Texas Crock Pot Chili

My husband loved this chili.  I was able to put it in the crock pot before work and came home to the whole house smelling wonderfully and dinner (basically) finished.  Original recipe credit to Cooking With Melissa.

TEXAS CROCK POT CHILI

Recipe Notes

Original recipe post available here.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 small roma tomato, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 30-oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 c. chili powder (I used more like 2 tbsp.)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. salt & pepper
• 1/2 cube beef bouillon
• 1 c. water
• 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
• 16 oz. can pinto beans, drained
• 16 oz. can chili beans in sauce (undrained)
• 1-2 tbsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions

1.  In a large skiller, heat ground beef and onion until cooked through.

2.  Drain mixture and set aside.

3.  In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients including ground beef and onion.  

4.  Stir and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

5.  Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, or anything else you like on your chili.

Note: this is a great recipe to use a Reynolds slow cooker liner for easy cleanup.  They are available with the food storage items in your local grocery store.

Greek Baked Ziti

As far as pasta casseroles go, this Southern Living recipe seemed pretty nutritionally harmless.  It's made with lean ground beef and a reasonable amount of dairy.  I tweaked it a bit to make it slightly more healthy.  The ingredient list may look a bit daunting below, but most of these items you will already have in your pantry (or can very easily get them from the store).

GREEK BAKED ZITI

Recipe Notes

For the milk, I used 2%.  You should be able to use skim as a substitute without issue.  The original recipe calls for a very large amount of the milk/cheese mixture.  I halved this portion in my version and didn't miss any of the milk, butter, and cheese that we did not use.  I did not use the entire 8 oz. package of mozzarella indicated below.  I used between 4-6 oz. for my dish.

Ingredients

• 12 oz ziti pasta, cooked and drained
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 15-oz. cans of tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1-1/2 tbsp. butter
• 1-1/2 tbsp. flour
• 1-1/2 c. milk (I used 2%)
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 8 oz. package shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 c. fine dry breadcrumbs

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Saute onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until tender (4-5 minutes).  Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.

3.  Add beef, stirring occasionally, and cook 5 minutes or until crumbled and browned.

4.  Drain mixture and return to the skillet.

5.  Stir in tomato sauce, lemon juice, oregano, sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tsp. salt.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

6.  Cook and stir occasionally for 2 minutes and remove from heat.

7.  Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.  Whisk in flour and cook, whisking continuously, for 2 minutes.  Gradually whisk in milk.

8.  Increase heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, for 5-7 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.

9.  Stir in Parmesan cheese, pepper, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt.

10.  Add cooked ziti pasta to cheese sauce mixture, stirring to coat.

11.  Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly-greased 9x13 glass baking dish.  Top with beef mixture.

12.  Sprinkle mozarella cheese and breadcrumbs on top of beef mixture.

13.  Bake a 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.  (Cheese will be melted.)

14.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Magazine note: this dish may be fixed ahead and frozen (unbaked) for a future meal.  If frozen, let stand 30 minutes before baking, and add 15-20 minutes to the baking time in the oven.

Mini BBQ Meatloaves

MINI BBQ MEATLOAVES

Recipe Notes

Serve this Cooking Light recipe with buttermilk mashed potatoes and a green vegetable or salad.  The original magazine version included nutritional information for smashed blue cheese potatoes along with the meatloaf, so I have not included the nutritional information because I only made half of the recipe and don't have the nutritional information isolated for the meatloaves alone.

Ingredients

• 8 oz. mild Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 8 oz. extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 c. grated carrot
• 1/4 c. thinly-sliced green onions
• 1/4 c. panko or whole wheat panko
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 c. BBQ sauce

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Spray a standard-sized muffin tin with cooking spray.  You will use somewhere between 8-10  of the muffin cups.

3.  Combine sausage, beef, carrot, green onions, panko, pepper, and egg in a large bowl.  Stir until just combined.

4.  Divide mixture evenly among prepared muffin cups.

5.  Make a small indentation in the center of each meat loaf to prevent protein from shrinking during cooking.

6.  Top each meatloaf with approximately 2 tsp. BBQ sauce.

7.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Beef Daube Provencal

This is an old Cooking Light recipe that I finally got around to trying now that it's technically fall outside.  In Houston, you wouldn't know it, because it's still 90 degrees during the day, but we're getting closer.  This dish is served over egg noodles, and I paired it with a simple mixed green salad with champagne vinaigrette and goat cheese.

