WW BBQ Meatloaf

I found this recipe in my Weight Watchers 5 Ingredient, 15 Minute Cookbook. Since we made meatloaf in the crockpot last week and liked how it turned out I figured I'd try making this one in the crockpot as well. It was so soft and juicy, and the BBQ sauce really thinned out and almost made a sauce for it. The edges stuck to the pan and got a little over done, but personally I like the ends, so I thought that was the best part. I made this on my last freezer cooking day, and froze it in a silicone pan then popped it out when I was ready to cook it. I let it begin to defrost overnight in the fridge, but it was still mainly frozen when I turned the crockpot on in the morning. I let it cook all day, and it was ready when we got home from school!


1 pound ground round (I used ground turkey)
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided (I used about 1 1/4 c divided instead)
1/4 cup frozen chopped onion, pressed dry
1/4 cup Italian-Seasoned dry breadcrumbs
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine meat, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, onion, breadcrumbs, egg whites, and pepper in a large bowl; stir well. Shape mixture into a 7x5" loaf on a rack in a roasting pan. Spread remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over loaf. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes or to desired dfegree of doneness. Yeild: 4 servings.

Points: 5

MY VERSION:
Combine meat, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, onion, breadcrumbs, egg whites, and pepper in a large bowl; stir well. Shape mixture into a 7x5" loaf. Place in crockpot. Spread remaining 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over loaf. (I used about 3/4 - 1 c) I would assume if it was not frozen it would cook on low for 4 hours or until cooked through. For me, it was frozen, and I cooked on low 10 hours. Yeild: 4 servings.

Slow Cook Meatloaf

Sorry for the bad picture!

This recipe came from my TOH Slow Cooker Favorites cookbook. Brian and Allison LOVED this. Brian even gave this one 5 stars. : ) I however, thought it was just okay. I have to put a slight disclaimer on this though...I'm not a huge meatloaf fan. So try it and judge for yourself. This was SUPER moist and broke into small pieces really easily. You definitely did not need a knife to cut this one (well you did to cut it into appropriate serving sizes. The carrots were good and soft, but the potatoes lacked seasoning! Honestly, next time I would probably just cook w/carrots and serve with a side of mashed potatoes instead.


Ingredients
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 slices day-old bread, cubed (I used 3)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I sauteed first)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper (I diced mine VERY fine and Brian didn't even notice!)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean) (I used ground turkey)
1/4 cup ketchup (I misread this and used more like 1 1/4 cups...I think it needed it though!)
8 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks (I used baby carrots)
8 small red potatoes (I used 5 large red poatoes cut into quarters)

Directions
In a bowl, beat egg and milk. Stir in the bread cubes, onion, green pepper, salt and pepper. Add the beef and mix well. Shape into a round loaf. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Spread ketchup on top of loaf. Arrange carrots around loaf. Peel a strip around the center of each potato; place potatoes over carrots. (I cut my potatoes into quarters...I was not taking the time to peel a strip!)

Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 7-8 hours longer or until no pink remains in the meat and the vegetables are tender. Yield: 4 servings.

Enchilada Lasagna

YUM! That's what the title of this recipe should be. I LOVED this one! (Although I personally would add black beans and corn next time but the family will protest!) This is another recipe that has cottage cheese in it and my family has NO idea!


1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (I used 1 lb ground turkey)
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can stewed tomatoes (14 oz.) (I used tomato sauce instead)
1 can red enchilada sauce (10 oz.)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
3 cups shredded cheese
4 flour tortillas, cut in half

Brown beef with onion and garlic. Add tomatoes, enchilada sauce and cumin. Bring to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer for 20 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine egg and cottage cheese. In a 9X13 pan, spread 1/2 of the meat sauce. Layer with 1/2 of cheese, 1/2 of tortillas and 1/2 of cottage cheese. Repeat layers and sprinkle with a little more cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes covered with foil and 15 minutes uncovered.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

This is another recipe from 30 Day Gourmet. Seriously, if you have not gotten one of their books yet and you like to pre-make and freeze meals, YOU NEED TO GET ONE. This recipe book has saved so much time in my life, and we have really enjoyed almost all of the recipes we've tried.


