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.

Chicken Enchilada Bake

I absolutely love enchiladas. Gooey, cheesy enchiladas are among my favorite foods. In fact I've been known to judge a restaurant by their enchiladas alone. Very few meet my standards, as I learned from one of the best. I had a friend in school who had just finished a 3 year posting in California. I'm an army brat and so most of my friends growing up were children of service men also (we tend to stick together). While in California, they had a beloved Mexican housekeeper who taught my friends mom to cook authentically.  The mom was a great cook anyway and took to Mexican food like a champ. And she was nice enough to teach me, even though I was only 13. A kind and patient woman, for sure!

I've evolved quite a bit as a cook and my weight had certainly begun to show it (sigh). Starting in January of 2016 I embarked on a healthy life plan which includes a Weight Watchers Membership as well as one to a local gym.  BUT... giving up enchiladas! YIKES! SO, I came up with this recipe. It's not authentic, but it is certainly tasty and satisfies my enchilada craving while keeping me on program!

I looked at lots of different enchilada type bakes and dishes on the internet but none were exactly what I was looking for. One came very close. Check out the recipe that inspired me HERE -- and thanks for the inspiration, Drizzle Me Skinny!

I promise, this is YUMMY! And don't discount the canned enchilada sauce -- I've made sauce from scratch several times -- and my family could not tell the difference.

This is easy enough to make on a week night, minimum prep time, and it uses lots of convenience items. It also reheats beautifully in the microwave. Hooray for leftovers!

Chicken Enchilada Bake

Makes 6 servings at 8 Weight Watchers Smart Points Each

10 corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each (I used La Banderita, but be sure to double check the points if you use a different brand)
1 1/2 cups cubed chicken breast meat (I used rotisserie)
1 can Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/3 cup diced green or red peppers
1 small can Old El Paso chopped green chilies
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes (grape or cherry tomatoes are fine)
1 1/2 cups Kraft Reduced Fat 4 Cheese Shredded Mexican Blend (divided use)
6 crushed yellow corn tortilla chips

Shredded lettuce, non-fat plain Greek yogurt, salsa, avocados, black olives and pickled jalapenos for serving if desired. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 11" X 7" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In the bottom of the baking dish, add about 1/3 of the can of sauce to the bottom and spread it around as evenly as you can. Place 1/2 of the tortilla wedges in an even layer on top of the sauce. Mix the chicken, onions and peppers together along with a few tablespoons of the enchilada sauce. Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the tortillas and sprinkle with the chopped tomatoes, Top that layer with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Place the other half of the tortillas on top of the cheese and top with the remaining enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup of the cheese. 

Cover the casserole with foil (or a top if your casserole has one) and bake for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the foil from the hot dish and scatter the 6 crushed tortilla chips on top along with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is melted. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting. 

Cut into 6 even pieces and top your piece as you like. I put lettuce, salsa, another crushed tortilla chip and 2 black olives on mine, along with 2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt. Use whatever you like but make sure to track any additional points. 

Chicken Enchilada Bake, hot from the oven, with 2 pieces removed so you can see the inside.

Baja Fish Tacos

Baja Fish Tacos, made with Tilapia and a heavenly sauce! 

We love fish tacos! I've made them before, but this is a new recipe that adds a little crunch to the crust of the fish without adding significant fat or calories. (See my other recipe HERE )  I found a recipe on the Weight Watchers website, but as I tend to do, I changed it up a little bit. I added cilantro -- which you can certainly leave out if you hate it, as some folks do -- and altered their suggested salad addition to more of a slaw. I also used tilapia since the store was out of Red Snapper when we did our shopping. Substituting the Tilapia for the Red Snapper also brought the price down quite a bit. The sauce that goes with this meal is really, really good! It would be great on its own as a dip! The sauce recipe came pretty  much verbatim from the website except I used fat free Greek yogurt because that is what I keep at home, instead of the low fat the original recipe used.

This meal was a WINNER! Give it a try when you want some authentic street food flavor without all those pesky calories! I halved the recipe since there were only 2 of us at home. We served it with black beans and brown rice. It was muy delicioso!

Baja Fish Tacos
serves 4
7 Smart Points as written, per 2 corn tortillas and 1/4 lb. of fish

Corn or Soft Flour Tortillas for Serving. We prefer corn. 2 Tortillas per person.

For the fish:
1 lb. Tilapia filets
1/2 c. Masa (corn flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Cooking Spray such as Pam

For the slaw:
2 - 3 cups shredded red cabbage
1/3 c. chopped cilantro
2 - 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
4 radishes, thinly sliced and cut into match sticks

For the Sauce;
2 c. plain fat free Greek Yogurt                                                        

3 T. fresh lime juice
2 pieces Chipotle en Adobo chilies, with a tsp. of juice

First, make the sauce. Puree all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. If you like "less spicy" only use one of the peppers. Set aside.

