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.

Crock Pizza

Sorry for the long delay. It took me a little longer than I thought to be okay after my baby graduated high school. I think I'm better now.

I'm going to start writing about the meals we had the night before so I don't have to change things based on how it turned out. If I write AFTER I fixed it, I can include the notes in the original recipe.

So, last night we had Crock Pizza. My Mother-in-law gave me this recipe several years ago and it's still a family favorite.

Crock Pizza

12 oz. pkg Kluski noodles (I have ONLY been able to find these in Nebraska)
1 1/2 #s ground beef (I use venison)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 # mushrooms, sliced
16 oz jar pizza sauce
8 oz jar spaghetti sauce (haven't found that size so I buy a bigger one and freeze the leftover)
8 oz shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
8 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 oz pkg sliced pepperoni

Cook & drain noodles. Meanwhile, brown ground beef, onions, green pepper and mushrooms. Drain. Add sauces to meat mixture and simmer well. Layer twice (noodles, meat sauce, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni) in crock pot on high for about 30 minutes.

OR

layer in 9x13 casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings at 6 PointsPlus each.

Way Behind!

I kinda fell off the wagon posting-wise last week, but am happy to say that I was down 2 lbs when I weighed this morning.

I had an ultra busy week last week and have another one coming up this week. Our youngest son will be graduating from high school on Saturday. We are having his party at our home so I've got a lot to do to get ready.

Last night we ordered in as my husband was sick, but didn't want me to have to cook on Mother's Day. We have plenty for leftovers tonight so I won't be cooking. I will try to make the time to post my recipes this week, but don't be surprised if I'm not back until Sunday or Monday.

I wanted to add comments about the last recipes I posted. We did NOT like the Baked Cod with Asparagus. There are too many easier recipes that taste much better so I won't be making it again. The cake was delicious, but very sloppy so next time I will make a point of going to a store that has the light Cool Whip (am thinking it will be thicker and make the cake more stable). VERY yummy though.

Baked Cod with Asparagus

Last night's dinner came out great. Was a little worried with all the changes, but it was very tasty!

Tonight's recipe came from the TV show "The Biggest Loser". They had a challenge a few weeks ago where the contestants were paired up and had a short time to come up with a tasty and healthy meal. The recipe I'm making was made by Moses and Olivia.

Baked Cod with Asparagus

4oz fresh cod fillet
1/2 bunch fresh asparagus (8oz)
1 bunch scallions (green onions), cleaned and trimmed
Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 lemon
Pepper
Garlic powder
Dill (preferably fresh)
Cooking oil spray (I'm using Pam)

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray baking dish with Pam. Place scallions on bottom of baking dish (making a bed for the cod). Season cod with 1/4 t garlic powder, 1/4 lemon juiced, 1/8 t black pepper and a sprig of dill. Tent cod baking dish with a piece of foil. Set aside while preparing asparagus.

Place asparagus in another baking dish sprayed with Pam. Season with 1/4 t garlic powder, 1 t Parmesan, 1/4 lemon juiced and 1/8 t black pepper. Place both dishes in preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes.

In the meantime, slice the other half of the lemon and caramelize the slices in a pan. Remove asparagus from oven; keep warm. Remove tent from cod. Bake cod for another 3 minutes. Place cod on a dinner plate. Top with fresh dill sprig and a caramelized lemon wheel. Place asparagus next to cod on plate. Sprinkle with remainder of Parmesan.

This makes 1 serving (I will be making 4 servings) at 4 PointsPlus.

Since dinner is so low in PointsPlus value, I will be also fixing a dessert.

Crumb-Topped Chocolate Cake

1/4 c plus 5 T butter, softened and divided
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1 t vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c cake flour
1/3 c baking cocoa
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I'm using low fat)
1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips
2 c reduced-fat whipped topping

In a large mixing bowl, beat 1/4 c butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce and vanilla. Combine the flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Transfer to two 9" round cake pans coated with Pam.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips and remaining butter. Break into small pieces; sprinkle evenly over batter.

Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Spread whipped topping between layers and over sides of cake, leaving the crumb top exposed. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 16 servings at 6 PointsPlus each. NOTE: I calculated this using fat-free Cool Whip (they didn't have "light" at my grocery store).