This recipe originated from a Tex-Mex Lasagna by Paula Deen. I have modified and added a few ingredients that make the dish a bit spicier and more flavorful. By using whole wheat pasta, light sour cream, and reduced fat cream cheese, my recipe has few calories as well. This recipe will serve 10-12.

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 4 small chicken breasts)
1 (15.25 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (1o oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1 can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 bunch of chopped cilantro
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/4 c. chopped jalapenos
1-2 tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
Dash of salt
1-2 tbsp. corn starch
1 (16 oz.) container of light sour cream
1 (8 oz.) package 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese
8 whole wheat lasagna noodles (optional: substitute for oven-ready)
1 (8 oz.) package of Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
1 (8 oz.) package of sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove cream cheese from refrigerator to soften.

If using whole wheat lasagna noodles, cook 8 noodles according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.

Dice and mix together in a large bowl the following ingredients: red bell pepper; cilantro; garlic; fresh jalapeno; and other jalapenos. Remove 2-3 of the Chipotle peppers from the jar of adobe sauce, cut into strips, then add to the mixture. Add 2 tbsp. of the adobe sauce. Drain well the corn, black beans, and diced tomatoes. Add these three ingredients along with the two different cans of tomato sauce into the mixture. Add red pepper flakes, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Add the chicken.

Slowly heat Dutch oven to medium high heat on stove top. Transfer mixture into Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer (covered) for 15-20 minutes. If needed, add 1-2 tbsp. of corn starch to thicken the mixture.

Grate the two 8 oz. blocks of cheese, mix the cheeses together, and set aside.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the sour cream and softened cream cheese. Mix on low to medium-low speed for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Lightly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish. Spoon one-third of the chicken mixture into prepared dish. Top with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread half of sour cream mixture over the noodles. Top with one-third chicken mixture. Sprinkle with half of the combined cheeses. Top with 4 lasagna noodles. Spread remaining half of sour cream mixture. Top with remaining one-third chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining combined cheeses.

Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Allow lasagna to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

I found this recipe from one of my Hungry Girl cook books. I made a few changes based on my preferences. This recipe tastes great reheated and is super easy to make! It makes 4 total servings. Each serving is approximately 270 calories.

Ingredients

-  4 1/2 ounces (about 1 cup) uncooked elbow macaroni (with at least 2g fiber per 2-ounce serving)

- 1 bell pepper

-  4 medium carrots, chopped

-  1 small onion, chopped

-  8 ounces cooked and shredded skinless lean chicken

-  1 teaspoon chopped garlic

-  1/4 c. (4 tablespoons) Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

- diced jalapenos (optional)

-  1/2 c. fat-free sour cream

-  2 wedges Laughing Cow Garlic and Herb

-  2 teaspoons yellow mustard

-  1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta al dente in a medium-large pot (refer to package instructions for exact time). Drain and set aside.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add bell pepper, carrots, and onion. Stirring occasionally, cook until veggies have slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, garlic, jalapenos, and 3 tablespoons hot sauce to the skillet. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine sour cream, cheese wedges, mustard, and remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce. Mix well and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Spray an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Evenly place half of the pasta into the pan. Evenly top with the chicken-veggie mixture followed by the remaining pasta. Add the sour cream mixture to the pan in an even layer. Sprinkle with Parm-style topping.

Bake in the oven until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Beat softened cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.
• Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough creating one large rectangle per can. Press one rectangle piece into the bottom of a your baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter (it’s easiest to use your hands to make sure the ingredients are evenly mixed). Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
• Bake 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Allow to cool, then serve.

My mother, sister, and I decided to take a vacation to Wimberly, Texas to enroll in cooking school for a few days. Our experience was outstanding. We worked with an experienced chef that helped to teach us practical ways to make extraordinary dishes. We were even provided individual notebooks with various techniques that allowed us to be particularly creative with every dish that was taught. During our visit, we stayed at the Blair House Inn, which actually coordinates the cooking school as an additional activity for guests. Our room was beautiful, and the food was absolutely fabulous. The house manager was extremely friendly and accommodating throughout our visit. We are already trying to figure out when we can go back! I would highly recommend this vacation spot to anyone interested in learning more about cooking in a relaxed, but informative manner. Visit the Inn’s website at: blairhouseinn.com

• 4 eggs
• 1 can of pumpkin puree (29 oz.)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups of fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and oil. In a separate bowl, combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients and the canned pumpkin to the egg/sugar/oil mixture, alternating between dry ingredients and canned pumpkin. Mix until well combined. Add the cranberries to the batter, one cup at a time. Bake in desired pan for 60 minutes.

