Tag: cooking spray

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Cheesy macaroni and broccoli are topped with bread crumbs and baked to perfection. Kid friendly, vegetarian and comfort food at it’s finest.

I first made this back in 2011, and it has since been very popular. Last week I made it again and updated the photos, I forgot just how good this is! This time I used rotini pasta, you can really use whatever shape you like. My step by step photos are still the original, so keep that in mind when you make this.

It’s perfect if you’re craving macaroni and cheese but don’t want to waste a days worth of calories in one meal. You still get that same comforting taste, with a little less guilt.

When I first made this, I used a Mexican blend of cheese, because it was all I had on hand, but since I’ve been making it with a sharp reduced-fat Cheddar such as 50% less-fat Cabot, in my opinion this is better with a sharp cheddar to really let the cheesy flavors stand out.

To speed things up, I used pre-cut fresh broccoli. This recipe was loved by all in my home, even my not-so-crazy-about-broccoli husband loved it and leftovers are perfect for lunch. You can bake this in one large baking dish, or individual oven safe dishes for perfect portion control, or you can make half and use a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 314.9 • Fat: 9.8 g • Protein: 17.7 g • Carb: 44.3 g • Fiber: 6.3 g • Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 215.7 (without salt)

Ingredients:

12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)
8 oz (2 cups) reduced-fat sharp cheddar (Cabot 50%)
salt and fresh pepper to taste
12 oz fresh broccoli florets (I used pre-cut bag)
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
cooking spray

Directions:

Cook pasta and broccoli together in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions for al dente (or slightly under cook 2 minutes). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook over low heat about 2 minutes, add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well combined. Add milk and chicken broth and whisk, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and broccoli and mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.

Incoming search terms:

Cheeseburger Casserole

If you’re a cheeseburger lover, and the thought of ground beef,
tomatoes, pickles and cheese tickles your fancy, then this truly
American, comforting casserole is for you!

I was recently given the Bobby Deen: From Mama’s Table to Mine^[1]
cookbook as a gift. Bobby, in case you’re not familiar is Paula Deen’s
son, who makes his Mama’s Southern dishes a bit healthier and on the
lighter side.

Whenever I get a cookbook, I usually attempt a dish that’s out of my norm. A cheeseburger casserole… now that’s not a dish I grew up eating!

What the heck is a cheeseburger casserole? Think cheeseburger essential ingredients such as lean ground hamburger meat sauteed with diced tomatoes, onions, a touch of mustard, and some not-so common burger ingredients such as pasta, all topped with melted cheddar and finished off with diced pickles.

My toddler gobbled this up, and I thought it was pretty darn good – and I would certainly make this again. I’m sure you can have fun with this and add your favorite cheeseburger toppings. I’m thinking sauteed mushrooms would be really good here too and maybe a few bacon crumbles for a bacon cheeseburger casserole (why not!).

The one thing I changed was the serving size, I thought 9 servings was a little more realistic than 12 for adults, and at about 260 calories (7 points plus if you’re on Weight Watchers) it’s still well under 300 calories.

Cheeseburger Casserole
www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 9 • Size: about 1 cup • Old Points: 6 • Weight Watchers Points+: 7
Calories: 261 • Fat: 9 g • Protein: 21.5 g • Carb: 21.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 468.5 mg

ingredients

2 cups (6 oz) uncooked rotini pasta (use brown rice pasta for GF)
2 tsp oil
1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lb lean ground beef (95% lean)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 cups reduced fat grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the beef and cook until browned; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes and mustard. Let the mixture bubble gently until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared dish. Top with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve. Makes about 9 cups.

Recipe Source: Bobby Deen: From Mama’s Table to Mine^[2]

References

^{^} Bobby Deen: From Mama’s Table to Mine (www.amazon.com)
^{^} Bobby Deen: From Mama’s Table to Mine (www.amazon.com)

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Grilled Vegetable Panzanella

by Pam on December 5, 2012

I found a recipe on Simply Scratch^[1] that looked beautiful and delicious. I had some extra vinaigrette^[2] leftover so I decided to use that and skip the recipe’s vinaigrette. I grilled the veggies in my grill pan and it was quick and easy. I cooked some of the veggies separately so they would get really nice grill marks. I loved the flavor of the grilled veggies with the crisp bread tossed in the vinaigrette. It was hearty, healthy, and a nice change from the salads and side dishes I usually serve.

Make Fran’s Vinaigrette^[3] – recipe found here^[4]. Set aside to let the flavors mingle.

Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Coat the sliced rustic bread with olive oil cooking spray then place into the grill pan and cook until toasted on both sides for 5 minutes. Remove and cube into bite sized pieces.

Add the olive oil to the grill pan then place the mushrooms into the pan. Let them sit, leaving them alone, for 3-4 minutes then flip them over for another 2 minutes, or until golden. Pour into a large bowl. Add the asparagus and onion to the grill pan, adding cooking spray if needed. Cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes, or until fork tender; pour into the bowl with the mushrooms. Add the zucchini chunks and tomato quarters to the grill pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until tender. Gently place them into the bowl. Add the cubed bread pieces to the bowl.

Season the veggies and bread with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste then toss to coat. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette on top then toss to coat evenly. Taste & re-season or add more vinaigrette if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Print^[5]

Save^[6]

Grilled Vegetable Panzanella

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 15 min.

Total Time: 25 min.

Ingredients:

4 thick slices of leftover rustic French bread, grilled then cubed into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
8 Crimini Mushrooms, quartered
1/4 sweet yellow onion, cut into chunks
6 stalks of asparagus, wooden ends removed & cut into thrids
1 medium Zucchini, cut into chunks
3 small firm tomatoes, quartered
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Make Fran’s Vinaigrette – click the link up above for the recipe. Set aside to allow the flavors to mingle.

Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Coat the sliced rustic bread with olive oil cooking spray then place into the grill pan and cook until toasted on both sides for 5 minutes. Remove and cube into bite sized pieces.

Add the olive oil to the grill pan then place the mushrooms into the pan. Let them sit, leaving them alone, for 3-4 minutes then flip them over for another 2 minutes, or until golden. Pour into a large bowl. Add the asparagus and onion to the grill pan, adding cooking spray if needed. Cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes, or until fork tender; pour into the bowl with the mushrooms. Add the zucchini chunks and tomato quarters to the grill pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until tender. Gently place them into the bowl. Add the cubed bread pieces to the bowl.

Season the veggies and bread with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste then toss to coat. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette on top then toss to coat evenly. Taste & re-season or add more vinaigrette if needed. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Simply Scratch

References

^{^} Simply Scratch (www.simplyscratch.com)
^{^} vinaigrette (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Fran’s Vinaigrette (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} recipe found here (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Save to ZipList Recipe Box (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)