Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

6 red or green bell peppers

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 package (19.5 oz) turkey Italian sausage

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced red or green peppers (use the chopped off tops)

4-6 tsp olive oil

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 cup spicy tomato sauce

2 cups grated low fat mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Cut the tops off the peppers

Square off the bottom of each pepper to make them stand up 

A small hole at the bottom will help drain the fat from the peppers

Clean out the inside of the peppers

Place peppers standing up in a greased baking dish

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and brown the beef

Remove beef from skillet and set aside

Add olive oil and sausage to skillet - Brown sausage, remove from skillet and set aside

Add pepper and onions to skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes

Turn off heat and add meats back to skillet and add 1 cup of tomato sauce

Season with salt and pepper

Let mixture cool slightly, mix in the cheeses, but save 1/4 cup of mozzarella

Stuff each pepper with meat mixture

Sprinkle tops with mozzarella cheese

Cover the peppers with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes

Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes uncovered

Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

1 pound ground lean turkey

1 egg white

1 1/2 cup dry, old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 jar (16 oz) tomato sauce

7 cups whole wheat pasta 

Directions

Combine turkey, egg, oats, and spices

Shape into 14 meatballs

Layer small portion of tomato sauce on bottom of crockpot and place meatballs on top 

Cover meatballs with remaining sauce

Cook for 4-5 hours on high for 8-9 hours on low

Other option:

Cover meatballs with sauce in a saucepan and simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes

Quicky Lasagna

Ingredients

15 oz ricotta cheese

Frozen spinach, thawed and drained

8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 jar of sauce

6 lasagna noodles

1/4 cup water

Directions

Mix ricotta and spinach with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese

Put 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a square 8 x 8 baking dish

Top with 3 lasagna noodles

Add 1/2 spinach mixture on top and repeat layers

Put 1/4 cup water around edges of the dish

Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes covered

Add remaining mozzarella cheese

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes uncovered

Let stand for 10 minutes 

Quick Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 egg

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

2 cups sauce

Directions

Dip the chicken in egg and coat with breadcrumbs

Heat oil in a skillet and cook chicken for 10 minutes

Heat sauce to a boil

Return chicken to the skillet, cover with sauce, and cook low for 5 minutes

Top chicken with cheese 

Lazy Lasagna

Ingredients

1/2 of a 16 oz package of egg noodles

1 cup (8 oz) ricotta

2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Cook the egg noodles and drain

In a bowl, mix the 3 cheeses with the noodles

In a 2 quart baking dish, spoon sauce to cover the bottom of the dish

Layer 1/2 noodle mix and 1/2 the sauce

Repeat layers

Bake for 25-30 minutes

Fettucine with Creamy Red Pepper Feta Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 (16 oz) jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 cup crumbled feta cheese or a 6 oz block

1 pound whole wheat linguine

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat

Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes

Add roasted peppers and saute until heated through

Remove from heat and let cool slightly

Place mixture in a food processor with stock and all but 2 tbsp of feta cheese

Process until combined and smooth about 30 seconds

Cook pasta and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of water

Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water by the tbsp, if needed

Sauce should cling nicely to the pasta

Season with salt and pepper

Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese

Baked Ziti Casserole

Ingredients

1 package (15 oz) part-skim ricotta cheese

2 beaten eggs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 box (16 oz) ziti, cooked

1 jar (28 oz) of favorite sauce 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan cheese

In 13 x 9 inch baking dish, spoon 1/2 pasta and top with cheese mixture

Add remaining pasta and top with mozzarella cheese

Bake for 30 minutes

Pepperoni Pie

Ingredients

3 cups flour

4 beaten eggs

16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tsp salt

4 cups milk

12 oz thinly sliced pepperoni - cut into quarters

1/2 tsp of oregano

Pepper to taste

Directions

Mix everything together and spread onto a cookie sheet with a high lip/edge

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

May need to absorb some oil using paper towels