Make the slaw next. In a large bowl, combine all the vegetables, tossing to combine evenly. Add 1/2 cup of the Sauce and toss until well combined and sauce is evenly distributed. Chill the slaw and the sauce until ready to serve.

For the fish:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the filets into pieces like this:

Lay the filets out on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any excess moisture.








In a large ziplock plastic bag, add masa and all the spices. Toss in the fish and shake to coat fish evenly. Place a rack over a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Lay the fish on the rack, shaking before placing to get rid of any excess breading.

Spray the fish, turn them over and spray them again with the cooking spray. Turn the oven setting to broil and place an oven rack about 2 inches below the broiler element. Broil the fish for about 5 minutes, remove pan from oven and turn the fish over. Broil another few minutes to crisp up the other side, about 3 - 4 minutes. Remove from oven and build your tacos. Layer the fish, about 2 pieces per tortillas, the slaw and a little more of the sauce, especially if you like some heat! Enjoy!

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

I have to confess that it took me a while to get my stir fry dishes to taste the way I thought that they should taste. I think part of  my problem was that I under seasoned the dish and that I had a reluctance to use some of the prepared sauces -- such as hoisin, oyster or teriyaki -- that are readily available in the grocery stores. These items allow you to get some almost authentic taste without purchasing a bunch of different spices that you'll only use now and then. Another revelation for me has been purchasing and using fresh ginger. You can freeze a "knob" of ginger, which means it will last a really long time. By freezing it, I've got it on hand when I need it. Fresh ginger makes the same fantastic difference in a dish that fresh garlic does, as opposed to using garlic powder. It is, however, spicier than you think, so proceed with caution. Use a  microplane grater for grating the ginger --you'll achieve better results than with a box grater. You must peel off the tough outer layer before you begin to grate it and you'll need a really sharp knife to do that. You can also mince it, but be sure to mince it very finely.

This beef and broccoli stir fry hits the spot on a cold winter night. It evolved simply from what I had on hand in my freezer and pantry. It's pretty quick and easy, and delicious. Skip the take-out this week and try my tasty Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry! The key to successful stir frying is to do the prep work in advance. Once you begin to actually cook, it will take very  little time. Since rice takes longer -- especially if you use brown rice -- start that first, 30 minutes or so before you begin to stir fry. I like to add a cube of bouillon to the water and use that in place of salt in the rice, but either way works fine. You can also serve this over rice noodles if you prefer.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
serves 4

For the stir fry: 
3/4 lb. lean sirloin or tenderloin tips, cut into bite size pieces  
1/2 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice Blend (always at my grocery store) aka "Pae-Lo" Powder                               1 T. soy sauce
2 cups broccoli florets, fresh or frozen (if frozen, rinse them and let them thaw a little bit)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced (no need to be too thin)
1/4 c. carrot cut into match sticks or shaved with a vegetable slicer
2 tsp.  minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 - 2  tsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. ginger powder)
1 c. quartered (if very large) or halved mushrooms (shiitake if you can find them, otherwise use button or baby bellas)
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, optional
Peanut oil for frying

For the sauce:
1 cube beef bouillon
3/4 c, water
2 T. hoisin sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. sriracha sauce
2 tsp. seasoned rice wine vinegar
1T. teriyaki sauce
pinch of salt
a pinch of dried red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat)
1 heaping T. corn starch

2 cups rice for serving ( I used a 1/2 brown 1/2 white rice mixture)

Cut your beef into bite sized pieces and lay them on a paper towel to dry. This will help with the searing.   While the beef is drying off, prepare your vegetables, ginger and garlic.

Drying the beef.

Veggie prep.

Get out your wok or a big, heavy frying pan and preheat it on medium high heat. You want the pan to be HOT. Prepare your ingredients in advance, this goes quickly!

Get the sauce ready before you begin. Heat the water and dissolve the bouillon cube in it. Add all the remaining ingredients -- except for the corn starch! -- and stir well to combine.

Big ol' wok with beef and onions.

Pour enough peanut oil to coat the bottom of the pan's' surface in a thin layer. When the oil begins to shimmer, you are ready to begin the stir fry. Add the beef to the skillet in a single layer. Sprinkle the beef with the 5 Spice Blend. Let the beef sear before you begin to move it around in the pan. This happens pretty quickly so be ready with a long spoon to stir with.  I always wear an apron when stir frying. The oil is hot and it will splatter! When the beef is light brown all over, add the onions.

