Tomato Soup Mac & Cheese (WW 9 Points)

And for a yummy meal that is on the lighter side.  I found this recipe for Tomato Soup Mac and Cheese on my favorite weight watcher recipe site Emily Bites.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb (16 oz) uncooked wheat or otherwise high fiber elbow macaroni or pasta shells
• 3 tablespoons light butter, divided
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (14.5 oz can) whole tomatoes
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• ¼ cup torn basil leaves
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 ¼ cups fat free milk
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 oz 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar, shredded (I used Cabot brand)
• 4 oz sharp cheddar, shredded (I used Cabot Seriously Sharp)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Lightly mist a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
3. While the water is boiling for step one, melt one tablespoon of the light butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, basil and thyme and raise heat to bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4. While the tomatoes are simmering, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of light butter in another saucepan. Add the flour to the butter and stir to combine. Add the milk a little at a time and whisk the flour mixture into the milk until smooth. Add the mustard powder and salt and stir to combine. Add 4 ounces of the shredded cheese (set aside 2 ounces for topping) to the milk mixture and whisk together until smooth. Make sure heat is on the lowest setting and warm cheese sauce for about 5 minutes to thicken.
5. When the tomato mixture is done simmering, pour it into a blender (or use an immersion blender – one of my favorite tools!) and blend until smooth. Add the tomato mixture to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Mix in the cooked pasta until well coated. Pour the pasta mixture into the reserved baking dish and sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. Bake for 20 minutes until cooked through and bubbly.

WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PLUS:9 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

NUTRITION INFORMATION:
330 calories, 48 g carbs, 10 g fat, 15 g protein, 7 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)

It may not be the prettiest meal but it sure was yummy and the kids and the husband ate all on their plates so that is a winner to me!

Have a GREAT day!

Thanks for Stopping by!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE. 

An Oldy but a Goody ... Bacon Macaroni & Cheese

I've made and posted Bacon Macaroni & Cheese a few times here but I always love to share a different version of it.  My kids LOVE mac and cheese and I try with all my might not to make box version for them (some days hey I'm human and life is what it is).  I have gotten in the habit of meal planning which helps reduce the number of food outings we have or dinners that are ready by dinner time.  

Saturday nights are usually relaxed around here. I work in the am for 3 hours, then we hit the YMCA for Swim and Martial Arts.  So by the time we get home it's time to just relax.  I usually rent a movie and the boys and I just hang.  Rick usually is working at his 2nd job. So an easy meal is needed but I don't want to do fast food.  

This was a simple meal to make and the kids loved it.  The picture below is the version with shell pasta (Cole requested penne pasta for his).  I found this Bacon Macaroni and Cheese on Changing a Life and the best part it was a Weight Watcher recipe so I could join in for the meal.

It may not be pretty but it sure is tasty!!

Ingredients:

2 c Elbow Macaroni, dry

1 tbsp Smart balance light butter

10 slices turkey bacon
3/4 c fat-free half-and-half
3/4 c Sharp cheddar shredded cheese, reduced fat

3/4 c Pepper Jack shredded cheese

salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Lay bacon strips over wire rack on top of baking sheet. Cook in oven for 17-20 minutes or until crispy. 

2. While bacon is cooking, boil macaroni in a large pot according to package directions until al dente. Drain and return noodles back to pot. Stir in butter until melted.

3. Add half and half and cheese to cooked macaroni. Stir until well combined and all cheese has melted. (TIP: I kept my burner on the lowest setting when stirring in the cream and cheese to keep it hot and help the cheese melt.)

4. When bacon is cool enough to handle, crumble or dice into small pieces. Add it into the macaroni pot. Stir until it’s well incorporated. 

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I probably added about 1/4 tsp each).

 

Yields 12 servings, serving size 1/2 c 

4 points on Weight Watchers Poitns+ System

Enjoy! 

Something to keep your belly warm in this cold season.

Thanks for Stopping by!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE. 

Pizza Palooza ... Macaroni n' Cheese Pizza

Before you make a funny face just think of it your yummy gooey favorite mac and cheese served on your favorite pizza crust!  Ok yes it may sound weird but the boys thought it was a hit!  A big Thanks to Kim from Makin' it Mo Betta for this Macaroni n' Cheese Pizza. 

Macaroni and Cheese Pizza 

Macaroni and Cheese (or out a box)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Homemade pizza crust (Or Premade pizza crust)

Bacon (or Bacon Bits)

Prepare macaroni and cheese and pizza crust.  I pre-baked the dough, then spread macaroni and cheese over the crust.  Sprinkle the 1/2 cup shredded cheese and bacon over the top.  Pop back into the oven until everything is nice and melty and crust is completely done.

Macaroni n' Cheese (recipe I used)

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 cups milk 1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1 pinch paprika

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
2.	In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
3.	Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
4.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.

Homemade Pizza Dough (recipe I used)

INGREDIENTS:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 1/2 cups bread flour 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2.	Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3.	Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy and watch the smile around you.

