Marshmallow Salad

1 bag miniature marshmallows
1 jar maraschino cherry halves
1 - 15 oz can of pineapple chunks
2 - 11 oz cans of mandarin oranges
1 - 16 oz container of sour cream (I use Breakstone’s reduced fat)

Drain all of the fruit. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl until the fruit and marshmallows are evenly coated with sour cream. Refrigerate a few hours before serving. You can also add a can of fruit cocktail or coconut.

Baked Pizza Dip

8 oz Cream Cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
½ cup pizza or spaghetti sauce (Boboli pizza sauce packets work well)
Wheat thins or other crackers

Beat cream cheese and Italian seasoning until well blended (this can be done in a bowl with just a spoon if the cream cheese is softened). Spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Top with layers of 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and pizza or spaghetti sauce; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Serve with crackers. Makes 3 cups.

Baked Pepperoni Pizza Dip: Prepare as directed, topping with 1/3 cup finely chopped pepperoni before baking.  Mine was for the Super Bowl...so supposed to look somewhat like a football on top!

Southwestern Cheesy Chicken Skillet

Not exactly the healthiest...but a family favorite, nonetheless!!!!!!

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Makes 6 – 1 cup servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
½ lb (8 oz.) Velveeta Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up
1 can (10 oz.) Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, undrained
½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1. Cook chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in 2 cups water. Bring to boil. Stir in macaroni, cover. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until water is almost absorbed.
3. Add Velveeta and tomatoes. Cook until Velveeta is melted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Sprinkle with parsley.
4. Rotel will make it spicy, substitute can of diced Italian seasoned tomatoes for less spice.

Pasta Salad

One box tricolor pasta
One cucumber
One container grape or cherry tomatoes
One family size bottle of Kraft Fat Free Zesty Italian Dressing
McCormick’s Salad Supreme seasoning – this is in the spice aisle

Cook the pasta. Cut cumber and tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Toss together while adding ¾ of the bottle of salad dressing. Sprinkle with salad supreme spice and toss again. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow dressing to soak in – you can refrigerate overnight. Immediately before serving toss again with the ¼ of salad dressing that is remaining.

You can also add onions, black olives, mozzarella cheese, etc. depending on your preference. Salad supreme spice can be left out if you can’t find it.

Apple Pancake

2 large cooking apples (I used Golden Delicious)
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup sugar
Pancake batter (for 12-16 pancakes)

Heat the oven to 375. In a 9-10” skillet, sauté apples in butter over medium heat until tender. Remove skillet from heat and sprinkle with nuts. Pour pancake batter over apples and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake 15 minutes or until pancake is puffed and sugar is melted. If oven proof skillet is not available, bake in a 9-10” pie plate. Smother with syrup and enjoy!

This is an old favorite from a trip Andy & I took to Hocking Hills pre-marriage. We had this at the Bed and Breakfast.

Oven-fried Turkey Cutlets

Ingredients:
1 pound turkey breast cutlets
3 tablespoons water
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a shallow baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Place turkey cutlets in a medium bowl. Cover with water.
4. In a shallow bowl combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and garlic powder; mix well.
5. One at a time, take cutlets and dip into crumb mixture, turning to coat both sides of cutlets.
6. Place in prepared pan. Spray each cutlet lightly and evenly with cooking spray.
7. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and done. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings. For two servings either cut the seasoning ingredients in half OR make the seasoning and immediately put half in a zip-lock bag in the freezer for future use.

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

Cream together:
8 oz softened cream cheese
½ cup softened butter (not melted and real butter is best)
¼ tsp vanilla

Gradually add:
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar

Mix in:
¾ cup mini semi-sweet choc chips

Roll or form into a ball and chill one hour or until firm. Sometimes I can't get it into a ball and I just serve it in a bowl. Serve with chocolate graham crackers!

Optional:
Sauté ¾ cup finely chopped pecans in a bit of butter and sugar, blot in paper towel. Roll ball in pecans.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. Lean ground beef
½ onion, chopped
1 small can green chilis, undrained
1 can each of pinto, kidney and black beans, undrained
1 can chopped stewed tomatoes, undrained, (you may have to chop them yourself)
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 can kernel corn, undrained
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (dry)
1 pkg. Taco seasoning mix
1 ½ cups water

Brown 1 lb. of the lean ground beef. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Optional - serve with some shredded cheese and oyster crackers.

Makes about 12 cups. Great to freeze and reheat!

3 points per cup (Weight Watchers)

Crock Pot Roast

1 fairly lean pot roast (I go to Kroger and buy whatever meat has the Crock-pot/Pot Roast sticker on it!)
1 pack Lipton’s onion soup mix (these come in a box near the canned soup)
1 onion, thinly sliced (Or I use 1/3 - 1/2 bag frozen pearl onions - yummy)
Carrots (I just buy a 1 lb. bag of the mini carrots at Kroger)
Potatoes (either 2-3 Idaho cut into 4 pieces or a bunch of red whole)

Place the carrots and potatoes and pearl onions in the bottom, so they will absorb the juices. If using a whole onion, place half the onion in the bottom of the crock pot. Rub the (raw) roast with the soup mix (I don't brown it on the stove). Place roast in crock pot, and top with remaining onion. Cover and cook on low heat for at least 8-10 hours. If it's going to cook for 10-12 hours...add a bit of water in the morning - 1/2 cup or so. Otherwise, it will make enough of its own juices.

Then I just follow the directions on the side of the Bisquick box (I buy the Heart Smart version) for the dumplings. They are not your typical "wet" dumplings...but I still love them.

