Italian Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes no salt added, undrained
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 ounces sliced turkey pepperoni
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, crumble turkey and sausage into a large skillet; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• Drain pasta; stir in meat mixture and pepperoni. Transfer half of the pasta mixture to a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of the cheese; repeat layers.
• Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly

Pepperoni Pizza Chili

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lean turkey
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian stewed tomatoes
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce no salt added
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 package (3-1/2 ounces) sliced turkey pepperoni
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 teaspoon pizza seasoning or Italian seasoning
• Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, optional

Directions

• In a large saucepan, cook meat over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, pizza sauce, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, pepperoni, green pepper and pizza seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until chili reaches desired thickness. Sprinkle with cheese.

Italian Homemade Meatballs (Great for Hoagies or Spaghetti)

2 pounds ground lean turkey
1 cup bread crumbs or 1 cup oats
2 eggs or 4 egg whites
1/2 onion finely chopped
2 tsp minced wet garlic
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp basil
1 tsp pepper
1 cup Parmesan
cooking spray

Spaghetti Sauce heated to serve over meatballs
Additional Parmesan for garnish
Whole wheat hoagies or whole wheat spaghetti

DIRECTIONS-
Preheat oven to 375
Mix all ingredients well, form meat balls, place in a 13 x 9 inch well sprayed baking dish
Bake for 30-45 minutes depending on the size of the meat balls
Cut 1 meatball in half from the middle of the dish, if there is still pink, bake an additional 5-10 minutes

The thickness of the meatball will dictate cooking time, so if you are unsure, cook for 30 minutes and then check one from the middle.  Most likely it will take at least 45 minutes to cook through.

Kabob Scambled Eggs

1-2 left over Kabobs (chicken, beef, shrimp or just plain veggies)
5-6 eggs
1/2 cup shredded 2% cheddar, sharp cheddar, or 1/4 cup feta cheese
pepper to taste
cooking spray

Spray a skillet and heat over high heat, reduce to medium
Scramble eggs in a bowl
Remove veggies and meat from kabobs and chop, add to eggs
Add pepper to taste
Pour into skillet and cook, stirring frequently
Add cheese and cook until melted

Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients

• 10 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes no salt added, undrained
• 1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
• 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups (24 ounces) 2% cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, broil chicken 6 in. from the heat until juices run clear; let stand for 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken with two forks. Drain noodles; set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, combine the shredded chicken, tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, basil and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg substitute, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper.
• In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, place half of the noodles, overlapping them. Layer with half of the cheese mixture, chicken mixture and mozzarella. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; bake 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Apple Cake

Ingredients

• 3 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (3 cups)
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 cup Splenda, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light or Smart Balance
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

 

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the apples, 3 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon; let stand for 1 hour.
• In another bowl, cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine flour; gradually add to creamed mixture and beat until smooth.
• Transfer to a sprayed 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan. Push apple slices vertically into batter, placing them close together.
• Bake at 300° for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. 

Graham Cracker Cookies

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup All Purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 (14 oz) fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light, or Smart Balance
2 cups semi sweet chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional- 1 cup flaked coconut

• Preheat oven to 350
• In a medium size bowl, mix together the first 3 ingredients
• In another mixing bowl, beat milk and butter until smooth, add graham cracker mixture, vanilla, chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut.  Stir until smooth
• Drop teaspoonfuls onto a sprayed cookie sheet
• Bake 12-15 minutes
• Let cool 5 minutes