When the onions start to turn gold and soften, add the soy sauce and then the broccoli, carrots and garlic. Continue to stir for about 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Be careful not to break them up -- that's why I recommend quartering or halving them as opposed to slicing them. Lastly, add the water chestnuts, if using. They add a nice crunch!

Ready for the sauce.

Now it's time to add the sauce. Stir the corn starch into the sauce right before you pour it over the stir fry in the skillet. Make sure all of the corn starch is dissolved. Mix the sauce gently in the skillet and turn the heat down once it begins to bubble. Cover the pan -- I have an extra large lid, but a sheet of aluminum foil will work fine. Let everything cook together about 5 minutes -- or until the vegetables are as soft as YOU like them. Serve over rice  (or rice noodles if you prefer).

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, close up.
This batch didn't have water chestnuts in it, simply because there weren't any in the pantry! 

Wonton Soup and Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 I've made lettuce wraps before but these turned out almost exactly like the ones I've had at PF Changs. However, in the vein of total honesty, I think I need to say that I believe that they were better! They didn't taste greasy at all, and sometimes the ones there are slightly greasy. They also were just a little bit sweet, and again, theirs are sometimes a  bit too sweet for me. These hit the PERFECT balance of sweet and spicy, a bit of crunch from the water chestnuts and green onions, and a melting softness from the butter lettuce. The added benefits of a lower fat, low carb meal are hardly worth mentioning, because this doesn't taste like a "healthy" meal -- but it is. How great is that? Guilt free indulgence!

One of the best parts of this 2 part meal is that since many of the same ingredients are used in both dishes, you don't have to feel guilty about purchasing something and just using it once!

Wonton Soup

 This soup, on the other hand, was inspired by one made by my sweet cousin when I visited her last year. She promised me it was easy, and it was! It was also just as delicious as I remembered. I watched her make it last fall and I followed her suggestions and cooking advice to recreate it. I added fresh shiitake mushrooms, mostly because they looked so fresh in the store when not much else did! I decided to add them to the Lettuce Wraps I'd planned as well. They were a bit on the pricey side, $3.99 for 8 oz. but I am glad I splurged. WOW, were they good in the soup and in the lettuce wraps, too! My cousin and I agree, this soup has got it all -- spicy, silky, fresh and flavorful -- UMAMI!

Read the recipes first and do all your chopping of similar ingredients at one time to save yourself time!

Since many of the ingredients in the recipes contain quite a bit of sodium, I did not add any additional salt to either recipe. We found these dishes to be well seasoned without doing so. You may want to taste them before you add any. 


First, the soup:

Wonton Soup
4 servings

32 oz. organic, low sodium chicken stock or broth or homemade
(I used "Imagine Natural Creations Chicken Stock")
1 pkg. Trader Joe's frozen mini Chicken Cilantro Wontons (or your favorite) 12 oz. size
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger 
1 T. Sriracha chili garlic sauce or to taste
2 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. dry white wine (optional)                                               

1 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. "Nakano" brand seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 c. chopped Shiitake mushrooms (leave them out if you hate mushrooms)
To Serve:
2 thinly sliced green onions
2 - 3 T. rough chopped cilantro
Lime wedges
In a medium saucepan, combine the stock or broth, ginger, Sriracha, hoisin, wine, soy and rice wine vinegar. Bring this to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Cover and let cook about 5 minutes. Add the wontons and bring it back to a boil. Turn the soup down slightly so that it gently boils and cook 7 - 10 minutes until the wontons are cooked through. Add the mushrooms to the broth for the last 2 minutes,  if you are using them. You just want to heat them up a little. Don't cook them long. 
To serve the soup. ladle the broth and several wontons into a bowl, squeeze a lime wedge over it and sprinkle with cilantro and sliced green onions. Delicious! You can easily double this recipe for a bigger group or cut it in half for a quick lunch. 

NOW on to the Chicken Lettuce Wraps!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
serves 4
1 lb. lean ground chicken, white meat only
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves minced garlic (about 1 T.) 
1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. chopped Shiitake mushrooms
1/4 c. hoisin sauce
2 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. "Nakano" brand seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. Sriracha or more to taste
To Serve:
Lime wedges
2 green onions, thinly sliced 
2 - 3 T. chopped and washed fresh cilantro
1 head butter lettuce, washed and leaves separated

In a large non-stick skillet, over medium/high heat, brown the chicken, breaking up the large chunks. About 3 minutes in, add the onion and the soy sauce. When the onion starts to soften, add the garlic and the ginger; continue cooking about 5 minutes, stirring to combine. Add the hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar and Sriracha. Cover and cook about 10 minutes to let the flavors blend. Add the water chestnuts and mushrooms and cook until heated through. At this point, you can hold it [ to 30 minutes, or refrigerate if you plan to serve it later.
To serve, place a few spoonfuls of the warm chicken mixture in the center of a piece of butter lettuce. Sprinkle with some green onions and a little cilantro, squeeze a lime wedge on it, wrap it up and enjoy! 

