Back to rainy days here so bring on the soup

We have gone from some amazing 70 and 80 degree days to downpour rain.  I must have had my physic hat on when I did my meal plan because when I woke up Monday it was pouring and didn’t stop so my plan for dinner fit so perfect.  Here I thought I was thinking it was just something easy but it turned out to be easy and warming just what we needed.

I found this recipe for Low Fat Lasagna Soup on What’s Cookin’ Italian Style Cuisine that turned out so yummy and the best part was I didn’t spend an hour + making perfect stacks to just come out with goo when I tried to cut into it.  YUP mine never looks like the kind you get in the restaurant standing up and looking all pretty.   Enjoy this soup I promise everyone will love it and not even know it was low fat.

Ingredients:

32 ounces of homemade chicken broth or use canned low sodium 99% fat free
2 lbs of fresh plum tomatoes diced or use a 28 ounce of whole tomatoes rinsed then diced to lower the salt content
2 cups homemade tomato sauce or  jar store bought your favorite kind
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 bell pepper finely chopped (I put mine in the food processor)
1/2 teaspoon each chopped parsley, basil, oregano fresh or dried
4 links of Italian mild turkey sausage snipped in small slices with a kitchen shears
1 pound of ground turkey
1 tablespoon oil
2 cups broken whole grain lasagna noodles
2 teaspoons grating cheese
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne

(I used canned chicken broth, canned tomatoes, store bought sauce.  I skipped the parsley and cayenne.  I know I should use fresh but you have to go with what you got.)

In a large dutch oven add the tablespoon of olive oil, both meats,  and peppers. Fry until the bottom starts to turn brown, stirring, this takes around 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute. Next add all the liquids and spices. Cook around 20 minutes. Add broken up lasagna noodles and 2 teaspoons grating cheese. Let it cook for another 10 minutes for noodles to soften. Ladle into oven proof bowls, top with shredded fat free or low fat mozzarella cheese and broil till brown. You can also add a dollap of fat free ricotta cheese instead or both.

See I told you it looked yummy!  It was perfect!

Weight Watcher in the Crock Pot

Between the women’s group, swim and when I can find time to go to the gym doesn’t leave much time for preparing meals like I would like to.  It’s funny even though I work from home I have LESS time to cook.  I love my crockpot to help out with these days. 

First off I found Beef Stew recipe that was so yummy and filling!

Next on my list was Crock Pot Lasagna that was very simple to make and I was surprised how it held up.  Even better the next day .

Got to love the simple and easy way of cooking .  Thank you for inventing the crock pot, you make my life so much easier!

So what is on your menu tonight?

Manic Monday Meals ~ Comfort Food Lasagna :)

Well it was a very busy weekend, then Sunday night while relaxing a PEST came back around. Totally threw everything in a whirlwind. Sometimes life is like a house of cards, and can crumble around you. UGH so last night sucked, I have a headache and just in one of those moods ... please forgive me! I needed some comfort food so I thought I would post about a comfort food that I made a while back. The boys loved it and that made me smile :). Hope you enjoy!!!

Chicken Lasagna

by FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 (4-ounce) jar pimientos, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8-ounce) can mushroom soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 6 ounces shredded mozzarella

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and green peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken, pimientos, mushroom soup, and chicken broth. Simmer the mixture until the flavors blend and the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Spoon about 1/3 of the chicken mixture into a medium baking dish. Arrange 2 of the noodles over the chicken; repeat layers of chicken and noodles twice more. Top the lasagna with cheese, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until thecheese is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the lasagnafrom the oven and allow it to set for 5 minutes, then serve.