Country Chicken Pasta

SO GOOD!! I have a no-fail Betty Crocker cook book that is giving me great dinners! Another quick one dish dinner that was prefect on a chilly day. This came together fast and is one of those dinners that just hits the spot. Everyone loved it and I know we will have it again soon!

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked pasta, any shape short pasta

3 cups cooked cubed chicken

2 jars (12oz. each) chicken gravy

1 bag (1lb.) frozen veggie mix: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas

whatever you have

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup herb seasoned stuffing crumbs ( stove top)

2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine

1.Heat oven to 375. Cook and drain pasta, using minimum cook time. It will continue to cook in the oven.
2. In an ungreased 2 1/2 quart casserole dish, mix pasta and remaining ingredients together except for stuffing and butter.
3. Cover casserole. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover and stir casserole. In a small bowl, mix stuffing and butter. Sprinkle of top. Bake uncovered about 10 minutes longer or until hot and topping is brown.

* I didn't have any frozen veggies so I just steamed carrots and broccoli for about 10 minutes while my chicken was cooking and then added it when it called for it.

* This dish has veggies in it but I still added some roasted sweet potatoes on the side. And of course has some muffins too. Blueberry were great!

* There are really yummy fat-free muffin mixes at the store that are great to have in the cupboards. You can have them ready in 20 minutes and it really adds something extra to dinner!

White Chocolate Brownies

When I asked Rex what sounded good for a treat, he knows to pick something chocolate :) But he requested these babies and boy were they good! Gone in no time!! Rich and moist, and of course low in fat. Eat it up!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg whites

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 white chocolate chips

*topping: mix 1/2 cup white chocolate chips & 1/4 cup chocolate chips together and set aside

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x9 baking pan. Stir together applesauce, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl. Add egg whites; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to wet ingredients. Beat until well blended. Stir in both chips. Spread into pan.
2. Bake 20-25 minutes until center is set. Pull out of oven and sprinkle the hot brownies with the mixed chips. Pop back into oven for 30 seconds to a minute. Until chips are shiny. Carefully with a knife, spread soft chips to frost the top. Let cool and then dig in!

Chicken in a Biscuit

I totally made this up last night because I grocery shopping was today :) It was so good!! We loved it and it is a fun easy dinner too. Kinda like a hot pocket but a million time better! Then I altered my honey mustard a bit to make a dipping sauce. Your whole family will love this!

Ingredients:

4 cooked chicken tenders

4 slices of cooked turkey bacon

mozzarella cheese

chopped tomato

biscuits (made from Bisquick or refrigerated)

Sweet Mustard Sauce:

1/2 cup light mayo

2 tablespoons spicy mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1/3 cup orange marmalade jelly

1. Cook up your chicken and bacon. While they are cooking, make up your biscuits (I use Heart Smart Bisquick mix). Roll out your biscuits into ovals and top with cooked chicken, cheese, bacon, and tomatoes.

2. Fold up sides and ends and pinch them together carefully. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400. While they are baking whip up your sauce. Just mix all the sauce ingredients together and stick in fridge until ready to eat!

3. Ok, that is it! They are so good, you will love them. Pair them up with a green salad, or baked chips and carrot sticks, or steamed broccoli. I made some extras and put them in my hubby's lunch too!

yummy, a new favorite for sure!

Creamy Wild Rice and Turkey Dinner

6 ingredients, 180 calories per serving, 8 grams of fat, and my whole family will eat it.... ah YES please! So so good, kinda like a pre Thanksgiving dinner, but much faster! Try this you will love it!! Perfect fall dinner!

( my pictures haven't been turning out as good because all the lovely sunlight is gone by dinner and I have to use my house lighting... sorry!)

Ingredients:

2 cups cut up cooked turkey or chicken

2 1/4 cups boiling water

1/3 cup fat free milk

4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

1/3 cup craisins

1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup

1 package (6oz.) long grain and wild rice mix (at any grocery store)

1. Heat oven to 350. In an ungreased 2 quart casserole dish mix all ingredients, including seasoning packet from rice mix.

2. Cover casserole. Bake 45-50 minutes or until rice is tender. ( About every 15 minutes I give it a stir) Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed. If you want you can sprinkle it with more green onions. That is it!! Yep, now serve roasted or baked sweet potatoes and biscuits on the side and you have a yummy fall dinner! Enjoy!

Fresh Raspberry Coffee Cake

I made this for a brunch that we went to on a Sunday morning and it was a HIT! No kidding, gone in no time. Kids to parents, everyone loved it! It comes together fast and you don't even need a special occasion to make this baby!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg whites

2 cups flour (whole wheat pastry or white)

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons milk, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. Oven to 400. Spray an 8 or 9 inch baking pan (I used a round cake pan).

2. In a medium bowl, beat applesauce, milk, vanilla, and egg whites with a spoon. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt just until moistened. Fold in raspberries.

3.Bake 20-25 minutes or until top is golden and when toothpick is inserted in center it comes out clean. Cool about 20 minutes.

4. Mix glaze ingredients together until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over warm coffee cake.

*This is a great breakfast for a Saturday morning. Add some fruit and cheesy scrabbled eggs and you have a yummy treat in store for you!

* This is VERY low fat. No fat is added to this so you are looking at about less than 150 calories and and less than 3 grams of fat per serving!

Sooooooo so good!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I love using my crock pot and the fall season seems so appropriate to cook lots of yummy meals in it. These meatballs are a total crowd pleaser for sure and the yummy sauce is to die for! And of course it is and fix it and forget it meal so dinner is ready on busy nights. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use Italian for more flavor)

1/4 cup fat-free milk

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons finely chopped or grated onion

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Sauce:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

13 oz can pineapple chunks, undrained

1/3 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 green bell pepper

1/3 cup water

1. Combine meatball ingredients in a bowl. Shape into 3/4-1 inch balls. (I use my little cookie scoop) Brown all sides in a non-stick skillet. Place in slow cooker.

2. Add brown sugar and cornstarch to same warm skillet. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Pour over meatballs.

3. Place lid on cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on low. Pair these meatballs over rice (brown or white) and serve with steamed broccoli and you have a delicious healthily meal.

* If you like pineapple you can use the 20 oz. can. That's what we do and my hubby isn't a huge fan of peppers so I just leave them out and use lots of pineapple!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I am so sorry that I haven't posted in a while. It was killing me but my family has been so sick :( But I am back and I have LOTS of yummy fall food for you so check over the next couple of days! Ok today is pumpkin bread!! Yum! This is a copy cat Great Harvest recipe that I tweaked. SO GOOD perfect for fall!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

16 oz cooked or canned pumpkin (aprox. 2 cups)

1 cup applesauce

2 tablespoon oil

5 egg whites, lightly beaten

2/3 cup water

1 cup chocolate chips... or more :)

1. Oven at 350. Grease 2 loaf pans. This makes a lot!
2. Mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Mix pumpkin, applesauce, oil, egg whites and water together. Stir into dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Place batter into prepared pans. Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely and eat!! Store tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

* I pour half the batter into one pan first and then add the chocolate chips to the other half, so I have one of each kind of bread
* Only fill your pans a little over half. If they are too full they take a really long time to cook. If they bake for over 75 minutes, the bottoms can tend to get darker than you will like. I fill both my pans a little over half full and then I still have enough to make about 6-7 muffins. But every oven is different. Mine is ghetto, so I have to adjust some recipes.