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

I've written about making a crock pot Latin-inspired recipe before (see the recipe here ) but that recipe included tomatillos. And, while I love tomatillos, I don't always have them on hand and sometimes they are not available locally. Or if they are, they cost an arm and a leg. Here's another recipe, a little different in flavor, but really good, nonetheless. I found this recipe on 12 Tomatoes, a recipe blog/website that I read quite often. You can read their version HERE  I did things a little differently, because I just do. It always caused me trouble in school, but it seems to work out in cooking. I only had one orange -- and it was HUGE-- so I used half -- and 2 limes, but I need one for the slaw, so that's what I used, and honestly, it seemed like plenty to me. I added a little more cumin to make up for it. My jalapeno was huge, so I used half and used the other half in the slaw I made to go on top. I've linked that recipe below.

We liked the Carnitas better the 2nd time we ate them and I actually followed the directions and crisped the pork up in a skillet. The first time I made it, I simply spread it on a cookie sheet and put it under the broiler. Didn't get nearly crispy, so go for the skillet option recommended. Sometimes it IS good to follow directions!

Get out your trusty slow cooker and throw everything in early in the day. Go to work, or head off for a busy day of errands, etc. and you'll come home to a heavenly smelling house!

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Makes at least 8 Tacos

3 lbs. boneless pork roast, rinsed and patted dry
(I used a sirloin roast, not a tenderloin)
2 yellow onions, chopped
1 half of a large orange                                         3 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped     1 lime, cut in half
1 T. cumin
2 heaping tsp. dried oregano
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and stems removed
1 T. olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped (should be about 1 T. total)
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Corn or wheat tortillas, your choice, for serving
Limes to squeeze over
Jalapeno Slaw, optional
Hot Sauce (optional)

(Don't skip the step of drying the roast. It makes a difference, as the spices will adhere to it better.You can see mine draining on a paper plate lined with several paper towels.) 

Season the pork roast well with salt and pepper. Place it in the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour over the oil and turn it over to coat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin. cilantro and oregano. Squeeze the orange half and the lime over the ingredients. Add the squeezed out fruit to the slow cooker. 

Cook on low heat for at least 6 hours. Remove the orange and lime and discard. Take your roast out and place it on a cookie sheet.

Using two forks, and perhaps occasionally a knife, shred the pork, onions and chili into a big ol' mixture of goodness, like this:

As I said above, I tried crisping the meat up under the boiler, but it didn't get nearly crispy enough. The second time was the charm, when I used a hot non-stick skillet, added a little vegetable oil and carefully laid 2 heaping spoonfuls of the pork mixture and pressed it down into the oil and let it sizzle away into awesome crispiness....Like this:

We enjoyed them topped with a little jalapeno slaw (recipe here, along with Fish Tacos)  and a few drops of hot sauce! 

They were YUMMY! 

Spicy Chicken Ziti

Spicy Chicken with Ziti

I keep seeing cooks on the Food Network make Chicken Riggies or Chicken with Rigatoni. Now I am up for almost ANY kind of pasta dish, and hey, chicken, it's a no brainer. So, I went to my local (smaller size) market and believe it or not, they did NOT have any rigatoni! What? I could hardly believe it, but I can roll with it, so I substituted ziti. Not that there is THAT much difference between ziti and rigatoni, but there is a little bit.

This came together pretty quickly once I had chopped everything up. It was rich, spicy, creamy and very satisfying, all at the same time. Makes the cut for a pretty easy weeknight dinner!

I made what I thought would be about right for 2 people, but it actually made 4 servings. Go figure, I've never been very good at "portioning" things out. I am always the one who makes way too much, or tries to transfer leftovers into a container that's either way too small for that amount or overly gigantic for the little bit I've got to store. I can't explain it, but that's just me. I feel like this is pretty family friendly, but to get my "kids" to eat it, I'd have to leave out the mushrooms! Maybe sub some roasted red peppers? That would probably work. Start out with 1/2 tsp. of the red pepper flakes if you are not sure how much spice you want. I used 1 tsp. in ours. Don't omit the thyme, it pairs so very well with the chicken and mushrooms, and adds a nice earthy taste. The  thyme in my garden is extremely hardy so I have it available all year round. Even if I've got to brush some snow of it, I can find some green underneath! If you don't grow thyme, give it a try, it's super easy -- at least it is here in Central VA! It also smells really good when you are working in your garden, an added bonus.

