Tag: Directions Preheat

Homemade Croutons

Healthier homemade croutons made with whole grain bread, Italian seasoning and shredded parmesan cheese. These are so simple to make, with ingredients you probably already have on hand.

I love how the grains in the bread add a nutty texture to the croutons, so much better than white bread!

Once baked you can keep them in a ziplock bag to use for salads or soups (I love croutons in my split pea soup^[1]!) Be sure to use shredded Parmesan cheese so it sticks to the croutons when baked in the oven.

For this side salad, I chopped up some tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and romaine lettuce, and tossed it with my red wine tomato vinaigrette^[2].

Homemade Croutons
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 16 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Old Points: 0 pts • Points+: 1 pts
Calories: 28.5 • Fat: 6.5 g • Protein: 2 g • Carb: 5 g • Fiber: 0.9 g • Sugar: 0.7 g
Sodium: 47 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

olive oil spray (I used my mister)
6 slices 100% whole grain bread (I used Pepperidge Farm 15 grain)*
1 tsp garlic powder
sea salt, to taste
3-4 tsp dried Italian seasoning (or dried parsley)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat over to 300°F. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Remove the crust and cut the bread into small cubes.

Combine the garlic powder, salt and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl.

Spread the bread cubes on prepared cookie sheet in a single layer. Spray the top with more oil to coat and top with half of the seasoning and half of the shredded cheese; season with black pepper then bake for 14 minutes or until dry, crispy, and golden brown.

Turn the croutons over, spray a little more oil and sprinkle with remaining seasoning, black pepper and shredded cheese; bake for an additional 15 minutes until done. Store croutons in air-tight container or ziplock bag. Makes 4 cups. Enjoy!

*This should be about 5 1/2 oz after the crust is removed, before baking. This was calculated as such.

References

^{^} split pea soup (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} red wine tomato vinaigrette (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

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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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Hot and Spicy Buffalo Shrimp Dip

Move over buffalo wings, this hot and cheesy shrimp dip will have everyone going back for more!

Superbowl Sunday is just a few days away! I have tons of skinny appetizer recipes^[1] you can make, but I wanted to add one more, because quite honestly, what’s football without the buffalo dip!

This was inspired by my Buffalo Chicken Dip^[2], I wanted to try a shrimp version topped with melted cheese, and we loved how it turned out!

Serve this with crudites to keep it light; celery and carrot sticks are the perfect vessel for scooping up the buffalo goodness! You can even add some baked chips to the table, baked pita chips work great. I minced some of the celery leaf for garnish for a little color. Enjoy!

Hot and Spicy Buffalo Shrimp Dip
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1/3 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 120 • Fat: 7 g • Carbs: 2 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 13 g • Sugar: 0.9 g
Sodium: 672 mg

Ingredients:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly spray an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking dish, or even a pie dish with cooking spray.

Combine the first 5 ingredients together and 1/4 cup of the cheese; mix until smooth. Add the shrimp; mix well and put in a small oven safe dish.

Bake in the oven until hot, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with remaining cheese, bake until melted, about 4-5 minutes.

Makes about 3 cups.

References

^{^} skinny appetizer recipes (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} Buffalo Chicken Dip (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)