Quick and Easy Snacks or Light Meals

• Pita Pocket: Stuff 1 whole-wheat pita with 3 ounces of fresh turkey, chicken, or crab salad (use canned crabmeat mixed with fat-free mayo and spices), 2 tablespoons of avocado or guacamole, 1 ounce cheese, and lettuce and tomato. Serve with a piece of fruit.

• Crunchy Grilled Chicken Fiesta Salad: Place 3 to 4 ounces of chopped grilled chicken breast on chopped lettuce with 1/3 cup black beans, 2 tablespoons of corn, 2 tablespoons of guacamole, chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of pine nuts (optional), and 1 ounce shredded low-fat cheese. Top with salsa or low-fat dressing (cilantro works well too!).

• Mediterranean Roll-Up: Spread 1 whole-wheat tortilla with hummus (a chickpea spread), cover with fresh spinach, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Top with a sprinkling of pasteurized feta cheese and a dollop of plain yogurt. For an Italian Roll-Up, try turkey meatballs, mozzarella cheese, and marinara sauce.

Turkey Tetrazzini

Made this yesterday with my leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Not bad...

(we omitted the almonds)

1 pk (7-8 oz) spaghetti
2 c turkey or chicken broth
2 c half and half or milk
1/2 all purpose or quick-mixing flour
1/4 c margarine or butter
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 c cut up cooked turkey or chicken
1 c sliced ripe olives
1/2 c slivered almonds
1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain. Heat oven to 350. Mix broth, milk, flour, margarine, salt and pepper in 3 quart saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in spaghetti, turkey, olives and almonds. Spread in ungreased 3 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Quick Enchiladas

3/4 lb ground beef
2 c refried beans
12 tortillas
chili tomato sauce
1 med onion
salt and garlic to taste
2 c shredded cheese
olives

Brown beef and onion. Mix in beans and spices. Warm up sauce. Pour 1/2 of sauce in shallow 3 qt baking dish. Place 1/2 c of beef bean filling on each tortilla. Top with cheese and olives. Roll tortilla to enclose filling. Place flap side down into sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas. Cover with more cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Hearty Chili

We love this recipe with either ground beef or chicken. Easy and so good!

1 can black beans
1 can stewed tomatoes (or I use 8-10 oz medium salsa)
2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can white hominy, drained
1 can corn, drained
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed or 1 lb lean ground beef browned and drained
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp chili powder

Dump it all in and cook to boiling!

You could also add in onions, green peppers or jalapenos and top with cheese.

Creamy Chicken and Rice

3 c cooked rice
at least 10 oz of asparagus (or you could use broccoli)
2 c coarsely chopped cooked chicken
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk
2 t lemon juice
1 c grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spread rice in 9x13 buttered dish. Arrange asparagus (or broccoli) over rice. Top with chicken. Blend soup, sour cream, milk, lemon juice and cheese. Add salt and pepper. Spread over chicken. Bake for 20 minutes.

Easy and yummy!

Quick Pumpkin Soup

This is a great quick dinner for a cold night.

1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1 1/4 C water
1 15 oz can pupking puree
2 T butter
1 C cream (I use 1% milk)
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t each of ginger, garlic powder, and sage
paprika and sour cream for garnish

In saucepan over medium heat combine potato soup, pumpkin, water, butter, and cream. Add seasonings and stir until blended. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, simmer 15 minutes.

6 servings

Herbed Tomato Sauce

This is a great way to use some of the tomatoes you may be growing in your garden. Serves 4

2 T olive oil
3 shallots OR 1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
2 T no salt added tomato paste
1/2 C chopped fresh basil
2 t chopped fresh rosemary, or 3/4 t dried crumbled rosemary
2 T snipped fresh chives or minced scallion greens
1 1/4 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper (or to taste)
10 ounces medium tube pasta, such as ziti or penne

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil until hot. Saute shallots/onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until shallots/onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, rosemary, chives, salt and cayenne to the bowl, stirring well to combine.*

Meanwhile cook the pasta til just tender and drain well. Toss the hot pasta with the sauce and the remaining oil.

*My tomatoes had been in the refrigerator, so I just combined everything in the skillet to make sure they were warmed, putting the herbs in right before tossing with the pasta.

