Mac and Cheese Bar !!!

Nothing beats any type of food bar for any type of party! I had a ladies night the other night and made a mac and cheese food bar, because honestly, who doesn't love mac and cheese? Especially when it's loaded! For the cheese sauce I used Ragu double cheddar sauce, a little bit of milk and a mixed shredded cheese. I kept it in the crock pot so that it stayed warm throughout the night. There are endless toppings that taste great on mac and cheese so I narrowed it down for my mac and cheese bar. I also printed out some recipe examples in case anyone was stuck on what type of combination to make. 

 Feel free to be creative and have fun!

Bruschetta Chicken over Roasted Veggies

What a delicious and healthy meal! This definitely curbed my appetite for Italian food! I wasn't even missing pasta when I ate this! With buying the bruschetta instead of making it myself, I was able to save a lot of time on my busy week night!

Ingredients:

1 lb of chicken tenders or thin sliced chicken breast
1 bunch of asparagus
1 purple onion
1 ball of mozzarella cheese
1 container of bruschetta (I used the Trader Joe's brand and it was delicious!)
1 tablespoon of EVOO
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Salt and pepper for garnish

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400. Chop the asparagus in half and chop up your purple onion. Place the asparagus and onion, along with the EVOO drizzled on top in a casserole dish and place in the oven.The vegetables will need about 35-40 minutes to cook. Next, grill up your chicken. While your chicken is grilling, warm up your bruschetta and thinly slice your mozzarella. Once the chicken is finished cooking, top with thin slices of mozzarella and top with the bruschetta. Plate up with the vegetables underneath and garnish with fresh basil leaves, salt and pepper. Dig in and enjoy!

Cheesy Ritz Chicken

My parents came over last night for the first dinner I made them at my new place. I wanted to make something tasty, but easy since I didn't want to spend the entire night in the kitchen. This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight and makes for a very easy clean up. The total prep time for this meal is about 5 minutes - my kind of cooking!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of thin sliced chicken ( you should get about 6 pieces or so)

8 oz sour cream ( you can substitute light or low fat sour cream)

2 sleeves of reduced fat ritz crackers

1 bag of shredded cheese ) I used a mixed cheddar variety

Non-stick spray

Parsley for garnish

Greek seasoning (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Lay out the chicken breasts evenly on the casserole dish. Sprinkle them with greek seasoning, or any other desired seasoning. Spread a thin layer of sour cream on each slice of chicken.

Top each slice of chicken with an even amount of the shredded cheese and pat the cheese down lightly on each chicken breast.

Next, take the two sleeves of Ritz Crackers and mash them up until they are crumb sized. Use a heavy tool to do this (I used my garlic slicer.) Sprinkle the ritz on top of the chicken, covering completely. Place the dish in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Some ovens cook faster than others, so be sure to cut into the chicken first to make sure it is cooked through. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with your favorite sides. I served this dish with a side of baked scallops and a garden salad. Delicious!

Pesto Chicken with Bruschetta Angel Hair Pasta

Angel hair pasta and Bruschetta go together like peanut butter and jelly. So don't me and Trader Joe's. If you don't have one in your area, find one and make a road trip out of it and stock up! I just love their products and their customer service! This recipe is based off of a few Trader Joe's ingredients, so if you are unable to get them, substitute with similar store products.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of basil ( I used the chopped basil cubes pictured below)
1 tablespoon of EVOO
1 lb of thin sliced chicken breast
1 lb of angel hair pasta
1 container of Bruschetta 14.5oz ( I used the Trader Giottos Bruschetta)
Shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish
Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

Fill a large cooking pot half way with water and place on high. Set your oven on 350. In a medium sauce pan, heat up the basil and olive oil on medium heat. Once it is ready for a sear, add the chicken. Below are pictures of the chopped basil that I love from Trader Joe's, its so easy to use and great to keep on hand!

Add the chicken to the sauce pan and allow it to sear on one side. Once it is well seared on one side, flip it and begin to sear it on the other side. Now that both sides are seared, place in a casserole dish that is sprayed with non-stick spray and place it in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Next, your water should be boiling by now so add the angel hair and stir occasionally. Rinse out the frying pan that you used for the chicken and add the whole container of bruschetta and place on low. Once your pasta is fully cooked, drain and rinse with hot water.

Add the pasta to the bruschetta and mix well with tongs like the picture below. Your chicken should be ready at this point.

Plate up with the pasta, then add the chicken on top and garnish with parsley and shredded Parmesan cheese!

