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)

Mandarin Angel Food Cake

Sweet, fruity, and low on Weight Watchers points! With only 2 ingredients, this recipe is easy to put together, and is ready in less than 45 minutes!

Ingredients:

1 box angel food cake mix
23.5 oz. jar mandarin oranges in liquid
*Light Cool Whip and extra mandarin slices for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray (Pam or coconut oil). In a large bowl, mix the cake mix and mandarin orange slices and liquid together with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Top with light cool whip and a few orange slices.

(Makes 15 servings, or more. 1/15 of the cake is 5 Smart Points.)

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.

Skinny Spinach Mac and Cheese

This recipe makes 6 large servings, at 9 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving. It is a great comforting version of mac and cheese, only packed with spinach!

Ingredients:

2 c. whole grain Penne pasta
10 oz. Buitoni Alfredo Sauce, light
9 oz. pkg. Frozen chopped spinach (cooked according to microwave package directions), drained
2 c. cottage cheese, fat free
1/4 c. milk, 1%
1 Tbs. margarine, melted
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 c. shredded reduced fat Mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside. Cook the pasta according to the directions (around 6-8 minutes) until they are still slightly chewy and not overcooked. Drain the pasta and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, spinach, cottage cheese, milk, melted margarine, garlic, basil and seasonings.

Add in the noodles to the cheese spinach mixture and stir until everything is well combined. Pour into the prepared dish and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with the Mozzarella cheese and place into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes until the Mozzarella on top is melted and a golden brown.

Alice Springs Chicken Makeover

This recipe is a skinny version of a play on Alice Springs Chicken from Outback Steakhouse. Now, I omit the mushrooms but even having done so, this recipe tastes pretty similar to the restaurant version. Only, this version is only 5 Weight Watchers Smart Points, to where the Outback Steakhouse version is 33!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 slices bacon, crumbled
1/4 c. yellow mustard
1/8 c. honey
2 Tbs. light Miracle Whip
2 Tbs. fat free plain yogurt
1 green onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/4 c. reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the olive oil in a medium size skillet on medium high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the garlic salt and place in the pan. Brown on both sides (do not cook through!) and place on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, honey, Miracle Whip, yogurt and green onion. Divide evenly on top of each of the four pieces of chicken. Sprinkle 1/4 of the bacon on each piece. Divide the cheese up evenly and sprinkle on the chicken. Bake for 20-23 minutes in the oven until the chicken is nice and juicy and the juice runs clear from the middle. Let cool slightly before serving.

(This makes four servings of chicken, and each serving of chicken is 5 Weight Watchers Smart Points.)

Egg White, Avocado and Spinach Sandwich (Panara Bread inspired)

Warning, this breakfast sandwich is CRAZY messy with the mashed avocado, but it is a very delicious mess! This recipe makes two sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2 bagel thins (Shown in the picture are Thomas' everything bagel thins)
1/2 c. 100% liquid egg whites
2 slices of tomato
Spinach leaves, small handfull
1/2 avocado, mashed
2 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese
Yellow Mustard
Butter spray

Heat a small saucepan to medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the egg whites in and let cook for about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes (without touching! These are not scrambled!). Flip the egg whites over to cook the other side for less than a minute. Remove from the heat, set aside and cut into 4 equal pieces. Meanwhile, spray the bottom slices of the bagel thins with the butter spray. On top of the butter, add around 8 spinach leaves to both. Top the spinach with 1 slice of the Swiss, two "slices" of the egg whites, and 1 slice of tomato. Drizzle the tomato with the mustard. Finish with spreading half of the avocado mash on the inside of both top bagel thin slices and place on top. Heat a grill pan to medium heat. Place both sandwiches on the grill pan and add a weight on top to press them down. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then flip the sandwiches over. Let cook for another 2 minutes or so and remove from the heat. Let them cool slightly before serving.

 (Each sandwich is 7 Weight Watchers Smart Points.)

Asian Pear Cinnamon Water

 

If you are anything like myself, you, if you can help it, do not drink plain water with no flavoring. Unlike what people say, water does indeed have a taste, we just don't know how to describe it. This recipe is a perfect way to spruce up water using ingredients that you most likely have in your home, and the best part about it is that it is all natural. And if you are on any diet program, it is still just flavored water, and zero points!

Ingredients:

1 Asian pear, cored and thinly sliced
6 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp. ground ginger (mine is from a squeeze bottle, you could use a small piece of fresh ginger)

Ready for the recipe? There isn't one.....you just add all of the above ingredients to a pitcher, fill with water, and if possible let sit overnight in your refrigerator so that the ingredients can seep into the water. The longer you leave it, the stronger the flavoring.

