Baked Oatmeal

This is a dish that I make often in fall and winter. It’s great for a brunch with guests or for a family. You can easily wrap the servings in plastic wrap and grab and go throughout the week or enjoy immediately. We have eaten it cold and warm, and both are very tasty.

Baked Oatmeal

2 1/4 cup quick cooking oats or 2 3/4 old fashioned oats,uncooked

2/3 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. dried cranberries

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

3 1/3 cups skim milk

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 TBSP. ground flax seed

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 8×8 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, cranberries, cinnamon, salt and flax seed. In a medium bowl combine the beaten egg whites, milk and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until moistened. Pour into the baking dish.(Mixture will be very runny)

Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool completely if your going to wrap them individually or enjoy hot after they cool slightly.

Store in the refrigerator.

Options: either eat them as is or you could top them with addition fruit, yogurt or milk.

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Chili John’s Chili (only healthier)

Chili John’s chili is a very well known place in the Green Bay area and also the nearby surrounding communities. It has been around for as long as I can remember.

I recall my mom being so excited when I finally got my driver’s license because then she could send me to Chili John’s and get her chili in the middle of winter.

I used to love this chili, but always found the orange grease floating on top to be not the most appealing thing to consume. I know what your all thinking, “that is what makes Chili John’s chili so good.” Well maybe so, although, I was determined to find a solution and continue to be able to eat this chili without causing my arteries to harden.

My boys have asked for this healthier version every deer hunting season after they spend all day sitting in the woods freezing waiting for that big buck. I have also froze this recipe for a quick meal when life is just to busy.

It is so very easy, and does not call for many ingredients at all. Of course, you could make this with all ground turkey or all ground beef, but I have found it’s best with half of each.

Chili John’s Chili (only healthier)

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground turkey

1 small onion finely diced

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 Tbsp. flour

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 cups water

1 can of chili beans of your choice (optional)

Brown your ground beef and turkey, then drain any excess fat. Spray your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray and add all the browned meat, beans, onion and all the spices.

Cook covered on low for 5-6 hours. Serve over spaghetti.

**** I prepare this recipe often and store it in Ziploc Versa Glass dishes and freeze for the perfect grab and go meal when you need something fast.

ENJOY!

Chicken Potpie

It has been so chilly here all week that I thought it would be comforting to have this chicken potpie dinner which we typically enjoy in the fall/winter months.

Here is the recipe for chicken potpie with corn bread topping instead of the typical pie crust topping.

Chicken Potpie

Chicken Mixture consist of:

16oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables

2 cups rotisserie chicken

pepper to taste

10 3/4 oz cream of celery soup

10 3/4 oz. cream chicken soup

Mix this all together well.

Spray a 8×8 or in my case 9×9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour the chicken mixture into this prepared dish.

Topping Mixture:

 8.5 oz. box Jiffy corn bread muffin mix

3 eggs

2 TBSP. olive oil

14 3/4 can cream style corn

Mix well in a small bowl.

Pour over your chicken mixture.

Bake uncovered at 400 for 45-60 minutes, or until the crust is light brown. Let the pie sit for 10 minutes before eating.

Serve and enjoy.

Hope you like it.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I made this stuffed squash recipe recently on a rainy day and thankfully the air conditioner was on due to the high humidity, otherwise this is usually a better winter recipe. It’s also one of my husbands favorite’s, my son on the other hand,would not even consider eating this.

I found this recipe in a Weight Watchers Magazine years and years ago. Even though I did not follow the Weight Watchers plan, I found a lot of their recipes quite appetizing. I have changed it up quite a bit from the original recipe, but I am sure you can make the changes that will be appropriate for your family also.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

1lb of ground turkey

1/4 tsp of ground pepper

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 cup frozen peas

1 14.5 oz diced fire roasted tomatoes-drained

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1-2 acorn squash-halved and seeded

2 Tbsp. low fat butter spread

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 450. Prepared a baking pan by covering it with tin foil and non stick spray, for easier clean up.

Next, take your squash and scrub it clean. Cut it in half and spoon out the seeds with a spoon.

Place the squash cut side down and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender.

In the mean time, brown your ground turkey with the chopped onion, Italian seasoning and pepper. Add the can of drained tomatoes and the peas when the meat is no longer pink. Heat through.

While this is heating melt the butter, and add it to the bread crumbs, mix until crumbly.

Spoon the meat mixture into the hollowed out squash center, and top with your desired amount of bread crumbs. Replace back into the over 5-7 minutes until the bread crumbs are brown.

Serve and enjoy.

NOTE: This meat mixture makes plenty of filling for two (four halves) squash. Either freeze the remaining mixture and add to a casserole at another time. For one squash, cut the meat mixture in half.

No Guilt Fudge Brownies

Here is a great, easy recipe for lowfat fudge brownies that you won’t have to work an extra hour at the gym to burn off the calories.

No Guilt Fudge Brownies

BROWNIES:

1c. all purpose four

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large egg whites

1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup skim milk

2 tsp. vanilla

FROSTING:

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla

2-3 TBSP. skim milk

Preheat your oven to 350. Spray a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

For brownies, mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.

Measure out the wet ingredients.

And combine them all, mixing till it’s smooth.

Pour this mixture into your prepared dish.

And bake for 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let brownies cool before frosting.

For the frosting, measure out the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

Add the vanilla and milk slowly and mix till smooth but not to runny.

Frost your brownies and refrigerate til the frosting sets. 20 minutes or so.

Serve and enjoy!

Sloppy Joe Sauce

Sometimes on a busy night, I will just throw together something that will just take minutes to prepare. I found this recipe in a Taste of Home cookbook years ago, when no matter what sloppy joe sauce we tried, none of them just tasted quite right.

I have used this for years, and all the ingredients are usually readily available in most households.

Sloppy Joe Sauce

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

2 TBSP brown sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp mustard

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 hamburger buns

1 stalk chopped celery

1/2 small onion diced

All you do is measure out the sauce ingredients. Dice your onion and celery.

Combine the sauce ingredients.

  Brown your ground meat with the onion and celery until no longer pink. Add the sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

And enjoy.

 Super easy and very tasty.

Great for a busy night when dinner is the last thing you want to spend alot of time on.