red sauce" as my mom calls it, you will absolutely love this. It is mixed with fresh veggies and has a creamy Parmesan sauce baked on top!

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
4 mini sweet red peppers, finely chopped
4 c. packed spinach
1 small onion, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. fresh thyme
1 bag Impastable Pasta, Fettucine (or normal fettuccine), cooked and drained
1/2 c. shredded Romano cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a quiche pan or pie dish with non stick cooking spray. In a large pan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add in the mini red peppers, spinach, and onion.  Cook, stirring occasionally for about 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Scrape the veggies into a large mixing bowl and place the pan back on the heat. Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add in the minced garlic and let cook stirring frequently for one minute or less until the garlic is a golden brown. Scrape the garlic into the same bowl as the veggies and return the pan again to the heat.

"White" sauce ingredients:

3 Tbs. margarine
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 c. grated Parmesan
2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. fresh grated pepper

Add the margarine to the pan that is on medium heat. As it starts to melt, add in the heavy cream, Parmesan and seasonings. Whisk repeatedly until the grated cheese is no longer grainy and you are left with a white creamy sauce. Remove from the heat and let sit while assembling the rest of the dish.

In the large bowl with the cooked veggies, add int he pasta and stir everything together. Pour out into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing down to have one flat surface as you go.

Pour the white sauce on top and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with the thyme and shredded Romano cheese. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool sightly before cutting and serving. I added a poached egg, and a tomato salad which consisted of cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, pepper and garlic salt. I also added a small amount of more shredded Romano cheese.

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.