Mac And Cheese (Weight Watchers) Recipe

We love Mac and Cheese! Here's a great recipe for one that counts as 8 Weight Watchers points. Enjoy!

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 oz.uncooked, without salt or fat)
2 cups (8 oz.) Shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup low fat or no fat cottage cheese
3/4 cup no fat sour cream
1/2 cup skim milk
2 T. minced onion
1 1/2 t. reduced calorie margarine
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 T. reduced calorie margarine
1/4 t. paprika

1. Preheat oven 350°F.

2. Combine first 10 ingredients; stir well. Spoon into a shallow 2-qt baking dish coated with non-fat spray.

3. Combine breadcrumbs with margarine and paprika; stir well. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the casserole. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover casserole and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings. 8 points for weight watchers.

20 Minute Vegetarian Chili

With the cold weather still with us, I found this great recipe for Vegetarian Chili that sounds delicious!

Ingredients:

Vegetarian Chili

1 large green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, diced
11/2 cups (about 4 oz.) fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14-16 oz.) package firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 (14 oz.) can diced seasoned tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup canned or frozen corn
1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 envelope reduced-sodium chili seasoning

Preparation:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add garlic and onion; sauté for a minute or two, then add peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and tofu. Sauté for a few more minutes, then add tomatoes, beans, corn, and seasoning. Stir until combined, lower heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Top with cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Lip Smackin' Bar-B-Q Chicken Bake

I found this delicious looking recipe over at Betty Crocker and I can't wait to try it! It's a Heart Smart recipe, which is great for those with PCOS.


Lip Smackin' Bar-B-Q Chicken Bake

Bisquick Heart Smart® recipe! Chicken breasts make a lip-smackin’ barbecue flavored dinner bake.

Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:50 min
Makes:6 servings

2/3 cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (6 oz)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup barbecue sauce

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch pie pan or 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In small bowl, stir together Bisquick® mix, water and egg. Spread in bottom of pan; sprinkle with 1 1/4 cups of the cheese. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil, stirring occasionally, until outsides turn white; drain. Stir in barbecue sauce; heat just until hot. Spoon over batter in pan to within 1/2 inch of edge.
3. Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until edge is dark golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Bake 1 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese melts; loosen from side of pan.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Nutrition Information

1 Serving: Calories 240 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 2 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 80mg; Sodium 760mg; Total Carbohydrate 23g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 12g); Protein 22g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 30%; Iron 10% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 3 Very Lean Meat; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Refried Bean Roll Up

Lighten up! You can enjoy great-tasting seasoned refried beans, lettuce and cheese in soft flour tortillas and still keep an eye on the fat.

Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:15 min
Makes:4 servings

1 can (16 ounces) Old El Paso® fat-free refried beans
1/2 cup Old El Paso® salsa (any variety)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8 fat-free flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter)
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

1. Mix beans, salsa and chili powder in 1-quart saucepan. Heat over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warm.
2. Spoon about 1/4 cup of bean mixture onto center of each tortilla; spread slightly. Top with lettuce and cheese. Fold over sides and ends of tortillas. Serve with addiditional salsa if desired.

Nutrition Information:
1 Serving: Calories 245 (Calories from Fat 45 ); Total Fat 5 g (Saturated Fat 2 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 840 mg; Total Carbohydrate 44 g (Dietary Fiber 8 g); Protein 14 g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 8 %; Vitamin C 6 %; Calcium 22 %; Iron 20 % Exchanges: 3 Starch; 1/2 Very Lean Meat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Health Twist
This lighter version of refried bean roll-ups shaves off 70 calories and 7 grams of fat from each serving of the regular recipe.
Purchasing
Traditional refried beans are prepared much like their name suggests. Cooked beans are mashed and fried, often in lard. Check your grocery aisle for equally tasty fat-free refried beans.
Variation
If you like your tacos "loaded," then load these up, too! Bulk them up in colorful, delicious style with chopped or sliced jalapeños, sliced ripe or green olives, chopped tomato or chopped bell pepper.

Tuscan Chicken Soup

Here's a great recipe from Prevention.com that I wanted to share.

A hearty, colorful stew like this one makes use of what's in your fridge and pantry to help you meet your daily quota for heart health: Harvard researchers found that people who consumed at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day were 28% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke than people eating fewer than 1.5 servings a day.

2 carrots, chopped (about 1 c)
1 rib celery, chopped (about 1/2 c)
2 Tbsp olive oil 1 med onion, chopped (about 1 c)
4 lg cloves garlic, minced (about 11/2 Tbsp)
1 lg bay leaf (or 2 sm)
8 c low-sodium chicken broth
3 c shredded roasted skinless chicken breast (1 lb)
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 c grated zucchini (about 1 med)
1 can (15 oz) no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained, rinsed, and roughly chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 Tbsp dried
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage or 1/2 Tbsp dried
1 Tbsp fresh thyme or 1/2 Tbsp dried
12 thin slices Parmesan cheese, cut with vegetable peeler (optional)

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 (12 cups total)

1. PLACE carrots and celery in small micro-waveable bowl. Add 1/4 cup water and cover top of bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Microwave on high 5 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender.