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

Pasta Palooza ... Taco Macaroni and Cheese

As most of you know the boys love anything with noodles!  And then you add their love of anything Mexican food then we have a winner.  So then when I came across this Taco Macaroni and Cheese on Cassie Craves, I just had to give it a shot.  This was a hit with Rick and the boys, it sure did smell good (only smells for this girl until I'm done with this diet).

Ingredients:

1 pound macaroni or shell pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 serving of taco seasoning (or 1 packet of store-bought seasoning mix)
1 cup salsa
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into chunks
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2. Meanwhile, brown ground beef and sweat the onion together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the beef is completely cooked through, drain off excess fat, return to skillet, and add garlic. Cook and stir 30 seconds. Add taco seasoning and salsa and stir to combine; reduce heat to low.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add cream cheese, milk, and sour cream and stir to combine. Cook until cream cheese is melted and mixture is thick and bubbling. Stir in shredded cheese.

4. Add cheese sauce and ground beef mixture to pasta and stir to combine. Top each serving with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

A super easy recipe and I had everything on hand!

Hope you give it a try!

What's on your menu tonight?

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

A New Mac & Cheese Recipe (It was a hit)

I've been trying to be better at doing blog hops, it has been helping me meet new bloggers Like Brenda at Chatting Over Chocolate who posted a new yummy Most Requested Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese recipe.  Now I must say at first when I saw the ingredients I was thinking Corn .. hmm that can be interesting.  Then I saw creamed corn ... yup I must say I gagged a bit at that one.  I'm so a crazy texture picky eater and cream corn makes me want to gag ... lol.  BUT I'm on this crazy no carb diet so the meal didn't have to please me it had to please the boys.  This recipe got rave reviews from all three boys.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups of large elbow macaroni
1 cup Velveeta, cubed
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
2 cans cream corn, undrained
1 stick of butter/margarine, melted 

1. Spray crockpot.
2. Place all of the ingredients in the crockpot.
3. Stir everything together. 

4. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.  {Stirring occasionally}

Alexis Note:  I have a thing with noodles in crockpots, so I waited until the last 1/2 hour to add them in so they didn't get soggy.  I also accidentally put in too many noodles so it was a little noodle heavy I'll be better for next time.

Hope you all give this a shot it was a easy recipe to make and the boys loved it, so we'll be making it again!

Linking up to a few parties Pin Me Meme and Festive Friday Fiesta.

We Wrap the Week with Pasta

I’m a little off with my recipe post the past few weeks.  So I thought why not end this week with a yummy recipe!  And let’s hope I get back on routine next week … lol.

I found this very yummy recipe for Bacon Ranch & Chicken Mac & Cheese on the Weight Watcher Website.  It was a very simple recipe to make and the boys loved it.  We actually even had it for left overs the next nigh with is UNHEARD of here at the house.  My boys (including the big one) think left overs are no no’s.  I used a few different things which may bring the points down  little bit.  I used Reduced Fat Cream of Mushroom, Red Fat Cheese, Turkey Bacon and whole wheat macaroni.

Ingredients

• 8 oz cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast(s), Cut into 1/2 inch pieces  
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour  
• 1 can(s) canned condensed cream of mushroom soup  
• 2 serving(s) Lite Shredded Cheese Blend TJ's  
• 1 serving(s) Trader Joe's Organic Shredded Mozzarella Cheese  
• 1/2 tsp onion powder  
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder  
• 1 tsp dried dill weed  
• 1/2 tsp sea salt  
• 1/2 cup(s) Kraft Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese  
• 3 slice(s) crisp cooked bacon  
• 7 1/4 oz uncooked macaroni  
• 2 Tbsp regular butter  
• 12 oz low-fat milk

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done.

3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

4. Preheat broiler.

5. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Cooking Light, MARCH 2010

Enjoy I promise you will and everyone you serve will enjoy this one!  Have a wonderful weekend!  I’m hoping to have a nice relaxing one.

Tuesday Friends with Light Comfort Foods

Well I’m back to my normal schedule which is good for my sleep lol.  The extra hours I worked will help us get over the hump.  I will miss the extra hours but it’s a good move what my boss did.  Of course this crazy person had a minor freak out when I first noticed what happened but all is good.  Have I mentioned I have a slight abandonment issue? LOL, so my weeks won’t be a long and crazy and as always I know the Lord will provide until we work at all the changes with Rick’s new job.

We had a great Tuesday night dinner at our house this week.  I have not one but two friends from High School come by for dinner!  One friend had never had ground turkey so I of course had to find a recipe for her to try it out.  Meatloaf is always a hit with the boys so I found this recipe from the Hungry Girls’s Crazy Good Turkey Taco Meatloaf.  It was cheesy and good all wrapped into one!  The whole pan was gone before I could say another word (I did put one a side for Rick).

