Tag Archives: Kid Friendly

Beef, Dinner, FiberGourmet, Italian, Kid Friendly, Pasta

Pasta and Beef Bake

June 20, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Sometimes baking prepared pasta and sauce makes it taste like a whole different meal – and when you add in a layer of decadent cheese, then it really feels special 🙂 This is super easy to do and tastes GREAT !

4 servings
392 calories

8 oz. Uncooked FiberGourmet penne or rotini (without using FiberGourmet pasta, you add 80 calories per serving)
½ lb. extra lean ground beef
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
4.5 oz. jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 t basil flakes or 1 T fresh basil, chopped
½ t oregano flakes
½ t salt
¼ t pepper
½ t onion powder
½ t garlic powder
Red pepper flakes if you like it spicy
½ c fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
Pam

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 inch baking dish with Pam. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Brown ground beef and drain then add tomato sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms herbs and spices and bring to a boil them remove from heat and stir in pasta then turn into the baking dish and cover and bake 15 minutes. Then uncover and sprinkle with cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes.

Breakfast, Kid Friendly, Mexican

Sausage Breakfast Wraps

June 19, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I love a dish you can make for a hungry breakfast crowd that doesn’t entail you standing at the stove being a short order cook 😉 You can put this one together and throw it in the oven then sit and have coffee and chat while it cooks up perfectly. It turns out a flavorful Mexican inspired dish that everyone enjoys !

10 servings
277 calories per serving

1 lb. Italian seasoned turkey sausage, casing removed
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
32 oz. Egg Beaters
4 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 t chili powder
10 flour tortillas, warmed
1 ¼ c salsa
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage, peppers and onions in a skillet until sausage is done, and then drain on paper towels. Place in a 13×9 baking dish sprayed with Pam. Mix eggs, green chilies and chili powder and pour over the turkey mix. Bake uncovered 30-35 minutes or until set then break up with a spoon. Place 2/3 c of egg mix down the center of each tortilla then wrap up securely.

Here is a video that will show you how to fold up a wrap securely

[youtube]ydEdNouwsbI[/youtube]

Fish, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches

Tuna Pitas

June 16, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Serve up your tuna in a pita and it just become a whole different animal ! This is one of my favorite ways to eat tuna – with lotsa celery bits. But if you don’t like celery, substitute chopped up pickles or onions. The addition of the lemon pepper seasoing gives this extra special flavor !

1 serving
373 calories per serving

6 oz. light tuna packed in water, drained
2 T light mayo
3 T chopped celery
½ t onion powder
¼ t salt
¾ t lemon pepper seasoning
1 Sahara Pita bread (or any other brand that comes in at 170 calories or less)

Mix tuna, mayo, celery, salt, onion powder and lemon pepper. Spoon into pitas and serve.

Dessert, Kid Friendly, Summer

Key Lime Pops (from the Zoku recipe book)

June 15, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Even though I make these pops in a Zoku maker, you can make any of these recipes in traditional pop makers – each pop here is 2 oz. so adjust accordingly. And if you love pops like me, then do yourself a favor and get a Zoku 🙂 Their recipes turn out fantastic pops – I often skinny them up a bit, but I mostly use their measurements and basic recipe and am always pleased with the results.

The layer of graham cracker in this one really makes it taste like a slice of key lime pie – awesome !

6 servings
83 calories per serving

1 c skim milk
¼ c sweetened condensed milk
¼ c key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
2 T clover honey
¼ c crumbled graham crackers (optional)
Lime slices (optional)

Whisk all ingredients. If you want to place a lime slice along the side of the mold, do so. Then pour in ingredients and freeze completely (7-9 minutes in the Zoku, 6 hours in the freezer). If you want to use layers of graham cracker (like a graham cracker crust on a pie), then let a layer of lime freeze all the way – then add a layer of the graham crumbs and pack them down before adding more base liquid.

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly

Roasted Chicken and Potatoes

June 10, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Roast chicken is just so homey to me. And it makes as great of an everyday meal as it does a holiday or special occasion meal. It’s so easy to do and so very good. And the leftovers are great for chicken salad or chicken soup.