Italian Mushroom & Onion Calzone

My boyfriend and I are starting "meatless Mondays" as of last night. I could probably become a vegetarian but I love meat too much, so this is a stepping stone! I decided to make a calzone last night because I haven't had one in probably 10 years! They're easy to make and taste delicious! Feel free to use your own ingredients for the filling and be creative!

Ingredients: 

Pillsbury thin crust pizza dough
1 bag of your preferred shredded cheese (I used the pizza blend)
1 package of mushrooms
1 medium white onion
Italian seasoning
Non-stick spray
1 tablespoon of EVOO

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop up the mushrooms and onion to small diced sizes. Place in a medium sized frying pan with 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Place on medium heat. Stir well as they begin to cook. Once they are all finished cooking, set aside. Take a large sized cookie sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Lay out the pizza dough. Top the center of the dough with cheese (about the same amount you would use on a pizza), be sure to set some cheese aside for the topping. Next, evenly add the mushroom and onion mixture on top of the cheese. Fold up the edges of the dough to seal like the picture below. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until you start to notice it browning on the top.

Once the calzone is lightly browned on the top, take it out and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and a dash of Italian seasoning.

Place it back in the oven for 1-2 minutes. Now change the oven to "broil". Make sure you watch it like a hawk! With the broil option, if you leave it in too long, it will burn. Take it out once the top is crispy looking.

Let the calzone sit for 5 minutes. Slice up and serve with your favorite sides. I served ours with a side of Trader Joe's Creamy Tomato Basil sauce for dipping and Trader Joes Arancini Bites (Rissoto and Fontina cheese filled balls...yum!)

Zucchini "Pasta" Bolognese

So zucchini noodles seem to be all the rage on pinterest at the moment, so I decided to give them a try! Let me tell you, they turned out great! They obviously don't taste like pasta but had a similar texture and were super filling! I bought an OXO brand mandolin and it was a great purchase! I think I only paid $7 for mine at TJMAXX. If you are un-familiar with what a mandolin looks like, I have a picture of mine below.

Ingredients:

3 summer squash

2 zucchini 

1 tablespoon of garlic

Non-stick spray

1 lb of ground turkey meat

1 jar of sauce (I use my favorite sauce - Trader Joe's Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce)

Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:

Cook the ground turkey as directed on package. While that is cooking, begin slicing your summer squash and zucchini with your mandolin. Be careful! The blades are sharp and I always end up cutting myself somehow. Once all of your squash is sliced, place in a medium to large sized sauce pan. Be sure to spray it first with non-stick spray. The noodles only take about 5-7 minutes to cook. I used tongs to stir them mid way. Be very careful because if you are too rough, the noddles will become mush.

When the noodles are almost done cooking, add your garlic and stir. Once the meat is all done cooking, add the jar of sauce to the mixture and mix well. Once everything is warm and finished cooking, plate up and garnish with the Parmesan cheese. Now how easy was that? Feel free to add other veggies to the mixture! I was experimenting so I was playing it safe this time! I can't wait to try new combinations.

Veggie Pizza Recipe

Yum yum yum! I just love veggie pizza! Its light and not super cheesy like take out pizza!

Ingredients:

1 pizza shell

1/2 can of Alfredo sauce

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

2 plum tomatoes

1 onion

1 summer squash

1 zucchini

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon of EVOO

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350. Thinly slice up the zucchini, summer squash and onion. Place in a frying pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of EVOO. While the vegetables are cooking, pour the alfredo sauce on the pizza like you would pizza sauce, making sure it is evenly distributed. Top with the minced garlic placing it evenly on parts of the pizza. Next, chop up your tomatoes and sprinkle them on the pizza. When your vegetables are finished cooking, layer them on the pizza evenly. Next, top with the shredded cheddar cheese. Do not put the feta on just yet, if you leave it in the oven too long it will get chewy. Place the pizza in the oven for about ten minutes. When ten minutes have gone by, take the pizza out and sprinkle the feta on top. Now place the pizza back in for about 3 minutes or until it is to your desired crispiness. Serve!

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

I love love love Alfredo sauce... who doesn't? I know it isn't the healthiest sauce for you but it sure is a nice treat every now and then! I also think that making it at home could be a little healthier than eating out since you will be measuring out your ingredients...hopeful thinking? Regardless of the calories, this sauce is worth an extra trip to the gym!

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
2 cups of half and half
2 minced garlic cloves
2 cups of fresh grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

Cube up the 1 stick of butter. Place in a large cooking pot and place on low-medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the 2 cups of half and half, minced garlic and stir. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes. Slowly add in the Parmesan cheese and continue stirring for another 5 minutes or until all of the cheese is melted and the sauce is thick. If the sauce is not to your desired thickness, slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. I served this sauce over fettuccine, sauteed mushrooms and pan fried chicken. Yumm!

