Chicken Alfredo Casserole!

Chicken Alfredo Casserole! DELICIOUS!!!

Weight Watchers Points 15
Serves 6

2 dry cups pasta (shells or elbow macaroni are really good for this recipe)
1 15-16 oz jar of a GOOD Alfredo sauce
1-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chunked
1/2 cup chicken broth
5 oz shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (one 8 oz bag)
1-1/2 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
(you can also add stuff in - like mushrooms, or broccoli!)

Preheat oven to 350*
Prepare pasta according to package directions
In medium bowl, combine pasta, Alfredo sauce, cooked chicken, chicken broth, garlic, salt and pepper, shredded Parmesan cheese and mix well
Grease 9x13 baking dish
Pour chicken mixture into baking dish
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes

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BLT Macaroni Salad

BLT Macaroni Salad -

This cold salad is the best I have ever made. It will fly right off of the table. This is perfect to take to parties or get-togethers.. You will love this..


1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups elbow macaroni, cooked
1/2 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
3 cups lettuce, shredded
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients; mix well.
2. Add the macaroni, tomato and onions; toss to coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Just before serving, add lettuce and bacon; toss to coat

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Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake

Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake

2 cups pasta (dry measure - will be more cooked), cooked al dente
2 lbs chicken, cooked (approximately)
1 lb bacon
1 onion, diced and lightly sautéed
2 sweet peppers, color of your choice
2 jars of spaghetti sauce
Lots of cheese for on top - you choose!

This is a great way to use leftover chicken, or a precooked if you are in a rush!

Combine al dente pasta (it will cook more in the oven so don't overcook it), cooked chicken in bite size pieces, crumbled bacon, sweet peppers diced, and spaghetti sauce in a 13 x 9 casserole dish (I mixed it in the pasta pot after draining then put it in the casserole dish). Top with cheese (I used Mozzarella but Sharp Cheddar or a mix with Parmesan or just about any other cheese would also be great!) and bake at 325 F for 45 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.

This is a great basic recipe that is really good as is, or perfect for customizing to what you have or what you like. If you are low carb, use spaghetti squash. Don't have peppers, use peas or asparagus or broccoli - what's on hand. Leaving out the bacon would still be good, and if you are vegetarian use Portobello mushrooms instead of the chicken. Throw in some hot peppers or more herbs to flavor it the way your family likes.

If it won't all fit in the 13 x 9 you can freeze some for later!

as seen on and copied from facebook :)


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Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

Caprese Lasagna Roll-Ups

Ingredients
8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
14 oz freshly shredded, low-moisture part skim Mozzarella cheese, divided 3/4 cup Ricotta cheese
1 large egg white
1/3 cup freshly, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/4 oz)
freshly ground black pepper
3 - 4 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/6 inch thick slices)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 cup marinara sauce, recipe follows

Simple Marinara Sauce
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package to al dente. Drain pasta (DO NOT rinse with water) and align lasagna noodles in a single layer on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper.
For filling, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Mix in 12 oz. of the Mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper to taste (I wouldn't recommend seasoning with salt just because the cheeses already have plenty of salt).
Place 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. Align 4 thin tomato slices over cheese mixture then sprinkle fresh basil over top. Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end. Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Align lasagna roll ups, seam side down in dish. Top each roll up with about 2 Tbsp of the pasta sauce (covering edges of pasta so they don't dry out while baking). Sprinkle top with remaining 2 oz. shredded Mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Remove from oven, plate pasta and garnish with plenty of basil ribbons. Serve warm.

Simple Marinara Sauce
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions to hot oil and sauté about 3 minutes until soft, adding garlic during last minute of sautéing. Pour in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow sauce to cook for about 25 - 30 minutes (which will allow some of the water in crushed tomatoes to evaporate) while you prepare pasta and lasagna filling (you can freeze or refrigerate left over sauce in a small airtight container for later use, adding fresh basil if desired).
Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

 

 

 

 

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Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
 

Ingredients

1 Box Spiral Pasta (uncooked but rinsed)- use whole wheat noodles to be even more healthy.
1 pound lean ground turkey 1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup pepperoni
1/2 can of olives
16 ounces pizza sauce or pasta sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cup shredded low fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

Spray crockpot with non-stick spray In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground turkey with the onion, garlic and green bell pepper. Drain excess fat. Rinse pasta and place in the crock-pot with drained ground beef mix. Stir in olives and pepperoni. Pour Pasta sauce and 1/2 cup water over noodle mix. Stir again and make sure it is mixed well. Top with shredded Mozzarella. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours (no peeking).


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Mexican Stuffed Shells

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Yield: 16 shells
Ingredients

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
16 jumbo pasta shells
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese
 
For toppings:
3 green onions
Sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a pan brown the ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Stir together and mix well. Set aside and cool completely.
While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to package directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board or baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
Pour salsa on bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Evenly cover shells with taco sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes with the foil removed. Top with green onions or olives if desired. Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

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Zucchini Noodles aka: Zoodles

Zucchini Noodles aka: Zoodles 

1. Find 1 large zucchini that is enough for 1 serving. 2. With a Julienne peeler, peel your zucchini skin and all. 
3. Put all of of your Zoodles in a colander and sprinkle with some salt.  Mix the salt all around the Zoodles and let them sit for a few minutes, 10-15 minutes will do.  This will get all of the extra moisture out of the zucchini.  Make sure to drain when you are ready to cook them. 
4. With a tablespoon or so of Olive Oil, cook your Zoodles for a few minutes until they are soft and tender.  Usually around 5 minutes is what I find to be best. 

5. Enjoy! 

About the Author: Reesa Lewandowski is the voice behind Momma Lew’s Blog.  A stay-at-home-mom of 2 preschoolers, she strives to serve healthy meals to her family.  Reesa has been blogging for over 3 years and hopes to provide information to her peers to make life easier for everyone! 

Tomato Basil Pasta

Tomato Basil Pasta

Posted by Debbie at http://www.apronstringsblog.com/one-pot-wonder-tomato-basil-pasta-recipe/

Throw it all in the pot, INCLUDING the uncooked Pasta, and cook! - Bring it to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. The starch leaches out of the pasta and makes a rich, warm sauce for the noodles. The other ingredients cook right along with the pasta 

Ingredients

12 ounces pasta (I used Linguine)
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid ( I used zesty red pepper flavor)
1 large sweet onion cut in julienne strips
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2-teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 large sprigs basil, chopped
4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (regular broth and NOT low sodium)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions

Place pasta, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, in a large stockpot. Pour in vegetable broth. Sprinkle on top the pepper flakes and oregano. Drizzle top with oil.

Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and keep covered and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated – I left about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot – but you can reduce as desired.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, stirring pasta several times to distribute the liquid in the bottom of the pot. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese. 

as found on and copied from facebook :)