Mac-n-Cheese Grown Up!

Mac-n-Cheese is one of my favorite foods. If I see it on a buffet line I get it, I have to stop myself every week from grabbing a box of Kraft or Velveeta and chowing down. So imagine my delight when I saw a recipe on www.delish.com that was a Mac-n-Cheese recipe with Broccoli - genius I tell you! It stretches the amount of food with a healthy item and to stretch it even farther I am adding more broccoli & garlic sauteed chicken breast - now it is a full meal, veggies, dairy, pasta, oil and protein.

Mac-n-Cheese Grown Up: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
2-3C Frozen Broccoli Florets
1.75C Milk
3TB Flour
1/2tsp Garlic Powder
1/2tsp Salt
1/4tsp Pepper
1C Sharp Cheddar, shredded
1/4C Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
1.5tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Chicken Breast, boneless/skinless - Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
2tsp Olive Oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta and boil for 3-4 minutes then add broccoli and cook until pasta and broccoli are both cooked through, drain and set to the side.

While the pasta and broccoli is cooking we are going to prepare the chicken. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat up olive oil and add garlic for a minute. Add chicken chunks with some salt and pepper and cook through. Once cooked removed to the side with the pasta and broccoli.

In a sauce pot heat 1.5C of milk over medium heat until simmering. While that is heating up mix remaining 1/4C of milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper together. Once the milk has started to simmer add the remaining ingredients to it and whisk constantly while the sauce comes back up to a simmer. As it heats it will thicken. Once thick remove from the heat and add cheeses & dijon to the sauce and stir to incorporate.

Add all ingredients together in a large pot (I am using the pasta pot) and cook for 2-3 minutes to heat all ingredients up together. Serve and enjoy!

Tip: For a greater variety you can add different veggies such as cauliflower, asparagus, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, snow peas, etc. to the pasta and chicken. Consider this just a base recipe for an endless set of possibilities.

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WW: 13 Points Plus / serving

Au Gratin Cauliflower Casserole

Well the Au Gratin Potato recipe turned out so well and I thoroughly enjoyed the cheese sauce and really wanted to try it on a healthier vegetable.  While potatoes are great and wonderful they are a starchy option so tonight I decided to try cauliflower instead.  I mean really how can cheese covered vegetables go wrong?  and yes this is the same sauce as the potatoes, just tossed with roasted cauliflower instead of sliced potatoes.

Au Gratin Cauliflower: 6-8 Servings

1 Large Head of Cauliflower
2TB Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper
1 Small Onion – Diced
2TB Butter
1TB Flour
1/2tsp Salt
1/4tsp Pepper
2C Milk
6oz Shredded Cheddar

First we are going to roast cauliflower! Rinse your cauliflower, and cut off the stalks into even pieces. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and stick in a 375° oven for 25 minutes. This is a crucial step. I tried to make this recipe with raw cauliflower and the liquid it lets out while cooking completely ruined the dish. By roasting you remove the majority of the liquid and bring out the flavor of the cauliflower.

While the cauliflower is roasting you can make the cheese sauce. In a sauce pot melt the butter and cook the onion for about 2 minutes over medium heat, until they start to turn translucent. Whisk in the flour, salt and pepper and continue to whisk for 1-2 minutes, make sure not to let the flour burn. Remove from the heat and whisk in the milk, return to the heat and bring up to a low boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1-2 minutes, the sauce will start to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until it is melted.  Toss the roasted cauliflower into the cheese sauce and then pour into a greased casserole dish (mine is approx 4-5" deep and 10" round).

Bake at 375° for 30 minutes uncovered.  Cauliflower should be easy to pierce with a fork, remove from the oven, stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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WW: 5 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings

Chicken and Dumplings

What a great feel good meal to have on a cold windy weekend. As spring and summer are right around the corner I figure this is one of the last times to make this meal before the Baltimore heat kicks into gear. This recipe is almost the exact same as my mothers except I add carrots for a splash of color and some additional nutrition.

Chicken & Dumplings: Serves 6-8

3 Chicken Breasts, Skinless on Bone
3-4 Celery Stalks - Chopped
1 Large Onion - Chopped
4-5 Carrots - Sliced
Water
2-3TB Chicken Bouillon
Salt & Pepper
3C Bisquick
1C Milk
1/2C Milk
5TB Corn Starch

In a large stock pot place chicken breasts and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chopped onion and celery on top of the chicken. Pour water on top of the chicken and vegetables until it is 2" above the food level. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for approximately 45-60 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock and with two forks pull the chicken off the bones and discard the bones. Return the chicken to the stock and add carrots and 2-3TB of chicken bouillon to taste, boil for an additional 10 minutes.

At this point I like to remove the chicken and veggies from the pot, keep the stock boiling on a low simmer. Mix Bisquick and 1C of milk together, dip a large spoon into the broth, then cut it into the batter, and lightly drop the batter into the broth - dipping the spoon in the broth helps to stop the batter from sticking to the spoon. Repeat this step making equal size dumplings. Once all batter has been used keep the stock at a light simmer - you do not want the stock boiling over the dumplings - for 10 minutes, then cover with a lid and let cook for an additional 10 minutes. Do not be concerned that when you drop the batter into the broth that it sinks momentarily, it will float up in a moment or two. Remove finished dumplings to a bowl and cover.