Mini Turkey Meatloaves with Brussels and Potatoes

I know many people are a huge fan of one-pot recipes to where everything cooks in the same pot at the same time. You end up with very little dishes and you never have to worry about having to reheat something that gets done quicker than the rest of your meal. This recipe, although baked in the oven, and not in a pot, has the same theory. Your veggies, starch AND meat are cooked next to each other in the oven, on the same temperature, and for the same amount of time!

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground turkey (Jennie-O, 93% lean)
1 egg
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
3 Tbs. ketchup, divided
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder, divided
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
3/4 tsp. fresh cracked pepper, divided
1 lb. small potatoes, cut in half (such as fingerling, purple, redskin, etc)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. mini Brussels sprouts (or normal size)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with tinfoil, going up over the edges of the pan (or curving the edges up to catch any liquid) and spray with non stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, add the paprika, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, salt and pepper together. Add the potatoes and toss. Drizzle with 1 Tbs. olive oil and stir together until all of the potatoes are coated. Pour onto half of one of the prepared pans and spread into a single layer. In the same bowl you just used, toss the Brussels sprouts, 1 Tbs. oil and a pinch of salt and pepper together. Pour onto the other side of the pan next to the potatoes and spread out in an even layer.

In a medium size bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, onion, breadcrumbs, 2 Tbs. ketchup, Worcestershire, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper together (I like to use my hands) until everything is well incorporated. Divide the mixture into four equal parts and with each part, form into an oval shape, about 1 inch high and around 4 inches long. Make sure all of them are roughly the same shape so that the cooking time is even. Place the mini meatloaves on the other prepared sheet. Brush around a teaspoon of ketchup on top of each meatloaf. Place the meatloaf on the lower rack, and the vegetables on the higher rack and cook, both at the same time, for 30-32 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the meatloaf is cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

(This recipe makes four servings, and each serving, which includes one mini meatloaf, 1/4 of the potatoes and 1/4 of the Brussels sprouts, is around 10 Weight Watchers Points Plus.)

Banana Oatmeal Protein Bars

These breakfast protein bars are VERY filling and loaded with bananas. You can eat them as is, drizzle some honey on top, or add melted peanut butter and jelly with some sliced bananas! It is great for a snack (or breakfast or dessert) and pretty guilt free. And an 8x8 pan makes only 6 servings, so they are pretty large slices!

Ingredients:

1 c. oats
1/2 c. protein powder, vanilla (or 1 heaping scoop)
1 tsp. baking powder
2 medium very ripe bananas, mashed
4 egg whites
1 c. milk (I used Bolthouse Farms Vanilla Chai Tea protein beverage

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with tinfoil and spray with non stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the above ingredients together until everything is well combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until the bars are set and bounce back slightly when pushed. Let cool fully before cutting into bars.

(Makes 6 servings, 3 points plus Weight Watchers points per serving. If you add a drizzle of peanut butter, jelly and a sprinkle of Chia seeds, it goes up to 4 PP.)

Pork Teriyaki Stir-Fry

 

This is a great alternative to ordering Chinese or Thai food from out. You could add Sriracha sauce to this to control the spice level, and drop the meat to make it vegetarian. This is a very healthy recipe that tastes just as good as the restaurant style!

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless pork chop halves, trimmed of fat and sliced very thin width wise
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 tsp. Hoisin

1 medium carrot, shredded
1 c. snap peas,sliced at an angle
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1 egg
3 Tbs. LaChoy Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce
1 tsp. ginger, minced
2 (7.1 oz.) pouches Thai Rice Stir-Fry Noodles

In a medium size skillet, heat 1 tsp. sesame oil on medium high heat. Add the thinly sliced pork and stir occasionally until the pork is fully cooked and no longer pink. Add in the Hoisin and cook for about 1 minute until the sauce is hot and coating the pork. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Turn the heat to medium and in a large skillet, heat 1 Tbs. sesame oil. Add in the egg and scramble with a spatula or spoon. Add the carrot, snap peas, stir-fry noodles, ginger and teriyaki marinade. Stir everything together and cook for two minutes.

Add the meat to the stir-fry mixture, straining the liquid that it cooked in. Stir everything together and cook for one minute until the pork is heated through again.

(This recipes makes 4 servings, and is 8 Points Plus Weight Watchers points.)

You can easily make this recipe meatless by leaving the pork portion out, which is what I did for my dinner! It then becomes roughly 7 points plus or less.