This one was so simple, and we all enjoyed it (Brian and Allison both had seconds...and although you can see the cottage cheese, they thought it was ricotta and ate it!) I will definitely make this one again!!

8 oz Small Shell Macaroni
1 sloppy joe mix envelope
1 1/2 c cooked ground beef or turkey
8 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1 c water
16 oz small curd cottage cheese
1 c shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)

Cook macaroni half the recommended time. Drain. Combine seasoning mix with the ground beef or turkey, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and 1 cup water. In sprayed 2-1/2 quart casserole dish or 8x8” baking dish, layer half the macaroni, half the cottage cheese and half the meat sauce; repeat. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Freezing Directions:
Wrap dish in foil or place in 2-gallon freezer bag. If using freezer bags, freeze the combined pasta and meat sauce and keep the cottage cheese and cheddar cheese on hand to layer the casserole just before baking. Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw (layer in casserole if necessary) and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until bubbling or place frozen casserole in oven and bake 1 hour 20 minutes.

Little League Tostadas

If you haven't checked out Becoming Betty's Blog yet, you are missing out! She must be my kindered spirit and we must cook a lot of the same foods because everything she posts looks so fabulous to me! I came across several tostada recipes lately and planned on making chicken tostadas but we have taco meat on hand so this one sparked my interest.


I am the only one who at this this way...Brian and Allison just ate tostada shell w/meat and cheese. These were FABULOUS! YUM. I had a little bit of everything left over so I'm taking this tomorrow for lunch too. I won't be the cleanest eater though as these are a bit messy. Doesn't matter though, they are worth the mess. I was leary of the cabbage on this but loved it way more that I do lettuce!!!

1 lb. lean ground beef
taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
1 can green chilies
shredded cheese
tostada shells
shredded cabbage
cilantro
lime juice

Cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and a little water. (I also added some refried beans and picante sauce to our meat). In a separate saucepan, heat up beans and add green chilies and a little milk. Combine shredded cabbage with chopped cilantro (as much as you like) and some lime juice to taste (I also added a little salt). Layer on tostada shell: beans, meat, cheese, shredded cabbage mix. Top with favorite taco sauce. (I omitted)

Pizza Burgers

I'm sure it's obvious by now that I love meals that can be prepared ahead of time and frozen for convenience.  This meal is from 30 Day Gourmet Freezer Cooking (my new favorite book!!)

These pizza burgers really aren't much like "burgers" but are more like baked sloppy joes.  Still really yummy though!  We'll be eating these for dinner in a couple of nights but I was too excited and made one for lunch today.  I gave this 4 stars!  This recipes makes 24 "burgers," so you could easily make a batch and freeze the rest. I halved the recipe. 

1lb cooked ground beef

30 oz pizza sauce (I used pepperoni flavored)

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp onion salt

1/4 tsp dried oregano

3 oz chopped pepperoni

2 c shredded mozzarella

24 hamburger buns

In a large bowl mix the first five ingredients.  Add the pepperoni and mozzarella, stirring to mix well.  Fill the buns with meat mixture.  Wrap each bun in aluminum foil.  If baking immediately, bake 350 degrees for 15-20 min.  Serve while hot (duh!)

To freeze for later: Put all of the wrapped, cooked sandwhiches in a ziplock bag and freeze. 
Thaw, still wrapped in foil, for no more than 1 hour or the buns will get soggy.  Bake them wrapped at 350 degrees for 15-20 min.

What the heck is Goulash??

Since Allison has been going to daycare I always heard that she eats Goulash.  I had no idea what it was so I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the recipe and realized it was something Brian would actually eat.  AND I had all of the ingredients on hand to make it for dinner that night.  Unfortunately I used a bit too much paprika and chili powder so Allison and Chloe wouldn't/couldn't eat it.  Brian and I enjoyed it though...although once you see the recipe you'll know why (it's the kind of meal we frequently eat!)  PS: Goulash is: A Hungarian style stew usually made with paprika, often served with or over buttered noodles.

