Simple & Creamy Tortellini Alfredo

I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! Landon did pick out the peas...but what can you do? It was super easy too!

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
2 pkg. (9 oz. each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled


POUR broth and water into large saucepan; stir. Bring to boil on medium-high heat. Add tortellini. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 8 to 9 min. or until tortellini is tender. (Do not drain.)
ADD cream cheese and peas; stir. Heat 2 to 3 min. or until cream cheese is completely melted, stirring occasionally.
STIR in shredded cheese and bacon.
Makes 6 servings, 1 cup each.

Ashlee side note: This did not have enough Alfredo taste for me, so I would definitely add some garlic flavoring to it next time. Even just some garlic powder to it after the cream cheese has melted. What might also taste super yummy in here is mushrooms, and maybe some sun dried tomatoes. Nothing my children would eat of course...but it's just a thought!

Broccoli Casserole

Doesn't that sound interesting? Broccoli Casserole? It's good I promise!

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup milk
1 pound fresh broccoli cooked and drained
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

In a blender, combine dressing mix, cream cheese, and milk. Put cooked and drained broccoli in a 9/13 baking dish. Pour blender ingredients over the top of the broccoli and stir well until evenly coated. Top with cheese and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 4 servings.

Ashlee side note: Please make sure you cook the broccoli! I forgot the last time I made it and ruined the whole thing. Sigh. Steam it good people! The ranch adds a nice kick to a normal broccoli cheese dish. Enjoy!

No Time!! Baked Pasta

This was so yummy that my kid actually THANKED me for dinner. Crazy huh? I did leave out the spinach and green peppers though. The spinach for me, and the green peppers because we didn't have any and I wasn't about to go to the store.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pasta (I used Penne)
2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup green peppers, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (divided)
garlic powder (to taste)
basil (to taste)
oregano (to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pan brown ground turkey. Remove from heat.
4. Combine ground turkey, spinach, garlic, cottage cheese, green peppers, 1/4 cup mozzarella, herbs and parmesan cheese in 9x13 baking dish. Stir well.
5. Top with remaining mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and casserole is nice and hot.

Ashlee side note: This was really a hit tonight. My hubby had seconds. He only does that with Mexican. It's kind of like a lasagna casserole. It took a total of 45 minutes from start to finish. Not too shabby for a weeknight dinner. And insanely low fat. Only about 15 grams of fat per serving. This recipe serves 4, and honestly, those are huge servings. We've got leftovers and there were three of us that ate regular size portions. So, good stuff! And oodles of protien. Love it!

Salsa Chicken

Got this recipe off of Alicia's recipe blog that she shares with her family. It was really yummy, and made for a nice change for dinner.

12 chicken tenders
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 cup salsa
cheddar cheese

Put chicken in baking dish. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Ashlee side note: I made chicken tacos with these instead of just eating the chicken. Landon's not a huge fan of a piece of chicken on his plate. Sigh. he's not a huge fan of anything really. But that's besides the point. I just put a tender on a tortilla and shredded it and then poured a little of the red sauce left in the pan over the chicken. Smothered it with cheese and sour cream and tah dah! So easy. Seriously. Alicia's recipe says you can put the chicken in a crock pot with the sauce and then just shred the chicken after it's all nice and tender and yummy at the end of the day. I didn't get to do that otherwise, I would have been all over that. So, you can make this dish ahead of time and throw it in a crock pot, or have dinner in an hour. Either way...yummy!

Hot Cheesy Spinach Dip

Got these free recipe cards in the mail the other day, and out of about 12, I kept 4. :0) This was one of them. I love spinach dip....though I don't love spinach. Wierd huh? Anyway...This one is a warm version with lots of ooey gooey cheese. Don't worry Amy, I'm making the traditional dip for girls night tonight. :0)
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups half and half
2 pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 pkg. (1 oz.) dry vegetable soup mix
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir until onion is crisp-tender and garlic is fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in flour; cook and stir an additional minute. Add half and half and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat. Stir in chopped spinach, water chestnuts, Cheddar and vegetable soup mix. Spoon dip into a 1 quart casserole or gratin dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake dip until it is bubbly and sheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 8 servings.

Ashlee side note: As I'm not a HUGE spinach fan, one pkg. of spinach is PLENTY for me. Otherwise it's too much spinach flavor and not enough of the good stuff. ;0) I usually leave out the water chestnuts as well, because most people don't like them and they don't add too much to the dip besides a nice crunch.
If you are worried about this affecting your figure since we are all on our New Years diets, use fat free half and half and low fat cheddar. It's a great healthy alternative and you don't have to deprive yourself! Enjoy!

Mushroom Cream Chicken

Another great looking recipe from my new cook book! I can't wait to try this one out!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 Tbsp. flour, divided
2 tsp. butter
1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbps sliced green onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Madeira wine OR additional chicken broth
1 Tbsp. fat free half and halr cream

Flatten chicken to 1/4 in. thickness. Dredge in 2 Tbsp. flour. In nonstick skillet, brown chicken in butter and oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until juiced run clear. Remove chicken and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms, green onion and garlic for 2 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with remaining flour and stir to blend. Gradually add broth and wine or additional broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; add the cream. Return chicken to skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is heated through (do not boil). Yield: 2 servings

Ashlee side note: I'm imagining this to be similar to the Boursin chicken. Probably not nearly as good, but this only has 9 grams of fat per serving. Not too shabby for a cream sauce.

Penne Sausage Bake

My mom got me a great new recipe book for Christmas. It is the Taste of Home Best Light Recipes of 2006. Basically all the yummy comfort foods we like to eat, but made lighter. This is one I'm excited to try. I've made something similar before but this one is much lighter.

1 pkg. (pound) penne pasta
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 pound turkey Italian sausage links, casings removed
3 cups fat free meatless spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large skillet, saute green pepper and onion in oil for 6-7 minutes. Add sausage; cook and stir until sausage is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and pasta.

Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese is melted.

Ashlee side note: I have used ground turkey sausage instead of the links. I prefer it that way. But, it depends on your tastes. And honestly, I have never actually seen fat free spaghetti sauce. The regular stuff isn't too fattening. So, if you can't find it...don't stress. The thing that truly makes this originally fattening was the sausage. And, if you buy the ground turkey sausage, it's only got about 5 g fat per serving. So, you can feel better knowing you've cut that WAY back.