Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Makes 6 Servings

-1 teaspoon olive oil
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato puree
-2 teaspoons dried oregano
-2 teaspoons fresh basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
-1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
-1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
-1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
-3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-1 large egg, lightly beaten
-1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
-12 manicotti shells, cooked

1.  In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil.  Saute the garlic until golden, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the tomato puree, oregano, basil, and pepper; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F; spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

3.  In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, and parsley.  Fill the manicotti shells with the cheese mixture; place in the baking dish.  Pour sauce over shells.  Bake until browned and bubbling, 30-40 minutes. 
WW Points: 8

Chicken Noodle Casserole

4 cups egg noodles - cooked and drained

2 cans condensed reduced fat cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup skim milk

6 ounces cooked chicken breast halves - chopped

1 can tomatoes with green chilies - (Rotel)

10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Place into a 9 x 12" baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.  Serves 8; 4 points per serving. 

Philly Cheese Steaks and Bakes Sweet Potato Fries

Philly Cheese Steaks- 7 points


1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced
1 pound(s) raw lean flank steak, cut into 8 thin slices
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 roll(s) reduced-calorie hot dog bun(s)
1/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; set pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add onion and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove onion from pan; set aside.  Add steak to skillet and sauté until browned and cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper; cook until liquid is absorbed.  Divide steak evenly between buns and top with onion and cheese. Wrap in foil, transfer to oven and bake until cheese melts, about 5 to 7 minutes. Yields 1 sandwich per serving.

Oven Fried Sweet Potatoes- 2 points

4 medium sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt

Place potatoes in bowl of water and let stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a non stick cooking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside. Drain potatoes in colander. Spread on paper towels and pat dry. Put potatoes in large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients and toss gently. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn potatoes and bake another 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning sheet halfway through each cycle to brown evenly.

 

Baked Chimichangas

8 ounces ground 90% lean turkey or beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup chunky salsa

1 teaspoon chili seasoning

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

1/4 cup no-fat sour cream

Preheat oven to 475° F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil-flavored cooking spray.

In a large skillet sprayed with olive oil-flavored cooking spray, brown meat and onion. Stir in garlic, 1/2 cup salsa, and Jo's chili seasoning. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture into center of each tortilla. Lightly spray tops with butter-flavored cooking spray.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

For each serving, place a chimichanga on a serving plate, spoon 2 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon sour cream over top.

Serves 4 (2 each). Serving size (2 chimichangas)

WW Points: 6 pt.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

12 oz uncooked macaroni, elbow-type
1/2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
8 oz low-fat cheddar or colby cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

          Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Cook pasta according to package directions without added fat or salt; drain and transfer to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream; set aside. Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges (known as scalding). Reduce heat to low, add cheese and simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and stir in mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add cheese mixture to pasta; mix well. Transfer to a 3-quart casserole dish.  Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over pasta.  Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes. Yields about 1 cup per serving.
Only 5 ww points!  I got this recipe from Weight Watchers. 

Baked Chicken Parmesan

• 4 (8 oz) chicken breast halves, sliced in half
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup marinara
  
• cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450°. Spray a large baking sheet lightly with spray.
Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in another bowl. Lightly brush the butter onto the chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture. Place on baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken. Lightly spray a little more cooking oil on top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes. Remove from oven, spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
Servings: 8 • Size: 1 piece • Time: 40 minutes • Calories: 231 • Points: 5.5 ww points
I got this wonderful recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes.

Baked Beef Ziti

12 oz uncooked ziti
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced (I actually just used garlic powder)
1/3 pound(s) raw lean ground beef
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

-Preheat oven to 350°F.
-Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
-Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
-Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
-Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serves 8.
5 WW points

Smothered Chicken with Pierogies

1 dozen potato and cheddar cheese pierogies
1 can lowfat cream of chicken soup
1 can (4 oz) sliced mushrooms, drained (I left these out)
1 cup frozen peas (I used peas and carrots since that was all I had)
2 cups cubed or shredded cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray a 2 quart dish with cooking spray.

Thaw pierogies in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and place in dish.

In a large saucepan, combine soup, mushrooms, peas, and chicken.  Cook stirring about 5 minutes or until heated through.  Pour over pierogies.  Bake 15 minutes.
Serves 4. 
I am excited over the fact that pierogies are only 1 WW point!  This entire meal was 7 points per serving.

Chicken Macaroni Bake

Ingredients:

• 0.25    cup    Onions, chopped
• 2    Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4    cup milk
• 10.5    ounces cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2    cups chicken (or Turkey), cooked & cubed
• 4    ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8    ounces pasta, any variety, cooked
• 1/8    cup buttered bread crumbs

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Brown onion in butter. Stir in soup, chicken, milk, and 3/4 cups cheese; heat until cheese melts. Blend sauce with cooked noodles; pour into buttered baking dish. Mix the remaining cheese and bread crumbs and place on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot. 

Servings:

4-6  (We actually turned it into 8 servings which made it 5 WW points a serving). 

Freezing Instructions:

Prepare up to the point of baking – DO NOT BAKE. Place foil on baking dish and write the following instructions: Remove foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (if thawed) or 1 hour (if frozen) or until hot.

Another great recipe from Once a Month Mom.

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bars

	1 spray(s) cooking spray
	9 whole reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers
	3 Tbsp butter
	16 oz fat-free cream cheese
	1 cup(s) sugar
	2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
	1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
	1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
	1/4 tsp ground ginger
	1/4 tsp ground cloves
	3 large egg(s)
	1 cup(s) canned pumpkin

• Preheat oven to 325ºF. Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can use a 9 X 13-inch nonstick pan.
  
• Grind graham crackers until fine in a food processor or place crackers in a resealable plastic bag and crush with rolling pin. Place crumbs in a small bowl.
  
• Melt butter on stove top or in microwave and pour over graham cracker crumbs. Mix with a fork until completely moistened.
  
• Press crumbs evenly into bottom of prepared pan and place in refrigerator while preparing pumpkin filling.
  
• Place cream cheese in bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and mix until incorporated.
  
• Mix in 1 cup of sour cream until just combined and then add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Add remaining sour cream and mix until just combined.
  
• Slowly beat in each egg one at a time until incorporated, and then mix in pumpkin. (Note: For best results, all ingredients should be at room temperature and mixed as little as possible, until each ingredient is just combined.)
  
• Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pan, spread evenly throughout and smooth top.
  
• Bake until set at edges, about 30 minutes (I ended up baking them for an hour). (Note: The very center will be a little loose.) Cool completely and refrigerate overnight before cutting into 18 pieces and serving.

Only 3 WW points!