Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

Okay, so I have done Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal & Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal - both of which have been huge successes! I know I love them because I haven't not had a pan in my fridge since I made the first batch weeks ago! This is great as a filling breakfast or an evening snack. Well the other day I had a few banana's that had gotten over ripe and in my experience the only thing over ripe banana's are good for is banana bread and banana pancakes. That is when it dawned on me...Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal! I am proud to say this oatmeal tastes a lot like banana bread with no where near the calories! I actually like this best cold as a bar but it is just as good broken into pieces and heated up with some maple syrup to have as a more traditional oatmeal.



Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal: 12-18 Servings

4 Eggs
3C Milk - I use FF or 1%
4-5 Over ripe Bananas - Mashed/Blended (should come up to 2.25C once mashed approx.)
1/2C Brown Sugar
6C Uncooked Old Fashioned Oats
1.5tsp Baking Powder
1tsp Salt
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1tsp Cinnamon

Mix the eggs and milk together then add all remaining ingredients. I let it sit for 5 minutes so the oats can absorb some of the liquid then I pour into a greased 13×9 pan and cover with foil, bake at 350° for 30 minutes then uncover and bake an additional 30-40 minutes until the top of the oatmeal is evenly cooked. Remove from the oven and let it cool on the counter, then slice into 12-18 slices, and refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

Here are the recipes for Baked Apple Pie & Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal!

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving @ 12 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 18 servings

Chicken Asparagus Goat Cheese Pasta

Yeap I said it. Chicken. Asparagus. Goat Cheese. Pasta. Four of my favorite things. Boy am I sad I portioned this meal into my lunch containers before I ate my dinner portion.... When I really wanted more (not because it wasn't filling but because it was just so good!) I felt too guilty to rob my lunches and settled for the one portion :) This is very easy to make and is sure to make your family happy. If you or they aren't a fan of asparagus feel free to swap out broccoli or your favorite veggie!



Chicken Asparagus Goat Cheese Pasta: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
4oz Goat Cheese
1/3C Milk
1/4C Chicken Stock
1TB Flour
1/2tsp Garlic Powder
1/2lbs Chicken Breast - Cubed
1lbs Asparagus (Fresh)
2tsp Olive Oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and set to the side.

While the pasta is cooking toss the cubed chicken with 1/4tsp garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set a saute pan over medium heat and add 1tsp of olive oil to the pan with the chicken and cook in a single layer flipping a few minutes in. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked through. Remove from the pan and set to the side.

Cut the bottom 1-2" off of your asaparagus (I normally take one stalk and hold it by both ends and snap it, where it breaks is where you should cut the rest to make sure you aren't eating any hard and woody pieces!). Place the other tsp of olive oil in the saute pan and lay your asparagus in a single layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until fork tender. Remove from the pan and slice into 1-2" long segments.

In a small mixing bowl mix the milk, chicken stock, remaining 1/4tsp garlic powder and flour until fully mixed.

Now that everything is cooked we can put it all together. Add the milk mixture to the drained pasta and turn the heat on medium and stir constantly until the sauce thickens, remove from the heat and flake in the goat cheese, add the chicken and asparagus and continue to stir until all of the goat cheese melts. Serve & Enjoy!

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WW: 11 Points Plus / serving

Brown Rice Bake

I loved this recipe, I know I have some vegetarian readers and it made me happy to find a great recipe that was tasty and both a wonderful meal or side dish to a meal. I found the original recipe of this on Pinterest from Annie-Eats! Personally I felt it was a little bland as written so I decided to spice it up with some cayenne pepper and bay leaves. If you are having mexican with it or prefer those flavors some cumin and chili powder would be delicious as well!



Brown Rice Bake: Serves 6-12

1-1/2C Brown Rice
2.5C Chicken Stock
2C Water
15oz Can Black Beans - Drained & Rinsed
12oz Can Summercrisp Corn
2tsp Olive Oil
1 Bell Pepper - Chopped
1 Onion - Chopped
1 Bay Leaf
3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1tsp Salt
Cayenne Pepper (optional)

In a large dutch oven or a dish that can go from the stove top to the oven heat the olive oil with the onions and bell peppers until nice and soft. Add the chicken stock and water to the pan with salt, pepper and bay leaf and bring up to a boil. Add the rice, stir, cover and place in a 375° oven and set an alarm for 30 minutes. When the buzzer goes off give it a stir and see how much liquid is left in the pan. If still a lot put back in for another 15 minutes, if most of it has been absorbed then add the drained beans and drained corn to the pot and return for another 15 minutes (if you are waiting for more liquid to absorb then add the beans and corn after the 15 minutes are up and return to the oven for another 15 minutes) Depending on the size of your baking dish and the speed that your oven cooks you will need to bake this between 45-60 minutes total.

