Healthy Lasagna Roll Ups

Healthy Lasagna Roll Ups, only 7 WW Smart Points per roll! 

The name says it all: HEALTHY Lasagna Roll Ups. Like the enchilada bake I blogged about recently (see HERE ) I had to figure out a way to eat lasagna and stay on track. My health and weight have been my number one priority for over a year now, and honestly, how many boneless, skinless chicken breasts can you eat, no matter how many different ways your prepare them?

These roll ups can be a little tricky to assemble, so I've included lots of photos to make it as easy as I can for you. They come in at only 7 Smart Points per roll, if you are a Weight Watcher like I am. Even if you are not, these things are TASTY! No need for the delicious full fat version (Here's mine) especially if it's not a special occasion, And while these are a little bit labor intensive, you could easily make them early in the day, or even the day before and bake them off right before dinner. I am sure you could even double wrap them -- first in plastic wrap and then in foil-- and freeze them for a week or two and they would be great.

I see more roll ups in my future, I am already envisioning a spinach and mushroom filled one with a creamy sauce on top -- maybe a little chicken sausage added in? I'd LOVE to hear your ideas, so leave me a comment, if you have one!

This would make a super dish for a crowd -- automatic portion control -- and I promise that your family will love it -- at least my boys would have when they were younger.

Try this, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Lasagna Roll Ups
Makes 8 rolls

8 dry lasagna noodles
1  1/2 cup + aprrox. 2 Tablespoons marinara sauce with meat **see cooks note
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup Kraft Parmesan (yes, in the green can)
1/4 cup Parmigiana Reggiano cheese (splurge for a little of the good stuff)
1/4 cup original Egg Beaters
1/2 cup shredded part skim Mozzarella cheese, divided use
pinch of garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the lasagna noodles until they are just done, using the cooking time at the lower end of what the package recommends. You want them to be al dente or to the tooth, with a little bite still remaining. Drain them and rinse briefly with cold water so they don't stick together and they are cool enough to handle.

While the noodles are cooking, in a medium mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, Egg Beaters, Kraft Parmesan and the oregano and garlic powder.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray an 11" X 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish. I had to add 2 Tablespoons of water to it -- my sauce is thick - so that the bottom of the dish is lightly coated with sauce.

Prepared Baking Dish

On a clean surface, lay out the noodles on a clean work surface. I used my cutting board, doing 3 noodles at a time. Place about 1 T. of the ricotta mixture at the top of the noodle, and using a spoon spread it down the length of the noodle, about 3/4 of the way --almost but not quite to the end--as shown:

Noodles spread with ricotta mixture

Place about 1 tablespoon of marinara on top of the cheese and spread it carefully about 2/3 of the way down the top of the cheese.

Marinara spread over the ricotta, about 2/3 of the way down.

On top of that, add 1 tsp.+ or - of the shredded mozzarella on the marinara. Keep it mostly toward the top half of the noodle, like this:

Mozzarella over the sauce. 

Roll the noodles up, starting with the heavy end, and place them seam side down in your prepared baking dish. Don't roll them too tightly, you don't want to lose the any of the filling by squeezing it out the sides!

All rolled up and almost ready for the oven! 

Drizzle the remaining marinara sauce over the rolls and spread it gently with a spoon so the rolls are mostly covered. Sprinkle the top with half of the Parmigiana Reggiano. Add 1 T. of water to each of the long sides of the baking dish, not on top of the rolls. This will help keep the dish from drying out. Mix remaining Parm and Mozzarella together and set aside in the refrigerator to use at the end of the cooking process.





Cover the baking dish tightly with foil (or a top if your baking dish has one). Bake the roll ups for 30 minutes until they are hot and bubbly. Remove dish from the oven and sprinkle on the remaining cheese mixture. Return to oven for 5-8 minutes until the cheese melts. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving so the dish can come together.

Enjoy! 

Lasagna Roll Ups -- Ready to EAT! YUM! 

 ** I used my own homemade Meat Sauce, made with 93% lean ground meat. I used the guideline in the WW app, and the 1 1/2 cups came out at 19 points total. You may have to add more points or be able to lessen the point total by using another sauce or omitting the meat. Just be sure to check your points. I added 2 Tablespoons of water to the sauce at the end when I drizzled the remaining sauce on top of the prepared roll ups because my sauce is very thick.

Drunken Weenies -- A "Spirited" Appetizer!