Healthy Eggplant Parm! - 371 Calories per serving!

Who doesn't love a nice filling Italian meal? Well I know that the scale doesn't! I created a roasted and baked Eggplant Parm recipe that will feed your craving for Italian food, but won’t leave you feeling guilty after! Feel free to add other veggies to make it more filling!

Ingredients:

2 Eggplants

2 cups of sauce (I used Bertoli Olive oil and garlic)

1 cup of panko breadcrumbs

2 eggs

1 cup of low fat shredded mozzarella

2 Tablespoons of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 teaspoon of sea salt

Directions:

*Before you begin, first note that the size of the eggplants determines how much egg and panko mix you will need. This is based off of 2 regular sized eggplants. If you use 2 larger eggplants, you may need more egg and breadcrumbs.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the eggplants horizontally, about ½ inch in thickness (you can either peel off the skin or leave it on, I leave it on for a little crunch.) Once all of your eggplant is sliced, lay them out on a casserole dish that is sprayed with non-stick spray. Drizzle EVOO and sprinkle the sea salt over the eggplant. Place in the oven and flip after 10 minutes. After 20 minutes or until roasted, take them out of the oven and let them cool. Lower the oven to 350. Whisk together your 2 eggs in a bowl and place the 1 cup of panko break crumbs in another bowl. Drench each slice of eggplant in the egg mix, and then coat in the panko breadcrumbs. Do this for all of the slices and place on a non-stick sprayed casserole dish when complete. Sprinkle ½ of your shredded cheese on top. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Serve on top of sauce (you can also pour the sauce over the eggplant if you want.) Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve. To get fancy, you can use asparagus to garnish like I did!

Nutrition Information for 1 serving (this recipe makes 4 servings)

Calories: 371

Carbs : 53

Fat: 12

Protein: 17

Sodium: 1262

Fiber: 11

Caprese Salad

As simple as it is, there are probably over 100 different ways to make and present a caprese salad. I figured I'd make a blog post for one of my never forgotten favorite Low Calorie Italian foods. Made as a lower calorie version with all natural ingredients, you can't go wrong!


Ingredients

- 8 Cherry tomatoes
- 1 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 basil leaf
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic dressing (I used Newman's Own Light Roasted Garlic Balsamic)

Directions

Slice up the tomatoes into quarters. Dice up the mozzarella into even small cubes. Shred the basil leaf into small pieces. Add the 1 tablespoon of dressing. Mix all of the ingredients together and serve! What an easy lunch!

Nutrition Facts (For 1 serving - This recipe makes 1 serving)

Calories - 160
Carbs - 8
Fat - 7
Protein - 6
Sodium - 255
Fiber - 2

240 Calorie Veggie Lasagna

So who doesn't love Italian food? I absolutely love it! The only issue yet again is the high fat and calories! Olive Garden's lasagna has 850 calories and 47 grams of fat. Shame on you Olive Garden! By taking out the hamburg and replacing it with filling vegetables, switching out white noodles for whole wheat, and using a lower fat cheese, I was able to get the nutrition facts for my veggie lasagna down to 243 calories and 4 grams of fat for one huge serving. I made this lasagna 1/2 with hamburg and real cheese for my parents and the other half for me with low fat cheese and no hamburg which is why the pictures may look  half and half.

Ingredients:

- 1 jar of marinara sauce (I used Bertolli Olive Oil and Garlic)
- 1 Zuchinni sliced thin
- 1 large white onion diced
- 1 cup of mushrooms diced
- 1 medium sized egg
- 1/2 cup of fat free shredded mozzarella cheese (I used kraft)
- 2 cups of fat free cottage cheese
- 1/2 tbsp italian seasoning
- 4 oz of whole wheat lasagna noodles. (You will need 6 for this recipe, I used Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Wheat Lasagna Noodles)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice up the onion and mushrooms and cook in a frying pan. Slice the zuchinni with a potato peeler lengthwise like this...

In a mixing bowl, combine the sauce, cottage cheese, egg, and Italian seasoning. Mix well. In a casserole dish, spray it with PAM. Lay down around a cup of the mixture, top it off with the onion and mushroom mixture, and lay the zuchinni slices on top. Lay 3 lasagna noodles on top and repeat for one more layer.

 Once you finish the second layer, top it off with the remaining sauce mixture and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Place in the oven for 50 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked. Allow it to cool and settle  for 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts for 1 slice of Veggie Lasagna (This recipe makes 6 slices)

Calories - 240
Carbs - 37
Fat - 4
Protein - 18
Sodium - 873
Fiber - 6