BEEF DAUBE PROVENCAL

Recipe Notes

The recipe calls for the beef mixture to be cooked on HIGH for 5 hours or until beef is tender.  If you want to throw this in the Crock Pot first thing in the morning and want it to be ready after work, you can alternatively cook it on LOW for 8-9 hours as well.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 6)

367 calories - 12.8 g. fat - 33.4 g. carbs - 3.9 g. fiber - 29.1 g. protein

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 12 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into small cubes
• 1-1/4 tsp. salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper, divided
• 1 c. red wine
• 2 c. chopped carrot
• 1-1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 c. beef broth
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Dash of ground cloves
• 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 c. cooked medium egg noodles

Instructions

1.  Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over low heat.  Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add garlic and cook five minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally.  Remove garlic and set aside.

2.  Increase heat to medium high.  Add beef and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

3.  Cook 5 minutes or until browned on all sides.

4.  Remove beef from pan.

5.  Add wine to pan and bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen any browned bits.

6.  Add reserved garlic, beef, remaining salt, remaining pepper, carrots, onions, beef broth, tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, cloves, diced tomatoes, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil.

7.  Place beef mixture in a Crock Pot or other electric slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours or until beef is tender.

Mini Mexican Pizzas

 

Another Pinterest find.  I printed off a bunch of meal ideas I had pinned a couple of weeks ago and this flurry of posts is the combination of the best ones.  Corey loved these.  They are a bit flimsy to serve as appetizers, but a few of them with a salad and a Mexican-style side dish makes for a nice dinner.

MINI MEXICAN PIZZAS

Recipe Notes

The original recipe calls for lean ground turkey.  I used extra lean (95%) ground beef.  Serve these with low fat sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and/or sliced black olives if you'd like.

Nutritional Information (approximate, per pizza) - makes 12

80 calories - 3 g. fat - 8 g. carbohydrates - 4 g. fiber - 8 g. protein

Ingredients

• Flour tortillas (enough to cut out 12 small circles from each tortilla)
• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef, cooked
• 1/2 c. salsa (I used Pace mild)
• 1 tbsp. dry taco seasoning
• 1/2 c. fat free refried beans
• 1/2 c. lowfat shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a 12-count standard size muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  Use a wide-bottomed empty can, glass cup, or cookie cutter to cut 2-3 medium circles out of each tortilla.

3.  Press each wrap circle into the muffin tin using your fingers.  It does not have to fill the muffin cup, just fit snugly.

4.  Mix cooked ground beef, salsa, taco seasoning, and refried beans.  Stir until well-combined.

5.  Spoon approx. 2 tbsp. of the meat mixture into each tortilla.  Top with shredded cheese.

6.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted (in my oven, it actually only took 10 minutes).

Cheesy Meatloaf Minis

Somehow, I hated meatloaf as a kid but have grown to like it more as an adult.  This little Cooking Light recipe appeared in a recent "Best Of" edition of the magazine, and I decided to give it a try.  The little bits of white cheddar added to the mixture are just yummy.  Please note that I actually made mine a bit smaller than the recipe calls for - I used 1 lb. of sirloin for six meatloafs instead of 1.5 lbs. as called for in the recipe.  I thought it was just great.  The nutritional stats below are based on using the full 1.5 lbs. of meat.

CHEESY MEATLOAF MINIS

Recipe Notes

Serve this meal with mashed potatoes and a simple salad.  A good simple salad to serve with this meal is just an herb salad mix with carrot ribbons, sliced red onion, and your favorite vinaigrette.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 6)

254 calories - 11.4 g. fat - 28.3 g. protein - 11.1 g. carbs - 0.9 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 1 oz. fresh breadcrumbs (I used 2 slices of white bread and my Cuisinart)
• 1 c. finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 ketchup, divided
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp. prepared horseradish
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 oz. white cheddar cheese, diced
• 1-1/2 lbs. ground sirloin (90% lean)
• 1 large egg

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  My oven is a bit hot, so I cooked these at 400 degrees.

2.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray and saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes.