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto

I have so much fresh basil this summer that I decided that I would use it to make pesto last week. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it turned out fabulous! Just thought I'd share.

Simple Garlic and Basil Pesto

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped fresh basil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/8 cup Brazil nuts
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Directions:

Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, Brazil nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, chili powder, and remaining oil. Continue to blend until smooth.

Tostada Faces

Ingredients

• Round flat corn tortillas
• Taco filling or refried beans
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Shredded lettuce
• Olive slices
• Diced tomatoes

Preparation
Spread a layer of taco filling or refried beans on a tortilla then arrange the toppings to create faces as follows:
1. Use the lettuce for "hair"
2. The cheese for a "beard"
3. The olives for "eyes"
4. The tomatoes for the "nose" and "lips"

Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Sorry no picture, they were too yummy to last for picture taking! I made these up tonight and to quote my husband, they were the "best grilled cheese sandwich I've ever had!"

Ingredients:
1 loaf of french bread, sliced
Provolone Cheese slices
Mozzarella Cheese (I buy the lowfat kind)
Parmesan Cheese (Had to use the canned stuff because I was out of fresh, but it still turned out great!)
Butter (I like the reduced fat kind)
Garlic Salt
Italian Seasoning
Tomatoes, sliced (optional)
Marinara Sauce

Directions: Take 2 slices of the french bread and spread butter on one side of each of them. Sprinkle garlic salt and the Italian seasoning on the buttered sides of the bread. On one slice, top with provolone, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses (depending on how cheesy you like it add more or less of it) on the non-buttered side. If using sliced tomato, place on top of the cheese and then sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Place remaining slice of bread on top butter-side up. Spray a frying pan with pam and cook the sandwich on medium-low heat until the cheese on the inside has melted and the bread is toasted on the outside. Serve with heated marinara sauce for dipping.

Mmmmm!

Pasta with Shaved Zucchini

Tonight was "Wing It" night for dinner. I'd been craving pasta and zucchini so this is what I came up with:

Ingredients:
About 1 1/2 pounds pasta (I used Fusilli - the spirally kind)
A couple cups of your favorite pasta cream sauce (Alfredo, Creamy Basil, basically any white sauce will do. I was in a hurry tonight so I just used a jar of Archer Farms Rose Cream Sauce.)
2 Tablespoons EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 zucchini
1/2 large onion, or 1 small onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Garlic salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

Bring water to rolling boil and cook pasta according to directions. Shave zucchini with a vegetable peeler and slice onion into thin slices. In fry pan, warm olive oil on medium heat. Add vegetables, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper and saute 2-3 minutes, or until cooked, but still crunchy. Once pasta is cooked through, drain water and toss with heated pasta sauce. Top with cooked vegetables and grated Parmesan Cheese.

The great thing about this recipe is that it's so versatile. You could use broccoli, peas, asparagus, peppers, or green beans in place of the zucchini. And for those of you with picky eaters like me, I pureed the veggies and mixed them in with the sauce and got no complaints. You could even skip the cream sauce and just toss the pasta with a little chicken broth and olive oil and then top it with cheese.

Brunch Bread

This is a good one to bring to showers or get-togethers with family and friends, including football or world series parties. It's also good for dinner and really easy which is awesome!

Brunch Bread

1 loaf bread dough
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 lb thinly sliced lunch meat, ham is best
1 cube margarine, softened (I used less than this, you could probably get away with 1/2 or 1/4 cube - depends on how much butter you like on things.)
grated cheese
poppy seeds

1. Roll bread dough into a large rectangle about the size of a large jellyroll pan.
2. Draw lines lengthwise to divide into thirds.
3. Mix dressing powder and softened marg together and spread most over dough.
4. Put meat in center third and top with cheese.
5. Braid dough to form loaf. Spread remaining margarine mixture over top and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
6. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min. or until golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 min.

I used frozen dough (like Rhodes), turkey and swiss cheese and I got a lot of compliments...it was yummy and it only took me about 5 minutes to assemble.