Here's what I came up with:

Spicy Chicken with Ziti

3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1 T. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 c. diced yellow onion
4 oz. crimini mushrooms, halved (baby portobello)
1/4 c. Madeira wine or Dry Sherry
2 heaping T. tomato paste
1 tsp. fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp. dried red pepper flakes (or more if you really  like spicy)
1/2 c. low sodium chicken broth
1/3 c. light cream
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

8 oz. ziti cooked al dente
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat and add chicken thighs. Sear them on all sides until lightly browned. Remove to a bowl. In the same pan, add onion and cook for  few minutes until they begin to soften. Add garlic and mushrooms to the pan, and continue to cook about 5 more minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine or sherry, then add the chicken broth and thyme. Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Bring this to a boil, and put the chicken back into the pan. Add the salt and a little pepper, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the cooked ziti and the cream and toss the whole dish together. Cover and let it sit 5 minutes. Serve in a shallow bowl sprinkled with Parmesan. Serves 4.

Pork Chile Verde

Chile Verde Soft Tacos with Jalapeno Slaw

Can you take another Mexican-style slow cooker recipe? I feel like I can never have too many of them. Not only are they generally easy to make and very budget friendly, they are also pretty healthy and taste delicious! I spotted some good looking tomatillos in the grocery store this week, and had some leftover pork roast, and this is what I came up with: Chile Verde.  For those of you who've read my blog and know that I like to cook and experiment around the kitchen, let me say right up front, THIS DISH IS A WINNER! The flavors were so darn good, it was hard to believe it started out with leftovers! Give this I try, I promise you WON'T be disappointed!

I got the original recipe from a cousin and made it once, as she suggested, with beef chuck roast. I served it at one of my Halloween chili nights, but honestly, I felt like it needed something. I loved the shredded meat texture, and so did all the folks at the chili fest. I thought,  "Next time, I'll try it with pork and change it up a little."  The best addition was, I believe, "Chipotle en Adobo" chilies. They are readily available in cans, you shouldn't have any problem finding them, If you are not familiar with them, they are smoked jalapenos in a spicy tomato sauce. Freeze the remaining peppers and sauce for later, they are great in chili, any spicy dish or sauce. Also, I think I skimped on the fresh cilantro the first time around. I was a little hesitant to add quite so much, but not this time. The cilantro made the dish really special!

First, I started with a pork roast. Here's how I make mine. Make sure to buy one big enough so that you'll have approximately 2 lbs. of pork leftover. I made my roast on Monday and threw the leftovers into the slow cooker on Friday. Here's my leftover piece of roast so you can judge the size you'll need:

Leftover pork roast, about 2 lbs. 

If you've never purchased a tomatillo, here's what you are looking for -- they look like tomatoes, but with a papery hull on the outside. They feel a little sticky when you remove the outer layer and stem, so wash them well. They should be firm, but not rock hard.

Tomatillos - 2 with hulls still on, 2 with hulls removed

Now, on the to the recipe!

Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde

2 lb.s cooked pork, cut into chunks                                                           

Vegetable prep, onion, chilies and garlic

1 small can chopped green chilies

2 chipotle en adobo chilies, chopped and 2 tsp. of the sauce from the can

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

6 tomatillos, papery hull removed, washed and chopped ( I used my food processor)

1 heaping Tablespoon dry oregano

2 tsp. cumin

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 c. packed chopped fresh cilantro 

2 tsp. kosher salt 

For Serving:

Spicy Jalapeno Slaw (recipe here )

Shredded Cheddar or Jack Cheese

Soft Flour or Corn Tortillas

a few fresh cilantro leaves for topping the tacos

Chop everything up and throw it into your slow cooker. No need to mince it all carefully, the slow cooker does the work for you. You can see I left my onions kind of big. Didn't matter, the texture was great. I set my slow cooker on auto-shift, which means it started out on high and then switched over to lower heat. 

Chile Verde in the crock pot. It already smelled and looked yummy! 

I cooked the chile verde for 6 hours, stirred it vigorously to break up any large chunks of meat and then let it heat through again and served it. We ate ours like soft tacos, draining off a little of the juice and putting the mixture into soft flour tortillas. We topped it with some shredded cheddar cheese and spicy jalapeno slaw (recipe in this post ). It would be great served over corn chips or you could add 2 cans of beans and make it into more of a chili type stew. The flavor was SO darn good, you're going to want to make it again, I promise! Hhhmmmm....next time, I think I'll add those beans AND serve it over chips.......

Manicotti with Meat Sauce

Manicotti with Meat Sauce, Salad and Garlic Bread- HEAVENLY! 