Next on the request list was for Mac and Cheese, I wanted to find  a healthy version.  This recipe called for winter squash but all I could find was butternut squash which I’ve used before in a mac and cheese so I took a gamble and made it again.  This Macaroni and 4 Cheeses off the food network and it turned out wonderful!

And we must end with dessert so why not a Banana-Peach Smoothie Pie that didn’t set up before our guest where to leave so we had a not set up pie that was super yummy!

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday, it looks like it will be a nice day here.  Maybe I can get the whole family out for a walk or something fun.

Twist on Classics

I love to make Tater Tot casserole but it’s full of calories so sadly the boys don’t get it that often.  THEN I found this Manwich Tater Tot Casserole and knew it was a must to make.  It was a great way to get veggies in and it was very yummy!

A favorite of the boys are chicken strips I found this Sesame Encrusted Baked Chicken Tenders.   I love to find different way to serve chicken and this was a hit!

And we end with a twist on a favorite for the kids Chicken 'n' Cheese Casserole.  This was great because it not only had your mac and cheese feel you had bites of chicken in it.

Happy Monday everyone, hope you had a wonderful weekend.  So what is on your menu tonight?

A little something for the kid in all of us (PLUS a doggy one too)

I made some special treats for the boys and yes the boy dog Jake . Everyone loved these! 
This strips were so yummy and Cole went back for thirds !!  I tweaked this recipe a bit and made it my own (make sure to click the recipe tab below).  Recipe was found here.

Then I made these yummy Mac & Cheese that look like cute cupcakes!  I really enjoyed these, the boys I don’t think liked the whole cupcake look … lol.  You know it wasn’t full of sugar .. hehe.

Then a simple desert that was so fluffy & delicious.  Recipe found here.

Then a treat for my furry friend Jake.  My lovely inspiration doggy biscuit lady made this recipe in the shape of a pretzel but for the life of me it didn’t work for me so I made little men!!  Make sure to check out my inspiration Doggy Dessert Chef.

Happy Monday everyone!!

Manic Monday Meals ~ A Few Thanksgiving Meals

Thanksgiving is done, do I look stressed??? hehe it was fun I got up early and cooked my little heart out overall good comments and everyone seemed to enjoy the different parts. Always some drama but I promise to go into that later. Today I picked a few of my recipes I tried to share, tomorrow I share the others didn't want to over load you. Now some are thinking but thanksgiving is over, but believe me you can make these anytime! Enjoy!!!

Thanksgiving ala Alexis AKA MOM!

Ingredients

• 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 2 apples, cored and halved
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2/3 (750 milliliter) bottle champagne

• Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Gently loosen turkey breast skin, and insert pieces of butter between the skin and breast. Place apples inside the turkey's cavity. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place turkey in a roasting bag, and pour champagne over the inside and outside of the bird. Close bag, and place turkey in a roasting pan.
  3. Bake turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) when measured in the meatiest part of the thigh. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used sparkling cider, 3 apples and margarine. This was the moistest (I know it's not a word) turkey I've EVER had. It had a GREAT apple taste and it was a hit with everyone at the table!

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Every year I try out a new stuffing mix (yes it drives everyone nuts). I just love to try new things, something about having a new recipe to keep things fresh :).

Ingredients

• 16-ounce bag stuffing cubes
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and topping
• 1 pound fresh sage sausage, casing removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cooking apples, such as Gravenstein, Rome, or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 to 2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted (See Note)
• 2 eggs, beaten

• Directions

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

  Put the stuffing cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.

  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but not so much that it's dry, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and pan drippings to the stuffing cubes. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the onion, apple, celery, and salt. Cook until the vegetables get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil.

  Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Mix in the walnuts and eggs. Loosely pack thedressing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust, about 40 minutes. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of turkeypan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top iscrisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Set immediately or warm.

ALEXIS NOTES: I think I would scale this down a bit the bag I bought was 12oz I think that would be enough. I used Jimmy Dean sausage they were out of the sage flavor. So when I cooked up the sausage I just added some sage. I toasted the walnuts in the microwave all the burners were busy on the stove :).

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Third on my list is always do a Mac & Cheese but you know me not the same old one :).

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, for greasing
• 8 ounces macaroni
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk
• 4 ounces provolone cheese, coarsely grated
• 4 ounces aged Asiago cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 large eggs
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
• 3 strips bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart shallowcasserole dish. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer the pasta to the prepared casserole dish along with 1/4 cup of the cold milk. (This will cool the pasta and prevent it from becoming gummy.)

Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. Beat the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, bread and half of the cheese to the egg mixture; set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoonsdrippings from the pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and 3/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese. Add the sauce to the macaroni; stir to combine.

Crumble up the bacon and add it to the egg/bread mixture. Spread evenly over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.

ALEXIS NOTES: I of course used turkey bacon the big hit in the house. I just cubed up some wheat bread (we never have white here). I did double this recipe which left me with way too many left overs. I also used whole wheat pasta from the bulk section. I found Asiago in a shredded package, the provolone was in a mix with mozzarella but it was great.