Mac and Cheese Lasagna

Here is a tasty little dish I found on Mom! What's for Dinner? It wasn't hard to make and tasted wonderful. As always I tweaked it a bit here and there to make it healthier.

For starters, for the packaged Mac and Cheese, I used Kraft's 50% Whole Grain version which ups the fiber content. I used lean ground beef but you can easily use ground turkey and for the spaghetti sauce I used my own recipe which has very little sodium.

MAC AND CHEESE LASAGNA

2 7 1/4 oz packages 50% Whole Grain mac and cheese
2 1/4 cups spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 T parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Lightly grease 9x13 baking dish.

Cook and drain ground beef and mix with spaghetti sauce.

Prepare Macaroni and Cheese using the directions on the box.

Place a layer (exactly half) of Mac and cheese in the baking dish, top with a layer of meat then a layer of cheese. (Repeat).

After the 2 layers are complete, bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Then top with Parm Cheese.

Apple Coffee Cake

This is one of Emeril Lagasse's recipes I saw on the Internet and just had to try. As my dear husband is the dessert baker in our home I pleaded with him to give this one a try. Actually it didn't take any pleading as he is a sweetheart and loves to make desserts. It's his way of de-stressing.

This came out so good it was a huge hit! Super moist and full of flavor with bits of apples and lots of yummy brown sugar crumble on the top. This one is definitely a keeper!

APPLE COFFEE CAKE

Cake:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.

Easy Peasy Burrito Casserole

I got this recipe from a wonderful website called Mom! What's for dinner. It was delicious and super quick and easy to make. I did not change much from her original recipe.

EASY PEASY BURRITO CASSEROLE

6 Frozen shredded beef burritos or Chimichangas
1 Can of 98% fat free Cream of chicken soup
1/2 C Light sour cream
1 C Shredded cheddar cheese
1 Small can of diced green chilis
1 Small can of sliced black olives
Salsa

Preheat oven to 350

Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray and place the frozen burritos in the dish side by side. Try not to let them touch each other.

In a medium bowl stir together the soup, sour cream and diced green chilis.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top and then add the sliced olives.

Bake for 25 to 30 min until the cheese is all melted and the burritos are heated through.

Spoon salsa over each serving if desired.

Crispy Burritos

I don't go to restaurants all that often but when I do one of the first things I look for on the menu are Southwestern Eggrolls, sometimes called Southwestern Spring Rolls depending on the restaurant. I am addicted to those things which is why it is a good thing I don't eat out that often ;).

This is my way of having that taste without all the fat of deep frying and these are easier which I am all for. I don't really use exact amounts of each ingredient so I will list what I put in them and then you can adjust according to how much you want to make and to your tastes. I am guessing at the exact measurements.

For the dipping sauce you can use whatever suits your fancy. I usually eat mine with a sauce that is very similar to Chili's Awesome Blossom Sauce. I found some dipping sauce in the store that was very close!

CRISPY BURRITOS

2 - 3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 C Black Beans - drained and rinsed
1/2 C Chopped frozen spinach - thawed and patted dry
1/2 to 3/4 C finely chopped onion
1 C Shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 - 3/4 C Jarred salsa
8 - 10 Medium sized flour tortillas
Cooking oil
Garlic powder and course black pepper
Butter flavored cooking spray

In a medium to large skillet add oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium heat.

Cut up chicken breasts into small pieces (about 1/2 inch) and add to the hot skillet. Stir often with a spatula until cooked. Add the onion and cook another 5 minutes or so until onion soft. Add the spinach, black beans, salsa and seasonings and mix well. Add the cheese and mix well with your spatula until the cheese is melted and your mixture is moist and sticky but not soupy or runny. Remove pan from heat.

Heat 2 or 3 tortillas at a time in the microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute. You want them very soft. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla and roll up like you would any burrito, making sure to tuck in the ends. Place on a plate while you do the others.

Heat up a medium size skillet. Spray the burritos with the cooking spray, turn them all over and spray the other side.

Place one or two in your hot skillet and brown each side until they are crispy but not burnt. Remove them to a plate and do the remaining burritos.

Cut each one in half at an angle and serve with the dipping sauce of your choice.

Apricot-Lemon Chicken

This is another recipe I found on Sparkpeople. I did not follow the recipe itself but it inspired me to make something similar. The flavors were so good with the chicken and I made some simple sweet potato rounds to go with it. All in all it made for a really nice meal. This was also a hit with the hubby, he even ate the leftovers the next night which is rare :)

APRICOT-LEMON CHICKEN

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 C apricot preserves
5 or 6 green onions chopped
lemon zest from one lemon
1 t coarse black pepper
1/2 t salt
olive oil for cooking
1 T butter or margarine
4 fresh apricots, halved and pitted

Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4 chicken cutlets.

Heat olive oil in medium to large skillet and add chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides and remove from pan, set aside.

Add butter to same skillet and use a spatula to get up any bits from cooking the chicken. Add the apricots and saute until cooked. Add the green onions, apricot preserves and lemon zest. Stir until it is all smooth and heated through.

Place the breasts back in the pan and cover. Cook on low heat for about 30 min. turning the chicken over a couple of times. Remove from heat and serve.

For the sweet potato rounds I preheated the oven to 400 and peeled a couple of medium size sweet potatoes.

I sliced them into 1/4 in slices. In a large bowl I drizzled some canola oil and added parmesan cheese, cracked pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. I tossed the potato slices in the bowl with the oil and seasonings and then placed them in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

I baked them for about 12 min and then turned them over and baked for an additional 10 min until they were golden brown on each side.

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

I found this recipe in my current issue of Taste of Home and had to try it. Not only was this a super easy dish to make but it tasted SO good. My husband loved it and had two big helpings. It was also really good heated up the next day. I of course lightened it up by using egg substitute in place of the eggs, low fat cheeses and skim milk. Instead of buying 7 of those small 4oz. cans of the whole green chiles I was able to find a large can that was about 27 oz. so I grabbed that even though it had maybe one less chile.

CHILES RELLENOS CASSEROLE

7 cans (4 ounces each) whole green chilies, drained
3/4 pound low fat Monterey Jack cheese, cut into strips
1C (4 ounces) low fat cheddar cheese
1 1/4 C egg substitute
1-1/4 C skim milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Split chilies lengthwise; rinse and remove seeds. Drain on paper towels; pat dry. Stuff chilies with cheese strips. Place half of chilies in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Repeat layers.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, milk, flour, salt, pepper and pepper sauce until smooth; pour over chilies. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings.

High Fiber Blueberry Muffins

I went searching for a high fiber muffin recipe the other day that I could change to suit my tastes. I found a nice recipe from Chef Meg on Sparkpeople that had the basics that I wanted and then I just changed a few things. These came out super moist and had great flavor. A couple of these for Breakfast with a glass of skim milk and I was good to go :)

HIGH FIBER BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

1 T flax meal
1 C fresh blueberries (or thawed frozen blueberries)
1 C quick oats
1 C lowfat buttermilk
1 C 10 Grain Pancake Mix (I use Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Pancake Mix)
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1/4 c egg substitute
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c Splenda
1 t vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spray the muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray or line them with paper liners.

Wash and dry the blueberries. In a small bowl, combine the oats and buttermilk, and let the mixture stand at room temperature for five minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the pancake mix, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix with a fork to blend and set aside.

In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, beat the egg, applesauce, and Splenda at medium speed for three minutes.

Blend in the oat-buttermilk mixture. Stir in the flour mixture only to combine, try not to overwork the mixture. Fold in the blueberries. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and top with a sprinkle of flax seed.

Bake 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Number of Servings: 12