 My family loves my spaghetti sauce, and truth be told, I love red meat sauce. I've been making it and tweaking it since I was about 14 years old, and over the years, I've learned many things. Chief among them is that you need to let it cook for several hours, cool down and then cook it again. Growing up, this was one of the best things my mother made. She was not a great cook, but her sauce was GOOD! When my mom made it, she always made enough to freeze several batches so that we could have it for a couple of meals. We said back then that the spaghetti sauce was always better the second time, and I still believe that. It's something about letting it cool down that brings the sauce together. My sauce is different from my moms. She used garlic powder and oregano. I've updated the sauce with lots of fresh garlic and used basil instead of oregano. The meal I am writing about today is a round two meal, Manicotti with Meat Sauce.

What's the difference between manicotti and canneloni? Manicotti is a stuffed tube of pasta, either with meat or cheese, covered with a red sauce. Canneloni is a stuffed tube of pasta, usually covered with a white sauce. You can check out my Crab Cannelloni with Roasted Garlic Shrimp HERE . It's a delicious, company or special event dish that everyone who loves crab adores. The Manicotti I am writing about today  is a more family friendly, inexpensive type of meal, that most kids love. It has an added benefit as being perfect to make up ahead of time, either earlier in the day or a day or two ahead of time. AND you CAN make it and freeze it, for another time. This is a great dish to master. After all, what's not to love about tubes of pasta stuffed with cheese and covered in red sauce? In addition to being delicious, the sauce can be a lifesaver, frozen to have on hand for a busy day. First, let me tell you how I make it:

Midlo Mom's Meat Sauce
Serves at least 12
2 medium onions, diced
6 cloves minced garlic (2 heaping T.) or more if you like
1 T. olive oil
 1.25 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb. meat loaf mixture (beef/pork/veal) OR 3 links mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 28 oz. can Cento Whole Italian tomatoes,  or any San Marzano type
3 - 16 oz cans Hunts tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can Hunts Tomato Paste
1/2 c. dry red wine
6 oz. water
1 dried bay leaf
1 heaping tsp. kosher salt
2 Tablespoons dried basil
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
(**a few shakes of red pepper flakes if your family likes things spicy, totally optional)
In a large pot, heat olive oil and add both kinds of meat, over medium-high heat. Stir constantly to break up meat and brown it. When it begins to brown add the onions and cook until the onions start to become translucent. Add the garlic and stir it into the meat/onion mixture. Add the whole tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as they go into the pot (don't let any huge pieces slop though your fingers! :). Next, add the 3 cans of tomato sauce, salt, pepper, sugar and red wine. Divide the water between the the three empty cans of tomato sauce and "rinse" them out, adding that liquid to the sauce. Sprinkle the basil over the pot and add the bay leaf. Stir the sauce to combine, and bring it to a full boil. Turn it down and let it cook- covered - for at least 2 hours on a simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking. After an hour, add the tomato paste and stir it into the sauce, and bring it back to a boil. Turn it down again and let it cook another hour. You may taste the sauce at this point if you like, but it will not yet have reached it's full potential.
Turn the sauce off and either refrigerate it for 2 hours or divide into containers to freeze. Reheat the sauce to serve over spaghetti, or to make lasagna or manicotti, or over ziti or whatever kind of pasta your family likes. Now, onto making some manicotti. 

To make the manicotti, boil a large pot of water and add 10 pasta tubes (odds are one or two will split to be unusable).Salt the water. Cook for the least amount of time recommended on the package. While the tubes are cooking, make the filling.

Three cheeses and egg for the filling

Manicotti Filling
4 servings, 2 tubes each
15 oz. Part Skim Ricotta cheese
1/3 c. low fat cottage cheese
1 large egg
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1.5 c. part skim Mozzarella cheeses
Place all ingredients except Mozzarella in a medium sized bowl. Stir with a spoon until the cheeses and other ingredients are completely combined. Drain the manicotti noodles and gently cool by running a little cold water over so you can handle them. Grease a square 8X8" baking dish. To fill the tubes, use a small spoon or place the filling into a large plastic bag and snip off one corner. That way you can pipe the filling into approx. 8 tubes. I could only salvage 7 tubes and had to toss a little filling. Since there were only 2 of us, it was fine, just less leftovers! Fill the tubes until they are just full, not stuffed. If using a spoon, start the filling at the middle, and then fill in both sides. That may be the best method if you use a bag to pipe it in as well. It's a little "fiddly" but worth the effort. 

Manicotti tubes filled and ready for the meat sauce

Cover the manicotti with 2 - 3 cups of the meat sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish with foil or a top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake 10 more minutes until it's hot and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. 

Manicotti with meat sauce, waiting for the final sprinkle of Mozzarella! 

 ENJOY! 