3.  Combine onion, garlic, 1/4 ketchup, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix thoroughly (I use my hands to make sure it is well-combined).

4.  Shape into 6 individual loaves on a broiler pan lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray.

5.  Spread 2 tsp. ketchup over each loaf. 

6.  Bake for 25-28 minutes or until done.

"Healthified" Beef Enchilada Pie

This recipe was also a Pinterest find from eatbetteramerica.com.  This website has several recipes that have been "lightened" to enhance your healthy dining experience.



Recipe Notes

This recipe reminds me greatly of the Layered Enchilada Bake that I have posted multiple times.  This dish is made in a pie pan, vs. a baking dish as the Layered Enchilada Bake is.  Also, this dish requires a much shorter cooking time.  Both are worth the labor.

Nutritional Information

290 calories - 11 g. fat - 25 g. carbohydrates - 22 g. protein - 0 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef (93% lean or greater)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 10 oz. can of Old El Paso red enchilada sauce
• 1/2 c. canned corn, drained
• 4.5 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 5 Old El Paso burrito-sized flour tortillas
• 1 c. shredded reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese (approx. 4 oz.)

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Brown beef and onion in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (5-7 minutes).  Drain.

3.  Add 3/4 can of enchilada sauce, corn, and green chiles to beef mixture.  Stir in cumin and chili powder.

4.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for five minutes.

5.  Spray one 9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

6.  Place one tortilla in the bottom of the casserole.  Top with 3/4 c. beef mixture and 3 tbsp. shredded cheese.  Repeat these layers three times.

7.  Top with remaining tortilla, reserved enchilada sauce (approx. 1/4 c.) and remaining cheese.

8.  Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes until hot and cheese is melted.

9.  Cool five minutes before serving.  Serve with sour cream.



Tex-Mex Rice Bowl

This is an easy weeknight skillet from Cooking Light. Great with a little Cholula over the top and a salad.

TEX-MEX RICE BOWL

Recipe Notes

This is a great use for precooked rice.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 4)

306 calories - 7.6 g. fat - 44.4 g. carbohydrates - 18.1 g. protein - 4.3 g. fiber

Ingredients

• One 8.8 oz. bag precooked brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's)


• 8 oz. ground sirloin


• 1/4 c. water


• 1-1/2 tbsp. taco seasoning (such as Ortega)


• 1/2 c. frozen or canned whole-kernel corn


• 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained


• 1 c. fresh pico de gallo


• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced


• 4 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Heat rice according to package instructions.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook ~3 minutes or until done. Stir to crumble.

3. Stir in water and taco seasoning and bring to a simmer.

4. Stir in corn and beans. Cook one minute or until heated. Stir in rice.

5. Top with pico de gallo and jalapeno, then sprinkle with cilantro.

Oven-Roasting Method for Beef

This recipe was first published in The Star of Texas Cookbook (Junior League of Houston, 1983). It is a simple and delicious way to cook a beef tenderloin that should please everyone, as the meat ends up well done on the short end and medium rare at the thick end. All you need is a trimmed, tied beef tenderloin; salt; pepper; olive oil; and a VERY hot oven.

OVEN-ROASTING METHOD FOR BEEF

Recipe Notes
I highly recommend using a trimmed and tied beef tenderloin from Rice Epicurean if you live in Houston. Pick one up at the Saturday meat sale - great pricing!

Ingredients

• Beef tenderloin roast (trimmed & tied)



• Good-quality salt and pepper



• Good-quality olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. (Yes, 500 degrees. It will be very hot!)

2. Set roast out for three hours or more to reach room temperature. Rub roast with salt, pepper, and oil.

3. Place roast on a rack in an open pan or Dutch oven. Place pan in the center of the oven at least 8 inches from the oven's heating element.

4. Cook roast for 3 minutes per pound. Turn the oven off and let stand in the oven for one hour and 45 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DURING THIS TIME.

5. Pull the roast out of the oven, slice, and enjoy! Great by itself or for sandwiches.

Sloppy Joes

Something about fall and winter weather just says "sloppy joes!" every once in awhile. This Cooking Light recipe was originally purposed as two sliders per serving. Instead of making eight sliders, I made four full-sized sandwiches and it worked great. The calorie count should not change from the original recipe, so I've included the nutritional information as well.

