Cheddar Jack Chili Mac

1 pound lean ground beef

3 cups water

15 oz can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes

8 oz can no-salt-added tomato sauce (1 cup)

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic or 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup dried macaroni or other small pasta

¼ cup fat-free or reduce fat shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese or a combination (about 1 ounce)

In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Put beef in a colander and rinse with hot water to remove excess fat; drain well. Wipe Dutch oven with a paper towel; return beef to pot.

Stir in water, tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, covered, over high heat, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in macaroni, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Ladle mixture into soup bowls. Sprinkle with cheese.

Amanda

Southwestern Beef & Bean Burger Wraps

• 12 ounces 93%-lean ground beef
• 1 cup refried beans
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapenos
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 whole-wheat tortillas, warmed (see Tip)
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Preparation

1. Position oven rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.
2. Gently combine ground beef, beans, cilantro and jalapenos in a medium bowl (do not overmix). Shape into four 5-by-2-inch oblong patties and place on the prepared pan.
3. Broil the patties until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165°F, 12 to 14 minutes. We don't have a broiler pan, so I used a George Foreman.
4. Meanwhile, mash together avocado, salsa and garlic powder in a small bowl.
5. Place tortillas on a clean work surface. Spread each with the guacamole, then sprinkle with lettuce and cheese. Top each with a burger and roll into a wrap. Serve immediately, with lime wedges.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: To warm tortillas: Wrap in foil; bake at 300°F until steaming, about 5 minutes. Or wrap in barely damp paper towels and microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds. 

Amanda

Smoky Roasted Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes, well drained
• 1 (14 3/4 ounce) can cream-style corn
• 2 cups roasted chicken breast, chopped
• 1 tablespoon hickory flavored barbecue sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Cook onions, celery, red pepper, and garlic in a large non-stick soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add thyme and flour. Mix well. Stir in broth and evaporated milk. Bring mixture to a gentle boil and stir continuously until soup thickens slightly.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

Amanda

Cajun Orange Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 1 cup orange juice
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 4 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
• 4 boneless pork loin chops (4 ounces each)

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Pour 1/3 cup marinade into a large resealable bag; add the pork. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for sauce.
• In a small saucepan, bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until thickened. Keep warm.
• Discard marinade. Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Grill pork, covered, over medium heat or broil 4-5 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 145°. Let meat stand for 5 minutes before serving. Brush with sauce.

 
 Amanda

Super Easy Chicken Manicotti

1 jar (30 ounces) spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast tenders

14 uncooked manicotti shells (8 ounces)

1 can (2 1/2 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

1. Spread about one-third of the spaghetti sauce in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Sprinkle garlic salt on chicken. Insert chicken into uncooked manicotti shells, stuffing from each end of shell to fill if necessary. Place shells on spaghetti sauce in dish.

2. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce evenly over shells, covering completely. Sprinkle with olives and cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight to soften the pasta. STOP HERE-see To Store and To Cook below.

TO STORE

Refrigerator: Cover unbaked manicotti tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate no longer than 24 hours.

Freezer: Wrap unbaked manicotti tightly with aluminum foil and label. Freeze no longer than 1 month.

TO COOK FROM REFRIGERATOR

Oven: About 1 hour before serving, heat oven to 350. Bake in covered baking dish about 1 hour or until shells are tender.

TO COOK FROM FREEZER

Oven: About 1 ½ hours before serving, heat oven to 350. Bake in covered baking dish about 1 ½ hours or untl shells are tender. 

Amanda

Slow-Cooked Harvest Beef and Veggies

2 ½ lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1 ½ in- to 2-inch cubes

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic pepper

3 cups baby carrots

1 lb. medium red potatoes cut into 1 ½- to 2-inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges

1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes with green pepper, celery and onion

1 envelope beefy-onion soup mix

2 tsp. dried basil

1 ½ tsp. dried marjoram

¼  cup flour (optional)

1/3 cup water or beef broth  (optional)

1. Place beef in slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and garlic pepper; toss well. Add carrots, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, soup mix, basil and marjoram, mixing well. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on LOW until beef is very tender.

2. If desired, thicken stew by blending ¼ cup flour into 1/3 cup water. Stir into beef mixture. Cover. Cook on high 10 to 20 minutes or until thickened.

Amanda

Calico Beans

1/2 lb. Ground Beef, cooked and drained
1 Onion
1/2 cup Ketchup
2 tsp Vinegar
1 tsp Mustard
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Pork and Beans
1 can Lima or Great Northern Beans
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, and cook on medium or high for 2-3 hours.