That's right: meat, tomatoes, noodles...my kind of one pot (sort of) meal!

I can't give any one recipe/blog/link credit for the one because I combined a couple of different goulash recipes I found to make one that sounded good to me.

1 lb ground beef (we used turkey)
1 1/2 c elbow noodles (I used ronzoni brand)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (I only used 1/3 of a can and heard "There's too many tomatoes in this!")
1 tsp paprika (originally used 2 tsp...too much for us)
1/2 tbsp chili powder (originally used 1 tbsp...too much for us)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
crushed red pepper (maybe that's why it was too hot!)


Cook noodles according to package directions.  Cook onion and beef until no longer pink. 
UPDATE...maybe I should have finished the directions!  : ) 
Add remaining ingredients to the beef and onion mix.  Simmer on low-medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated through and flavors blend.  Add noodles and combine. 

"Pizza in a crock pot"...not really

A friend of mine gave me this recipe a while ago.  This is the original recipe:

2 c cooked macaroni
1 lb browned hamburger
15 oz pizza sauce
15 oz tomato sauce

1 sm package pepperoni slices

1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded

parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot except cheeses and place these on top.  Turn on hight for 1 1/2 hours.

That recipe wasn't going to work with my work schedule, so I decided to make it the same way (mostly the same way) and to bake it instead.  So here's my recipe:
2 c cooked macaroni

3/4 lb browned ground turkey
15 oz pizza sauce
15 oz tomato sauce (I only used 3/4 can)
2 servings of turkey pepperoni
1/4 c ff mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tbsp italian seasoning
Pour into an 8x8 pan.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 min or until heated through.  (I kept mine covered w/foil for about half of that time). 

Allison and Chloe didn't eat this since they were eating the left over skillet tacos from the night before.  For 1/4 of the pan ours was 7.5 pts.  That was a nice size bowl full.  Brian gave this his typical 4 stars (apparently I'm mostly a 4 stars cook!) and I gave this 3.5.  I did enjoy it, and liked that the pepperoni gave it a slightly spicy touch, however this is not something I would make on a super regular basis (which is why it didn't get a 4).  And this would be WAY better if you put more mozzarella on top and let it get brown and bubbly!  I didn't want those added points though. 

Similar yet different (Skillet Tacos)

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  I didn't cook as much last week as I was trying to limit my grocery shopping, so we ate a lot of frozen left over dinners from the previous couple of weeks.  Now that my freezer is bare and I can start cooking again, here come some more meals.

Tonight's dinner looks familiar to some of the other recipes I've posted...it is a different recipe though.  Unfortunately I only took a picture of Brian's dinner, but mine looked SO much better with added toppings.  What can I say, I was hungry and didn't want to wait to take another picture. : )

This recipe came from TOH Cooking for 2 recipe, although now that we're a family of 4 I had to at least double the recipe. (This is the doubled recipe below)

1/2 lb - 3/4 lb ground turkey (I used 3/4 lb)
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped (I omitted)
16 oz tomato sauce
1 c uncooked elbow macaroni (I used Ronzoni brand)
1 c water
1/2 c picante sauce (I used 3/4 c)
fat free cheddar cheese (I used 1/8 c per bowl)

2 servings baked tortilla chips (14 chips, crushed per bowl)
Optional toppings: chopped avocado, lettuce, fat free sour cream, diced tomatoes

In a non stick skillet, cook the turkey, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until no longer pink.  Stir in the tomato sauce, macaroni, water and picante sauce.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 min or until macaroni is tender.  Divide between 2 plates, top with cheese, tortilla chips and avocado.  Serve w/lettuce and sour cream if desired.

Brian, Chloe and I all gave this 4 stars.  I asked Allison how many stars she though and she said 10.  I guess she really liked it! Points would definitely depend on your toppings, but for a very large bowl (almost 2 cups of macaroni mixture) plus tomatoes, 14 crushed tortilla chips, 1/8 c ff cheese and 1 tbsp light sour cream, my dinner was 10 pts.

(Bubble Up Casserole) Don't judge this by the picture

This picture does not do this meal justice!  This is one of our family favorites, although Brian didn't like it as much since I altered it a bit to make it a little healthier.  : )

Bubble Up Casserole
1 lb ground beef (I used 1/2 lb ground turkey)
1 small onion chopped
15 oz tomato sauce
1/8 c orange puree (optional)
1/2 tsp dried basil
3 cloves, minced garlic
1 tsp Itailan Seasoning
15 oz refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, quartered (I used 1 1/2 cans to cut down points)
1 1/4 c mozzarella cheese, shredded (I used 1/2 c ff, and 1/4 c low fat mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a skillet, brown meat and onion over medium-high heat until browned stirring to crumble. 
Stir in tomato sauce, basil, garlic, orange puree and italian seasoning.  Add quartered biscuits and stir gently until biscuits are covered with sauce.
Spoon mixture into a 9x13 baking dish coated w/cooking spray.  Cook uncovered for 25 min. 
Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake an additional 10 minutes or until biscuits are done.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

As the original recipe, Brian gives this 5 stars, I give it 4 1/2.  With my alterations/changes, we both gave this 4 stars.  I was willing to sacrifice a little of the taste for some points!  1/8 of the pan = 5 pts.  PS. you could easily add more veggies to this by adding some diced tomatoes and/or diced green peppers.  (We've never eaten it that way, but some day I hope to!)

Minestrone Stew

Here's another easy crockpot recipe.  Lately I've been taking soups for lunch since they fill me up more.  I wasn't sure I was going to like this one, but I really did.  I got this one out of my TOH Slow Cooker Favorites cookbook.

1 lb ground beef (I used 1/2 lb grnd turkey)
1 sm onion chopped
1 can ready-to-serve minestrone soup (I used progresso, high fiber I think)
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can stewed tomatoes (I used petite diced)
1 can whole kernel corn (I used 1 c frozen)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilis
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
I also added 1/2 c water to give it more liquid

In a skillet cook the ground beef and onion.  Transfer to slow cooker and add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours or until heated through.  (This was heated through for me in about 3 hours.  I think 6 would be too long!)

No one else in my family will eat this...although I'll probably give it to Chloe tomorrow since she doesn't know better yet!  : )  I enjoyed it and gave this 4 stars, and would definitely make this again.  With my alterations (ie...less meat) this was 4 points for 4 servings, and each serving was two HEAPING big ladel-fuls.  I'm eating this for lunch tomorrow w/ham on a sandwhich thin for a filling, low point lunch.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

1/2 lb lean hamburger meat, browned and drained

8 oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 packet taco seasoning- Low sodium

1 cup refried beans-- fat free

2 cups cheddar cheese-- reduced fat

3 10 inch tortillas, cut up into 1 inch squares --high carb for 1pt each

photo while in the slow cooker

Mix meat, tomato sauce, taco seasoning in medium bowl.

Spread refried beans on bottom of 3 quart slow cooker.

Layer meat sauce, cheese and tortillas 2 or 3 times.

Cook on low for 4 hours.

Serves 4.

This was a success! I wasn't sure because Curt does not like refried beans but I LOVE them! We both gave this 4 stars. I think if I would have had more toppings like lettuce, onion in the house I would have jumped up to a 5.

With the list above this is 7.5 points for a quarter of the pot. I love bulky food!

from http://365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com/

Skillet Beef Tamales

Once again, I originally got this recipe from Taste of Home, but recreated it to fit our family's taste preferences.  http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Skillet-Beef-Tamales

3/4 lb lean ground turkey

1 c picante sauce

1/2 c tomato sauce

2 tbsp taco seasoning

1/2 c canned or frozen corn

1/8 c orange puree (optional)

1/2 c reduced fat cheddar cheese (I used ff mozzarella b/c that's what we had)

6 soft corn tortilla shells

optional toppings: sour cream, tomatoes

Brown meat.  Stir in next five ingredients.  Bring to a  boil .  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 min.

Meanwhile cut up 6 small corn tortilla shells into thin strips and pieces.  Toast in 350 degree oven until crispy (about 10 min).  (I make these the night before so it's ready for us!)

Add shredded cheddar into meat mixture.  MIx to blend and melt.  Add tortillas just before serving. 

We split this into 3 servings, and it came out to 9 points each.  You could easily cut the points down if you use less tortilla shells, but we find that is what makes this so filling.  We also add our cheese to the top and don't use nearly as much, and we use fat free.  Also reduces the points.  Brian and I each give this 4.5 stars.  We like this one a lot!

Cheeseburger Mini Muffins

Tonight I decided to make dinner for tomorrow so I can see how this recipe reheats, since that is most likely how I would do it during the school year.  Well that was stupid because tomorrow is Friday and since it is still lent, I can't eat this tomorrow.  At least I was able to try it tonight though. 

Brian is mad that he still has to eat this tomorrow (which I won't make him), but I don't know if that's because he truly doesn't like it, or because it's slightly orange in color (from the Ketchup) and is called "Cheeseburger Mini Muffins" and HE DOES NOT EAT CHEESEBURGERS. I intended to hide the name from him.  I was going to tell him they were sort of like doughy mini meatloafs, but he saw the recipe so my cover was blown.  Whatever...big baby.  : ) (I hope he's reading this!)

Anyhow, Allison, Chloe and I liked these.  They are actually an appetizer, but I think with the right side dishes, this could very easily be a main meal.  You can taste more of the dough than you can the meat...but that's probably why I like them.  (And I haven't figured out the points yet though, so we'll see if it's worth it at the end).

Don't judge the picture...these are NOT burnt!  It looks like it in the picture, but they are not!!! And the white circles on the front ones, that's the ff mozzarella showing through. 

Cheeseburger Mini Muffins (I halved this recipe since I had 1/4 lb ground beef left over from the skillet ole)
Makes 5 dozen mini cheeseburgers
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3/4 c ketchup

3/4 c milk (I used skim)

1/2 c butter melted (I used I can't belive it's not butter light)
2 eggs

1 tsp prepared mustard

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (since Brian will only knowingly eat mozzarella, I used ff mozzarella instead)

In a large skillet cook the beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink.  Drain.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl combine the ketchup, milk, butter, eggs and mustard.  Stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in the beef mixture and cheese. 

Fill greased mini muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.  Refrigerate leftovers. 

So this came out to be 1 pt per mini muffin.  If you sit down and eat the whole pan, then that's a lot of points, but like I said before, if you served this with the right low point sides, this wouldn't be too bad. 

Skillet Ole

We liked this...but as you can tell from most of my other posts we 1. Eat a lot of mexican-based foods.  2.  Put chips on just about anything.  Well this recipe is no exception and is fullfilled by both conditions listed above. 

I got this recipe from my cookbook The ULTIMATE ground beef cookbook.  It is one of my favorites since we eat a ton of ground turkey in this house.  There's nothing special to this recipe.  I wouldn't serve it if I was having people over for dinner, but like most of my other recipes, it was easy, and I had all of the ingredients on hand.  This recipe called for 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb ground turkey, but to make it a little lower in points, I just used 3/4 lb ground turkey. 

Skillet Ole (serves 4)
3/4 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped (I used about 1/2)
1/4 c chopped green peppers (didn't use--my family would pick them all out)
8 oz tomato sauce (I used about 6 oz)
1 c cooked rice (I used brown rice)
1 - 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 c shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese (obviously I used fat free mozzarella, and only used about 1/2 c)

In order to sneak some things in, I also added:
1/4 c refried beans
1/4 c orange puree
1/4 c picante sauce
fresh chopped tomatoes
crushed tortilla chips

In a large skillet, cook beef/turkey, onion and green pepper over medium heat until no longer pink.  Drain.  Stir in refried beans, orange puree, picante sauce, tomato sauce, rice and chili powder.  Cook for 10 minutes (I only cooked for 5), sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and cook 2 more minutes or until cheese is melted (obviously by the picture I didn't do that!)

