Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta Bake

Kudos to the creative mind that thought it would be a good idea to turn Chicken Cordon Bleu into a casserole! Brilliant! This version, courtesy of Emily Bites is absolutely divine! It's like a Swiss cheese version of Mac-n-cheese with some protein added in! Enough said. Yum.

Source: Emily Bites


Ingredients:

• 8 oz uncooked wheat pasta (I used elbows)
• 4 TBSP light butter, divided
• 3 TBSP flour
• 2 cups skim milk
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 8 oz 2% Swiss Cheese slices, torn into strips
• 1/3 cup fat free sour cream
• 2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken breasts
• 6 oz lean cooked ham, diced
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
3. While the water is boiling for step one, melt 3 tablespoons of the light butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour to the butter and stir to combine. Add the milk a little at a time and whisk the flour mixture into the milk until smooth. Add the salt and pepper and stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium and add the swiss cheese to the milk mixture. Whisk together for about 5 minutes until smooth and thick.
4. Combine the cooked pasta, chicken, ham, sour cream and cheese sauce and stir until well mixed. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
5. Place the remaining tablespoon of light butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted. Add the bread crumbs and Parmesan and brown breadcrumbs for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the bread crumb/Parmesan mixture over the top of the casserole and bake for about 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Yield: 8 servings (1 ¼ cup)  

Nutrition Info per serving: 336 calories, 31 g carbs,  10 g fat, 31 g protein, 3 g fiber

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Of all the nights my husband wants to help me cook he picks the night I try to sneak in a vegetarian meal. Go figure. The good news is that he was more inclined to eat it after helping and I got to blame him for how spicy the dish was since he left the seeds in the jalapeño when he diced it. : ) HOT! The even better news.....we LOVED it! A huge thanks to Skinnytaste for coming up with this great dish!




Source: Skinnytaste.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red enchilada sauce (I used canned)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut 1/2-inch-dice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (unless you like A LOT of heat...then leave the seeds in)
• 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 medium low-carb whole wheat flour tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory)
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped scallions, for garnish
• reduced-fat sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.

2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook a couple of minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant. 

3. Add cubed butternut, Rotel tomatoes, black beans, water,  cilantro, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 

until the squash is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

4. Place about a generous 1/3 cup filling in the center of each tortilla and roll, place on the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining filling. 

5. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese and bake, covered with foil until hot and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Top with scallions and eat with sour cream if desired.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrition info per serving: Calories: 185 • Fat: 6 g • Protein: 13 g • Carb: 29 g • Fiber: 13 g 

Buffalo Meatloaf

 My husband told me when we first got married that he did not eat meatloaf.  Now he requests this meal weekly. This is quite possibly my signature dish....yum! Tonight I made it with some Asparagus topped with carmelized onions  and blue cheese crumbles. Comment below if you want the side dish recipe.

Source: Amy Hart

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground buffalo
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup Eggbeaters (or 1 egg lightly beaten)
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup fat free milk
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 TBSP minced onion
• 1/8 tsp thyme
• 1/8 tsp rosemary 
• 4 oz tomato sauce
• Hot Sauce (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine all ingredients except tomato sauce and hot sauce in a large bowl and mix together. DO NOT over mix! Transfer meat mixture to a loaf pan packing down the meat.

3. Mix tomato sauce and hot sauce together. (I use about 1 TBSP of Frank's) Spread over loaf.

4. Bake uncovered for 45 mins to 160 degrees the turn on broiler and broil for 3 minutes. Remove and let rest for 5-10 mins before slicing.

Yield : 6 servings
Nutrition info per serving: 227 calories, 13g fat, 4g carbs
(Calculated using myfitnesspal.com)

Chicken Breast with Pancetta Cream and Peas

Another delectable foolproof dish from Cooking Light! It's a little higher in calories and fat than I tend to make but well worth keeping the calories low on the side dishes to indulge in this treat. I served it with a side salad. Enjoy!

