Chicken Parmigiana

I love pasta. If you have followed this blog much at all you probably already know that. I also love to take my restaurant favorites and work them out at home. I am usually surprised at just how easy some of them are. This is very simple and oh so tasty! Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
2 slices of mozzarella cheese
6 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 c. spaghetti sauce of your choice

Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl and set aside. Pat dry your chicken breasts with paper towel. You want them to be dry so that the breading stays on well. Coat a chicken breast with egg whites and then coat with the bread crumb mixture. Place on a greased broiling pan. Repeat with the second chicken breast.

Cook at 375 degrees for 18 minutes. Increase the heat to 425 degrees and place a cheese slice on each chicken breast.

Meanwhile, place the spaghetti on a place and pour half the sauce on top. Place a finished chicken breast on top and enjoy!
Serves 2
Points: 12

Macaroni and Cheese

Tyson loves macaroni and cheese and frankly I got jealous of how excited he would get when I would pull out that stupid blue box. I mean, I'm by no means a gourmet, but I make some good food and he would get more excited about that box of mac and cheese than anything. So, I determined to defeat the box, and this is what I came up with. I used 4 different recipes plus some tips that I picked up from one of my favorite shows (America's Test Kitchen) to end up with this. And just so you all know, I WON!!!Ingredients:
1-1/2 c. uncooked macaroni noodles
5 T. butter, divided
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better in my opinion)
2 oz. Velveeta
2 T. dry bread crumbs

Cook macaroni according to the packaging directions. Be careful not to overcook as this will also be baked so cook al dente.

In a saucepan melt 4 T. of the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Allow to cook for about 15 seconds until it is well mixed and bubbly. Slowly stir in milk. Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat and add the cheeses slowly. Keep stirring until the cheese is fully melted and incorporated.

Drain the macaroni and place it into a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni and mix. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and combine with bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Serves 6
Points: 8

Chicken Tetrazinni

This is a favorite of mine. I got is from one of my long time college roommates, Rachel Boyce. It has such a fun flavor to it and it is SO easy to make.Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
8 oz. linguine, cooked and drained
1 small jar diced pimentos
1/2 c. mushrooms
4 T. butter- I used Safola margerine
1/4 c. flour
1-1/4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream- I used a fat free sour cream
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese- I will mix half Parmesan and half Romano though

Use the butter, flour, broth and salt to make a white sauce. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Mix the sauce in a bowl with chicken, linguine, pimentos, and mushrooms. Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake covered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove foil cover and sprinkle cheese over the top and bake for another 5 minutes uncovered. Allow to sit for 8 minutes before serving.
Serves 6
Points: 8

Lasagna

There are a million lasagna recipes out there and I have tried a lot of them. I use a lot of different recipes, this is one of my easier, lower calorie, healthier recipes. Since that has been one of the focuses of my cooking lately that is what you get.
Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 lb. lean ground beef (or substitute ground turkey)
2 cloves minced garlic
1-1/2 tsp. oregano
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2-1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
1 pint fat-free ricotta cheese
1 tomato, chopped
5 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 c. Romano cheese

Brown the ground beef in a large sauce pan with the minced garlic and oregano. Add spaghetti sauce and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

*I use Classico brand spaghetti sauce. They have a sausage flavored sauce that works great. That way the lasagna still gets the sausage flavor without the fat and calories.

Remove the meat and sauce from heat and stir in the tomato.

In a 9x13 pan spread 1/2 c. sauce mix. Layer 3 noodles. Spread 1 c. ricotta cheese, then 1 c. mozzarella cheese, then spinach, and finally 1 c. sauce mix. Layer 3 more noodles, remaining 1 c. ricotta cheese, 1 c. mozzarella cheese, then 1 c. sauce mix. Layer last 3 noodles and remaining sauce.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and Romano cheese. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves: 9
Points: 7

Broccoli Chicken Lasagna

I love pasta and I love cheese, let's be honest, who doesn't! I saw this recipe and I knew that I had to make it. This one was also found in a Taste of Home magazine. Lasagna is always good, but this variation is just fantastic, not to mention a little bit better for you. The picture below does not do it justice.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion chopped
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 can (14-1/2 oz) chicken broth
1-3/4 c. milk
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (I always prefer fresh grated Parmesan cheese, it is so much better than the dried stuff in the jar and it makes such a big difference)
1 pkg. (16 oz) frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1-1/3 c. julienned fully cooked ham (I used a very lean ham, but you can also use a turkey ham to keep the fat and calories down)
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 c. cubed cooked chicken

In a large skillet saute the mushrooms and onions in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gradually add the broth and milk. Bring to a boil, and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in broccoli and Parmesan cheese until heated through.

In a 9x13 pan spread 1/2 broccoli mix on the bottom. Layer 3 noodles, 1/3 remaining broccoli mixture, 1 c. ham and 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese. Layer 3 more noodles, 1/2 remaining broccoli mixture, all the the chicken and 1/2 c. Monterey Jack cheese. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, the rest of the broccoli mixture and ham.

Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Top with the remaining cheese and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Serves 12
Points: 9