4 servings
374 calories per serving

2 T garlic, minced
1 t salt
3/4 t pepper
1/2 t rosemary
1 3 ½ pound roasting chicken
Pam
12 oz red potatoes, quartered
1 1/2 c cubed peeled butternut squash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix half the garlic with half the salt and pepper then add the rosemary. Prepare the chicken for roasting and then loosen the skin and rub the garlic mix under the skin. Place chicken on a rack in a broiler pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Mix potatoes, squash and the rest of the garlic salt and pepper and arrange around the chicken. Bake 1 hour or until done. Let stand 10 minutes then discard skin and carve chicken.

Chicken, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Sandwiches

Chicken Burger Deluxe

June 7, 2011 admin Leave a comment

I find chicken to be much more flavorful than turkey – especially when you’re talking burgers or sausage. Cook this great low fat, low cal burger up in no time and have a guilt free burger dinner. Try serving with Zucchini ‘Fries’. To keep this moist, I add a bit of water to the pan as it cooks and give the burger a few spritzes of ICBINB spray right at the end of the cooking process.

1 serving
305 calories per serving

1 chicken burger
1 100 calorie bun (Arnold Select Thins are great !)
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ t onion powder
1 large slice tomato
1 lettuce leaf
1 slice onion
2 large basil leaves
Pam
ICBINB Spray

Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Add burger and sprinkle with half the salt, pepper and onion powder. Cook 5-6 minutes then flip and add the rest of the spices. If the pan gets too dry, add a bit of hot water. Cook another 5-6 minutes or until fully cooked. Spritz with a bit of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray then place on a bun. Add basil, lettuce, onion and tomato.

Chicken, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches

Hot Chicken and Swiss Sandwich

June 6, 2011 admin 2 Comments

Sometimes serving a sandwich hot makes it sooooo much more special. This is one of those times. The melted swiss just gives it a whole other dimension.

1 serving
295 calories per serving

1 small club roll
4 slices thin sliced deli chicken breast (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slice low fat swiss cheese
1 t light mayonnaise
1 t mustard
¼ t parsley flakes
¼ t basil flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix mayo and mustard and spread on bread. Add chicken and cheese and sprinkle with the spices. Wrap in foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add spinach leaves and enjoy !

Dessert, Kid Friendly

Chocolate Caramel Bars

June 4, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Fudgy layers of chocolate heaven !! First you have a chocolate chip cookie crust – then you add chocolate covered rice chex and peanuts. And as if that were not enough – you add a layer of caramel chocolate fudge to the top. OH SO GOOD !

36 servings
190 calories per serving

1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookies (18 oz.)
11 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
18 oz. caramel apple dip
3 c Rice Chex cereal
1 c chopped peanuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Break up cookie dough and press it into the bottom of an ungreased 13×9 baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown then cool 15 minutes. In a saucepan heat 1 c chocolate chops and 1 c caramel sauce. On medium heat stir and cook until smooth then remove from heat and stir in cereal and peanuts. Spread the cereal mix over the crust. In the saucepan heat the rest of the chips and caramel and cook until melted. Spread over the cereal mix then refrigerate ½ hour or so then cut into bars.

Dessert, Kid Friendly

Orange Cream

June 2, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Orangey, creamy, tons of pudding flavor – all for so few calories ! If you want them to come in with even less calories and still have a nice portion, just cut out a few of the orange segments and some of the granola.

4 servings
170 calories per serving

1 box (4 servings) sugar free low fat vanilla instant pudding
1 c orange juice
1 c fat free Cool Whip, thawed
2 granola bars, crushed
15 oz. can mandarin oranges

Beat pudding mix and juice with wire whisk 2 minutes. Refrigerate 5 minutes and then fold in Cool Whip. Divide into 4 parfait glasses. This step can be done up to a day ahead of serving. Just before serving top with granola and orange segments.

Dinner, Kid Friendly, Sides, Vegetables

Corn and Broccoli

May 30, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The natural ‘sugariness’ of the corn and the addition of a little bit of sugar make this a very sweet dish. It was just great served next to a mild flavored broiled pork chop. If you prefer less sweet, just leave out the sugar and this will still turn out a great side dish !

6 servings
133 calories per serving

15 oz. can creamed corn
½ c Egg Beaters
2 t sugar
2 T flour
1 t salt
½ c shredded low fat cheddar cheese
10 oz. package frozen broccoli, thawed and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine corn, eggs, sugar, flour and salt and then fold in cheese and broccoli and place in a baking dish and bake 1 hour.