SLOPPY JOES

Recipe Notes

As mentioned above, this recipe originally called for eight slider buns instead of four regular sized buns. I added twice the meat to one regular sized bun for each place setting. I also bought prechopped carrots from the bulk bins at Central Market to cut down on prep time.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 4)

373 calories - 10 g. fat - 52.2 g. carbs - 4.2 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 1 large carrot (grated or finely chopped)


• 10 oz. lean ground beef


• 3/4 c. chopped onion


• 1 tsp. garlic powder


• 1 tsp. chili powder


• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper


• 1/4 c. ketchup


• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard


• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce


• 1 tbsp. tomato paste


• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar


• 8 oz. can tomato sauce


• 8 slider hamburger buns or 4 regular-sized hamburger buns.

Instructions

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, beef, and onion to pan. Cook six minutes or until beef is browned and vegetables are tender.

3. Add garlic powder, chili powder, and pepper. Cook one additional minute.

4. Combine ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, and tomato sauce in a small bowl. Add ketchup mixture to pan and stir evenly to coat.

5. Simmer five minutes or until thickened.

6. Arrange buns, cut side up, in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Distribute beef mixture among buns and serve hot.

Layered Enchilada Bake

My coworker Angela recommended this recipe as one that is easily freezable. I wanted to take another casserole to my sister in law, who just had a baby, so I cut the recipe in half for serving and froze half of it for her while we ate the other half. Corey loved it!

LAYERED ENCHILADA BAKE

Recipe Notes

Thanks kraft.com. Serve with cilantro (pictured above), chopped lettuce, and/or chopped fresh tomatoes. There is a full-fat version of this recipe and a lower fat version of this recipe. I have shown the lower fat version here.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 8)

400 calories - 15 g. fat - 39 g. carbohydrates - 6 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 c. salsa
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 c. light Italian dressing
• 2 tbsp. taco seasoning mix
• 6 eight-inch flour tortillas
• 1 c. light sour cream
• 8 oz. package 2% milk Mexican shredded cheese blend

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Brown meat and onions in a skillet and drain. Stir in salsa, black beans, Italian dressing, and taco seasoning.

3. Arrange 3 tortillas in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish (cut tortillas to fit). Top with 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 c. sour cream, and 1/2 cheese. Repeat.

4. Cover and bake for 40 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Uncover after first 30 minutes and bake final 10 minutes uncovered. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Beer Braised Beef

Five ingredients, into the Crock Pot, forget about it for the rest of the day. Enough said. I don't drink beer at all, but the beer here just serves as a good meat tenderizer. So if you don't like beer like me, don't be scared off by this recipe.

BEER-BRAISED BEEF

Recipe Notes

This recipe is great over buttermilk mashed potatoes.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 4)

265 calories - 8 g. fat - 25.5 g. protein - 20.4 g. carbohydrates - 1.5 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 lb. boneless top round steak, trimmed
• 4.5 oz. can Italian petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 c. light beer
• 2 tbsp. molasses
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Brown steak in a skillet over medium-high heat, approximately 3 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Layer onion in the bottom of a 3-4 qt. slow cooker. Add steak atop onions. Pour tomatoes and beer over steak.

3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until steak is very tender.

4. Shred steak with two forks in the slow cooker. Stir in molasses and a pinch of salt.

5. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Flank Steak Marinade

Corey and I tried this easy marinade last night on grilled flank steak, and it was really tasty!

FLANK STEAK MARINADE

Recipe Notes
This Cooking Light marinade suggests that you can marinate your meat at least four hours or up to overnight. I marinated a 1.25 lb. flank steak overnight and thought that the soy sauce component would be slightly more muted if I had only marinated the steak for the afternoon. I would suggest 4-6 hours of marinating time.

Ingredients

• 1-1.5 lb. flank steak
• 3/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. ketchup
• 1-1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/4 c. sliced scallions (green onions)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag.

2. Refrigerate at least four hours or up to overnight.

3. Grill to desired degree of doneness.

Slow-Cooked Chile Con Carne

Dinner tonight is one of Corey's Cooking Light favorites: Chile Con Carne. I love it because I can leave it in the morning, come home after work, and dinner is basically done. We serve this over Tomato Rice Pilaf with a salad and bread.

