Pizza Pasta Casserole Recipe

Pizza Pasta Casserole

2 lbs ground beef (use 93/7 to lower fat!)

½ large onion, chopped

2 jars (28 oz each) spaghetti sauce

1 pkg (16 oz) spiral pasta, cooked and drained

4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

8 oz. sliced pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni, it's way less fat!)

In a large skillet, cook beef and onions until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta. Transfer to two greased 13x9x2 baking dishes, evenly. Sprinkle with cheese on both. Arrange pepperoni over the top of both. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the second casserole, uncovered, @ 350 for 25-30 min. or until heated through.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in fridge overnight Bake @ 350 for 35-40 min. or until heated through.

Yield: 2 casseroles (8-10 servings each)

Pizza Pasta Casserole

Sloppy Joe Recipe (Healthier)

Sloppy Joes
1 1/4 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup ketchup
1 tbsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp bbq sauce (I'm a fan of Jack Daniel's bbq sauce!)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
6 hamburger buns, split

Using the brands I use for my family.....1 sandwich = 315 calories, 8 gm fat (73 cal are from fat)

In a large nonstick skillet, cook the turkey and onion over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink; drain if necessary. Add garlic; cook for 1-2 min. or until tender.

Stir in the sugar, flour and pepper. Add the ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-10 min. or until heated through. Serve on buns. Yield: 6 servings

Sloppy Joes with Carrot Sticks & Ranch

Our kids love it!

Mongolian Beef Recipe

Mongolian Beef
1 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tsp sesame oil (I used olive oil and sesame seeds instead because I forgot to buy it)
1 lb. boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips (I used london broil instead, it was on sale!)
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
5 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces (I diced them instead to help hide them from the kids)
2 cups hot cooked rice (I added a diced carrot in pot while rice cooked to add a veggie and also thinking ahead to leftovers I can use later on.....freeze leftover rice w/ carrots, comes in handy for a quick homemade Chicken 'n Rice Soup later!)

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and chicken broth until smooth. Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry beef in 1 1/2 tsp hot olive oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, stir-fry the onions in remaining olive oil for 3-4 min. or until crisp tender. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min. or until thickened. Reduce heat; ad beef and heat through. Serve over rice. Yield: 4 servings

Mongolian Beef, Brown Rice & Carrots, Fried Shrimp

Southwestern Chicken Salad Recipe

Southwestern Chicken Salad
2 flour tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1/2 inch strips
Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. cubes
1 tsp olive oil
6 cups ready-to-serve salad greens
1 can (15.25 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained (I'm using reduced sodium)
2 cups chopped tomatoes, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced
1/2 cup cubed jicama or sliced water chestnuts (I'm using jicama)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (I'm just using regular cheddar)
2/3 cup fat-free ranch salad dressing
4 tsp barbecue sauce

Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet; spritz both sides of strips with butter-flavored cooking spray. Bake @ 350 for 4-5 min. or until crisp. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat until no longer pink; set aside.

Combine the salad greens, corn, beans, 1 cup tomatoes, green pepper, jicama and onions; arrange on a serving platter. Place chicken in center of salad; sprinkle with cheese and remaining tomatoes. Arrange tortilla strips around chicken. In a small bowl, combine the ranch dressing and barbecue sauce; serve with salad. Yield: 6 servings

Southwestern Chicken Salad
(BBQ Ranch Dressing not shown in pic)

Dinner Ideas

2 Week Meal Plan (Dinners)

1- Southwestern Chicken Salad

2- Mongolian Beef w/ Long Grain Rice

3- Sloppy Joes w/ Carrot Sticks

4- Apples ‘n Onion Topped Chops & Garlic Green Beans

5- Coffee Cake, Scrambled Eggs & Banana

6- Oriental Chicken Thighs w/ Long Grain Rice

7- Mosh Posh Night (use up leftovers)

1- Shake ‘n Bake Pork Chops, Sautéed Brussel Sprouts & Mashed Potatoes

2- Spaghetti w/ Side Salad

3- Coney Island Dogs w/ Corn

4- BBQ Turkey Burger w/ Chips

5- Jam ‘n Cream French Toast w/ Fresh Strawberries

6- Pot Roast, Red Potatoes & Green Beans

7- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup w/ Crescent Rolls

I'll try and post recipes as I can for these meals, some of them don't have recipes though. Hopefully my menu isn't too ambitious for the next couple weeks! It's gonna be pretty busy around here!

Banana Apple Bread Recipe

I wanted to make banana bread today, but only had 2 ripened bananas left...so I added shredded apple to make up for the 3rd banana and made a new bread for my family to try! It smelled amazing while it was baking!

Banana Apple Bread
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2 mashed ripe bananas (approx. 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup shredded apple (quarter, core & peel first makes it easier to shred)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cooking oil

Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of an 8x4x2 loaf pan; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In another bowl combine the egg, bananas, apple, sugar, and oil. Add moist mixture to dry mixture, stir until combined well. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle batter with a light dusting of cinnamon before placing in oven. Bake @ 350 for 50-55 min. or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 min. Remove from pan and allow to completely cool on rack before wrapping for storage. Let rest overnight, serve the next day. Letting it rest overnight lets the flavors mellow and and makes the loaf easier to cut.

Banana Apple Bread

2 Week Meal Planner

2 Week Meal Planner (Dinners)

1 – Farmhouse Dinner with Side Salad

2 – Popcorn Shrimp & Homemade Jo-Jo’s

3 – Harvest Hamburger Casserole

4 – Crispy Chicken Strip Salad

5 – Pancakes

6 – Make Your Own Taco Night! (make extra taco meat for meal next week)

7 – Cheesy Broccoli Soup with Homemade Rolls

1 – Loaded Baked Potatoes (chili, cheese, sour cream, onions, etc)

2 – Baked Italian Chicken, Long Grain Rice, Brussel Sprouts

3 – French Toast

4 – Taco Omelets with Homemade Hash Browns

5 – Glazed Meatloaf, Carrot Sticks, Side Salad

6 – Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Side Salad

7 – Meatball Sub Sandwiches with Carrot Sticks