Once all liquid has been absorbed remove from the oven, discard the bay leaf and scoop into bowls. I added a healthy pinch of cayenne pepper to my bowl which gave it a lovely kick! I had this as both a meal and a side dish and it was very filling

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WW: 7 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings
5 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 10 servings
3 Points Plus / serving @ 12 servings

Spicy Chicken Stir Fry

So I started this website a year or so ago and all the sudden I find myself straying from my old "go to" dishes in an effort to try all the new recipes I've been thinking up and all the new ones I've found! While I loved doing this website I realized it had been MONTHS since I made a stir fry and I just had to remedy that immediately. This is a really basic stir fry recipe and you can easily modify it to have YOUR favorite stir fry vegetables, or shrimp or beef instead of chicken.



Spicy Chicken Stir Fry: Serves 2-3

1/2lbs Chicken Breast
1/2C Chicken Stock
1/4C Teriyaki Sauce
1tsp White Wine Vinegar
1tsp Siracha
1TB Olive Oil
1TB Cornstarch
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1-1/2C Broccoli - Chopped
1C Carrots - Sliced
1C Zucchini - Chopped
1C Onions - Chopped
1 Bell Pepper - Chopped
1/2C Rice (uncooked)
1C Water
Salt & Pepper

Mix together chicken stock, teriyaki, white wine vinegar, siracha (note if you don't like things spicy omit this...or lessen it!), and corn starch. Chop up your chicken into bite size pieces and put in a small bowl, put about 1/4 of your marinade into the bowl and let it sit to the side. Now chop up all your vegetables leaving them in separate piles as they have difference cooking times.

In a sauce pot bring your water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and the rice, stir and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and let it be until all of the water has absorbed into the rice. Do not stir while the water is absorbing into the grain.

Okay now time to get the stir fry frying! In a wok or a large saute pan bring the heat up to medium, add 2tsp of olive oil to the pan then add the garlic and carrots with some salt and pepper. Stir it around and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli with some more salt and pepper and cook for an additional 5 minutes then add the zucchini, bell pepper and onion and cook for another 8-10 minutes until all of the veggies are nice and trisp tender. Remove to a large bowl and set to the side. Now add the remaining olive oil to the pan and add the chicken and cook until cooked through - approximately 5-8 minutes. Add the vegetables back to the pan with the remainder of the marinade and bring up to a simmer. The sauce will start to thicken from the cornstarch, let it cook and reduce until it thickens to a gravy consistency. Remove from the heat and get ready to enjoy.

Fluff your rice with a fork once all of the water has absorbed, scoop some into a bowl, top with the stir fry and enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings
7 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings

Banana Pancakes

Every week I buy a bunch of bananas and I am really against eating over ripe bananas, they just make me make an icky face! Back in the day I would make banana bread out of these bananas but these days I don't #1 need a whole loaf of banana bread or #2 need the calories that come with it! So one day I decided to mush up my over ripe banana and throw it in my pancake batter and boy am I glad I did! These pancakes are nice and moist and taste a lot like banana bread with none of the added calories. Now this is a weekly must have in my house.



Banana Pancakes: Serves 2-3

2 Ripe Bananas - Mashed
1 Egg
1/2C Milk
1C Bisquick
2tsp Butter

Place your room temperature banana's in a mixing bowl and either with a mixer or a fork smash up the banana until it is nice and smashed. Add the egg and milk to the batter and stir vigorously with your fork until nice and frothy then add the bisquick and stir just enough to wet the batter - you don't want all the lumps to be out of it! Now let it sit for 5 minutes or so, it will thicken slightly. Heat a nice skillet over medium heat, spray with pam, then add half the butter to the skillet and melt it all over, and pour out half the batter into pancakes of your favorite size. Let the pancakes cook on the one side until bubble start to form in the top and the bottoms are nice and golden brown, flip and let them finish cooking. Remove to a sheet pan and place in a 200° oven to stay warm. Repeat with remaining butter and batter, then serve and enjoy!