Whenever we have more than a few folks over, my husband always asks that I make "Drunken Wienies". What the heck are those you may ask? You've definitely had them, or something really similar: They are simply cocktail franks (or wieners) -- or  little hot dogs -- or mini-sausages -- in a savory sauce. There are a couple of things that might be a little different about the way I do it. One  is that I add bourbon to the sauce mixture. Hence the name, Drunken Wienies.  I also add some hot sauce and, at the insistence of my husband, cayenne pepper. If you don't like things real spicy, omit the cayenne pepper. The hot sauce adds good flavor and just a touch of heat.

Since the festive season is almost upon us and tailgate season is in full swing, I thought I'd share this super simple, tasty appetizer. This also has the advantage of being fairly budget friendly. They also reheat perfectly, so absolutely make them ahead and save some time the day of the gathering.

Hey, don't turn your nose up, I know it's not "foodie chic", but I guarantee, it will be a favorite at your next gathering, especially if you've got a bunch of hungry men in the group!

Drunken Wienies
For 20 -25 people -- Appetizer Serving

2 pkg Hillshire Farms "Lil' Smokies" or Cocktail Wieners (about 70 pieces)
1/2 c. grape jelly

1/2 c. Heinz chili sauce    
1/4 c. Bourbon     
1 T. KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce        
2 T. Texas Pete Hot Sauce
1/8 - 1/4  tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

First, make the sauce: In a medium sized sauce pan, melt the grape jelly with the chili sauce, bourbon, barbecue sauce and hot sauce. Make sure the grape jelly has completely melted before you add the wieners. 
Next, add the cayenne pepper, if using, and the mini-wienies. Cook for 20 minutes or until the wieners are hot.  

Serve it immediately. Or you can put it into a small dish to reheat later. Or you can place it into a small sized crock pot over low heat. 

This is easily doubled or tripled for a large crowd. 

Plan to have about 3 wienies per person, more if there are a lot of men in the group.

Sing the "Men" song now. That's what my guys do. 

Creamy Hot Crab DIp

Creamy Crab Dip on Crackers

                                       
OK, this is a "treat" kind of recipe, I know. However, my husband recently had a birthday and I'd saved some crab meat in the freezer from when we'd picked crabs back in July. So it was a given that I make the King some Crab Dip! I can tell you, picking crabs to save the meat is a true labor of love. I had to pick 12 crabs to get 1/2 pound of clean crab meat! We'd picked all the "big" ones while we were eating them, so I was left with the ones that everyone picks up, experimentally weighs by lifting them over the pile and then drops them back on the pile while they search out another heavier one. If you've never had or picked Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs read all about it in my post here from Father's Day 2012.

This crab dip has more than great taste for us, it also holds great memories. I catered our wedding myself (yes I know that is crazy, but I was on a budget) and crab dip featured hugely in the spread we set out. In addition, it's made an appearance at every Christmas party we've ever had, and we've had a few. It's not quite as ubiquitous as my husbands famous Shrimp Dip, but almost. (That shrimp dip is a story for another blog, another time.) Let me also say that the recipe you see here is much lighter than the original one, which included an entire stick of butter, as well as whole fat sour cream and cream cheese. I honestly don't miss the additional fat, it still tastes creamy and rich to me.

Enough talk, here it is, in all it's glory. Fabulous, creamy Crab Dip. I've written the recipe for a whole pound but it's easily halved or doubled. If the picture doesn't look like it's much, it's because I've halved it. I must say, that this recipe will make a little bit of crab meat go a LONG way!

Crab dip saute'ed with butter

Creamy Crab Dip 
1 pound crab meat, picked clean
1 tsp. finely minced garlic
5 T. salted butter
1 T. lemon juice             
1 dash Worcestershire sauce                
8 oz. light cream cheese
8 oz. light sour cream
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 T. dry sherry
1 cup grated Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Have your butter and cream cheese at room temperature. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat and add minced garlic. Saute' the garlic for a few minutes until it begins to soften (not brown!) and add the creab meat, folding it into the butter/garlic mixture until completely combined. Add the lemon juice and stir it in. Next fold in the softened cream cheese. I find it easier to do if you score the block into smaller squares so that they incorporate more evenly. 

Add the cream cheese and stir until the crab and cream cheese are totally mixed together.

Now stir in the sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and dry sherry, making sure that all ingredients are well combined. Regarding the cayenne, 1/4 tsp will make the dip mildly hot, 1/2 tsp will give it just a little kick. If you don't like things hot at all you can sub Old Bay Seasoning or plain paprika. 

Dry Sherry, be SURE to buy DRY Sherry! 

