Ham & Cheese Sliders

I sure wish the girls liked these more. They are DELICIOUS! And, I don’t typically eat mustard. Some people add mayo – NOT this gal… 🙂 This is not your ordinary sandwich. Give it a shot.

Ingredients

• 18-24 Hawaiian Dinner Rolls (how many fit in your pan?)
• 1 lb. thin sliced ham
• 6-8 slices of Swiss Cheese
• 6-8 slices of Provolone Cheese
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 tsp poppyseeds
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat over to 400 degrees
2. Cut the buns in 1/2 if they aren’t already sliced. I leave them connected so the goodies stay inside
3. Put the bottom 1/2 of the buns in a greased pan
4. Layer with Swiss cheese
5. Layer with ham
6. Layer with Provolone cheese
7. Put on the top 1/2 of the buns
8. Mix the melted butter, poppyseeds, yellow mustard, onion, and Worcestershire sauce
9. Pour the sauce over the rolls evenly
10. Cover with foil and cook for 15-18 minutes
11. Remove the foil and cook and additional 2-3 minutes
12. Cut into mini sandwiches

Cilantro Lime Chicken Enchilada Soup

This is pretty similar to a recipe that I’ve made before. I bought some Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast from Aldi and I couldn’t decide how to use it. I decided to throw it in this soup recipe… Excited to see how it turns out. Because the chicken is “flavored” there are some extra carbs that I wouldn’t typically include, however, I want to use this chicken. Excited that my friend Jeni is coming over to enjoy it! I am going to make some corn bread to go along with this soup!

The best part about this soup is you just dump it all in and let it cook for 8 hours.

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 lbs chicken breast (frozen or thaw) – I used Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast from Aldi
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 15 oz. can corn, undrained
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
• 1 11 oz. can enchilada sauce
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tsp chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder)
• salt and pepper to taste

When the soup is done, and the chicken has bee shredded… You can add shredded cheese or crunchy tortilla strips for topping. Without the cheese, tortilla strips, and cornbread this soup has 8 servings and has 221 calories per serving.

Nutritional Information (8 servings)

• Calories 221
• Total Fat 5.1 g
• Total Carbs 20.4 g
• Protein 20.4 g

Spicy Chili

We used to make chili all the time. We started avoiding it a while back – not sure why but I think maybe because it was too acidic. I always used a big can (like the super huge one) of tomato juice. This isn’t really spicy, even though it says it is. 🙂 I also typically don’t like beans, but anything that’s been in a crock pot all day long tastes good! I’m already trying to decide how I want to use the leftovers today. I’m thinking maybe chili cheese pinwheels? I have some crescent roll sheets. For the next week or so, I’m thinking my adventures with low-carb might not happen…

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef (cooked and drained), or 1 lb. Italian sausage + 1 lb. ground beef
• 3 cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 can chili beans
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 jalapenos, diced
• 2 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. paprika

Directions

1. Brown ground beef, or ground beef and Italian sausage. Drain, but retain some fat
2. Put all of the ingredients in a crock pot, and stir.
3. Cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Serve with your choice or toppings. Our favorites are sour cream and cheddar.

Fried “Rice”

Who loves fried rice?  Remember the little girl sitting at the table that refused to eat the cauliflower rice not too long ago?  Well, this time she went back for more.  Even though I’ve been forcing myself to eat veggies for a little over 4 months now, I’m still not a huge fan.  I have to disguise them.  This was just SO good.  Addyson said it’s a once a week must have!  The hardest part about this was waiting on the vegetables to cook in the microwave.

Ingredients

• Seasoning of your choice (I used Garlic Salt & Pepper)
• 1 bag riced Broccoli, cook as directed
• 1 bag riced Cauliflower, cook as directed
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 10-12 diced baby carrots
• 4 eggs
• 3-4 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. GH Hughes Orange Ginger Marmalade (sugar-free

Directions

1. Cook broccoli and cauliflower rice as directed in the microwave.
2. While the veggies are cooking spray a pan with Pam and scramble 4 eggs.
3. Add butter and garlic, saute carrots.
4. Mix in broccoli and cauliflower and saute for 3-5 minutes, constantly stirring.
5. Add in soy sauce and orange sauce
6. Serve!