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings
6 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings

Chicken Egg Noodle Lasagna

A few months ago I was introduced to the idea of an Egg Noodle Lasagna by my friend Cindy and ever since I made the traditional one with beef I wanted to try it other ways, so today I had everything but beef so I decided to make it with chicken and it was absolutely delicious! So many wonderful flavors, creamy cheese and delicious vegetables that absorb the flavor of the sauce - there is no way you can't love this dish.



Chicken Egg Noodle Lasagna: Serves 4-6

1/2lbs Chicken Breast (boneless/skinless)
Chicken Stock
6oz Egg Noodles
1-1-1/2C Zucchini - Chopped
1tsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/2C Onion - Diced
1 Bell Pepper - Chopped
1/2C Ricotta (I use Part Skim)
1oz Mozzarella (Park Skim Shredded)
1oz Cheddar - Shredded
1/4C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
15oz Can Tomato Sauce
15oz Can Diced Tomatoes - Drained
2TB Tomato Paste
1/4tsp Garlic Powder
1/4tsp Onion Powder
2tsp Dried Basil
1tsp Dried Oregano

Place the chicken breast in a sauce pot, cover with chicken stock and boil until completely cooked through. Remove and shred (I like to put it in my kitchen aid with the paddle attachment then beat it for about 30 seconds!)

While the chicken is cooking place a large pot of salted water to boil, then cook the egg noodles, you want them to still have a little bit of a bite as you will be baking it to finish the cooking.

In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic, onions, zucchini & peppers with some salt & pepper. Cook until the onions have started to turn translucent and the zucchini and pepper are no longer raw. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste and spices, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and let lightly bubble away while the chicken and pasta finish cooking. One the pasta has been cooked & drained and the chicken shredded add them to the sauce, remove from the heat and give it a toss.

Mix the ricotta, Parmesan and half of the mozzarella and cheddar together, keeping the other half of the mozz & cheddar to the side.

Preheat your oven to 375 & grease a large casserole dish. Place half of the noodles mixture on the bottom of the dish and push down on them to pack. With a small spoon or fork flake the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and spread out to cover the noodles, top with the remaining noodle mixture and push down again. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the remaining mozzarella and cheddar and return to the oven to cook for another 15 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes to finish setting up, slice, scoop, serve & enjoy! This is absolutely delicious as leftovers.

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings
6 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings

Rustic Potato Pancakes

I found a wonderful potato pancake recipe on Pinterest from the blog Something Sweet Something Salty. The idea is extremely simple and the results are delicious! This was easy to make and and even easier to enjoy. Great as a side dish to dinner or as the base to a fried egg. Crispy on the outside and nice and soft on the inside.



Rustic Potato Pancakes: Serves 4

1lbs Potatoes (I used Red Potatoes)
1oz Cheddar Cheese - Shredded
2TB Flour
1tsp Garlic Powder
1.5tsp Parsley
Salt & Pepper
2tsp Olive Oil

Get your veggie peeler ready! Scrub your potatoes, take off the skin and discard, now take your veggie peeler and into a bowl continue to peel the potato until there is no potato left to peel. Repeat with the other potatoes. Once every potato has been completely peeled pick the potato pieces up and squeeze out any excess liquid, return the potato slices to the bowl and add the cheddar cheese, flour, garlic powder, parsley and a healthy amount of salt & pepper, stir to incorporate and set to the side.

Get a large heavy bottomed skillet and set it over medium to medium high heat, let it get nice and hot, then spray it with Pam and add 1tsp of olive oil. Take an ice cream scoop (or 1/2C measuring cup) and scoop the mixture into your palm, press into a pancake shape and gently place into the hot pan and carefully press down to flatten out the cake. Repeat until you have half the mix in the pan. Now for the important part...are you paying attention?? Step AWAY from the pan. You don't want to flip the pancakes until they are nice and brown on the bottom, the potatoes on the edges should be looking crispy. Once that happens THEN you can flip the pancake and finish cooking the other side by pressing down on the pancake with your spatula to make sure it flattens out. Remove to a cookie sheet and place in a 200° oven to keep warm while you repeat the above process with the remaining olive oil and potatoes. Serve & Enjoy!

