Deep Dish Cheesy Lasagna

This is a great, easy lasagna recipe. My husband loves it! It does take some time to make since you have to let the sauce simmer for about an hour and a half, but well worth the wait. A friend of mine just had a baby so I made this and split it into two dishes making a meal for us and them! We had garlic bread ( bad, I know-but so good!) and salad. Sorry I forgot to take a picture. :( I am not sure where I got this recipe, so if it is yours-Thank you!


Deep Dish Cheesy Lasagna

Ingredients:
12 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles ( I used regular lasagna noodles)
2/3 cups chopped onion (omitted)
1 lb extra lean ground sirloin (I used lean ground beef)
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1.5 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
4/5 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, divided
2.5 tsp salt, divided
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/2 cup water
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 6.5 oz tomato sauce
1-2 6.5 oz cans tomato paste
16 oz part skim or fat free ricotta cheese
3 cups part skim shredded mozzarella cheese (I used mozzarella cheese slices)
1 egg

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook ground beef, and add in onions and garlic till browned, drain. Return to pot, and stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, paste(you can just add one can and add more later to thicken), and water. Season with sugar, basil, oregano, Italian seasoning, 2 tsp salt, pepper & parsley. Simmer covered for about 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook lasagna noodles about 8-10 minutes, or I will cook about a minute less than according to directions. Drain & rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 salt, egg, ricotta & 1/2 tbsp of parsley.

In a greased 9 x 13 baking dish, spread 1.5 cups of sauce, and layer 4 noodles and spread half of the ricotta mixture, 1 - 1.5 cups of sauce, 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat this layer again, and the last layer will be noodles, sauce & mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered in preheated oven for 25 minutes, remove foil, and bake 20-25 more minutes. Let lasagna cool 10 minutes before serving.

8 Servings, 9pts

Shepherd's Pie

I decided to try my hand at making Shepard's Pie this St. Patties day. It turned out great, but I think I had a little more potatoes than the recipe called for, but who doesn't love mashed potatoes! I did add some sour cream and cheese to the potatoes for a little extra flavor.

Shepherd's Pie

From: http://lowfatcooking.about.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste

2 tsp dried mixed herbs

1 cup fat-free, reduced sodium beef broth

1 cup frozen peas

For the Topping:

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup fat-free milk

1 tbsp light butter

In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium-low heat. Saute onions and carrots until softened. Turn up heat to medium-high and add beef; cook until no longer pink. Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, herbs and broth. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add peas, then simmer 5 minutes more.

Tip: If sauce seems too watery for your liking, combine 1 tsp of cornstarch into 1/8 cup of water and stir into beef mixture.

While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain water. Add milk and light butter. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Season if you like.

Pour sauce into an 11-inch by 7-inch baking dish and allow to cool slightly. Top with potato. Optional: sprinkle with 1/3 cup reduced-fat cheese.

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Serves 6. Per Serving (without cheese): Calories 322, Calories from Fat 67, Total Fat 7.6g (Sat 2.8g), Cholesterol 49mg, Sodium 260mg, Carbohydrate 41.2g, Fiber 5.7g, Protein 22.5g

Taco Pasta Skillet

I know there is no excuse for my lack of updates on recipes. But I do have a few to update to you today! This one was really good, the portion size was very large and it was very filling. I had it for leftovers a few times last week ( I don't really like leftovers either!). I got this recipe off the weight watchers community board. It was so easy to make, my husband actually cooked this one!

Taco Pasta Skillet

6 servings/ 7pts per serving

Ingredients:

8 oz. very lean ground beef

1 package taco seasoning

11oz. of undrained corn

14 oz of undrained black beans

1 cup salsa

3 cups hot water

8 oz. uncooked penne pasta

4 oz. fat free cream cheese

4 oz shredded fat free cheddar cheese

Brown in meat in a large skillet. Drain fat and rinse under hot water to remove additional fat. Add taco seasoning, corn, black beans,salsa, water, and pasta. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Add cheeses and stir until melted.

** He had to move everything over to the dutch oven to prevent over flow.

Hambuger Noodle Casserole

I am always on the look out for new healthy, low fat recipes. So when I saw the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook at the grocery store, I had to get it. There are so many yummy looking recipes. It also has a photo of every recipe, which I like when finding new recipes. I like to know if my results are anywhere near what it is supposed to look like. Tonight was my first time to try one of these new meals. It turned out great! My husband loved it and even went back for seconds! It was very tasty and filling. The recipe reminds me of a taco casserole recipe I have read on several other blogs.

Hamburger Noodle Casserole

From: Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook

Ingredients

5 cups uncooked yolk-free noodles

1-1/4 lbs lean ground beef

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 package (8 oz) reduced fat cream cheese

1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

3 green onions, thinly sliced, divided

2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Cook noddles according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook beef and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt and pepper; heat through. Drain noodles; stir into beef mixture.

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, ricotta cheese and sour cream until blended. Stir in half of the onions.

Spoon half of the noodle mixture into a 13-in x 9-in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with cheese mixture and remaining noodle mixture.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining onions.

Yield 10 servings

1 serving = 1 cup

6 pts per serving

Nutrition Facts: 290 calories, 12g fat, 2g fiber

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I know I haven't blogged in awhile. I really don't have a good excuse, but I do have some new recipes to post. We had this one last night. It is one of my husband's favorites. It is really rather simple to make and very healthy. I added an egg roll as a side. I got this recipe from my Biggest Loser Cookbook, but made a few adjustments. We both give this one a two thumbs up!
Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:
1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots, drained and minced
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts, drained and minced
3 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon reduced fat peanut butter
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons hot-pepper sauce
1 packet (.35 oz) sugar substitute (ie. Splenda)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup minced onion
1 lb ground turkey (lean)
2 teaspoons ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
Butter Lettuce leaves

In a medium bowl, combine the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, sherry, hoisin sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, hot-pepper sauce, and sugar substitute. Mix well. Set aside.

Mist a large, nonstick with olive oil stray and set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, or 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender or just starting to brown. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the turkey, ginger, and salt. Cook, breaking up the turkey into small chunks until no longer pink. Add the reserved bamboo shoot mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until hot. Remove the pan from the heat. Spoon the turkey mixture, evenly divided, into the lettuce leaves. Set on serving dish. Ready to serve.

2 wraps per serving size
3pt per serving