Seriously Delicious Low-Fat Pumpkin Shake

PUMPKIN PIE SHAKE



I stumbled upon this recipe on Cooking Light and knew I had to try it.  Boy, this did not disappoint.  It was so, so good.  You must try!

Pumpkin Pie Shake (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, softened

1/2 cup fat-free milk (you can add more to get it to the consistency you prefer)

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2T packed brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

3 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Pumpkin-pie spice (optional)

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Pour ice cream mixture into glasses. Top each with about 2 teaspoons whipped topping; sprinkle with the additional pumpkin-pie spice, if desired.

White Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce

WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH GREEN CHILE SOUR CREAM SAUCE

4 words:  you must try this!  These were soooooo good!  To top it off, it was one of the quickest dishes to put together.  Huge hit in our house!

White Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce (Let's Dish)

Ingredients:

8 soft taco size flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. Mix the chicken together with 1 cup of the cheese. Distribute the chicken and cheese mixture evenly among the tortillas. Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared pan. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat until sauce is thick and bubbly. Stir in the sour cream and diced green chiles. Pour the sauce in an even layer over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.





Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

CROCKPOT BAKED POTATO SOUP

I stumbled upon this recipe on my new found addiction, Pinterest (props to Molly for pinning it).  I'm always searching for recipes that allow me to utilize my crockpot.  This recipe appeared too easy and I didn't have high expectations.  Boy, was I wrong.  This was delicious.  Matt loved it, but asked me to add some additional protein  To satisfy his request, I may add ground turkey next time.  Perfect comfort dish for fall. 

Easy Crockpot Potato Soup (Pearls, Handcuffs & Happy Hour)

Ingredients:
1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash browns
3 14oz. cans of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, green onion, sour cream for garnish

Directions:
Combine everything (except cream cheese) in your crockpot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  About one hour before serving, add cream cheese to the crockpot and cook until thoroughly melted.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon, cheddar cheese, green onion and/or sour cream.

Garlic Steak Pasta Bowl

GARLIC STEAK PASTA BOWL

There's not a better way to use leftover steak.  This was super easy and tasted great!  I called it "garlic steak" because I used this recipe when we grilled the steak.  However, feel free to use whatever you may have leftover.

Garlic Steak Pasta Bowl

INGREDIENTS:

1lb of leftover grilled steak, cubed

2 cups pasta, cooked
1 orange bell pepper, sliced

1/2 of a large red onion, chopped in bite sized pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil.  Once oil is heated, add onions and pepper to the pan.  Saute veggies until tender (5-7 mins).  Season veggies with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Add pasta and sauted veggies to a bowl and toss together.  Top with grilled steak.  Enjoy!

Sirloin Steak with Garlic Butter

SIRLOIN STEAK WITH GARLIC BUTTER

We grilled up some steak the other night and it was delicious.  We cut the recipe in half and only ended up using half of that on our steaks.  Ah-mazing!  This was our first attempt at grilling steak.  I'm determined to get better grill lines next time.  :o)

Sirloin Steak with Garlic Butter (Allrecipes)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup butter

2 teaspoons garlic powder

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 pounds beef top sirloin steaks

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. 

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat with garlic powder and minced garlic. Set aside. 

Sprinkle both sides of each steak with salt and pepper. 

Grill steaks 4 to 5 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. When done, transfer to warmed plates. Brush tops liberally with garlic butter, and allow to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. 

Chicken Pasta Salad with Toasted Pecans

CHICKEN PASTA SALAD WITH TOASTED PECANS

This chicken salad was delicious.  I kept it pretty basic, but the toasted pecans give it amazing flavor.

Chicken Pasta Salad with Toasted Pecans (adapted from Allrecipes)

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat

1/2 cup toasted pecans

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1.5 cup of pasta shells, cooked

DIRECTIONS:

To toast pecans, put them on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes, or until they become aromatic.  Watch them, because they can burn easily.

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and pepper. Toss with chicken, pecans, pasta and celery.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

There is no other word to describe this recipe other than YUM!  It was so flavorful and was simple to put together.  This will become a regular staple.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken (Kraft)

INGREDIENTS: 
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.) 
1/4 cup  KRAFT Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, divided 
1 tomato, finely chopped  
1/2 cup  KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese 
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

HEAT grill to medium heat.
COVER half the grill grate with sheet of heavy-duty foil. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag. Add 2 Tbsp. dressing; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with dressing. Refrigerate 10 min. Remove chicken from bag; discard bag and dressing.
PLACE chicken on uncovered side of grill; cover with lid. Grill 6 min. Meanwhile, combine remaining dressing, tomatoes, cheese and basil.
TURN chicken over; place on foil. Top with tomato mixture. Grill, covered, grill 8 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF).