 

Swedish Meatballs

Not sure why I decided to make these so big, but I did.  I used a 1/3 c measuring cup and winged it from there.  You could make these much smaller and they work go a lot farther.  I ate mine over cauliflower rice.  Jamie had his over angel hair pasta.  DELICIOUS!  The girls are still in Effingham. Jamie has been working on finishing the laundry room in the basement and I’ve been doing odds and ends around the house.  We have PLENTY of food to go around but will soon be running low on some of our healthier choices.  Yes, we can go to the grocery store, however, we’ve been talking about using what we have and doing the best we can.  We are fortunate to have quite a bit of food that needs to be used.  This is another recipe I got from skinnytaste.com.  I changed a few things up, bit it’s pretty close!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion, minced (food processor)
• 2 celery stalks, minced (food processor)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp allspice
• 2.5 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 6 oz fat-free cream cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, celery, and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add parsley and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine beef, chicken, eggs, onion mixture, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and allspice. Mix well and form into 9 large meatballs.
• Add beef stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly drop meatballs into the broth. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
• Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside in a serving dish.  Transfer the broth and scrapings to a blender and add cream cheese.  Blend until smooth. Return to the skillet with the meatballs and simmer.

Each meatball (when you make 9) with sauce is 275 calories.

The recipe total is 2,472 calories.  Use that if you make more than 9 meatballs. 🙂

Total Calories-275  *Total Fat-15.1g  *Total Carbs-6.1g  *Protein 27.2g

Chicken Enchiladas

Guys, this was SO good.  I had an extra serving that I did not need!  You will NEVER use a can of red enchilada sauce again!  Do not skip the chipotle chilis in adobo sauce!  I think it gives it the best flavor!  We took a quick trip to Menards to get all of the materials we will need to get a good start on the basement laundry room should we be stuck in the house for a longer period of time.  Jamie has already completed the basement bathroom and it looks AMAZING.  The girls are enjoying time with Grandma and Pop!  Bryleighed managed to get an eye infection and lose a tooth.  The tooth fairy found her, don’t worry!  The chicken enchilada recipe is a little “off-plan”, however, I’m out of my Outer Crust shells.  These are 2g net carbs each on the shell.  They will have to do for now!  I didn’t get anything in Wendy’s drive-through today so I will consider these low-carb shells as a reward! LOL!  I got this recipe from http://www.skinnytaste.com.  I made very few adjustments based on ingredients I had on hand so Tara should get all of the credit.

INGREDIENTS

For the enchilada sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (I just use the sauce)
• 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce (I was out, so I used the immersion blender on diced tomatoes)
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• pinch of pepper

For the chicken:

• 1 lb ground chicken (or the equivalent of shredded chicken)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

For the enchilada:

• 8 Mission Carb Balance, whole wheat taco shells
• 1 cup shredded low-fat Mexican cheese
• non-stick cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine garlic, chipotle chile sauce, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add ground chicken.  Cook until no longer pink.  Add cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray.  Divide chicken mixture into each of the 8 tortillas and roll it.
5. Place on baking dish seam side down, top with sauce. Then top with cheese.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes.
7. Optional – Top with low-fat sour cream or scallions.  Be sure to add the calories.

*Total Calories-208 (per enchilada) *Total Fat-10.7g *Total Carbs-18.2g  *Total Protein-18.0g.

Loaded Cauliflower Soup

This recipe makes 4 servings.  It’s been pretty lonely this week at the house.  The girls are doing “Rona School” down at Grandma’s house.  Bryleigh even lost a tooth today!  I was a little skeptical when I saw this recipe.  I mean who puts a zucchini in “potato” soup.  Let’s be honest – there are no potatoes either… This recipe is the definition of hiding vegetables from your kids, however, I really just ended up hiding them from myself.  I’ve also never had turkey bacon before.  It was pretty good!  When the veggies get done cooking and you use the immersion blender, it’s pretty thick.  I decided to add an additional cup of broth at this point.   It’s included in the recipe to add at the end.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth, (divided)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 5.3 oz low-free plain Greek yogurt
• 2 wedges light laughing cow cheese
• 1/2 c shredded fat-free mild cheddar
• 1/2 c shredded sharp cheddar
• 16 oz cooked chicken (shredded breast or ground)
  • I put the chicken in the crockpot this morning so it shredded easily!
• 8 slices turkey bacon (2 per serving)
• chives to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive in large saucepan or pot over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook for a few minutes until clear.  Add the celery and garlic, and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower, zucchini, 2 cups chicken broth, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
4. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer until vegetables are tender 8-10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat.  Discard bay leaf.  Puree the mixture in a food processor, with an immersion blender, or by using a potato masher.
6. Slowly mix in the Greek yogurt, laughing cow cheese, and shredded cheese, then cheese.  Add 1 additional cup of broth to thin.
7. Garnish with bacon bits and chives.

