Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

This recipe takes a little bit of prep but is totally worth the end result. These can be made as an entree of even a snack for a party. I serve them as entrees because you can have more than one & not feel super guilty about all of the tastiness that you've just inhaled.

You may have some left over stuffing. I always save it & have it for lunch the next day. It's good cold or hot. Then again, Im a fan of cold pizza as a hangover cure, or just for the hell of it so, that may or may not be up your alley.

Yields 4 servings.
274 calories per serving.
Taken from Eating Well dot com.

INGREDIENTS


4 potatoes
8 oz 96% lean ground beef
1 c broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 c water
1 c reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
.5 c reduced-fat sour cream
.5 tsp salt
.5 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS
Pierce potatoes with a fork & stick them in the microwave.
I have a nifty potato setting on my microwave so I cook them two at a time.

Brown meat in a large skillet over medium-high.
Transfer to a large bowl & wipe out the skillet.
Turn the heat up to high.
Add broccoli & water to the pan, cover, & cook for 5 minutes.
Add to the meat.

Cut the top third off of the potatoes.
Scoop out the insides into a medium bowl.
Place potato shells into a baking dish.

Add 1/2 c of cheddar, sour cream, salt, & pepper to the potato insides & mash with a fork.
Add mixture to broccoli mixture & stir to combine.

Evenly divide mixture among the potato shells & top with the remaining cheese.
Place in oven at 450 for 20 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic

Here I go again, tending to my garlic love affair. My boyfriend loves this as a side & we ate the entire side because it's so damned good. Not to mention fast, which is always a plus if you've got a complicated or time-consuming entree. Hell, Id probably just make this as a snack.

I sprinkled a little bit of parmesan on top when I was serving this, also. I love cheese almost more than I love garlic. [It's a pretty hard choice for me. Haha.]

Yields 4 servings.
126 calories per serving.
From skinnytaste.com.

INGREDIENTS


1.5 lbs broccoli florets
6 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450.

In a mixing bowl combine broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, & pepper.
Transfer to a baking dish & sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese.

Roast for about 20 minutes.



See? So fast!

Tater Tot Hot Dish

I dont have the nutritional facts for this recipe which is a bummer so, I wouldnt count on nutritional or low-cal value for that. And I apologize. I didnt realize it when I printed it out.

Anyway, this was a very fast dish for a Saturday morning. I actually ended up using the entire can of cream of mushroom like a dunce so, it came out a little creamier than it was supposed to. Still delicious, though! I ended up putting a little bit of ketchup on it while I ate it as well. The way I see it, you really cant eat tater tots without ketchup. [cue Napoleon Dynamite!]

INGREDIENTS

1 lb 96% lean ground beef
1/2 c cream of mushroom soup (condensed)
1 15oz can of whole kernal corn
2 1/2 c tater tots (frozen)

Preheat oven to 400.

Brown ground beef; drain & put in a mixing bowl.
Add cream of mushroom & corn; mix well.
Sprinkle some salt & pepper into mixture (to taste).
Top with tater tots.

Bake for 30 minutes.



I found that baking for 35 minutes was more sufficient. 30 minutes did not allow for the all of the tots to brown/crisp completely. It couldve just been my oven, though.

Garlic Bread

As I said in the previous post, I am the biggest garlic junkie of all time. It felt only natural to make garlic bread. Not to mention, we had Italian on Sunday night.

This is another quick & easy side. My biggest suggestion is to throw the margarine mixture into the microwave for about 15 seconds after put ingredients in the bowl. Makes it easier for both mixing and spreading.

Yields 8 servings.
212 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf of Italian bread
1/2 c margarine
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tsp parmesan
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 350.

Slice loaf into 8ths but leave the bottom intact & set aside.
[It's very important not to slice through the bottom. It helps the flavor spread when baking!]
Mix margarine with garlic, parmesan, basil, & oregano & set aside.
[This is where I was saying to throw it in the microwave for 15 seconds.]

Take a length of foil & place loaf lengthwise on top.
Very gently, spread slices apart without breaking the bottom & spread with margarine mixture.
When all slices are covered, use any extra on top of the loaf.
Wrap up sides of foil & leave top uncovered; twist ends of foil.

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.

Green Beans with Toasted Garlic

If any of you have noticed, Im a garlic junkie. I put garlic on EVERYTHING that I can manage. This recipe is no different. It was quick & freakin' delicious. We ate the entire dish of buttery (margarine-y?), garlicky, goodness. Of the three things I made last night, I made this last because of how fast it was. It took me maybe 10 minutes.

Yields 4 servings.
67 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb green beans, trimmed
2 tsp margarine (again, cutting down on the calories!)
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic, sliced

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
Add beans & cook for 5 minutes.
Plunge beans into cold water & drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add margarine & oil; swirl until butter is melted.
Add garlic; saute for 30 seconds.
Remove garlic & set aside.
Add beans; sprinkle with salt & pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes tossing frequently.
Top with garlic.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, & Cheese

This was a pretty simple dish, just a bit time consuming. I used whole wheat pasta to cut some calories. I didnt think that the amount of cheese allotted was going to be enough but, it's amazing how much a cup of parmesan ends up being. Perhaps because it's shredded. Not many tips with this recipe other than make sure you get your timing right.

To the recipe & the food porn!

Yields 8 servings.
413 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb hot Italian turkey sausage
16 oz uncooked ziti (I used penne because whole wheat ziti doesnt exist!)
1 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste (I used low-sodium.)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 14.5 oz cans petite-diced tomatoes
1/4 c basil
Cooking spray
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c parmesan cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to package, omitting salt.
Drain & set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. (This was really messy. Make sure you do it over the sink!)
Cook sausage, onion, & garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until browned.
Stir to crumble.
Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, & tomatoes, & bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, & let simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, & basil.
Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4 quart casserole dish.
Top with half of the mozzarella & half of the parmesan.
Repeat.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

It was suggested to me to maybe review the process of making each recipe as I do it so, Im going to try it that way. I think my previous entries were a matter of laziness, which is pretty lame on my behalf so, I apologize.

Okay then. So, I know that this blog is supposed to be low-cal, low-fat recipes but, come on now. Every gal has a cheat day here & there. Usually, I give myself one day a week; usually Saturday (which I refer to as Faturday). I allow myself to eat whatever I want without any guilt. No nutrition facts will be listed for that purpose.

So, this is an indulgence recipe. I got it from my best friend's sister. They were actual a lot simpler to make than I expected. My one bit of advice would be to make sure you spray the baking pan before forming the crust. Im a dunce & completely forgot so some of the bars came out a little broken. D: In the long run, I suppose it doesnt matter because it certainly didnt take away from the deliciousness. Also, make sure that you have an electric hand mixer on hand because cream cheese is a pain in the ass to hand mix.

Okay. Onward!

INGREDIENTS

1 box of yellow cake mix (pudding in the mix)
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp of lemon juice
1/3 c canola oil
2 eggs

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Pour cake mix into a mixing bowl.
Add the oil & one egg & mix until crumbly.
Reserve one cup & the rest of the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan.
Gently press into the bottom of the pan to form a crust.
Bake for 15 minutes.

In another mixing bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, & the other egg.
Beat on low until smooth.
Spread over the crust & sprinkle reserved mixture on top.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Let cool & cut into bars.
(What I did with this, because I had errands to run was let the pan cool & then I put it in my fridge for a few hours. It made it easier to cut into bars.)