Amanda

Easy Beef Stuffed Peppers

4  med. green, red, yellow or orange bell peppers

Filling:

1 Ib. lean ground beef

¾ c. chopped onion

¼  c. uncooked white rice

3 Tbsp. ketchup

1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

Sauce:

1 (14.5 oz.) can ltalian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 Tbsp. ketchup

½ tsp. dried oregano leaves

Heat oven to 350. Cut tops off bell peppers, remove seeds. In large bowl, combine filling ingredients,1/2  tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper mixing lightly but thoroughly. Spoon equal amounts of filling into each pepper. Place in 8x8-inch baking dish. Combine sauce ingredients, pour over peppers. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 1-1/2 hours. Makes 4 servings.

Amanda

Chunky Tomato Soup

3 Tbsp. butter

4 c. canned chicken broth

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 med. onion, peeled

1 c. plain yogurt

1/3 c. plus 2 Tbsp. fresh dill, snipped into small bits

6 lg. ripe tomatoes, washed and cored

1 tsp. salt

I Tbsp. sugar

On a cutting board, dice the onion and tomatoes with a serrated knife. Heat butter in a medium-sized pan and saute the onion until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, I / 3 c. dill, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Ladle into soup bowls and top with a spoonful of yogurt. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. fresh dill. Makes 6 servings.

Amanda

Quesadillas

2 cups Pinto beans, Drained

1 cup Sliced Green Onions

8 oz, Taco Blend Grated Cheese

6-8'FlourTortillas

Sour Cream

Salsa 

Combine beans, green onions and cheese in a bowl. Top three tortillas with equal amounts of bean mixture, lay a second tortilla 0n top forming a sandwich. Grill each in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until filling is melted, flipping once. Cut into pie shaped pieces. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Amanda

Family-Favorite Meat Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste, divided
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish, divided
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the egg substitute, 1/2 cup tomato paste, mustard, 1 teaspoon horseradish, oats, soup mix, garlic powder and steak seasoning. Crumble beef and turkey over mixture and mix well.
• Shape into a loaf and place in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine the water, sugar, remaining tomato paste and remaining horseradish; spread over meat loaf.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165°. Drain if necessary.

Amanda

Ensalada de Chayote

salad:
1 lb of chayote
4 green onions, thinly chopped
½ red pepper, chopped and seeded
1 Tbsp. chopped poblano pepper, or more to taste
dressing:
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
juice of 2 lemons
¼ cup olive oil, low fat

1. To prepare the salad, peel the chayote with a potato peeler, then cut in half (look for chayotes at Meijer by the peppers, they looks like green pears. The juice from the chayote makes my skin dry up, so I wear rubber gloves when peeling them). Place them in a pan with  enough water to cover and boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the chayote are tender but still crisp (I generally have to cook them for about 20 minutes). Rinse and allow to cool. Cut in small cubes and put them in a bowl. Add the onions, peppers and poblano chile.

2. mix all dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend to dissolve. Add dressing to the bowl and stir well. cover and cooling for 1 hour to combine flavors. Before serving, stir again.
  
(If this reads a little odd, it's because I had to translate it. The recipe I have is in Spanish) 


Amanda

Enchilada Casser-Ole!

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups salsa
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, taco seasoning and cumin. Place three tortillas in a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with half of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers.
• Cover and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro.

Amanda

Crunchy Apple Salad

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons fat-free sugar-free vanilla yogurt
• 6 tablespoons reduced-fat whipped topping
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 medium red apples, chopped
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, whipped topping and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Add apples and cranberries; toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with walnuts and remaining cinnamon before serving.

Amanda 

Potluck Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian stewed tomatoes, cut up
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
• 1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley and garlic; remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish, layer with three noodles, half of the cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and half of the meat sauce. Repeat layers.
• Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Or, cover and bake 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
• To use frozen lasagna: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed. Yield: 12-15 servings.
• Note- I like my lasagna to have more noodles, so I added a few extra.

Amanda

Veggie Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 2 small red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2-3/4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 3 cups frozen California-blend vegetables, thawed
• 1/2 cup chopped fully cooked lean ham
• 8 ounces reduced-fat process cheese (Velveeta), cubed

Directions

• In a large nonstick saucepan coated with a cooking spray, cook onion and celery over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in the potatoes, water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Return to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in condensed soup until blended.
• Reduce heat; add vegetables and ham. Cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Stir in cheese until melted. 
• Note- I like to transfer all the ingredients to a slow cooker before adding the cheese. I think it helps the cheese melt and mix in better.

Amanda