2. HEAT oil in stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saut? another 1 to 2 minutes. Add steamed vegetables and bay leaf. Sauté 4 to 5 minutes longer.

3. POUR in broth. Add chicken, tomatoes, zucchini, beans, and artichoke hearts. Simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. Add oregano, sage, and thyme and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Top each bowl with 2 slices of cheese, if desired.

Nutritional Info Per Serving

218 cal, 22 g pro, 19 g carb, 5 g fiber, 6.5 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 35 mg chol, 503 mg sodium

The garlic in this broth may improve blood flow by widening arteries

Bites of Heaven...

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chunks

I'm a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate‑‑lucky for me they're both pretty healthy, if eaten in moderate amounts. Peanut butter is a good source of vitamin E and magnesium and contains mostly monounsaturated fat, which may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Serving size: 3 cookies

Calories: 141

Time: 25 minutes + cooling time

Servings: 12

1/4 c + 2 Tbsp packed dark brown sugar

1/3 c trans‑free spread or vegetable shortening

1/4 c chunky natural peanut butter

1 lg egg yolk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c all‑purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 oz semisweet baking chocolate, broken into 36 sm chunks

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.

2. COMBINE sugar, spread, peanut butter, egg yolk, and vanilla extract in large bowl and mix until well combined. In medium

bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture and stir until well combined. Divide dough into 36

cookies, using 1 generous teaspoon per cookie, and place on baking sheets. Lightly press each cookie down with fingers until

slightly larger than a quarter and about 1/4" thick. Bake until lightly golden, 9 to 11 minutes.

3. REMOVE cookies from oven and immediately press a chocolate chunk onto center of each. Cool completely on baking sheet

or place in refrigerator 15 minutes to firm chocolate.

Nutritional Info Per Serving

(3 cookies) 141 cal, 2 g pro, 15 g carb, 1 g fiber, 8 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 17 mg chol, 105 mg sodium

Butternut Squash and Parmesan Bread Pudding

Here's a great Fall recipe that you might enjoy!

Ingredients

3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
8 ounces (1-inch) cubed day-old French bread (about 9 cups)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, milk, 1/2 cup cheese, pepper, nutmeg, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in squash and onion mixture. Add bread, and stir gently to combine. Let stand 10 minutes. Spoon into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until pudding is set and lightly browned.

Yield

6 servings

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 304(30% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 4.8g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 18.1g; CHOLESTEROL 122mg; CALCIUM 406mg; SODIUM 823mg; FIBER 4g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.3g

Pumpkin Muffins

These sound delicious! Just perfect for a fall brunch!

Pumpkin Muffins
Low Calorie Recipe

Ingredients:

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Sugar substitute to equal 12-teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Two eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup grated carrots or zucchini
4 tablespoons raisins

Directions:

Combine sifted dry ingredients in separate bowl. Combine wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients slowly. Bake at 350-degrees. for 20 minutes.

Recipe makes six servings.

Nutrition information per muffin:
Calories: 115
Total Fat: 2g
Carbohydrates: 19g
Protein: 6g

Vegetarian Lasagna

Here is a recipe for Vegetarian Lasagna that sounds delicious!

Ingredients

• 8 dried lasagna noodles
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli
• 1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can no salt added tomato sauce
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green or red sweet pepper
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil or oregano, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 cups fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Cook noodles and broccoli separately according to their package directions; drain well. Set aside.

2. For sauce, in a large saucepan stir together tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, celery, onion, sweet pepper, basil, bay leaves, garlic, and salt. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Summer reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.

3. Meanwhile, for filling, in a bowl stir together egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Stir in cooked broccoli.

4. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Top with half of the noodles, half of the filling, and half of the remaining sauce. Repeat layers, ending with the sauce.

5. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F. oven for 25 minutes; sprinke with mozzarella. Bake about 5 minutes more or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Sweet Potato Fries

Tasty Sweet Potato 'Fries'

I got this recipe from Angie Newton's Losing It and Loving It newsletter. Sounds delicious!

You will need one medium to large sweet potato, peeled.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cut sweet potato into 1/4 inch thick slices. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray foil with fat free olive oil spray. Arrange sweet potato slices on the cookie sheet and then spray the top of the sweet potatoes. Now you can sprinkle with sea salt or your choice of seasoning.