• Cooking spray
• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 9 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked
• 16 ounces of medium to hot salsa, thick
• 2 pounds of shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12 by 8-inch pan or glass dish butter. Combine the eggs, half-and-half, yogurt, Swiss and Feta cheeses, parsley, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, and cayenne in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Spread 1/2 of the cooked pasta evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover the pasta with the salsa. Add 1/2 of the shrimp and then cover it with the Monterey Jack. Add the remaining pasta and shrimp. Spread the egg mixture over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle extra red pepper flakes on top if desired. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

I cooked this dish with fat free half-and-half and fat free yogurt. It still had an amazing flavor, but was a bit soupy. I decided to serve some bread with the dish so this didn’t really bother us. However, if you would prefer a thicker casserole, the fat free option may not be the best. This recipe is based off of a recipe by Paula Deen.

This recipe is quick, easy, and absolutely delicious. It is such a great, healthy take on traditional meatloaf. I found the original recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and made a few of my own modifications.

Cooking spray

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

2 eggs lightly beaten at room temperature

2 tablespoons of milk, preferably whole

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese pieces

1/3 cup of mozzarella

1 pound of ground turkey

Tomato sauce

Olives (if desired)

Stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, eggs, milk, feta, mozzarella, olives and pepper. Add the turkey gently and stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. The best way to combine the ingredients delicately is with your hands.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan (coated with cooking spray) and bake about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Let cool for five minutes, and then spoon tomato sauce over the loaf.

This pot pie is my variation on a few different recipes I have found. It is super easy, quick, and delicious!

Here’s what you will need:

2 cups of chopped cooked chicken breast

1 cup of corn

1 cup of mixed veggies (carrots and peas)

1 cup of frozen hash browns, thawed

1 can cream of chicken reduced sodium soup

1 cup of chicken broth

1.5 cups of instant biscuit mix

1 cup of milk

1  stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a greased casserole dish, layer the chicken, hash browns, and veggies. Mix the soup and chicken broth, season with salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the layers. Stir together the biscuit mix and milk, and pour over the casserole. Drizzle melted butter over the topping. Bake until golden, about 30 to 40 minutes.

The women in my family have always been master cooks making cooking somewhat intimidating for me. However, I have recently started to thoroughly enjoy it. One problem I run into a lot now is the fact that often I am only cooking for one or two people. Leftovers are great sometimes, but, truthfully, I end up wasting a lot of food and money. Lately, I have been researching cook books written exclusively for solo cooks. My favorite thus far is “Going Solo in The Kitchen.” Not only does this book provide great, unique recipes, it also gives strategies for food shopping and storing. One part I really enjoy about the book is that most of the recipes come with a variation and a new recipe if you happen to have leftovers. There is also a section that provides recipes for single servings of old-fashioned dishes such as meatloaf, brisket, or stuffed pork chops. Finally, the book gives great ideas for desserts. It is obviously impractical to make an entire pie or cake for one or two people so author provides other options. These are a few of the tips I found very useful:

1. Cooking in smaller pots is important when you are cooking smaller portions. This helps the flavor of anything you are braising.
2. The key to grocery shopping is planning ahead. Take the time to survey what you have, and what you’re in the mood for.
3. Don’t be unrealistic about the amount of produce you will eat. Solo shoppers tend to always buy too much produce to cook within a seven day time frame.

Hope you found these tips as useful as I did. This book really is a great buy for anyone cooking smaller portions.

I have recently been searching for a healthy chili that compliments the use of ground turkey breast. I found this recipe online and have made a few changes. I really think it is perfect now! It is one of my favorite dishes to make, and is even better the next day for leftovers.

Here’s what you will need:

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds of ground turkey breast
1 medium onion, chopped
4 rounded tablespoons of chili powder
1 cup of hot chipotle salsa
1 cup of Mexican beer (I use Dos XX)
2 cups of chicken stock
1 (28 oz.) can chopped stewed tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and turkey. Crumble the meat as it cooks (about three minutes). Add the onions, chili powder, and hot sauce. Cook another five minutes. Season with salt. Add beer and cook another minute. Add the stock, tomatoes, and beans and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer at a minimum of ten minutes.

The longer you allow the chili to simmer, the thicker (and better) it will taste. I usually let mine simmer for one hour. If you are in a hurry, try adding a spoonful at a time of flour or corn starch. This always seems to help with the consistency of my chili. FYI: I tend to like making spicy dishes so if that’s not for you, cut back on a few of the hot ingredients. This picture shows the chili topped with some cornbread cakes which are great for dipping.