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken 7 Ways

Taco Salad Made with Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

OK, here's the thing about this dish: I don't really know what to call it. It's hardly a recipe, because you don't need to chop anything and all you do is to dump a bunch of stuff into your slow cooker. It's not only a soup, but can also be made into a delicious variety of dishes, which I've listed at the bottom of the post. Don't you LOVE options? If you can think of a good name for this, let me know in the comments below, please! In the meantime, don't worry too much about what it's called and just make it. You'll get a good dinner and lots of delish leftovers. AND you won't get bored with the leftovers because it's so versatile. I got the original recipe from someone at work, but of course, had to fix it up a bit! I just can't help myself...
My husband loves this and it was so easy! He's already taken it to work 2X this week, after eating it on Saturday night. It was also fairly inexpensive. I buy my chicken breasts frozen in the bags from the big box store, and they aren't too big, so I used 4. Score one for weeknight cooking! Let me also say that while this was very tasty, it was not what I would call SPICY. It has a little heat, but nothing that will burn you up or make kids reject it. Of course, if you like it spicy, add more hot sauce! I added the amount I put in the recipe.

We love Jack's Salsa! 

Keep Rotel on hand! 

Dark Red Hanover Kidney Bean

 Here are the pantry ready ingredients that you'll need to make this dish. You'll also need 1 lb. of thawed, boneless skinless chicken breasts, some cheese and some spices.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Makes at least 6 Servings, various ways
~1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
(3 to 4 breasts, depending on size)
2 cans Bush's Black Beans, undrained
1 can Hanover Dark Red Kidney Beans
1 cup Jack's Medium Salsa (or your fave)
1 14 oz. can Hunts Tomato Sauce
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
2 cans Original Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies
1.5 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. Texas Pete Hot Sauce (optional)
1 c. shredded Pepper Jack Cheese or plain Monterey Jack cheese if you want it very mild

Place the (thawed) chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Top with the un-drained black beans, the drained kidney beans, salsa, tomato sauce, green chilies, Rotel Tomatoes, cumin and hot sauce. Give the mixture a good stir to combine the ingredients. Cook on low heat for at least 6 hours. 
Carefully remove your chicken and shred it, if it has not already fallen apart. Put it back into the slow cooker and add the shredded Jack cheese. Cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the cheese melts completely.  (PS You could totally add frozen or canned corn to this, but I was trying to keep the carbs a little on the lower side and we aren't in love with corn in chili type dishes.)

TO SERVE: 
1. Ladle into bowls and top with crushed corn chips and a dollop of sour cream. 
2. Or put the chips on the bottom for a softer texture. Very much like chicken tortilla soup. 
3. OR chop a variety of lettuces, peppers and tomatoes and top with the Tex-Mex Chicken. Add a little shredded cheese (sharp or jack), some crushed tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream for a taco salad. 
4. OR use a slotted spoon to drain off some of the liquid and roll into soft flour tortillas. Top with cheese, a little sour cream and salsa. Very kid friendly. Use whatever you like in your tacos! 
5. OR spray a corn tortilla with cooking spray on both sides and heat in oven until crispy. (You could fry it if you like) Top with the Tex-Mex chicken, shredded cheese, chopped lettuce and sour cream for a tasty tostada. Squeeze a lime over the top. 
6. OR make a Spanish Omelet: Heat a non-skillet over medium heat while you beat 3 eggs with 2 tsp. milk. Melt 1 tsp. of butter in the pan and then pour the eggs into the skillet. Sprinkle with a little salt. As the eggs begin to set, use a wooden spoon or a plastic spatula to gently pull the edges to the center, swirling the pan to fill in the gaps with the uncooked egg mixture. Be patient. Sprinkle the eggs with a scant 1/4 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese. When the omelet looks like it's almost dry and set, fold it over carefully and slide onto a plate. Top with the Tex-Mex Chicken. Could serve 2 for a lunch or a hearty dinner for 1. If the omelet doesn't work out, call it Mexican Scrambled Eggs...
7. Last but not least, make some nachos, chips, chicken, cheese, baked until bubbly. YUM! 

Pot Roast and More on a Monday Night

Pot Roast with green beans on a Monday night.

I've always held the position that you should serve a good dinner on Monday night. Monday can be a tough day for anyone, whether you are returning to the office, work at home, go to school, stay home with your kids (work at home, I know) or even if you are retired. After a busy weekend, we often start the week out stressed or tired, and I know at least two people who say they have a hard time sleeping on Sunday night, because they are worried about Monday! 

I've written about this phenomenon before, and you can read about it, and check out my recipe for Pork Roast, HERE .

