Easy Peasy-Extra Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

Easy Peasy-Extra Cheesy Baked Spaghetti


 

Adapted from Healthy Baked Spaghetti


Ladies and Gents, my apologies for taking so long to post here. However, your waiting was not in vain, because boy, do I have a winner for you!

I will be the first to admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of baked spaghetti...until now. Maybe it's because I remember it always being dry or covered in grease. That's not the case with this recipe! Here it is:

Serves 6--freezes well!

Ingredients:
1/2 lbs ground pork
1/2 lbs extra lean ground turkey (99% fat free)
1 medium/large white onion, chopped
6 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti
2 t olive oil
1 jar of light tomato basil pasta sauce (I used Ragu no sugar added)
1 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 t italian seasoning
2 t parsley
1-2 t oregano
1/2 t crushed red pepper (optional)
2 t garlic powder
1/2 -1 t black pepper
salt, to taste (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 375
1. In a large pot, prepare pasta according to the instructions on the box; drain and return to pot.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in onion and cooked for 2 minutes, or until almost soft.  Add in both meats, breaking it up until browned/cooked through.

3. Add in all of the seaonsings to the skillet. Mix well, and cook with meat for a few minutes.

4. Pour tomato basil sauce into the pot with the spaghetti. Mix to coat. Turn the heat up to medium, and allow flavors to "get to know one another."

5. Add meat/onion mixture into the pasta pot.  Toss and combine thoroughly.


6. In a large, well greased baking dish (I used 13x9), spoon half of the pasta mixture--making sure you form a fairly even layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese on top.

7. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture over the cheese, until completely covered.  Spinkle top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese with the parmesan cheese.

8. Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil. Be careful that it doesn't touch the cheese! You want to keep all of that cheesy goodness on the pasta :) To facilitate this, you can spray the foil with cooking spray, if you wish.

9. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly.  Let the dish stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with a nice salad. Enjoy!

Nutritional Information (calculated on myfitnesspal.com)
**nutritional information may vary based on your ingredients**
Per serving:
Calories: 394
Fat: 18
Carbs: 31
Protein: 28
Fiber: 6


Weight Watcher Information (calculated on weightwatchers.com)
**points may vary based on your ingredients**
Per serving: 10pt+


All pictures are mine, so don't be a thief. After all, no one likes a thief. Also, if you reference this recipe, please attach a link back to my blog! :)

Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Mac n' Cheese

Everyone likes good ol' Southern Mac n' Cheese...well, everyone I know anyway.  Is this something you should eat every day? Nope. Everything in moderation! This is fantastic for picnics, birthdays, or just Sunday dinner.  This recipe comes from the Deen Brothers (as in Paula Deen's two sons).  I've lightened it up a little bit, but left in all the deliciousness (yes, I know that's not a word!).

Cheddar cheese contains high amounts of protein and calcium. Protein helps curb hunger and helps you feel satisfied for longer. Thus, cheese (in moderation) can help you lose weigth! Consuming cheese can slow down the absorption of carbs, which balances out blood sugar levels and improve moods.

Ingredients
2 cups macaroni, uncooked
8 oz low fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
8 oz American cheese (I used 6 slices Deli Delux slices), shredded (about 2 cups)
4 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese, grated.
1 cup fat free milk
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 cup light butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with canola cooking spray.

Cook macaroni according to package instructions.  Drain and return to pot.

While macaroni is hot, add in the cheddar, american, and 1/2 of the parmesan cheese. Stir well. Spread the macaroni mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, butter, and hot sauce.

Pour mixture over the macaroni. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.  Turn down oven to 200 degrees, tent with aluminum foil and let stand in oven for additional 10  minutes.

Serve warm. 

Other Information
WW 7pt+

Serves 10

Legal
Health Benefits of Cheese
Based on The Deen Brother's Baked Mac and Cheese

Medeterranean Veggie Penne w/ Herbed Goat Cheese

Medeterranean Veggie Penne with Herbed Goat Cheese

Recently I received a request to do something with goat cheese. Thus, I decided to try my hand at something that was not only ridiculously tasty (and healthy), but also FAST.  This meal can be made in under 30 minutes!

Lately I've veered away from my nutritional talks. Not today, because you're about to get one! School is in session. Don't worry, there's not a quiz at the end! Let's talk about the health benefits of goat cheese.

Goat cheese is:
1) low in calories
2) low in sodium
3) good for those who are lactose intolerant
4) low in fat and cholesterol
5) full of vitamins D, K, B riboflavin, phosphorous, thiamine, and niacin
6) contains protein.

Alright, that's enough tomfoolery for one post. Let's get cookin'!
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole wheat penne pasta
1 small red bell pepper (or a bunch of small sweet peppers), seeded & cut into bite-size chunks
1 small zucchini, cut into bit size slices
1/4 cup of canned artichoke hearts, chopped
12 cherry/grape tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
salt, to taste
1 oz herbed goat cheese (I used Silver Goat brand)
2 tsp italian seasoning

for the dressing:
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic
1 tsp torn fresh basil

Method
1. Put a pot of water on to boil and preheat the broiler to high. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

2.  Cut up all veggies. Arrange the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Drizzle with olive oil and italian seasoning. Toss with hands. You can use a spoon, but it's not as fun.  Season with salt & pepper, to taste.

3.  Broil for 5-10 minutes, stir/turn pieces over, and continue to broil for another 5-10 minutes* (time will depend on how tender and much color you like on your veggies)

4. When penne is cooked, drain well.  In a mixing bowl beat together the dressing ingredients.  Stir in pasta.

5. Add veggies to mixing bowl with pasta and dressing.

6. Crumble in goat cheese, and gently mix.

7. Garnish with basil and serve.

Need meat?? This dish is fantastic with a sliced grilled chicken breast, or some variety of sausage!
Other tasty veggies to try: olives, asparagus, squash, mushrooms

Makes 1 large serving! Feeding a crowd? Just double, triple, etc the portion :)

Other Information
WW 7pt+

Legal
What are the Health Benefits of Eating Goat Cheese?
Recipe inspired from Eat Smart, Lose Weight (Parragon Publishing Book, 2005), pg. 74.
Photos are mine, so don't be a thief.