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 ounces pancetta, chopped
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
• 3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine 
• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons water 
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• Directions:

1. 1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove garlic from pan using a slotted spoon; reserve garlic. Increase heat to medium-high. Add pancetta; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan using a slotted spoon; reserve pancetta.
2. 2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; sauté 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan. Add wine; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until the liquid almost 
3. 
   
4. evaporates (about 3 minutes). Return chicken to pan. Add stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 6 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken from pan.
5. 3. Add mascarpone to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Combine water and flour, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes; stir in pancetta, garlic, and peas. Cook 1 minute. Serve sauce over chicken.

Yield: 4 servings (1 chicken breast + 2 TBSP sauce)

Nutrition info per serving:  387 calories, 17.9 g fat, 42 g protein, 7.7 g carbs

Pan Seared Tilapia w/ Black Bean And Corn Salsa

My inspiration behind this dish was simple....WARM WEATHER! We had a little taste of it this past weekend and it was glorious so I thought I'd bring a little of that brightness to the plate tonight. Serve with some steamed green beans and potatoes for a complete meal.

Source: Amy Hart

Ingredients:

• Juice of 2-3 limes
• 1 TBSP Olive Oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cups cooked corn kernels (you can use fresh, frozen, or I used canned)
• 1 cup canned black beans (rinsed, drained)
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced
• 3 TBSP chopped cilantro
• 4 tilapia filets (4-6 oz each)
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 Avocado, cubed

Directions:

1. Whisk together all but 1 tsp of the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a large bowl. Add in the corn, beans, onion, bell, pepper, and cilantro. Stir together and refrigerate until later.

2. Sprinkle the fish filets with the remaining lime juice and season each with 1/4 tsp Old Bay. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet over med-high. Add fish and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.

3. Add the avocado to the salsa and stir gently.  Top each fish filet with some of the salsa and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrition info per serving:  314 calories, 7 g fat, 28 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 8 g fiber
(Calculated using myfitnesspal.com)

Vegetable and Greens Hash with Poached Egg

Sticking with the "Cooking Light" recipe pool this week. TOTALLY outside the box for me but very simple and chock full of lots of delicious vegetables in one dish. Super nutritious!

Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• 
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 medium red onion, vertically sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato 
• 2 1/2 cups cubed peeled red or Yukon gold potato
• 1/4 cup water 
• 4 ounces Lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped (about 2 packed cups)
• 3 ounces fresh spinach (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 4 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
• Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Add thyme and garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add potatoes and 1/4 cup water; cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring every 5 minutes. Stir in kale, spinach, salt, and pepper; cook, covered, 3 minutes or until greens wilt. Remove pan from heat; keep warm.

1. Add water to a large skillet, filling two-thirds full, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer. Add vinegar. Break each egg into a custard cup, and pour each gently into pan; cook for 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Carefully remove eggs from pan using a slotted spoon. Place about 1 1/4 cups hash on each of 4 plates, and top each serving with 1 poached egg. Drizzle each egg with 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings 

Nutrition info per serving:  326 calories,  12 g fat,  12 g protein, 43 g carbs, 5.5 g fiber

Wasabi and Panko-Crusted Pork with Gingered Soy Sauce

Another Cooking Light delight! This magazine/website is one of my favorite resources and I utilize it A LOT! This is one of my go-to recipes when I'm looking for something with an Asian influence.  I served these over brown rice with some spiced whole carrots roasted with some red onion.

Source: Cooking Light

• Ingredients:
• 2/3 cup panko (I use Ian's whole wheat)
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil
• Cooking spray
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
• 1/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

1. Place panko in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Dip pork in egg white; dredge in panko.
2. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat; add pork. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from pan; sprinkle with salt.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add ginger to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Combine broth and the next 4 ingredients (through wasabi) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in green onions. Spoon sauce over pork.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutritional info:  215 calories,  7 g fat, 11 g carbs, 25 g protein