To combat those Monday doldrums, it's nice to have a good dinner to look forward to. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to drag your slow cooker out of the closet and put it to good use. Today, mine is simmering away with a pot roast and vegetables. See how old mine is? It still works really, really well.

My Old Slow Cooker. Still works.

My mother made good pot roast and she always used a chuck roast. We've decide we don't love a shoulder roast. Chuck is better, but try and find one on sale. It used to be a cheap cut, not so much anymore.

 There are many ways to cook a pot roast:  In the oven, on top of the stove or a combination of both cooking methods. The easiest way by far is to dump everything into the slow cooker, turn it on and walk away. The gravy suffers a little, but I'll give you some tips on how to fix it up, so that it tastes very much like the gravy you get when you first sear the roast and then slow cook it. This is a BASIC recipe and you can certainly experiment with herbs that you like. I've thrown in a bay leaf, used summer savory, and added a little fresh rosemary and thyme to this, all with good results. Think of this like a map to get you in and out of the kitchen quickly on a busy day.
At the very end, I'll tell you how to make your leftover roast into the best beef stew ever! IF you've got any leftovers!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
2 - 2.5 lbs. chuck roast, excess fat removed
1 cup tomato sauce
2+ T. worcestershire sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
4 medium onion
4 medium all purpose potatoes, peeled
16 mini carrots, or 4 whole carrots, cut into 4 - 6 pieces
1/4 c. dry red wine**
3/4 c. beef bouillon, divided usage
2 T. corn starch
kosher salt and coarse pepper

Cut an onion in half and dice one half of it into very small dice. Put that in the bottom of your slow cooker along with 1/2 of the  minced garlic. Take 2 mini carrots or 1 piece of a whole carrot and slice thinly. Place that on top of the garlic and onions and then put your roast on top of that. Sprinkle the roast with salt pepper and the worcestershire sauce. Pour on the red wine and 1/2 c. of the tomato sauce. Put on the lid, turn your cooker on high and go get a shower or throw in a load of laundry and make the bed or all 3 of these. Leave that mixture in there for about an hour, then on top of the roast, layer in the potatoes, alternating them with the rest of the onions that have been peeled and cut in half. If you are using herbs, add them now. Make sure they are distributed evenly on top of the meat, potatoes and onions. Throw the rest of the carrots and garlic on top. Pour another 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, and the beef broth over everything, and sprinkle once more with salt and pepper. Put the top on, turn the cooker down to low and leave it alone for 6 - 8 hours. 
When you are almost ready to eat, remove the vegetables and the roast carefully with a slotted spoon to a large oven proof platter or big shallow serving bowl. Place this into a preheated 250 degree oven. You'll get a little color on your roast and potatoes like you'd seared them. 
Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Mash up any big pieces with the back of a fork. Mix the remaining beef bouillon with 2 heaping T. corn starch and enough water so that it measures 1/2 cup total.  Make sure that the corn starch dissolves into the liquid. Pour it into the saucepan, turn the heat to medium high and start stirring. Add a drop or 2 of worcestershire sauce. When it boils and thickens, turn the heat down to low and  cover it. If you want the gravy a little thicker, mix another T. of corn starch with 2 T. of water and add it to the gravy. Let it bubble gently for about 5 minutes and then serve it along with the roast and veggies. Serves 4 amply. We like it with fresh green beans but you could make a salad or heat up some bread)

Pot Roast with Potatoes, Onions and Carrots

If you've got any meat, gravy and vegetables leftover, try this:

Leftover Beef Stew
Leftover pot roast and gravy (you need at least 1 c. beef and 1/2 c. gravy)
+ any vegetables you have leftover, all cut into bite sized pieces
3 1/2 c. beef stock or 1 can Campbells beef consomme' plus 2 1/2  c. water
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. thinly sliced carrot
1 clove minced garlic
3 medium all purpose potatoes, cut into 1/2" dice
8 frozen "pearl onions" from a bag 
1/2 c. dry red wine**
1 T. tomato paste
kosher salt and coarse pepper
1 slice crisp cooked bacon, optional

Place the beef stock or consomme' along with the chopped onion, carrots, garlic and potatoes, into a heavy medium to larger sized sauce pan -- not your huge one, but not the one you heat up soup in either. (Add water until the vegetables are covered by 1" of water, if necessary.) Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the stove on high and bring to a boil. Turn down and let it simmer 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. When the vegetables are tender, add 1/2 c. dry red wine tomato paste and the pearl onions, and bring it back up to a boil. Let that cook about 5 minutes and add your pot roast, gravy and any veggies that were leftover. I like to cook this 30+ minutes over a low heat so that the stew really comes together. Add the bacon for the last few minutes of cooking, if using. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if you need it. 

**You can always substitute beef stock/broth for the wine in either of these recipes.