Green Bean Cassorole

Who doesn't like green bean cassorole?

 

I made a few tweaks to the standard recipe which I think make it irresistable!

• I saute mushrooms and onions to add to the soup mixture
• I add toasted slivered almonds to the topping for extra crunch and texture

Here's the recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

1 TBS olive oil
1 pkg fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion chopped
2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans CAMPBELL'S® Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 (9 oz. each) pkgs. frozen cut green beans, thawed*
2 cups FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
1/2 cup slivered almonds

*You may substitute 2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) cut green beans, drained or 4 cups fresh, cooked cut green beans.

 

Directions:

1. In a dry skillet, carefully toast slivered almonds over medium-low heat.  After they are fragrant and slightly toasted remove from heat and set aside.
2. Add olive oil to skillet and saute mushrooms and onions until onions start to brown.  Turn off heat.
3. Add soup, milk and pepper to skillet and stir to combine.  Stir in beans and 1 cup French Fried Onions. 
4. Put mixture into a 1 1/2 qt baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until hot. 
5. Stir and add 1 cup onions and slivered onions on top. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

Skillet Lasagna

This is a favorite of mine.  Who has time to make traditional lasagna?  Most of this recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, my favorite cooking show.  I have tweaked it a bit and tried to make it more healthy-if there is such a way to make lasagna healthy!

Skillet Lasagna

Ingredients
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 8 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (10)
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon oregano* or 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon basil*
• 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)


Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles. Cover the skillet and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes.


Directions

1. Pour the tomatoes with their juice into a quart measuring cup. Add enough water to the tomatoes to measure 4 cups.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, oregano, basil (or Italian seasoning) and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the noodle pieces evenly over the meat. Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the pasta. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. (The sauce should look watery after 15 minutes of cooking. If dry, add up to 1/4 cup additional water to loosen the sauce.).
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles. Cover the skillet and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes.

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients


• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can green beans
• 1 package frozen tater tots
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


Directions


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.


2. Preheat skillet with olive oil and add onion. Cook until softened (about 8 min). Add ground turkey and brown. Season turkey with salt and pepper to taste.


3. Turn off heat and add soup and green beans and stir to combine. Add mixture to baking dish.


4. Layer tater tots on top, covering entire top with tots. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 min or until tater tots are golden brown.


5. Sprinkle cheese on top of browned tater tots and put back into oven until cheese is melted.

Chicken Fajitas

This one is for Janeece.

Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients


Seasoning Mix
3 Tbsp Corn Starch
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½- ¼ tsp Cayenne (depending on how much heat you like) 
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

 Fajitas
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion
1 green or red bell pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
8 flour tortillas
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Salsa



Directions


Mix seasoning mix together in a large bowl. Cut up onion and bell pepper into strips. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to skillet and heat pan on medium high heat until oil starts to smoke. Add onion and bell pepper to skillet and cook until tender (about 8 min).


While onion and bell pepper are cooking, pat chicken dry with paper towels and then cut chicken into ½ inch strips. Add chicken to seasoning mix bowl and stir to coat.


Remove onion and bell pepper from skillet and set aside. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to skillet and heat pan on medium high heat until oil starts to smoke. Add chicken to pan and cook until chicken is starting to brown and cooked through (about 5 min). Add onion and bell pepper back to pan and turn off heat.


Warm tortillas in microwave for about 30 sec. Serve with cheese, sour cream and salsa.

Refried Beans

I found a recipe that I liked for refried beans.  I modified it a little.  This is super easy and low in fat.

Refried Beans

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
• salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the beans and chicken broth and cook until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Mash the beans coarsely with the back of a wooden spoon, adding more chicken broth to moisten, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Healthy Turkey & Three Bean Chili

Healthy Turkey & Three Bean Chili

Ingredients:


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, diced (2 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
3 celery stocks, diced (1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 pounds extra-lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
1-3 (depending on how much you like heat) chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed




Directions:


Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery and carrots. Cook until vegetables start to soften. Add the ground turkey; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the cumin, chili powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the beans and simmer for 20 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Healthy Asian Wrap

Healthy Asian Wrap

Ingredients:

4 teriyaki chicken breasts (precooked), warmed and thinly sliced

2 cups cooked brown rice

3 tbs Yoshida’s Sauce (soy sauce with sugar, found in the Asian aisle)

2 cups frozen stir fry vegetables

1 can mandarin oranges

3 green onions

4 whole grain tortillas

Instructions:

1. Cook the brown rice according to directions.  I used instant brown rice and it only takes 90 sec in the microwave.
2. Add the Yoshida’s sauce to the brown rice and mix in.  Add the can of drained mandarin oranges to the rice.  Chop up the green onions and add to the rice.
3. Stir fry the vegetables with a couple of tablespoons oil.  They should take about 8 min  to cook.
4. Warm the chicken breasts in the microwave and thinly slice.
5. Put a tortilla in the microwave for 20 sec.  Then fill with rice, vegetables and chicken breast.  Roll up like a burrito.