Here's a couple more Weeknight Favorites

Hawaiian Haystacks
Submitted by Sarah Ebbert

cut up chicken, cooked
cream of chicken soup
rice
cheese
pineapple
coconut

Mix a can of cream of chicken soup with about half a can of water and add the chicken to it and serve that over rice. Then top it with whatever you choose. For thicker, creamier sauce, don't add any water. This only makes about 3-4 servings, so double it for more people.


Creamy Chicken Cacciatore - a spin on Macaroni and Cheese
Submitted by Sarah Ebbert

Cooked chicken in bite-sized pieces
2 Zucchinis, sliced
1 Can stewed tomatoes, drained
1 Box Mac & Cheese
2 1/2 Cups water
Oregano
Diced Onions

After the chicken is cooked, add water, pasta, zucchini, onions, and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer about 12 minutes until pasta is tender. Add cheese (from mac and cheese) and stewed tomatoes and cook until heated through.

Weeknight Favorites Theme

I asked some of my friends to submit their weeknight favorite recipes. I'm always looking for quick and easy dinner ideas, so here's a few of their favorites. Feel free to add to the list!!!

Laura

P.S. A couple of the recipes ended up in the older posts (I guess you can only fit so many on a page, so click on older posts at the bottom of the page) - trust me you don't want to miss out on these!

Weeknight Favorites: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Submitted by Marcia Seable

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded.
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth
2 cans (14 oz. each) stewed tomatoes, chopped, with liquid
1 cup medium salsa
2 tablespoons dried cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin

Cook in crock-pot on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Cut corn tortilla into strips and bake at 400° for 10 to 15 minutes..

Serve soup with tortilla strips, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.

Weeknight Favorites: Chicken Tacos

Submitted by Marcia Seable

4 chicken breasts
1 bottle salsa

Cook in crock-pot on low for 6-8 hours. Shred with fork before last hours of cooking and add 1 cup of sour cream. Serve in hot flour tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and cheese.

Weeknight Favorites: Creamy Chicken

Submitted by Me, Laura

8 boneless
skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups stuffing
8 slices swiss cheese
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup butter, melted

Place breasts in 9x13" greased pan. Place cheese over chicken. Combine soup and water and pour over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing over chicken and pour butter over stuffing. Bake 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

I usually use frozen chicken breasts which are pretty big, so I usually only use 3-4 large chicken breasts and 3-4 slices of cheese, but keep the rest of the ingredients the same.

Weeknight Favorites: Alfredo Sauce

Submitted by Marcia Seable

1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
1 cup milk

Mix together and melt in microwave till smooth and creamy. Serve over fettuccine noodles. You can add broccoli, asparagus, or grilled chicken. It tastes great just plain too.

Weeknight Favorites: Swedish Meatballs

Submitted by Me, Laura

Meatballs:
1 lb. hamburger
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 egg (beaten)
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Sauce:
2 Tablespoons minced dill pickle
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup (I prefer the celery soup, it gives it a better tart taste)
1/2 can water

Combine meatball ingredients, shape into 1-inch balls, and brown in 1 Tablespoon shortening. Add sauce ingredients and SLOWLY simmer until meatballs are done (about 20 minutes). Serve over rice or noodles.

Or you can do the lazy way like I do and use frozen meatballs, brown them in 1 Tablespoon olive oil (a little better for you than shortening!), and then simmer them in the sauce. Either way, they're yummy!!

Weeknight Favorites: Mexican Lime Chicken

Submitted by Sarah Ebbert

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Tostito's Lime tortilla chips
vegatable oil (2-3T)
honey (2-4T)
lime juice (1T)
salsa
mexican mix shredded cheese

You can adjust any amounts to what you like! In a large ziploc bag, crush tortilla chips (you can do this in the blender too, the better crushed they are, the better they work) Mix together oil, honey and lime juice Roll the chicken breasts into mixture(you can marinate the chicken for a few hours if you want), then coat with the crushed chips Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes Top chicken with salsa and shredded cheese, then bake for five more minutes or until cheese is melted

Weeknight Favorites: Crock Pot Chicken

Submitted by Marcia Seable

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
2 frozen chicken breasts
1 pkg. Italian salad dressing seasonings
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

Cook in crock-pot on low for 8 hours. Serve over rice.