Bacon Hash Brown Bake

I think I'm back into my routine enough that I ought to be able to start posting regularly again.

Bacon Hash Brown Bake

8 slices Oscar Mayer Ready-to-Serve Bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 c vegetable oil
4 c frozen hash browns
12 oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
8 eggs
1 c fat-free evaporated milk
1/2 t salt
1 c shredded fat-free cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add hash browns and cook for 2 minutes; turn over and cook another 2 minutes. Add vegetables and cook 3-4 minutes. Transfer to 9x13 baking dish sprayed with Pam. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt. Stir in cheese and bacon pieces. Pour evenly over potato mixture.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Tip: To save time, prepare this casserole ahead of time, except for baking. Store covered in refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Yield: 9 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

Note: original recipe used turkey bacon. My kids don't like turkey bacon so I switched to regular. Also, the original used regular cheese, but I switched to fat-free. It also called for "1 cup" chopped onion and red bell pepper, but I used a whole medium one of each.

My family LOVED this. Even the boys ate it, except they picked out the red bell pepper. I thought about substituting Egg Beaters for the eggs, but went ahead and used regular eggs. That change would have lowered the PointsPlus value by 1 1/2 per serving.

After an almost "mutiny" by my sons, I am going to cook "regular" (their words, not mine! LOL) for the next 2 weeks. I'll still be attempting to cut PointsPlus in areas they hopefully won't notice. As an example, tonight we are having meatloaf, but I'm using venison (as lean as 96% ground beef). Another night we are having a casserole that uses a can of cream of chicken soup. I will use the 98% fat-free version. I'll write about my results.

Hamburger Pie

Yesterday I forgot to mention that I gained 2.5 #s last week. Yep. To say it was a disappointment would be an under-statement, but to say it was a surprise would be a lie. Back on track this week.

Last night we had:

Hamburger Pie

Preheat oven to 375. Spray 9" pie plate with Pam.

To make crust, mix 1 c reduced-fat Bisquick with 1/4 c skim milk in medium bowl just until soft dough forms. Transfer to lightly floured surface and knead 5 times. Roll out dough then ease into pie plate, pressing evenly against bottom and side of pie plate.

In non-stick skillet on medium-high, brown 1 # extra-lean ground beef (I used venison), 1 finely chopped onion, 2 T Worcestershire sauce and 1 minced garlic clove. Stir in 2 T reduced-fat Bisquick. Remove skillet from heat and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix 1/2 c Egg Beaters, 1/2 c reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese and 2 T grated Parmesan cheese in small bowl. Spoon beef mixture into crust; top evenly with cheese mixture. Bake until filling is set and crust is golden, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 6 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

This was okay, but it needed something (kinda bland). Am thinking of adding a green bell pepper next time IF I make it again.

For dessert I fixed a brownie thing that I included nuts in because I am allergic and I did NOT want to eat this. I figured the PointsPlus value just to see and came up with 30 PointsPlus each! Since this blog is about losing weight, I won't post the recipe.

Baked Chicken & Barbara Sue's Broccoli Casserole

I went to back-to-back all-day crops at Busy Scrappin' at the end of the week. It's a scrapbook store here in Bellevue, NE. If you live local, you should go by and see what all they have. Their workspace is fantastic and they couldn't have found better people to work there. LOVE IT!

So, I left my family with a full refrigerator of leftovers for Friday and Saturday. This was what we had Thursday for dinner:

Baked Chicken

In a bag, mix 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp minced onion and 1 t Season-All Seasoned Salt. Toss 2-3 lbs chicken pieces, a few at a time. Bake 1 hour in 350 oven.

Yield: 4 servings at 7 PointsPlus each.

Note: I used 2 #s boneless, skinless chicken breast. Also, I used a 9x13 casserole dish sprayed with Pam. This recipe came from McCormick/Schilling.

Barbara Sue's Broccoli Casserole

Boil 32 oz pkg frozen broccoli and 1 medium onion (chopped). Drain. Mix with 1 cup sour cream and 1 can cream of chicken soup (can use cream of mushroom). Mix with 1/2 an 8 oz pkg Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix. Pour into 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle the remaining stuffing on top then pour a melted stick of butter on top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Yield: 10 servings at 4 PointsPlus each.

Note: I use fat-free sour cream and reduced fat cream of chicken when I make this AND when I calculated the PointsPlus value. Also, I've been making this recipe over 20 years, but in the last year or so I have been unable to find an 8 oz pkg of Pepperidge Farm Stuffing Mix. I buy the larger pkg (I think it's 12 oz) and have a little leftover.

Last night we had tuna salad sandwiches and chips (I had fat-free Pringles). Nothing exciting, but I was tired.

Overnight Stuffed French Toast

20 slices French bread (1" thick)
8 oz fat-free cream cheese
3 c Egg Beaters
2 c skim milk
1/3 c plus 1 3/4 c sugar-free maple-favored syrup, divided
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t cinnamon
2 1/2 c sliced fresh strawberries

Arrange 10 slices of bread in 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam. Spread each slice with cream cheese. Top with remaining bread. In a large bowl, whisk Egg Beaters, milk, 1/3 c syrup, vanilla and cinnamon; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until top is lightly browned and a thermometer reads at least 160. Serve with strawberries and remaining syrup.

Yield: 10 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

This was great! VERY tasty, filling, satisfying, etc. Our Granddaughter was here for dinner and also loved it. One thing I want to mention is that I was thinking the maple syrup and strawberries would be weird, but it was really good.

I also made bacon (3 pieces are 4 PointsPlus).

Campfire Bundles

Last night's meal was fantastic! It was VERY easy to prepare and incredibly tasty. Definitely adding it to our favorites.

Campfire Bundles

1 large sweet onion, sliced
1 EACH large green, red and yellow bell pepper
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices (I used Yukon Gold)
6 medium carrots, cut into 1/4" slices
1 small head cabbage, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
14 oz Oscar Mayer Turkey Smoked Sausage
1/2 c butter, cubed
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Place the first 8 ingredients on 3 pieces of double-layered heavy-duty foil (about 18" square). Top with sausage; dot with butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold foil around mixture and seal tightly.

Grill, covered, over medium heat for 30 minutes. Turn and grill 30 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Open the foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

Yield: 6 HUGE servings at 8 PointsPlus each.

NOTE: My husband was working on our oldest son's car when I needed this grilled. I don't do the grill so I lined a 9x13 pan with 3 layers of foil then put everything on top and covered with foil (sealing well). I baked in a 350 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. It came out great.