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes. No turning required. If you prefer crispier 'fries', bake a bit longer.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

A lower-fat version of a perennial favorite. Prep and bake in less than 25 minutes!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsweetened blueberries, fresh or frozen
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Lightly spray a muffin tin with vegetable spray.
2. Wash and drain blueberries. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and 1/3 cup sugar together.
4. In a small bowl, combine egg, oil and milk.
5. Pour all at once into dry ingredients. Stir just enough to blend. Gently stir in blueberries.
6. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup 2/3 full. Sprinkle lightly with 1 teaspoon sugar and bake 17 minutes, or until light brown. Allow muffins to cool 2 minutes before removing from pan.

NUTRITION INFO (per 1 muffin serving)
Calories: 119.4
Fat: 0.8 g
Carbohydrates: 24.9 g
Protein: 3.1 g

Cheesy Recipes

My family has always been big on cheese and pasta....

I found this recipe for Mac and cheese and I can't wait to try it!

Creamy Two Cheese Macaroni

1/4 Cup Flour
2 1/2 Cups Fat Free Milk
1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
6 oz Velveeta Light Processed Cheese, cubed
6 Cups Elbow Macaroni, cooked
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 375. Spoon flour into a cup and level. Heat a large pan on medium heat. Add flour and gradually add milk. Stir with a whisk to blend. Cook until thick. About 8 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup of the cheddar cheese, and the velveeta. Cook 3 minutes until the cheese melts. Remove from heat and add the macaroni. Stir until blended. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon mixture into it. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve.

Serves 9
Per Serving: 1 cup = 260 Calories
Food Points: 5.5

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Here's another one for Fettuccine Alfredo that sounds delicious!

Fettuccine Alfredo

1 Can evaporated skimmed milk
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 stalk celery
2 cloves garlic -- (cut in 1/2)
1/2 cup onion -- (cut in large chunks)
1/2 each green pepper -- cut in strips
4 Cups Fettuccine Noodles -- cooked
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese -- shredded fresh

Combine milk, oil, garlic and veggies; simmer 10 minutes. Boil Fettuccine according to package. Drain. Put pasta and milk/veggies back into pan (the idea is that this should be hot enough to melt the cheese). Add cheese (Take some time with this, otherwise you will end up with a glob of cheese). Cover pan and let set 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4
Per Serving: 1 Cup = 283 Calories
Food Points: 6

Enjoy!!!!

Yosemite Chicken Stew and Dumplings

Skinless chicken is the basis of this delicious stew; cornmeal dumplings are made with low-fat milk.

INGREDIENTS
Stew

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken meat, cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup onion, coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1 pinch ground cloves
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 package frozen peas

Dumplings

1 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sifted whole wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Stew
1. Place chicken, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, and water in a large saucepan. Heat to boiling; cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 1/2 hour or until chicken is tender.
2. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Strain broth.
3. Skim fat from broth; measure and, if necessary, add water to make 3 cups liquid.
4. Mix cornstarch with 1 cup cooled broth by shaking vigorously in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. 5. Pour into saucepan with remaining broth; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened.
6. Add basil, peas, and reserved vegetables to sauce; stir to combine.
7. Add chicken and heat slowly to boiling while preparing cornmeal dumplings.

Dumplings
1. Sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix together milk and oil. Add milk mixture all at once to dry ingredients; stir just enough to moisten flour and evenly distribute liquid. Dough will be soft.
3. Drop full tablespoons of dough on top of braised meat or stew. Cover tightly; heat to boiling. Reduce heat (do not lift cover) to simmering and steam about 20 minutes.
Serves: 6

NUTRITION INFO (per 1.25-cups stew & 2-dumpling serving)
Calories: 299.9
Fat: 4.5 g
Carbohydrates: 41.3 g
Protein: 23.6 g

Healthy Dessert

I've been looking for a healthy dessert to take to a meeting on Saturday and I'm in the mood for something with apples... So I found this recipe for Apple Crisp! Sounds delicious!

This apple crisp is sweet and simple to prepare, but uses very little added sugar.



3 medium baking apples, cored, sliced thin
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp flour

Topping:
1 cup quick oats
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp heart-healthy margarine




Mix first four ingredients and place into 9-inch (square or round) baking dish.

In small bowl, mix Topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over apple the apples.

Bake at 325 degrees F until apples are soft and topping is golden brown (about 30 minutes).

Low Carb Brownies

It's so hard to give up all sweets. Sometimes you just need to each chocolate! Here's a great recipe for a Low Carb Brownie that is delicious!

Low Carb Brownie
1 cup ground almonds, well sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cups Splenda or granulated Maltitol
1 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 extra large eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9" x 13" cake pan. Stir together almonds, baking powder, salt and Splenda; set aside. In a microwave bowl, on high, melt the butter and the chocolate, stirring frequently. Add the Splenda, the beaten eggs and vanilla; beat until well blended. Stir in the dry mixture, mix well, then stir in the pecans. Pour into the prepared pan, spread evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check at 15 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool on wire rack, cut into 48 squares.

Note: 1.8 net carbs per square. Makes about 48 servings.