This is one of those ‘all in one dishes’ that I love to make. You can make it ahead of time, refrigerate, and then do the baking right at the very end. Very convenient, very easy, very good !

Chicken Casserole with Wild Rice

8 servings
371 calories per serving

You can make this casserole ahead and refrigerate until you are ready – just bake longer (about an hour) to make sure it heats all the way through.

2 c water
1/2 c wild rice
2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cooked (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !) and cut into bit sized pieces
2 T oil
3 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 c chicken broth
1/4 c flour
2 c skim milk
1/2 c grated Parmesan
1/2 c low fat sour cream
1/3 c chopped parsley
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 c frozen French cut green beans
1/2 c sliced almonds

Mix water and rice and bring to a boil then lower to a simmer and cook 35-40 minutes. Drain and reserve. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot and cook mushrooms 12 minutes or so to release all the liquid and allow it to dry up. Add broth and scallions and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and stir then add milk and simmer 2 minutes. Add cheese, sour cream parsley, salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with Pam and place the rice in as the bottom layer. Top with chicken and beans then pour over the mushroom sauce and sprinkle with nuts. Cook 30 minutes and let stand a bit to cool before serving.

A quick soup that tastes like its been simmering for hours. Great fresh flavors and only 121 calories per serving !

Ginger Chicken Soup

2 servings
121 calories per serving

4 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 c Perdue Shortcuts chicken cut into bite sized pieces (or make your own by sautéing a boneless skinless breast and then cutting it up into small pieces)
1 c green pepper slices (sliced very thin)
¼ c sliced scallions
1 c chicken broth
1 c beef broth
½ c water
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t onion powder
Optional red pepper flakes if you like it spicy

Combine all in a small pan and cook for 15 minutes.

Spicy and savory side dish that is perfect next to Mexican inspired meals. The cumin really makes this a different tasting salad.

Jalapeno Tomatoes

8 servings
58 calories per serving

4 c halved cherry or grape tomatoes (plus any other sliced garden tomatoes you have)
1/3 c sliced scallions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced thinly
1/3 c white balsamic vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1 T oil
2 t minced ginger
1 t ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the tomatoes, scallions, garlic and jalapeno. Mix the rest of the ingredients to make a dressing then pour over the tomatoes and chill for at least 1 hour.

Use tart plums if you don’t want this dish to be too sweet. Fruity yet savory and plums just go so well in fruited dishes !

Pork and Plums

4 servings
287 calories per serving

1 T oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut into thin, short strips
1 T plus 1 ½ t cornstarch
1 carrot thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. plums cut into ½ inch slices
1 c chicken broth
2 T plum jam
1 T cider vinegar
1 T soy sauce
½ t ground ginger

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Mix pork with 1 T cornstarch and rub it in. A good way to do this is place both in a Ziploc bag, seal and then mush it around repeatedly. Cook the meat 5 minutes and then transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and cook the carrot, scallions and garlic for 1 minute and then add the plums and cook for another 5 minutes or until they start to get soft.

Whisk broth, jam, vinegar, soy, ginger and the rest of the cornstarch and pour into the pan and bring to a boil and cook 1 minute then lower the heat and place the pork back in the pan and cool 3 minutes or until all is heated.

This one is as versatile as it gets – take any veggies, steam them, and then add the sauce ! The mustard and scallions add a nice dimension to the cheese sauce too

Veggies in Cheese Sauce

6 servings
80 calories per serving

1 lb. broccoli separated into florets
4 thin carrots peeled and cut lengthwise in half
4 oz. Velveeta cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 T water
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 t dijon mustard

Place carrots and broccoli in a steamer basket and steam 5 minutes. Mix water and velveeta and microwave 1- 2 minutes or until well blended then add scallions and mustard. Drizzle sauce over vegetables.

This is a great Chile Relleno dish – it has all the flavor and so very little work. It is super easy to put together and turns out a perfect little cup of Mexican goodness.

Mini Chile Rellenos

4 servings
215 calories per serving

2 4 oz. cans diced green chiles, drained and patted dry
3/4 c frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c skim milk
6 large egg whites
4 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 8 six ounce or 4 10 ounce ramekins (small oven safe glass or ceramic pots) with Pam and place on a baking sheet so you can remove them from the oven easily.

Whisk together eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper and milk. Place the chiles on the bottom of the cups then add corn and scallions Sprinkle with cheese then pour in the egg mix. Bake 35-40 minutes or until eggs are set. The larger the ramekins, the longer these will need to cook.

This dish is worthy of any Mexican restaurant out there ! The salsas give the beans a subtle flavor and the velvety consistency of the refried beans is a perfect side to all Mexican fare. Try serving with Mini Chile Rellenos for a great Mexican inspired night.

Jazzed Up Refried Beans

6 servings
159 calories per serving

16 oz. can nonfat refried beans
15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed
¼ c prepared salsa
¼ c prepared salsa verde
2/3 c shredded low fat sharp cheddar cheese
4 scallions, sliced
Pam

Preheat broiler. Mix Beans, refried beans, salsas and 1/3 c of cheese in a pan and cook until hot throughout and the cheese has melted. Turn into a casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the scallions and broil 2 minutes or until cheese is brown.

I love orzo and it is great in cold pasta salads. The goat cheese really melts in from all the lemon and it gives the whole dish a great flavor. Very satisfying !!

Chicken and Pasta Salad

4 servings
275 calories per serving

¾ c orzo
¼ t grated lemon zest
3 T lemon juice
1 T oil
½ t Kosher salt
1 t minced garlic clove
¼ t pepper
1 c shredded grilled boneless skinless chicken breast (Perdue Shortcuts work great here !)
½ c cubed English cucumber
½ c chopped red bell pepper
½ c sliced scallions
½ c crumbled goat cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it down. Mix lemon zest, juice, oil, salt, garlic and pepper and mix with the orzo. Add chicken, cucumber, peppers, and onions. Garnish with goat cheese and serve.

Take regular old store bought pierogi and turn them into a meal fit for a king ! The cheese sauce on top of these is out of this world good when mixed with the potato and cheese pierogi filling.

Baked Pierogi

4 servings
281 calories per serving

1 16 oz. package or frozen pierogies
Pam
2 lean bacon slices, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz. low fat cream cheese
½ c chicken broth
½ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
¼ c sliced scallions
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place pierogies in a bowl and cover with hot water to defrost. Drain well. Spray 9×13 pan with Pam and add pierogies. Heat a skillet and cook the bacon the remove and set aside (crumble it when it is cool enough). Add garlic to pan and sauté 30 seconds then add cream cheese and cook 1 minute. Whisk in broth and then pour over the pierogies. Add the cheese on top and bake 20 minutes or until heated. When done, sprinkle with bacon, scallions, salt and pepper.

Rich, buttery, zesty, tangy – this one is a real treat for your mouth !

Ham and Swiss with Tangy Sauce

1 serving
355 calories per serving

1 small club roll
8 slices thin deli sliced lean ham (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slice low fat swiss cheese
1 t butter
1 T sliced scallions
1/8 t pepper
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t horseradish

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, mustard, pepper, horseradish and scallions. Brush butter mix onto the insides of both sides of the roll. Add ham and cheese to roll. Wrap in foil and bake 15 minutes.