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WW: 4 Points Plus / serving

Shamrock Shake

One of the great things that St. Patricks Day brings is the Shamrock Shake! A green minty creamy shake that personally makes me think "Spring is near!" Of course this year it has been so warm peoples tulips are already sprouting out of the ground! I wanted to make a Shamrock Shake that wouldn't make me feel like I added a bunch of rocks to my shoes! This is a lighter tasty version that I'm sure you will love.

Shamrock Shake: Serves 4

1C Milk
3TB Sugar
15-16 Ice Cubes
1/4tsp Mint Extract
Green Food Coloring

Place everything in a blender and blend away until nice and smooth! Add more ice cubes to thicken it up, and some more milk to thin it down to your desired consistency. Serve & Enjoy!

Pinterest Suggestion: A reader on Pinterest suggested using Vanilla Soy Milk & a frozen banana and cutting back or eliminating the sugar and some of the ice cubes. I think this would be a great suggestion and will make it even creamier! Thanks so much for the suggestion!

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WW: 2 Points Plus / serving

Peas & Chicken Alfredo

The other day I made the delicious Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta and was so impressed with the sauce I knew I would be using it again, though modified for other recipes, to make creamy pasta with no guilt. Today it occurred to me that I could make this sauce into a nice alfredo without a drop of butter or cream! I know you think I'm crazy, that's fine, I am. But this still tasted pretty awesome! If you are not a fan of peas or don't want the starchy vegetable you can easily swap out another favorite, asparagus and broccoli come to mind!



Peas & Chicken Alfredo: Serves 2-3

4oz Pasta
8oz Chicken Breast - Cubed
1C Frozen Peas
1tsp Olive Oil
1/2C Milk
1/2C Chicken Stock
2TB Cream Cheese - 1/3 Less Fat
2TB Parmesan Cheese
1/4tsp Garlic Powder
1/2TB Flour
Salt & Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. While the pasta is cooking put the milk, chicken stock, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, flour and 1/8tsp garlic powder with a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth, set to the side. Thaw the peas in a bowl with warm tap water, drain once fully thawed (the beauty of frozen peas is they are flash steamed before being frozen so really you just need to get them warm, no real 'cooking' required)

Mix the cubed raw chicken with some salt, pepper and the remaining 1/8tsp of garlic powder. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with the olive oil and once the pan is nice and hot add the chicken to the pan and cook in a single layer flipping once after 3-4 minutes and finishing cooking through.

Now time to assemble. If your saute pan is pretty large then add the pasta and peas to the chicken and give it a toss, add the sauce and turn the heat on to medium (if it isn't big enough pour it all into the pasta pot!). Bring it up to a simmer and continue to stir and reduce / thicken the sauce until it has reduced by half. Turn the heat off and place a lid on the pan and let it sit for 5 minutes, then take the lid off, give it one last stir, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 12 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings
8 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings

Roasted Acorn Squash with a Tangy Sauce

A few weeks ago I went to dinner at a great Afghan Restaurant and had a delicious appetizer of Roasted Pumpkin with a Yogurt Sauce. As I don't have pumpkins just hanging out in my grocery store I used an Acorn Squash instead. I also didn't have yogurt so I used sour cream and spiced it to taste as I remembered from my dinner out. This is a great way to easily spice up a dish with very few ingredients.



Roasted Acorn Squash with a Tangy Sauce: Serves 2

2TB Sour Cream
1/8tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch Salt & Pepper
1 Roasted Acorn Squash

Mix the first 3 ingredients and put it in your refrigerator. Roast your squash and carefully scoop out the roasted squash and top with a dollop of the sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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WW: 1 Points Plus / serving of sauce

Cheeseburger Mac-n-Cheese

I love Cheeseburgers, I love Mac-n-Cheese, how can these not be perfect together? I found the base recipe on Pinterest, from a blog called "Iowa Girl Eats" and I have added some tomatoes and broccoli to the dish to not only stretch the portion but to also increase the health factor, everyone has to have some veggies with their meals, might as well have them covered in a cheese sauce in my opinion!



Cheeseburger Mac-n-Cheese: Serves 6

1lbs Ground Beef (I use 93/7)
8oz Pasta, uncooked
15oz Diced Tomatoes (Drained)
4C Chopped Broccoli
1TB Cornstarch
2tsp Paprika
1tsp Onion Powder
1tsp Garlic Powder
1tsp Salt
1tsp Sugar
1/4tsp Pepper
1C Hot Water
2C Milk
4oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese

In a large skillet brown the beef with some salt and pepper, drain and return to the pan. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the cheddar cheese, stirring well to incorporate and bring up to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid and let simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is completely done. Turn the heat off and stir in the cheese until melted, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken up. Serve & Enjoy.