Catalina Taco Salad

This is a dish my Mom has made for years and was one of my favorites growing up.  I totally forgot about it until my Mom mentioned she was making it last week.  It makes for a quick, tasty meal.  It's also one of those recipes that you can modify to your taste.  We tend to decrease the amount of Catalina dressing, as it is on the sweet side.  Enjoy!

Taco Salad (adapted from Food Network)

INGREDIENTS: 

2 ripe tomatoes, diced (we were out of tomatoes)

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 green onions,chopped

1 head iceberg lettuce, washed, drained and shredded

1 pound lean ground beef, browned, crumbled and drained

1 envelope of reduced sodium taco seasoning

1/2 cup salad dressing (recommended: Catalina)

1 (7-ounce) Doritos, crushed

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and drain excess fat.  Add taco seasoning and cook as directed.  Let cool.

Combine the tomatoes, cheese, onion, lettuce, and ground beef in a large bowl. Add the salad dressing and mix well. Just before serving, add the Doritos tossing to combine with other ingredients.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Skewers

CARRIBBEAN JERK CHICKEN KABOBS

Loving our Weber grill.  It's so easy and makes clean-up a breeze.  This recipe was really good.  The chicken was tender, flavorful and just flat out delicious.  The only thing I'd change next time is to only use a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.  Matt's not a pinapple fan, so I used red onion.  Other than that, it was very tasty.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Skewers (Kraft)

INGREDIENTS:

1 env. (0.7 oz.) GOOD SEASONS Italian Dressing Mix

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp.oil

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp.ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground thyme

1/2 tsp.ground red pepper (cayenne)

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

3 red bell peppers, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1 fresh pineapple, cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks (I substituted red onion)

 

DIRECTIONS:

MIX first 7 ingredients until well blended; pour over chicken in large bowl. Stir to evenly coat chicken. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate.    

 

HEAT grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Thread chicken onto 12 skewers alternately with bell peppers and pineapple.    

GRILL 15 min. or until chicken is done, turning frequently.

Layered Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

I made this dessert over the weekend and it was a huge hit. Everyone asked for the recipe. Once they found out how this was put together, they couldn't believe it. There are so many variations you could do with this. I think my next one with have some sort of peanut butter layer instead of caramel and crushed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top.  ENJOY!

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert -- Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
19 prepared ice cream sandwiches (I used Kroger brand)
1 (20ounce) jar of Sanders Caramel (I used about 3/4's of the jar)
1 (20 ounce) jar of Sanders Hot Fudge (I used about 3/4's of the jar)
2 (12 ounce) containers Cool Whip (I used all of the first container and half of the second container)
1 large Hershey's Symphony Milk Chocolate Bar, crumbled

Directions: 

Cut one ice cream sandwich in half. Place one whole and one half sandwich along a short side of an ungreased 13x9 pan.  Arrange eight sandwiches in opposite direction in the pan. Spread with caramel.  Repeat layer of ice cream sandwiches.  Spread with hot fudge.  Spread whipped topping.  Top with crumbled Hershey's Symphony bar.  

Remove the dessert from the freezer a few minutes before serving.  Cut into squares and serve. 

How to lay the ice cream sandwiches

Love me some Sanders

The final product

Chicken Tamale Casserole

CHICKEN TAMALE CASSEROLE

This was so yummy and easy to make.  It made for great lunch leftovers, too!  

Chicken Tamale Casserone (Cooking Light)
Ingredients:


1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Calories:354 (36% from fat), Fat:14.1g (sat 7.1g,mono 3.3g,poly 1.2g), Protein:18.9g, Carbohydrate:36.3g,

Fiber:2.5g, Cholesterol:58mg, Iron:1.7mg, Sodium:620mg, Calcium:179mg

Tuscan Chicken Soup

This was absolutely delicious. I'm not one for soupy soups and this one fit the bill. It was extremely flavorful, filling and made for great leftovers. One-dish dinners are awesome!

Tuscan Chicken Soup

Weight Watchers Best One-Dish Dinners Fall 2010 Magazine

INGREDIENTS:

Cooking Spray
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup chopped onion
1 pound ground chicken breast
2 (14.5-oz.) cans fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
½ cup uncooked orzo
1 (14.5-oz.) can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (16-oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 (6-oz.) package fresh baby spinach
6 teaspoons shredded Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, coat pan with cooking spray. Add garlic and onion; sauté 5 minutes or until just tender. Add chicken, and cook 5 minutes, stirring to crumble.
Add broth and next 6 ingredients. Bring to boil; reduce heat, and simmer 22 minutes or until orzo is done.

Stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Ladle soup into bowls; top with cheese.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 ½ cups soup and 1 teaspoon cheese).

Per Serving: CAL 253 (8% from fat); FAT 2.2g (sat 0.7g); PRO 26.1g; CARB 33g; FIB 5.4g; CHOL 45mg; IRON 3mg; SOD 785mg; CALC 88mg