Salsa

I've gotten a ton of salsa recipes this summer. Here is what I've been using from all the recipes:

1 can black beans (washed and drained)
1 can corn (washed and drained)
2 avocados (bite size pieces)
Onions- white, green, red or combo
Tomato (I use 3-4 Roma)
Chopped cilantro (optional)
Can also add a dash of cumin, salt, or garlic powder

1 lime - squeeze all the juice over the salsa at the end and stir!!! Very yummy with the hint of lime tortilla chips.

Big thanks to Betsy and Victoria!

Chicken Parmesan Strips

Makes 4 servings

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
½ cup skim milk
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Marinara sauce for dipping

Place the chicken in a shallow bowl and cover with the milk. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley and pepper. Dip the chicken into the crumb mixture to coat well. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Coat each piece of chicken with no-stick spray (use olive oil spray for the most flavor).

Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center when tested with a sharp knife.

*I have also made this with 1-2 chicken breasts. You can mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley and pepper and keep it in a ziploc in the freezer. Then you can pull it out and just use some of it if you don't want to make 4 servings. I just sprinkle it on top of the chicken, flip it on the baking sheet and repeat so I'm not dipping it (that way you can keep the leftover spices). I've also skipped the part about soaking it in milk.

Old English Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
1 jar Old English Sharp cheese – can be found by the Velveeta in the store

Let sit at room temperature to easily blend together or blend in mixer. Serve with cut-up veggies, bagels, or crackers (Wheat Thins are a good choice).

Add green onion and serve with cut-up Everything Bagels for a variation.

Cheesy Ham Pie

This is a yummy quick recipe that can be for breakfast or dinner.

Mix:
1 cup cottage cheese
1 – 3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked chopped broccoli
2 eggs
1 cup chopped ham

Mix:
1 cup bisquick
¼ cup milk
2 eggs

Mix 6 top ingredients together. Mix bottom three ingredients together. Put 2/3 of bottom mixture in a greased pie pan. Put top mixture on top. Put rest of bottom mixture on top. 

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Take out and let stand 5 minutes.

Cream Cheese Appetizer

One can reduced fat Pillsbury Crescent rolls
8 oz 1/3 less fat Cream Cheese
Dill
Garlic Salt

Take half of the crescent rolls and roll them out on a cookie sheet. Then you cover that with dill and garlic salt. Put a brick of cream cheese on that and cover with more dill and garlic salt. Cover that with the crescent rolls that are remaining and roll up the sides to seal. Bake on 350 until a little brown on the top! Serve with crackers. We use reduced fat Wheat Thins.

You can now use the Pillsbury recipe creations rolls that don't have the seams for the crescent rolls.

Debi - Another one of yours that EVERYONE loves!!

Beef Taco Bake

This is one recipe that my kids will actually eat. 

They've even thanked me for the great dinner afterwards!

Ingredients:
1lb lean ground beef
1 low sodium taco seasoning packet
cayenne pepper (optional)
1 can (10 3/4oz) Campbells Healthy Request Condensed Tomato Soup
1 can black beans drained or undrained
1 cup of your favorite salsa
1/2 cup skim milk
4-6 of your favorite flour tortillas (cut into 1"pieces)
1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
Reduced fat sour cream

1. Brown meat and pour off fat in a large pan (can do this the day before)
2. Add soup, beans, taco packet, cayenne pepper, salsa, milk, tortillas and 1/2 the cheese
3. Mix and spoon into casserole dish
4. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot
5. Sprinkle remainder of cheese over top
6. Serve with sour cream

Thanks Debi! We still keep this in our rotation.

Pumpkin Pudding

One small packet of Jell-O Instant Vanilla Pudding
2 cups skim milk
1 cup canned Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate in 6 serving dishes. Top with 1 tbsp of Cool Whip before serving. Tastes just like Pumpkin Pie.

(2 WW points per serving)

Superfood’s Sweet Potato Oven Fries for Two

Ingredients:
Enough sprigs of fresh rosemary to cover a baking sheet (optional)
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 small/medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and blotted dry

The spices can be doubled to 1 tsp for larger serving of 3-4 potatoes or halved for 1 potato. Spice can be mixed ahead of time and kept in pantry in sealed container.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with olive oil spray.

2. Spread rosemary sprigs on the baking sheet in a single layer, making sure that the entire surface is covered.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.

4. Cut ends off of the potatoes. Leave skin on. Cut potatoes into ½ inch thick circles.

5. Lay the potatoes on the rosemary sprigs in a single layer and sprinkle generously with the seasoning mixture. Spray generously with olive oil spray.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, and spray again with olive oil spray.I don't always use the rosemary and I often just bake them on our pizza stone. I only put salt/pepper on a couple of them for the kids because they are SPICY.

7. Return to oven for about 25 minutes, or until the fries are golden and puffed. Brush off the rosemary sprigs and serve warm. (Dipping in ketchup is good also!)

I often skip the rosemary if I don't have any on hand and just bake them on our pizza stone.  I also leave a few "naked" for the kids...because these can be SPICY!

Yummy Chicken Dish for the Grill

Ingredients:

1-2 Chicken Breasts
Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1-2 Roma Tomatoes

Marinate the chicken breast(s) in the sun dried tomato vinaigrette for a couple of hours (we did ours overnight). Grill the chicken. While the chicken is cooking, mix some more vinaigrette in a bowl with some shredded mozzarella cheese and diced tomatoes. Remove chicken from the grill onto a large piece of foil. Top chicken with mixture. Fold foil up over the chicken creating a "tent" so that the cheese won't stick to the top of the foil. Place foil package back on grill long enough to melt the cheese but not too long as to overcook the chicken. Unwrap and YUMMY! Thanks Betsy!!

Spicy Snack

Mix half of each and enjoy:

Snyder's Jalapeno pretzels pieces
Cashews

Extremely spicy snack that is great with a COLD beer!! Thanks Ginger & Fred!