(note I made a half batch so the ingredients in the picture are for half of the above!)
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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving

Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

I tried a wonderful recipe from Skinny Taste this weekend for a Lightened Up Cajun Pasta and I was very happy with the results. I did modify the original recipe to use shrimp instead of chicken and below I have modified the amount of sauce as I felt it was too much and I don't like my pasta to be swimming in sauce. This recipe is filled with great vibrant crisp veggies, tender spicy shrimp with a creamy sauce that really makes this pasta taste indulgent with no guilt.



Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta: Serves 4-6

8oz Pasta
1 Yellow Pepper - Sliced
1 Red Pepper - Sliced
1/2 Large Red Onion - Sliced
2 Tomatoes - Diced
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1lbs Shrimp - Peeled & De-veined
1/4C Cream Cheese (1/3 less fat)
1/3C Milk
1TB Flour
1/2C Chicken Stock
1-2tsp Cajun Seasoning
1TB Olive Oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta and cook until al dente and set to the side. While the pasta is cooking pre heat your oven to 400°, toss your shrimp with 1tsp of olive oil and 1/2tsp of cajun seasoning. Spread the shrimp in a single layer on a greased baking sheet and place in the oven for approximately 6-8 minutes, flipping once half way through until the shrimp are completely cooked through. Remove from the oven and set to the side (or pour in the pasta pot if the pasta is done cooking and has been drained).

Okay so pasta is cooking, shrimp are cooking, now onto the vegetables! I sliced my peppers and onions into approximately 1/4" wide strips and tomatoes into 1/2" chunks, the original recipe called for mushrooms as well but I am not a fan! Place the remaining 2tsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat with the garlic cloves and let them cook for up to a minute being sure not to let them burn, add the peppers and onions with approximately 1/2-1tsp of cajun seasoning (if you aren't a fan of heat go with the 1/2tsp). Give it all a toss and let it cook for 4-5 minutes then add the tomatoes and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Either in a blender or with some determination, blend the milk, flour and cream cheese together until nice and smooth. Add to the cooked vegetables with the chicken stock and bring up to a simmer and let it cook for a few minutes to thicken, add the pasta and shrimp, toss, remove from the heat, cover and let it sit for 5 minutes, give it one last toss, serve & enjoy!

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WW: 7 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings
10 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings

Mashed Potatoes with Cauliflower

Dear Sister...Please forgive me for just now making your delicious Meatloaf Muffins that you so graciously posted on Jillian's Kitchen last year! Myself and my taste tester were quite impressed.

Now we all know where there is meatloaf there is mashed potatoes. Technically this recipe was also inspired from a cooking time with my sister! I made her Pierogie Lasagna a few weeks back and was sampling the "stuffing" of mashed potatoes and cauliflower and realized that it tasted pretty darn good on its own! I've always poo-poo'ed those that said "mashed cauliflower tastes just like mashed potatoes" no it doesn't...it tastes like mashed cauliflower! However, when mixed almost 50/50 with potatoes it really does taste like mashed potatoes, but with way less fat.

Mashed Potatoes with Cauliflower: Serves 5-6
1.25 lbs Red Potatoes
3C Frozen Cauliflower (or Fresh)
1/4C Sour Cream (I use Daisy's Light)
2TB Butter
2-4TB Milk
Salt / Pepper

I like to have the skins of the potato in my mashed potatoes, if you do not then peel your potatoes! Either way scrub them clean, and chop into even pieces (I do 1/2" cubes), rinse under cold water, then place in a sauce pot covered with cold, salted water and bring to a boil and cook until easily pierced with a fork. In a separate pot cover the cauliflower with salted water and bring to a boil and cook until a fork easily pierces the stems.

Drain the potatoes & cauliflower and place the cauliflower in a mixer and beat until well minced. Add the potatoes, milk (start with 2TB), sour cream, butter and some salt and pepper and continue to mash until nice and smooth. Add ore milk if you like your potatoes a little more loose and taste to see if you need more salt and pepper, then serve and enjoy!

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WW: 4 Points Plus / serving @ 5 servings
3 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings