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.

Mmm....Lightly breaded eggplant

Except for that one piece in the middle, doesn't that look delicious?!?!  Mmmm, I'm getting hungry just looking at that.  I have been roasting every vegetable possible.  And I've learned that roasted eggplant is NOT good.  It is mushy and can burn easily if not watched.  HOWEVER...if you add some panko bread crumbs it "crisps" up wonderfully.  And the hardest part of this recipe, is cutting the eggplant into thin slices.  And I'm proud to say I came up with this one on my own.  I know, how hard can it be w/three ingredients, but still!

1 medium eggplant

1 c panko bread crumbs

2-3 egg whites, whisked lightly

Slice eggplant into slices about 1/4 inch thick (personally try not to slice it bigger than your pinkie).  Dip eggplant into eggwhites, then into the panko bread crumbs. Lay eggplant in a single layer on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.  Cook 375 degree oven for approx. 20 minutes, turning half way though.  Serve with spaghetti sauce.

Grilled Flank Steak

Grilled Flank Steak (next time I'll get a picture!)
1 large flank steak
Salt and pepper to taste

Marinade:
1/2 c reduced sodium soy sauce
4 cloves minced garlic
1 T. hot sauce (we omitted)

Put the steak in a large ziplock and add the marinade ingredients.  Marinate for at least 12 hours, preferably longer (We only did it for 6 and it was fine.  Although we will marinate longer next time.)
When the steak is done marinating, sprinkle w/salt and pepper.

Grill for 5-7 min on each side.  When the steak is done, wrap it tightly in foil and let it sit for 10 minutes.  Cut into thin strips before serving.

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. 

Rosted Veggies

There are 3 reasons I haven't been posting much:
1. We are trying to save money and use up things we have in our freezer (recipes already posted)
2.  With school ending soon I just don't have the time to take pictures and post new recipes.
3.  I started South Beach this past weekend and not all recipes are WW friendly. 

However, I did roast some veggies the last few night and I am LOVING it, so I thought I'd share.  Sorry no picture this time!  Maybe I'll take one tonight.

In a ziplock bag toss in any cut up veggies (see below for suggestions).  Add a splash of olive oil.  Shake the bag to combine.  Spray a cookie sheet w/non stick spray and spread out the veggies so it forms a single layer.  Bake for 25 min at 400 degrees.  (turn veggies once during cooking, or just shake the pan a few times like I do!)  Add a little salt and/or pepper for seasoning and you're done.  I'm getting hungry just thinking of this for dinner tonight.

Here are some of the veggies I've tried roasting so far:
broccoli
cauliflower
baby zucchini
yellow squash
asparagus
canned artichoke hearts
grape or cherry tomatoes
jicima
peppers

Easy grilled pork tenderloin

I swear I've been cooking at home.  We have been trying to save money so I've been pulling things out of the freezer though lately and not making a lot of new meals.  Yesterday I made a pork tenderloin on the grill.  I will admit pork is probably my least favorite meat but it was super easy, and VERY tender.  I will definitely make this again, although I might grill mine just a little longer b/c I like my meat dark.  (Don't do it though if you want it to be moist and tender!)

I found this recipe on the blog: http://thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/  It's a new blog I came across recently and will admit, I LOVE a lot of the recipes she posts.  This pork recipe apparently came from WW and is 171 calories for 3 oz meat.  We all loved this one! 
Grilled Pork Medallions

by Weight Watchers


1 (1 1/4 lb) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano (I use 1 teaspoon dried oregano when I don't have fresh oregano)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Prepare grill.
2. Cut pork crosswise into 1/4 inch thick diagonal slices.
3. Combine olive oil and next 5 ingredients, rub over pork, coating well.
4. Grill pork 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until done. Serve immediately. Don't overcook.

Stove Top Chicken Bake

A while ago I got this recipe from Kraft Recipes: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/stove-top-one-dish-chicken-57497.aspx.  I made it for my family and we weren't in love with it, so I remade it last week (sorry for the slow response to post!) a little made-over.  We liked it a little more, not 100% in love with it, however Chloe ate it for several meals afterwards. 

My recipe is as follows:
1 2/3 cups hot water
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup (I used healthy request)
1/3 cup Sour Cream (not packed)
1 c frozen corn
Pepper to taste

Place chicken in an 8x8 pan.  Mix together cream of chicken soup, sour cream, pepper and frozen corn.  Layer on top of chicken.  Add hot water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Pour on top of soup mixture. 
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done.  I liked this...didn't love it, but I liked it.  I would have liked it more if I would have cut my chicken smaller though!  You want BITE size pieces!  Brian claimed there was too much corn...whatever, it's the ONLY vegetable he'll eat.  Live with it dude!  I did enjoy this better this time around than the original recipe.

I cannot find my recipe anywhere (nor can I find where I wrote down the points!) so I THINK this was 6 points for 1/4 of the pan.  Double check your math though just to be sure!

"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.

Breaded Chicken Strips (a little healthier)

I am almost positive I got this recipe out of TOH cooking for 2 magazine.  I put a little bit of the sneaky chef's recipe in this too, since I baked these according to her directions and also added some orange puree. 
1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c flour
1/4 c 2% milk (I used skim)
2 tbsp beaten egg (I used 1 egg...I was not going to measure this out!)
2 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch strips (I used 3 and had just enough bread crumb mixture for this)
1/8 c orange puree (optional)
1/4 c canola oil (if frying...I omitted since I baked ours)


In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 5 ingredients. 
Place flour in a shallow bowl.  In another shallow bowl, whisk milk, egg and orange puree.
Coat chicken strips in flour.  Then dip in egg mixture.  Then put in the ziplock bag. 
Seal and shake to coat.
If frying: In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear.  Drain on paper towels.
If baking: Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Turn each chicken tender over and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes. 


So you're going to need to figure the points out for this yourself because I am not counting many points for the egg, milk or flour.  I figure each chicken tender doesn't have enough to really try to figure out how much each one is coated with, so I'm guesstimating here!  We counted 3 chicken tenders (which is also 1 chicken breast) to be 6 points.  Personally, I think that's being generous since the bread crumb mixture was 6 points TOTAL, the skim milk was not even 1/2 point, and how much egg and flour really got on each piece?!  But whatever, I'd rather be too high than too low. 

We loved this.  Allison and Brian gave it 5 stars (actually Allison gave it a 3, but she asked for more twice and said I was a good cook, so that's a 5 in my book!).  Seriously I LOVE it when Brian gives something a 5 and he doesn't know there is something healthy in it!