These little crustless tarts make a great side dish to lunch or dinner. Very cheesy, very chic

Spinach Tart

8 servings
124 calories per serving (serving=2 tarts)

16 oz. frozen spinach
3 egg whites
12 oz. 2 % cottage cheese
1 c shredded part skim mozzarella
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1/4 t black pepper
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put spinach in a colander and rinse with hot water until thawed. Using your hand or the back of a spoon, press it down firmly to drain all the water out of it. Mix egg whites, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese and then add spinach and mix well. Spoon mixture into 16 muffin / cupcake cups sprayed with Pam. Bake 35 minutes.

Some meals are just extra special and this is definitely one of them ! The perfect portion of pasta, chicken and veggies all covered in a scrumptious sauce and layers of cheese. You just can’t go wrong !

Chicken Florentine Casserole

4 servings
270 calories per serving

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 T flour
8 oz. FiberGourmet penne pasta (without FiberGourmet, you have to add 80 calories per serving)
2 T low fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 c chicken broth
2 oz. light cream cheese, cubed
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and drained well (press it down in a sieve to get a lot of water out)
1 c shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
3 T grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat dressing in a skillet. Mix chicken with flour and add to skillet and cook 3-4 minutes or until browned. Add broth and cream cheese and cook until cheese is melted. Add the spinach, garlic powder, salt and pepper and heat 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mix drained pasta with skillet mixture and spoon half of it into a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with ½ the mozzarella then add the rest of the chicken mix. Finally top with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake 20 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese.

This is one of those WOW good meals ! And since you are using shake and bake and prepared pesto, preparation is a snap. This makes shake and bake super special and meal you’ll serve to guests.

Baked Italian Chicken with Pesto

4 servings
250 calories per serving

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (5 oz. each)
1 pack Shake and Bake Mix
2 T prepared pesto (available in the refrigerator section of your market)
1/4 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wet chicken with water and then coat with Shake and Bake and place in a baking pan or on a cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until done throughout. Mix pesto and cheese and spoon on top of chicken and bake another 5 minutes.

This is best with fresh mozzarella (it is WIDELY available at regular and gourmet markets as well as cheese shops) and fresh garden tomatoes.

Mozzarella and Tomato with Balsamic Vinegar

4 servings
177 calories per serving

4 2 oz. slices of mozzarella cheese
4 large tomato slices
4 basil leaves
4 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Place cheese on plate and top with tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then top with basil leaves and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

This is all the good stuff out of the salad and leaves the lettuce behind. Crisp, refreshing and a great summer salad.

Mediterranean Salad

8 servings
109 calories per serving

2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 green pepper chopped coarsely
1 red or 1 yellow pepper chopped coarsely
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in half, and chopped coarsely
½ of a small cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1/2 c fat free Italian dressing
2 T chopped basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 low fat mozzarella sticks, sliced into small rounds

Mix all together and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Here’s another one of those appetizers that also makes a great dinner side – these are great served next to a hearty bowl of minestrone soup.

Mini Calzones

24 servings
50 calories per serving

1 11 oz. can soft breadsticks
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
6 slices very thin deli ham, each rolled and cut into 4 pieces
¼ t oregano flakes
2 T grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let dough come to room temperature then unroll it and separate into 12 sticks then cut each in half making 2 short sticks. Flatten each piece of dough to about a 2 inch wide piece. Sprinkle all the dough pieces with garlic powder. Place 1 t mozzarella cheese in the center. Fold ham and place over the cheese making sure to leave a border so you will be able to seal the calzones. Fold the dough over and pinch the edges to seal and make a little pocket. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the parm and oregano. Bake 15 minute or until golden brown.

These little cups from heaven are the perfect appetizer ! Take a awesome spinach artichoke dip and put it in a little wonton cup and you have a whole new recipe. You don’t need calorie laden dippers to scoop the dip, so you end up with only 60 calories per cup – you just can’t go wrong there !!

Spinach Artichoke Cups

24 servings
60 calories per serving

24 won ton wrappers
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 c low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and squeezed dry in a colander
1/3 c light mayo
1/3 cc grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c finely chopped red or green peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pan with Pam and place 1 wrapper in each cup with the edges extending beyond the cut. Place muffin tins on a cookie sheet so you can easily grab them from the oven. Bake 5 minutes then remove from oven. Mix all the rest of the ingredients and fill the cups then bake 15 minutes or until heated through.

A nice zesty way to serve up your broccoli !

Broccoli and Cheese

6 servings
70 calories per serving

4 cups broccoli florets
3 T water
1/4 c Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 c low fat mozzarella cheese

Place broccoli and water in a glass bowl and microwave 5 minutes or until somewhat tender then drain and toss with dressing and cheese. Serve immediately.

These are more delicious than regular stuffed peppers – the cream sauce mixes in with the meat and rice so beautifully – every ounce is coated and it makes for a super creamy taste sensation.

Inside Out Stuffed Peppers

6 servings
311 calories per person

1 lb. lean ground turkey
2 green peppers, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c cooked brown rice or even use a chicken or beef flavored rice mix for extra flavor
16 oz. jarred marinara sauce
1 c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 c cream cheese cooking creme (I used Philadelphia tomato and basil flavor)
1/4 c chopped basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat, peppers, salt and pepper in a large skillet. Add in garlic during the last minute of cooking. Drain and add rice, sauce, 1/2 c mozzarella and cream cheese. Mix well and spoon into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 c mozzarella and bake 25 minutes.

The layer of pesto mixed with spinach and mushrooms adds an incredible layer of flavor and also bulks up the recipe with more nutrition. This is a FANTASTIC lasagna recipe – lots of cheese, lots of flavor and the perfect comfort food.

Pesto Lasagna (Crock Pot)

8 servings
395 calories per serving

4 c spinach, chopped coarsely
3 T water
2 c sliced mushrooms
1/2 c prepared low fat pesto
3/4 c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
3/4 c shredded provolone cheese
15 oz. fat free ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c grated parmesan cheese
25 oz. bottle marinara sauce
8 oz. tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
½ t garlic powder
Pam
9 oz. (12 noodles) no bake lasagna noodles
1/4 c packed basil leaves, chopped

Place spinach in a glass bowl with 3 T water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 3 minutes to wilt. Squeeze it dry in a colander then mix with mushrooms and pesto. Mix mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, ¼ c of parmesan and egg. Mix marinara sauce and tomato sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spray an oval crock pot with Pam. Place 1 c sauce in the bottom then place 3 noodles on top covering the bottom of the pan. Add 1 c of cheese and 1 c of spinach. Then start the layers again – - add sauce, noodles, then cheese and spinach. Finally end with a layer of noodles and spread the rest of the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with ½ c of parmesan and basil. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.