*Calories per Serving- 445   *Total Fat-21.6g   * Total Carbs-10.4g   *Protein-42.9g

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This was super easy and great for a sleet, rain, and snow-filled day.  Everyone ate their whole serving.  I also didn’t eat an entire serving.  I probably had a 1 3/4 cup.  There was still plenty of leftovers for another day.  I think it might be worth getting the chipotle chili spice if you don’t have it in your cabinet for this one!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1- 10 oz can mild enchilada sauce
• 2 c chicken broth
• 1- 4.5 oz can chopped green chilis
• 2- 14 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili pepper spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1.5 lb. raw chicken breast
• 1/4 c. mild cheddar cheese, as a topping (will add calories)
• 2 tbsp. sour cream, as a topping (will add calories)

Directions

• Dump everything but the chicken in the crockpot
• If you like it chunky,  leave it.  I used the emulsion blender on mine
• Put in the chicken breast in the crockpot.
• Cover and cook for 6-7 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high

*Servings-6     *Calories-170     *Total Fat-1.8g     *Total Carbs-12.6g     *Protein-30.3g

*If you use 1/4 c cheese and 2 tbsp sour cream the meal is 320 calories.

 

 

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash

Trying something new tonight!  Spring Break has been good to me.  It’s great to refresh your brain!  I’m also recovering from playing volleyball with my staff and students last week.  My knees have been a major source of pain… Today was the first day they’ve started to feel better! YAY!  Some helpful hints

Spaghetti Squash – I cut off the ends, slice in half, and take out the seeds.  I sprinkle with olive oil and seasoning and cook inside down at 400 for 50-60 minutes.

Cabbage – I used a slaw mix our grocery store had.  Bryleigh picked out the carrots!

Chicken – I grilled a BUNCH of chicken over the weekend.  I plan to shred some up!

One serving is 1/4 of the casserole!  I could only eat half of that!

Ingredients

• 4 c. cooked spaghetti squash
• 2 c. cabbage, chopped
• 1 lb. cooked chicken – diced, cubed, or shredded
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 c. Frank’s hot sauce
• 1/4 c. Ranch Dressing
• 4 wedges light Laughing Cow Cheese (I used the garlic)
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook spaghetti squash and cabbage over medium-high heat
3. Add garlic and onion powder, and saute until no longer watery
4. Add the chicken, hot sauce, and laughing cow cheese and cook until heated through
5. Add it all to a sprayed casserole dish.
6. Top with ranch
7. Top with Mozzarella
8. Bake until cheese is melted (approx. 10 minutes)

Makes 4 Servings: *Calories-442 *Total Fat-21.4g *Total Carbs-16.6g *Protein-45.6g

 

Chicken Marinade

When you see “best ever” you pay attention.  Most of the time it tastes just like the last one you tried! While on Pinterest looking for a marinade, I found best ever chicken marinade…  I thought, why not?  I can pretty definitely say it’s some of the best chicken I’ve ever had…  We cut ours with a fork!  The girls don’t leave any behind!  Everyone ate everything!

I’ve soaked it overnight and I’ve soaked it for 3 hours.  Both were delicious!

UPDATE:  We prefer apple cider vinegar to the balsamic vinegar!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar (my preference is def. apple cider veingar!!!!)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup Stevia (or brown sugar)
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp minced garlic

Directions

1. Mix it all together in a ziplock baggie
2. Marinade the chicken breast for several hours, or overnight
3. Grill!