Brian gave this a 3.5, I gave it a 4, and the girls were split (Chloe liked it, Allison prefered just the rice...which is why I sneak stuff in to ALL of the foods I make!)

The original recipe is 6 pts per serving.  My recipe is 5 pts w/out the crushed chips on top, also with 4 servings.

Jaime's Sour Cream Noodle Bake

So I made Jaime's sour cream noodle bake tonight for dinner.  I think we might have liked it more than her and Curt did.  Brian and I both gave this a low 4 stars (better than a 3.5 though!).  I did make a few changes to the original recipe (shocked??) and we both agreed we would totally eat this again, but I think I would change it a little more next time too.  It reminded both of us of the spaghetti pie, but that could be due to the changes I made. 

Here's what I did to it tonight:
I undercooked the noodles since Jaime thought they were too mushy.  We thought they were good, but next time I will probably under cook them even a little more.  I substituted ricotta for the cottage cheese because there was a ZERO percent chance that I'd get Brian to eat cottage cheese.  :)  I also used half of the amount of ground turkey, ricotta and sour cream.  I also added 1/4 c of orange puree (sweet potatoes and carrots) and about 2 tbsp Italian seasoning (both mixed with the tomato sauce).  And since Jaime suggested that it needed some "crunch" on top, the only thing I could think of that was along the lines of the Italian theme, I tried crushed croutons on mine.  It was good, but I don't think it needs that every time, but good for added texture. 

Here's what I'll do next time:
8 oz cooked noodles (undercooked!!)
1/2 lb cooked ground turkey
1/4 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 c orange puree 
1/2 c light sour cream
1/2 c low fat ricotta
1 c low fat mozzarella
Prepare as directed...but I'll bake this in the oven instead. 

Thanks for sharing this one Jaime.  We'll definitely make this again!  And PS...Chloe LOVED this!! 

Taco Soup

Look at that!  That is one big bowl of soup; three ladel fulls in fact.  And that entire bowl was only 5 points.  No shock here, but it would be even better with sour cream, a little cheese, fresh diced tomatoes, and crushed chips on top.  : )

Taco Soup:
1 lb ground beef (I only used 1/2 lb of ground turkey to lower the points though)
1 medium onion, diced
3 cans beans, undrained (I only used 2 to cut down points, but 3 would be great!)
16 oz corn, undrained
15 oz tomato sauce (I totally forgot to add this!)
15 oz diced tomato
1 1/2 c water
1 package taco seasoning mix (I only used 3/4 since I cut down on the meat)
1 package ranch-style dressing mix (Again, I only used 3/4 since I cut down on the meat)

In a large pot, brown beef with onions.  Drain.  Stir in rest of the ingredients.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  (I let mine simmer for about 30)

With the added toppings that I suggested at the top, I would give this 5 stars.  I got 5 servings out of this pot of soup, each serving had 3 large ladel fulls of soup.  Yum!

Yep, another Mexican recipe (Enchiladas)

This is a recipe that I created myself.  Don't get excited, I just took taco meat and doctored it up a bit.  I came up with this one day when I was trying to sneak some extra things into the meat, and I figured if I served it as taco's they'd notice.  However, if I roll it up, and cover it in enchilada sauce, I could probably get away with it...and I did. 
I'll post the recipe as I would make it, but it is very versitile.  You don't have picante sauce, use salsa.  Prefer white rice over brown?  No problem. 