Lastly, fold in most of the cheddar, saving a little to sprinkle on top. Transfer the dip into a baking dish that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray. OR if you plan to make this for a big group, and need to keep the dip hot for a longer time,  put the dip into the serving vessel of your chafing dish. That's the way I serve this special dish when I am having a lot of different appetizers for a holiday party (or a wedding reception!). Sprinkle the reserved cheddar over the top of the crab. At this point, you can bake it immediately for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or refrigerate it (covered) for up to two days and then bake it when you  need it (be sure to bring it to room temperature by setting the casserole out on the counter for at least 20 minutes before putting into a hot over.)

Hot baked Crab Dip! 

Serve with assorted crackers or toast points.We like a combination of crackers, like Triscuits, Club and Whole Wheat. Toast points are good as well, but a little more trouble. No matter how you do it, it's delicious! 

Makes at least 10 appetizer servings. Now, go and find something to celebrate! 

CELEBRATE!

Crab Cannelloni with Roasted Garlic Shrimp

A few years ago, on the way home from a trip to the river, we stopped and bought several pounds of fresh crabmeat. We ate one of them, I am thinking I made crab cakes, but we froze 2 more pounds for the holiday season. I love to make hot crab dip when I entertain, and the price of crab goes up astronomically around the holidays here in VA. I'd also planned a luncheon for a group of ladies. I was looking for something to make a pound of crab meat feed a lot of people when I came across Giada's recipe for Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni on the Food Network website, so I made that. It was a HUGE hit, but I knew I could put my own spin on it and make it more my own. I've made it twice more, changing a few things up, and the last batch hit the nail on the head, flavor wise, at least for our family. This recipe makes 12 - 14 filled cannelloni shells, so it will feed 6 - 12 people, depending on what else you are having with it. One cannelloni for lunch is quite enough, it's a pretty rich recipe. For dinner I'd count 1 1/2 to 2 per person.  

A special thanks to my sweet cousin from across the country who took these pictures! It was great having you here! 

Crab Cannelloni with Roasted Garlic Shrimp

Crab Cannelloni with Roasted Garlic Shrimp

1 package cannelloni or manicotti pasta tubes ( 12 - 14 pieces )

1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked over for shells

1 c. low fat ricotta cheese

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl

1 c. grated parmesan, divided use

1/4 c. fresh basil, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

White sauce, recipe follows

Roasted Garlic Shrimp, recipe follows.

Butter a 13' X 9" baking dish. 

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the crab, eggs, ricotta,  3/4 c. parmesan, Old Bay, salt, pepper and basil. Mix gently until just combined, being careful not to break up the crab too much. Fill each cannelloni shell with the crab mixture. Place them in the baking dish. Cover with the white sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 c. parmesan cheese. At this point you may bake the casserole or cover it and hold it for up to 2 days. To bake, bring it to room temperature and bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes until the edges are bubbly and starting to brown slightly. Remove from oven and add the roasted shrimp on top. 

White Sauce for Cannelloni

5 T. butter

1/4 c. all purpose flour

3.5 cups 1% milk, warmed up a little in the microwave

1/2 c. dry white wine or champagne (I used Korbel Brut Sparkling wine)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until it is completely incorporated into the butter. Add the milk, stirring constantly. After a few minutes, add the wine, salt and pepper. Continue to warm the sauce, stirring so that no lumps form. It will begin to bubble around the edges. Turn the heat down to low and add the nutmeg. The sauce will thicken quickly, but you don't want to let it get to a full rolling boil. When it gets thick and easily coats the back of a spoon, turn it off and cover it until you need to use it. 

Roasted Garlic Shrimp

24 large or extra large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 T. olive oil

2 cloves minced garlic

Mix the above ingredients together and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place the shrimp into the oven for the last 8 minutes you are cooking the crab cannelloni. The shrimp are done when they are opaque. Remove both dishes from the oven and arrange the shrimp on top of  the crab dish. 

I also made a yummy green salad, with fresh strawberries and blueberries, red onion, toasted pine nuts and feta cheese, lightly dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was yummy! Nothing like fresh berries when they are in season!! 

