Italian Chicken and Potatoes

Chicken Breast tenders
Potatoes
Italian Seasoning
Fat Free Italian Dressing
Parmesan Cheese

Spray your Crockpot well.
Then place chicken in the bottom.
Sprinkle with half the Italian dressing, half of the Italian Seasoning, and half of the Parmesan.
Place potatoes on top of that layer.

Then add the remaining Italian Dressing, Italian Seasoning, and Parmesan on top of potatoes.

Turn the Crock-pot on low, then put the lid on it and cook for about for six hours.

Sausage and Mushroom Strata

8 oz bread of choice, cut into 1 inch cubes ( I used sourdough and wheat sandwich bread.)
12 oz breakfast sausage
2 cups fat free milk
1 1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
5 large eggs
1 cup mushrooms ( I used 1 can of mushrooms.)
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Combine milk, cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, paprika, salt and pepper in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add bread, sausage, and mushrooms, tossing well to coat bread. Spoon mixture into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake for about 50 minutes or unitl set and lightly browned. (You may also cover and refrigerate overnight and then bake in the morning.)

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

1 lb hot sausage, uncooked

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups Bisquick

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix all ingredients until well combined using dough hook attachment on your mixer. Roll into 1 inch balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked. If baking frozen, add additional baking time.

Thanksgiving Dinner

1. Southern Cornbread Dressing

4 cups crumbled cornbread

2 cups dry bread

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

3 eggs

1 cup milk

2 tsp salt

1/2 black pepper

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1 tsp sage

Mixx cornbread and dry bread with the stock. Beat eggs slightly, add milk, salt, and pepper. Add to bread mixture. Then add celery, onion, and sage. Mix well. Bake in well greased pan at 375 for 30 to 40 minutes.

2. Lady's Cheesy Mac

3. Green Bean Casserole

1 10 3/4 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 cup milk

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 9 oz bags frozen green beans, thawed

1 1/3 cup French Fried onions

Mix soup, milk, and pepper in a baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried onions. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot.

Top with remaining 2/3 cup of onions. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden.

4. Sweet Potato Casserole

2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375.

Place sweet potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water and peelings will come right off.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add sugar and next 3 ingredients (through vanilla). Mash sweet potato mixture with a potato masher. Place mixture into an even layer in an 11 x 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with marshmallows. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

5. Green Salad

6. Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 9 inch deep dish unbaked pie shell

2 cups pecan halves

3 large eggs, beaten

3 tbs butter, melted

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup sugar

2 tbs Jack Daniels

3 oz semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 375. Cover bottom of pie crust with pecans. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, sugar, Jack, and chocolate. Stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour mixture into pie shell over pecans and place on a heavy duty cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 and bake for additional 25 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven. Let cool on rack.

Low Fat Moist Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze

Recipe is from Skinnytaste.com

Here are the ingredients you'll need for the cupcakes:

18.25 oz Chocolate fudge cake mix

1 cup canned pumpkin

1.4 oz box of instant Chocolate pudding (sugar free, fat free)

1 1/3 cups water

And for the chocolate glaze:

1 tbsp cocoa

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2-1 tbsp fat free milk

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

For cupcakes:

Mix water and pumpkin until blended. Add pudding mix. Combine. Add cake mix and blend for 2 minutes. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

For glaze:

Combine dry ingredients, then add vanilla and milk. Blend until mixed thoroughly. Place in baggie with corner cut to pipe onto cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, if desired.

(3 WW pts + with glaze, 2 WW pts + without glaze)

You guys, they are absolutely delicious! They taste so chocolately and rich! You'll love them!

Weekly Meal Plan

I really haven't made a meal plan in a while! I'm trying to get in a better groove of cooking, so here's the plan for the week.

Sunday-Taco Cornbread Casserole

Monday-Poppyseed Chicken with brown rice

Tuesday-Leftovers or Frozen dinner

Wednesday- Skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole (recipe to come!)

Thursday- Leftovers or Frozen dinner

Friday- Out to eat!

Saturday- Homemade pizza with artichokes, olives, onion, turkey pepperoni, and mushrooms and salad

Taco Cornbread Casserole

I discovered this recipe on Pinterest and it is fabulous!! It will definitely be a new staple in our house!

 Ingredients

1 pkg (8.5 oz) corn bread/muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

3 cups cooked taco seasoned meat

1 can black beans

1 cup light sour cream

1 cup Mexican blend 2% cheese

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can Rotel

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 can black olives

Directions

In a large bowl, combine corn bread mix, egg, and milk until blended. Spread into an 8 x 8 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Combine taco meat and beans, spread over corn bread. Layer black olives on top of meat, then onion, then sour cream, and 3/4 cup cheese. Bake for additional 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with Rotel, lettuce, and remaining cheese.

It's pretty, too!

yummmmm

1 serving= about 12 WW points +

Shrimp Francesca

 Ingredients

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (8 ounce) can (8 to 10 count) artichoke hearts in water, drained
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely shredded imported Romano cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Arrange the shrimp in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Gently squeeze any excess liquid from the artichoke hearts, break the hearts into quarters, and arrange in spaces between the shrimp. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and parsley over the shrimp and artichoke hearts; sprinkle lemon juice over the crumbs.
3. Melt butter with garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; drizzle the butter mixture over the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the top with Romano cheese.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crumbs and cheese brown lightly and the shrimp turn opaque and orange-pink in color, 10 to 12 minutes. 

 Serve with angel hair pasta, rice, or side dish of your choice!

Pink Lemonade Confetti Cupcakes

This delish recipe came from Skinny Taste.

You will need:

18.25 oz box confetti cake mix

2 1/2 tsp powdered sugar-free pink lemonade mix
1 cup water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
lemon zest from half of a lemon
2 drops pink food coloring (optional)
confetti sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake tins with 24 paper liners.

Stir together the water and pink lemonade powder.  Combine the cake mix, pink lemonade mixture, applesauce, lemon zest, food coloring and oil in a large bowl and with an electric mixer, mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. 

Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans.  Add sprinkles if using and bake in the oven for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Cool completely on wire racks before serving.

Enjoy!

I like them best when they are cold! So, I suggest, popping them in the fridge before eating them!

1 cupcake has 3 WW pts+

Chicken Artichoke Pasta

Whole Wheat Penne

Chicken Breasts 

Canned Artichokes (reserve some liquid from the can)

Mushrooms

Light Butter

Herb and Garlic Marinade

Light Sour Cream

Parmesan

Salt & Pepper 

Garlic

Cook pasta according to directions.

Add Herb and Garlic marinade to skillet, add chicken and turn to medium heat. Add salt and pepper and garlic to taste. Cook until chicken is done. 

Remove chicken from pan, add mushrooms and artichokes to pan. Also, add some liquid from the artichoke can. Cook until mushrooms and artichokes are tender. Set aside.

When pasta is finished add butter, sour cream, and parmesan to taste. Mix with pasta until melted. 

Add mushroom and artichoke mixture to pasta. Top with chicken and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.