Mix 1/2C Milk & Corn starch together until smooth, add to the stock and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Once boiling the stock should start to thicken. If after 2-3 minutes of boiling the stock is still not thickening add more milk and corn starch (1/4C milk 1.5TB of corn starch). Depending how much water you put in at the beginning will determine how much corn starch is needed to thicken the stock. Once the stock has thickened to just shy of a gravy consistency pour over the chicken and veggies.

Serve with 1-2 dumplings and enjoy!

This reheats very well and the flavors just intensify over time. I have not frozen it but have heard you can freeze it and thaw at a later time. I like to freeze soups in ziplock bags so I can get the majority of air out of the bag and also freeze flat so it takes up very little room in the freezer.

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WW: 14 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings
11 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings

Crash Sweet Potatoes

For weeks, maybe months my sister has been begging me for sweet potato recipes. Today I tried a variation of the Hot Crash Potatoes I have seen on the Weight Watchers boards (which use small fingerling potatoes) using sweet potatoes. They turned out fantastic, beautiful they are not, but tasty is one thing they are for sure.

Crash Sweet Potatoes: Serves 3

3 Sweet Potatoes - Approx 1.25lb
1TB Olive Oil
1tsp Crushed Rosemary
1/4tsp Salt
1/8tsp Pepper
1/4tsp Onion Powder
1/4tsp Garlic Powder

Scrub Potatoes and cut into 1" chunks. Place potatoes into a pot and rinse with cold water twice until the water runs clear. Cover potatoes with fresh water and add some salt to the water. Bring to a boil, once fork tender drain the potatoes and place on a greased cookie sheet. Grab a potato masher and lightly press down on each potato, rotate the masher 90 degrees and repeat this step. The potatoes should be approx 1/4-1/2" thick at this point.

With a pastry brush or oil mister lightly apply olive oil to the tops of the potatoes. Mix all seasonings together then sprinkle over the potatoes.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until potatoes start to crisp up.

Serve alone or with a side dish of sour cream.

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WW: 5 Points Plus / serving

Apple Pancakes for 1

Living alone means I am often cutting recipes in half, in quarters, etc. so I don't have left overs for days! It took me a long time to figure out how to make a single serving of pancakes but I have finally mastered it. Below is my recipe for Apple Pancakes, but you can feel free to substitute the apple for any of your favorite pancake fillings.

Apple Pancakes: Serves 1

1/2C Bisquick
1/4C Milk
1/2 Egg
1/2tsp Vanilla
1/2tsp Cinnamon
1 Small Apple - Shredded
1tsp Butter
1TB Maple Syrup

Take an egg and break it into a small dish, scramble it then pour half of the mix into the mixing bowl for your pancakes, discard the remaining egg mix. Add milk, vanilla, cinnamon and Bisquick - stir to incorporate but be careful to not over mix, it is okay to have some lumps! Add in 1 small apple that has been shredded, I leave the skin on my apple. Mix gently just to evenly coat the apple with batter.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with Pam and add butter. Once butter has melted and pan is hot add batter making your favorite size pancakes. I used a 1/3C Measuring Cup as a scoop and it made 3 nice size pancakes. Leave the pancakes alone until you notice the edges are forming up and small bubbles start to appear in the center of the pancakes. Flip, and finish cooking for another minute.

While the pancakes are finishing up put 1TB of maple syrup into a small dish and heat in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. It is amazing how much real maple syrup thins out when it is heated and how far it will stretch. I find that dipping my pancake into the syrup allows me to use at least 2 if not 3 times less syrup then when I pour it on my pancakes.

If you are cooking for more than 1 you can easily double, triple or quadruple the recipe as needed. I would probably still use only 1 apple for a double batch of this recipe - just a larger apple, I use the whole thing in my single batch because it seems like a waste to toss half an apple.

Feel free to substitute: blueberries, strawberries, peaches, corn, bananas or any of your other favorite items to have in your pancakes!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Pork Ribs - Guest Post!

As my sister continues her cooking marathon Pork Ribs were on her list! She is very proud of her ribs and is always looking for ways to make them even better and more fall-off-the-bone good. I trust her judgement when it comes to these recipes. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Pork Ribs: Serves 4

8-10 Pork Ribs with or without bone
~2 cups water
~2 cups white wine
1/8 cup marsala wine
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp Worchester sauce
1 shake soy sauce
½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder

In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients, add the ribs, cover, and refrigerate for at least a day.

Put ribs in individual foil packets and place on a cookie tray. Bake at 225° for 2 hours in foil packets. If you want to grill them, bake and then remove from their foil packet, put on a grill, baste with BBQ sauce, and grill for ~10 min. If you don’t have a grill, drain juice from foil packets, baste with BBQ sauce, and cook at 350° for 10 min. Enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Meatloaf Muffins - Guest Post!

My sister has been inspired to get in the kitchen and start cooking recently and gave me 2 recipes that I wanted to share with you. The first is another meatloaf recipe, but different than the one I posted earlier this week, this one incorporates lots of vegetables to help bulk up the meatloaf without adding extra fat.

Meatloaf Muffins: Makes 12 Muffins

1lb lean ground beef
1 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 cup ketchup
1 can Delmonte diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic…drained
1 cup sliced carrots
1/8 cup diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika

Mix all the ingredients together.  (Seasonings are an estimate of what I actually used so to taste if you need more seasoning, take a small ball of meat and microwave for 15-20 seconds and taste to see if you need more.)  Separate the meatloaf mix into 12 balls and place into greased muffin tins, filling the muffin tin completely.  Cook at 350° for ~30 min until meat is cooked thoroughly.

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WW: 2 Points Plus / serving