Twice Baked Potatoes

I've made this recipe over and over throughout the years. Making twice baked potatoes is easy, but a little time consuming. If you you like to cook, like I do, you won't mind the effort it takes to hollow out the potatoes and then stuff the goodies back in. If you love to eat but don't love to cook, you can always mash up the potatoes with the good stuff and then plop it into a casserole dish. I must say, however, that the stuffed potatoes are much prettier and it's kind of fun to have your very own twice baked potato on your plate!
To make these potatoes, pick large, smooth baking potatoes and scrub them well, nice and clean. Bake them in your microwave until they are just done, not shriveled and overcooked. Let them cool for a little while on the counter, until you can handle them easily. Slice off the top third of the potato and begin to gently remove the white potato flesh, leaving a quarter inch of shell with the skin. I think a small teaspoon works best for this operation. Take out little bits at a time, being careful to keep the potato shell intact. If you scrape too close to the skin, the potato will collapse, at which point you will have a potato casserole, as mentioned above!
After you have removed all of the potato and put it into a bowl, add in the good stuff:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
For 2 large potatoes, add 1/3 c. light sour cream, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, 1/3 c. grated cheddar cheese, 1 tsp. melted butter and 1 tsp. minced chives.
Mash everything together, using a hand mixer or an old fashioned potato masher. Be sure to combine everything so that there are no big lumps of potato. You may need to add another T. or so of sour cream, if the mixture seems dry, but you do want it to be thick.
Then, carefully and gently, spoon the potato mixture back into the potato shells. Press it gently into each end first, and then fill 'er up, mounding up over the top of the potato shell. Sprinkle on a little more cheddar cheese, if you wnat to, pressing so that it adheres to the mounded top and sprinkle with paprika, totally optional. My potatoes seemed cheesey enough to me when I made the ones shown below, so I skipped the extra cheddar and just added paprika. Put the potatoes into a baking dish or onto a cookie sheet. I like to use a dish, so that I can be sure that they stand up and won't tip over. Bake them for 30 minutes.

Twice baked potatoes, ready for the oven

If you want to make these for a big group, you can easily make them ahead of time and refirgerate or freeze them. To freeze, put them onto a cookie sheet and place them into the freezer to get hard without adding the final cheese and paprika on top. After they are individually frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and they will keep beautifully for about a month, or even a little longer. When you want to use them, put them on the counter to thaw for about an hour, then top them and bake as directed.

Here are Two Chili's to try: Mom's Chili and White Bean Chicken Chili

Everyone has a favorite chili recipe, possibly one that has been passed along through their family, or that they created on their own. Today, I bring you TWO great chili recipes, each one completely different from the other. The first one, Mom's Chili, is my own, that came to me from memories of my mom's chili, and from my Aunt Cissy, a wonderful cook, who always had a pot of chili on the back burner for hungry kids and teenagers.

The second recipe came through the family too, but from a cousin on my hubby's side of the family, and is quite different from the chili I grew up with. I hope you enjoy them both! Make the Arkansas Cornbread I wrote about earlier this month, and have yourself a chili party! That's what we do around here each fall. Have fun and happy eating!

Mom's Chili

1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
2 T. chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin
Cook all of the above together in a deep pot or dutch oven, until beef is crumbled and cooked through.
Add:
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 14 oz. can Rotel original tomatoes and green chilies
6 oz. beer (you'll have to drink the other half, DARN!)
4 T. chili powder
1 - 2 tsp. hot sauce (we like Tapatio or Frank's)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes (optional, to taste)
a dash of apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt + a few grindings fresh black pepper
a pinch of cinnamon (optional, to taste-- adds a little depth to the chili)
Bring this to a boil, turn down the heat to simmer and cook it for at least one hour, stirring occasionally.

Lastly Add:
1 can drained light red kidney beans
1 can drained dark red kidney beans
1 can drained black beans
1 6 oz. can tomato paste (you may omit this if you like a "looser" chili)
Stir it all together well and bring the chili back to a boil. Turn it down and let cook at least another 30 minutes.
Will feed at least 6 - 8. Freezes well. When I serve it to company, I serve it w/light sour cream, 4 cheese shredded Mexican blend, saltine crackers and chopped green onions.

White Bean Chicken Chili
4 large boneless chicken breasts or 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed
3 16 oz. cans Great Northern Beans (you can use white kidney beans if you can't find Great Northern)
1 14 oz. jar Salsa (your favorite, "medium" heat is recommended)
2 cups chicken broth
1 8 - 10 oz. block Monterey "Pepper Jack" Cheese

If using breasts, boil the chicken 'til tender. Once cool, pull it apart with a fork. If using a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and discard. Take off all the meat from the carcass and cut into bite sized pieces. (I like this better w/ a rotisserie chicken, I think the texture is a little better.)
Combine beans, salsa, broth and chicken in a large saucepan or crock pot. Heat on low to med. heat for at least 45 minutes, if using a saucepan. 1 - 2 hours on med/high in a crock pot. Make sure it is heated though and bubbly, before adding cheese.
Cut cheese into small chunks and add to mixture. Stir well. Reduce heat to low, and let it simmer. It should cook at least another hour in a saucepan, 2 -3 hours on low in a crock pot. Stir now and then, to distribute the cheese evenly. Don't let it get to a rolling boil after the cheese goes in -- just simmer it!
The longer this cooks, the better it gets!
Makes at least 8 bowls of chili.