Tracy's Enchilada's (makes 12, or freeze 1/2 for two separate meals)
1 lb ground beef/turkey
1/2 small onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 c cooked brown rice (we add a little chili powder to ours)
1/2 c refried beans
1/2 c water
1/3 c picante sauce
1/4 c purple puree (mix of spinach and blueberries) optional
1 c shredded cheese (I've used cheddar, mozzarella, mexi-blend, whatever we have)
12 flour tortilla shells (corn shells break and don't hold up well)
1-2 cans enchilada sauce (we used mild red sauce)

In a skillet cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink.  Break up pieces to crumble.  Add purple puree and taco seasoning and cook according to package directions.  When taco meat is ready add refried beans and a little water.  The water dilutes the refried beans so my family doesn't notice the texture or taste of them as much.  If you like refried beans, you might not need the water (or as much of it).
Add picante sauce, cooked brown rice and `/4 c cheese.  Stir and combine all ingredients.
Place tortilla shells in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to soften. 
Top each tortilla with 1/8 c cheese and meat mixture.  Roll up and place in an 8x8 pan (if making 6) or a 9x13 pan (if making 12).
If you are making these ahead of time, cover with foil and place in the fridge until ready to bake.
When ready to cook, cover with 1-2 cans of enchilada sauce (we prefer about 1 1/2 cans, but a lot of times I'll just use one) and additional cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.  (I often will broil for a minute to speed up this process).

Brian eats these as is, I like to top mine with fresh tomatoes, sour cream and olives. 
We love these and both give it 4 stars.  I think this is too spicy for Allison, so we save some meat and just put in a shell for her.  She's kind of eating the same thing then. 

Points for this would really depend on your ingredients: for us it's 21 points total for the meat, onion, taco seasoning, brown rice, refried beans, purple puree and enchilada sauce.  Divide that by 12 and it's just under 2 points per serving.  I used ff cheese this time and our shells were 3 pts each so our dinner was 6.5 per enchilada.  A lot of times I only eat 1 1/2, which isn't too bad for a dinner.   

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

Mmmmm....doesn't that look good?  I got this recipe from WW 5 ingredient 15 minute cookbook.  Of course as usual, I changed it just a little.  Can I leave any recipe as is???  I also made the meat mixture over the weekend, so I just had to unroll the dough top it with the meat and pop it into the oven when I got home from work. Dinner was ready in 20 minutes. 

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole
1 lb ground beef or turkey
15 oz can chunky Italian style tomato sauce
10 oz can refrigerated pizza crust dough (ours was 13 oz)
1 c preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used 1/2 c fat free and 1/2 c low fat)
17 pieces turkey pepperoni chopped into small pieces (so it incorporates into the whole thing)
1/4 c orange puree (optional)
Any other pizza toppings you like, olives, peppers, etc.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cook meat in a non-stick skillet until browned and crumbled.  Add tomato sauce, orange puree, and pepperoni.  Cook until heated through.
Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.  Unroll pizza dough and press into bottom and halfway up the sides of baking dish.  Top bottom of pizza crust with meat mixture.  Add cheese.
Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 12 - 18 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is melted.  Cook 5 minutes before serving. 

Brian and I both gave this 4 stars.  We cut this into 8 pieces and each piece is 5.5 points.  I personally thinks this is too much meat, but I'm not the best person to listen to regarding that!  Next time I will probably only use 3/4 lb meat, which would also drop the points just a bit. 

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

So Tracy, if you make this...you will need chips or crackers crumbled on top :) Because after my first few bites that's what I totally thought! Curt gave it 3 and I was feeling 3.5 because it was cheesy and I love my cheese! I think the problem I'm finding with my slow cooker is it makes the noodles too mushy...so it's too soft. Are you girls finding that?

8 oz SmartWise penne noodles, cooked and drained

1 lb ground turkey (extra lean), cooked and drained

1/4 tsp garlic salt

2 cans tomato sauce

pepper to taste

1 cup light sour cream

1 cup light cottage cheese

reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese to top for your liking

This was before it was all mixed up and cheese sprinkled on top.

(sorry for the blurry pic)

Combine meat, garlic salt, tomato sauce and pepper in a bowl. Combine sour cream and cottage cheese in a separate bowl. Layer half of noodles, sour cream mixture, and meat mixture in 3 quart slow cooker. Repeat. Cook on low for 3 hours. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

1 cup = 6.5 points

There were about 6 cups all together in the pot.