SLOW-COOKED CHILE CON CARNE

Recipe Notes

I also add a dash of Cholula hot sauce for a little extra spice. This recipe originally called for chopped plum tomatoes. Using canned diced tomatoes is both easier and less expensive, so I have made that modificatino. To cut this recipe to two servings, omit one can of beans and use half of the beef broth.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 4)
291 calories - 6 g. fat - 34 g. protein - 8.9 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 c. chopped onion (about one medium)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. sirloin, cut into small cubes
• 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 15 oz. can pinto beans
• 15 oz. can black beans
• 14 oz. can beef broth
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray and add beef, garlic, and onion. Cook five minutes or until beef is browned, approximately 5 minutes.

2. Combine beef mixture and remaining ingredients (tomatoes, pinto beans, black beans, beef broth, and all spices) in an electric slow cooker.

3. Cook on HIGH for 3-1/2 hours or on low for 8 hours.

4. Uncover, cook 30 minutes more or until slightly thickened.

Beef & Barley Soup

This recent Cooking Light recipe has a long cooking time (about two hours total), so this might be best made on the weekend when you have a little more time to sit and wait.



BEEF & BARLEY SOUP

Recipe Notes

This recipe calls for pearl barley, but I could only find medium barley at the grocery store. Both work just fine. This makes four VERY generous servings.

Nutritional Information (per serving - makes 4 two-cup servings)
341 calories - 11.4 g. fat - 24.1 g. protein - 8.2 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into cubes
• 1-1/2 c. thinly-sliced carrot
• 1-1/2 c. thinly-sliced celery
• 2/3 c. chopped onion
• 8 oz. package presliced mushrooms
• 4 c. beef broth (one box)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2/3 c. uncooked pearl barley
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add beef and cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.

2. Add carrot, celery, onion, and mushrooms to pan. Cook 6 minutes or until liquids have essentially evaporated.

3. Add beef broth and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1-1/2 hours.

4. Add pearl barley. Cover and simmer 30 minutes more.

5. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

Sadie was worn out last night from all of the Halloween weekend festivities. Hope that everyone had a nice Halloween!

Soutwestern Shepherd's Pie

Ok, so I was skeptical about this recipe from Cooking Light but decided to give it a try because it looked fast and required few ingredients. Boy, am I glad that I did! It was delicious and on the table in 20 minutes.

SOUTHWEST SHEPHERD'S PIE


Recipe Notes
When rinsing and draining the canned kidney beans, a good trick is to pour them into a collander and rinse under the sink.

Nutritional Information (per serving - makes 4 servings)
279 calories - 6 g. fat - 25.7 g. protein - 8 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 2 c. prepared mashed potatoes (such as Country Crock)
• 3/4 lb. ground sirloin (I used 92% lean ground beef)
• 3/4 c. picante sauce or chunky salsa
• 1/3 c. water
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 c. preshredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Prepare mashed potatoes according to package directions. Keep warm.

2. Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble.

3. Add salsa, water, cumin, sugar, salt, and kidney beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens, approximately 5 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and spoon mashed potatoes over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand 2 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.

Sadie was hoping to have some of our Shepherd's Pie, but the closest that she got to a serving of meat was chewing on her hot dog toy. Don't feel too sorry for her though - she got some ground beef and drippings on her own little dinner!

Black Bean & Salsa Chili

This Cooking Light chili was really tasty and ready in an hour. The spiciness of the chili powder and crushed red pepper worked really well with the slight sweetness of the small amount of brown sugar. And the dish weighs in at 200 calories per one-cup serving. A nice, healthy, alternative to your traditional chili recipe that has to simmer on the stove all day! Don't be daunted by the long list of ingredients - it's mostly spices!

Recipe Notes

The original recipe calls for ground turkey. I prefer 92% lean ground beef or ground sirloin, so I made that substitution. Feel free to use either turkey or beef.

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 6)
199 calories - 6.2 g. fat - 14.8 g. protein - 5.9 g. fiber

Ingredients

• Two 15-oz cans black beans - rinsed, drained, and divided
• 2/3 c. water
• 1 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 1/2 lb. 92% extra lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 c. chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
• 3 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
• 1-1/2 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1-1/2 c. mild salsa
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 14 oz. can fat free beef broth
• 1/2 c. reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. fresh lime juice

Instructions

1. Combine one can of black beans, water, and dark brown sugar in a food processor. Process until smooth.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

3. Add onions, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, bacon, and ground beef or turkey to the pan. Cook for between 5-8 minutes, or until bell peppers and onion have softened and meat has browned.

4. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper to pan and stir well.

5. Add pureed beans, one can of black beans, salsa, tomato paste, and beef broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low (uncovered) for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

6. Combine sour cream, cilantro, and juice in a small bowl. Serve chili with sour cream mixture.

Italian Meatloaf

Another meatloaf recipe! This Cooking Light recipe is a favorite in our household and we've been having it for dinner for the past couple of years. It's a pretty long cooking time - about an hour and 10 minutes - so I would suggest making this on a night when you aren't pressed for time with work, etc. It is very easy to prepare, just a long cooking time. We typically have it on Sunday nights, as we did last night.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

Recipe Notes

Serve with roasted potatoes, a green vegetable, and a salad. Progresso Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs are good to have on hand for this recipe. The flat-leaf parsley called for in this recipe is called Italian parsley in many grocery stores.

When it comes to incorporating all of the ingredients, I get down and dirty and mix it all together with my hands. It's definitely the best way to get everything well blended!

Nutritional Information (per serving - makes 6 servings)

263 calories - 12.1 g. fat - 27.8 g. protein - 1.4 g. fiber

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lb. 92% lean ground beef
• 1 c. fat free tomato basil pasta sauce (such as Light Ragu), divided into two 1/2 c. servings
• 1/2 c. Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 c. preshredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. finely chopped onion
• 1/3 c. chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 large egg whites

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine 1/2 c. pasta sauce (reserving 1/2 c.) with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Shape meat mixture into a loaf on a broiler pan or jelly roll pan lined with aluminum foil.

4. Spread remaining 1/2 c. pasta sauce on top of the meatloaf.

5. Bake for one hour and 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes prior to serving. Cut into twelve slices and serve two slices per person.

Meatloaf

Meatloaf was my dad's favorite meal when I was growing up, so we ate a LOT of meatloaf. Maybe that is why I grew to dislike it so much? However, once Corey and I got married, I found myself making meatloaf...who knew?! Cooking Light has several tasty varieties, and this recipe is a friend's adaptation of a Cooking Light meatloaf incarnation.

This recipe comes from my friend Shelley, who always has lots of tasty, healthy recipes. She sent me her adaptation of a Cooking Light meatloaf that she and her husband Colin have really enjoyed. Corey and I tried it out last night and it was great! Definitely worth sharing. Not only does it have only 250 calories per serving, it is also a simple recipe with a minimal number of ingredients, and it only requires about 30 minutes in the oven, so your dinner is ready fast! Thanks Shelley!

MEATLOAF

Recipe Notes

I used 93% lean ground beef instead of sirloin because it was on sale that day. Shelley says that she uses grass-fed sirloin from Whole Foods (Colin is much luckier than Corey!) Both turn out delicious. I had to reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes in my (apparently) very hot oven, so watch your meatloaf in the last 10 minutes or so!

Nutritional Information (per serving - serves 4)
250 calories - 7 g. fat - 27 g. protein

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. ketchup
• 1-1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 lb. ground sirloin
• 3/4 c. finely-chopped onion
• 1/4 to 1/2 c. breadcrumbs (Shelley uses Vigo with Romano cheese)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine ketchup and mustard in small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Reserve 3 tbsp. of the ketchup mixture.

3. Combine remaining ketchup mixture and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix to combine (I use my hands).

4. Line pan with foil and coat foil with cooking spray.

5. Place meatloaf mixture on pan and form into an egg shape.

6. Spread remaining 3 tbsp. ketchup onto the meatloaf. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes or until meatloaf is cooked through. (My oven only took 25 minutes.)

Shelley suggests serving the meatloaf with a steakhouse wedge and mashed potatoes. Shelley also has a great homemade low-fat dressing for her wedge. All you have to do is whisk the below ingredients together and you've got dressing!

• 2 tbsp. blue cheese dressing
• 1 tbsp. fat free buttermilk
• 2 tbsp. fat free sour cream
• 1 tbsp. reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 3/4 tsp. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt