Chicken Tetrazinni Casserole

Serves 6

8 oz uncooked spaghetti
1 pound cooked chicken breast, (I used a store bought rotisserie chicken)
2 10&3/4 oz cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, reduced-fat
1 cup low-fat milk
2 2/3 oz romano cheese, grated (I used cubed mozzarella)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp light butter, unsalted, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 7 x 11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

2. Combine the turkey, soup, milk, cheese, peas, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper in a large bowl; add the spaghetti and toss well. Transfer to the baking dish.

3. Combine the bread crumbs and butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the spaghetti mixture and bake until the top is golden, 20–25 minutes.

Served with steamed broccoli.

Results: This was certainly not pretty to look at, but it was actually really good. Even the leftovers were delicious! Both boys scowled at their plates when I set it in front of them, but hunger finally got the better of Henry and he tried it. Good thing, because he actually liked it and finished everything on his plate! Steven never succumbed.

I added peas to the list of ingredients. I forgot to add mine in, and the dish would have been much prettier with them.

This recipe was intended as a way to use leftover turkey from the holidays. I'll have to remember that!

I meant to add peas and sliced mushrooms to this casserole, and forgot. Taste-wise, the recipe didn't need anything more, but the green peas really would have improved the presentation.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Pizza Casserole

Serves 8-10

1 lb ground turkey breast
1 (8-ounce) bag egg noodles
1 (1-lb, 8 oz) jar marinara sauce
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (3.5 oz) package pepperoni slices (you'll use about 1/2 the package)

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Brown the turkey breast and drain (if needed.) Cook egg noodles and drain.

2. Spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish. Then layer:
1/2 the meat,
1/2 egg noodles,
1/2 remaining marinara,
remaining noodles,
1 cup cheese,
remaining meat,
remaining marinara,
remaining cup of cheese, then
top with pepperoni.

3. Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake additional 15 minutes.

Served with salad.

Results: This was super easy to make and very tasty. Next time, I'd like to add some mushrooms or green peppers (or any kind of pizza topping would be great.) This made a HUGE casserole (I doubt we will be able to finish the leftovers), so next time I'm going to divide this into two smaller casseroles and put one in the freezer. (You may need more marinara sauce and cheese for that!)

Steven saw this meal on my computer and asked me to make it, without the meat. I put the meat in ours, but made a small casserole for him without the meat. What did this little guy think of this meal? He said, and I quote: "Mom, THIS.IS.DELICIOUS! I want you to make this five nights in a row!" He even went back for seconds! Winner, winner, pizza dinner!

Recipe from For Mamas

Creamy, Cheesy Potato Leek Casserole & Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing

Serves 5 (I should say this serves 6, but no freaking way. It's so good, you will definitely want a bigger serving.)

1 large potato, thinly sliced
1 leeks, thinly sliced and chopped
1/2 large carrot, grated
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon butter & oil
Olive oil cooking spray

Sauce:
2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup light whipping cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or jack cheese
1/4 cup panko
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Preheat oven to 400*.

2. Place sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water until ready to use. This will prevent them from browning.

3. Place all vegetables (except potatoes) in a large bowl. Add one tablespoon olive oil, and toss to coat. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Saute vegetables until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and whipping cream. Mix into vegetable mixture thoroughly.

5. Spray non-stick cooking spray onto casserole dish. Add potatoes to the bottom of the dish (overlapping is ok). Top with vegetable mixture, cheeses, panko and sprinkle with dried oregano.

6. Bake, covered, for 40-50 minutes, until hot and bubbly and potatoes are tender when pierced with fork. Finish by placing the casserole under the broiler to brown the top, about 5 minutes.

Served with Creamy Lemon Salad Dressing
1/2 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dill, chopped
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt

In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Process until smooth. Yields 6 servings, about 1 1/2 tablespoons dressing per serving. (Leftover dressing can be refrigerated for up to one week.)

Results: I'm not going to lie to you...this was not an easy casserole to make. You aren't going to come home after a busy day and say "I'm really in the mood to stand in the kitchen for a couple of hours!" There was a TON of chopping. But, trust me when I tell you this is un-freaking-believably good. I did all the prep earlier in the day, so all I needed to do at dinner-time was pop it in the oven.

With a name like "Creamy, Cheesy Potato Leek Casserole", you know the original was full of fat (FLAVOR!) and richness (FLAVOR!) I changed the ingredients to make them lower fat, and I don't feel like we missed anything. DELICIOUS! This is a definite keeper, and a perfect recipe for serving to dinner guests, even vegetarian ones!

The salad dressing was good too. It was a little watery (maybe I'll leave the water out next time), but the flavors were light and perfect with this casserole. Chris and I both LOVED this meal.

Dressing recipe from Weight Watchers. Casserole recipe from FOODjimoto. I need to spend some time checking out that blog...looks like some amazing recipes there!

Baked Pesto Chicken

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto (a recipe for a light version of pesto follows, but you can use any pesto recipe, or store-bought.)
1/2 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken pieces, then cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces.

2. Spray a 9" x 12" baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (or use a baking dish with a tight-fitting lid) and bake the chicken for 20 minutes, just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through. (Don't cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

3. Remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted.

Served with orzo and overcooked edamame beans

Results: The original recipe warned about over-cooking the chicken, so I was a little paranoid about that. I lowered the cooking time from 375 to 350, and baked for 25 minutes (instead of 25-30 minutes) and the chicken was still a little dry. Next time, I will lower the cooking time to 20 minutes (with 5 more minutes for melting the cheese.) I also used an 11x13 casserole dish, and since the chicken had lots of space, I think that helped it over-cook. Next time I'll use a smaller dish.

Other than the chicken being a little dry, this was delicious! I love pesto and usually only use it on pasta. Adding it to chicken and smothering it with cheese was awesome. Yum!

I used pesto sauce that I had in the freezer, so this was a super easy meal to prepare.

Recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen.

"Light" Pesto recipe
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp salt

1. Place pine nuts in a small skillet and set pan over medium heat. Cook until
nuts are golden, shaking pan frequently to prevent burning, about 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to a plate to cool.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine nuts, basil, broth, cheese, oil, garlic and salt; process until smooth and thick. Yields one cup.

Pesto recipe from Weight Watchers

Texas-Style Casserole

Serves 6

olive oil cooking spray
2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 green pepper, cut into strips
8 oz raw turkey sausage, thinly sliced (I used an Artichoke and Garlic Chicken sausage to add extra flavor)
1 cup fat-free skim milk
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a medium square or rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Place potatoes and then vegetables in baking dish; top with sausage.

2. In a small bowl, beat together milk, eggs, salt and pepper; pour over sausage and then sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake until casserole is hot and cheese is browned, about 45 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces and serve.

Results: If this is how they do things in Texas, I can understand why Texans are so proud of their state. This casserole was SOOOOO easy and SOOOOO delicious. I made an extra one for the freezer. I really do recommend using some sort of spicy or flavored sausage. It added so much to the dish.

Recipe from Weight Watchers

Taragon Chicken

It took me FOREVER to remember where I found this recipe, but I finally got it! I found this awesome website, Everything Mom, with links to different freezer meals. It linked to this website, Organized Home, with the recipe for Tarragon Chicken. The original recipe sounds great, but I had to tweak it to make it more healthy. You should definitely check it out, because they give you instructions for making this a freezer-friendly meal. The original recipe uses dried tarragon, but I had some leftover fresh tarragon from the Chicken Saute with Pine Nuts recipe, so I substituted 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon for the dried tarragon.

serves 4

4 chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless
3 zucchini squash, small
1 c small mushrooms, whole
3 carrots, peeled
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons light butter, melted
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon tarragon, dried (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
cooking spray

1. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, then again into quarters, and cut into 2-inch spears. Peel carrots and cut into 1/4-inch slices.

2. Arrange chicken, meaty sides up, in 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray;
sprinkle with paprika. Place zucchini, carrots and mushrooms around and over chicken. Mix remaining ingredients; drizzle over chicken and vegetables. Spray chicken and veggies with cooking spray.

3. Cover and cook in 350-degree oven until chicken is done, 50 to 60 minutes.

Served with mashed potatoes

Results: This was really, really good. I used about half the butter (and switched that up to light butter) and don't think I missed anything, tastewise. The vegetables were roasted perfectly. I will say that the chicken was a little dry, but the chicken breasts I used were really thin, so I think it had more to do with that than with the cooking times. Super easy to make and a nice colorful meal.

Recipe from Organized Home

Cheeseburger Casserole

Serves 6

cooking spray
2 large uncooked Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled, drained and cooled
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 pound uncooked ground turkey breast
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
1 cup reduced-fat Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
8 baked low-fat tortilla chips, crushed

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Coat a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. (No way all this was fitting into a 9-inch dish. I used a bigger one...maybe 11x13?)

2. Thinly slice potatoes; layer in prepared baking dish. Bake potatoes until slightly crisp, about 10 minutes; remove baking dish from oven and set aside.

3. While potatoes are baking, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat; add garlic, onion, green pepper and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 7 to 10 minutes; remove to a plate, cover to keep warm and set aside. Add turkey to skillet; cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add cooked vegetables, cumin, salt and pepper to turkey and stir to combine; spread mixture over
potatoes in baking dish.

4. In a small microwave safe bowl, combine cheese, evaporated milk and crushed red pepper flakes; cover and microwave on high power until cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon melted cheese over turkey and sprinkle with tortilla chips. Bake for 35 minutes; remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before slicing into 6 pieces.

Results: This was great! Me, Chris & Henry all gobbled this down (and I went back for seconds!) Steven wouldn't even pretend that he noticed it sitting in front of him. I wouldn't change anything. Well, that's not true...I changed the cheese. The original recipe called for using Velveeta cheese, and I substituted regular cheese for that. I will say that it could use a bit more cheese, but we all (minus Voldemort) really liked it.

Corn & Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

Serves 4
Prep Time: 7 minutes (includes cooking onions and sauce), Cooking Time: 30 minutes

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernel
4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
1/3 cup shredded low-fat Mexican cheese blend

1. Spray 7x11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. To make sauce, heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce and chili powder; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, stir together beans and corn in medium bowl. Arrange 8 of the tortilla wedges in overlapping layer in bottom of prepared baking dish. Spoon one-third of the sauce on top; top with half of the bean mixture. Repeat layering with 8 of the remaining tortilla wedges, half of the remaining sauce, and the remaining bean mixture. Top with remaining 8 tortilla wedges; spread with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese blend.

4. Bake casserole at 350* until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Results: I will say that this meal was SUPER easy to prepare. I made the casserole early in the day, so we just needed to throw it in the oven at dinner time. However, this was SOOOOOO boring. There was nothing particularly great about it (except the prep time.) And the tomato sauce, which seems like something you'd put in Italian dishes, was weird with the black beans, corn and tortillas.

Henry, however, loved this. Sorry, Henry, I won't be making this one again.

Baked Beef Ziti

Serves 8
Prep Time: 38 minutes (includes time cooking meat and pasta)
Cooking time: 30 minutes

*NOTE: Go ahead and double this recipe and put an extra in the freezer. It is NO EXTRA WORK to make two, and it will make for a super easy dinner another night! This is also a meal that can be made early in the day, then cooked for dinner. Perfect if you have company coming for dinner (which we did this night.)

12 oz uncooked ziti (I used penne, because it was the only whole grain I could find)
2 tsp olive oil
2 clove garlic clove, minced
3/4 pound raw lean ground beef
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 jar marinara sauce (another reason to make two dishes...you'll use the whole jar! I used a heart healthy, no added sugar variety.)
1&1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese (shredded)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return pasta to pot. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 7 to 10 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat. Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface).

4. Pour remaining tomato-beef mixture in the pot with pasta. Add marinara sauce and mix well. Pour pasta mixture in casserole dish; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Served with salad with the dressing from this recipe.

Results: It's sort of impossible to see what was "diet" about this dish, which is a very, very good thing. I was reluctant to use whole grain pasta, since we had a dinner guest, but you couldn't even tell, and both men went back for seconds! If you are in the mood for a cheesy Italian dish, give this a try! Steven wouldn't try it, but Henry ate all of his and requested leftovers for lunch today. Portions are HUGE, so bring your appetite!

Sausage & Broccoli Casserole

Serves 6
Prep Time: 40 m, Additional Cook Time: 30 m, Total: 1 hour, 20 minutes

12 oz Italian bread, sliced about 1/2" thick (I used Rosemary Olive Oil bread from Costco*)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 large red onion, cut into very thin slices
4 cups broccoli florets
1 tsp olive oil
12 oz raw turkey sausage, sweet Italian-variety
1&1/2 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
cooking spray
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

*Note: I really think the bread makes a difference in this recipe. The Rosemary Olive Oil bread I used has so much flavor, but I think any artesian bread would work great. Regular old Italian bread wouldn't add much flavor.

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

2. Rub bread with garlic clove. Place bread on one side of a baking sheet; spread onions on other side. Place broccoli on another baking sheet. Coat vegetables and bread with cooking spray. Bake until broccoli is tender, flipping bread over and stirring vegetables halfway through, about 15 minutes total. Remove pans from oven and cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes; reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casing; cook sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in broccoli and onion, bread cubes, broth, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

4. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon half of broccoli mixture into prepared dish; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining broccoli mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through, about 30 minutes.

Results: The original recipe served 8, but that was definitely not a big enough serving, so I'm going to say it serves 6. It you serve this with a salad, or if you are a tiny bird, you may be able to make it serve 8.

Steven thinks this is going to be another yucky dinner.

This was sooooo good! The bread was nice and crunchy on top, but gooey and cheesy on the bottom, and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. I may, or may not, have licked the serving spoon as if it were covered with cake batter. Steven wouldn't touch it, Henry ate most of it.

Also, I'm starting a new feature to show how long a recipe took to make. I'll list the time it took from beginning to pull ingredients off the shelf to the meal being complete, so you can decide how much time you have to dedicate to dinner. This one took 40 minutes of active prep time, plus an additional 30 minutes cooking in the oven, so a total of 1 hour 20 minutes. I'll add a "tag" to the labels below. I would say this meal is worth the effort, but certainly not for a busy week-night!

Italian Meatball Sandwich Casserole

Serves 8

1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Frozen meatballs (amount is up to you)
3 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer in an ungreased 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and black pepper until smooth. Spread this mixture over each bread cube with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated mozzarella cheese.

3. In a large bowl, mix together spaghetti sauce and garlic. Gently stir in meatballs. Pour over the bread and cheese mixture in the baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Served with salad

Results: This is one of my favorite casseroles, which is saying a lot, since I'm not much of a casserole fan. Whenever I make it, I will usually put half the ingredients in another dish, because it freezes really well. (Allow to thaw before following the cooking instructions above.) You can use homemade meatballs if you like, but I think it takes too much effort, so I always buy a big bag of frozen meatballs and divide them among the different dishes.

Eating this dish has never been a problem for Chris, Henry and me. Steven has never wanted to touch it, but I'd like to proudly state that he not only ate a full serving, but asked for seconds! (No meatballs for him, though.) Success!

Swiss Chicken

Serves 6

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 10-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup white wine
2 cups seasoned dry stuffing mix
3/4 stick butter, melted
Cooking spray

1. Preheat over to 350°.
2. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray
3. Place chicken breasts in the prepared dish and cover each cutlet with a slice of cheese. Set aside.
4. In a bowl, stir together the soup and wine until combines. Pour mixture evenly over chicken.
5. Sprinkle stuffing mix and melted butter over dish.
6. Bake, uncovered, for one hour.

Served with green beans.

Results: I'm not a big casserole fan, but this one is really good. This dish is so easy to prepare, with no chopping or pre-cooking required. Love that! It also freezes well (just thaw before cooking), so make an extra for the freezer. Henry ate all of his, Steven wouldn't touch the chicken (but did eat all of his green beans, which was surprising.) A definite keeper.

Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions & Cheese

Serves 6

6 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed 30% reduced-sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
Cooking spray

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°.

4. Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake casserole, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

Served with scrambled eggs

Results: Don't miss that part in step 2 that says "refrigerate for eight hours"! I did miss it, on a night when I thought I was so on top of dinner. Needless to say, we ordered Chinese that night and had this the next night. This was a very good dish, and hard to believe it is a Cooking Light recipe. Steven wouldn't even try it, but Henry said "I love it! I could eat this every night forever!"

Baked Cavatelli

Serves 6

7 ounces dried cavatelli or wagon wheel pasta
12 ounces uncooked Italian sausage links, casings removed and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 24-ounce jar pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is brown; remove from skillet and drain.

3. In a large bowl, stir together pasta sauce, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and the pepper. Add the cooked pasta and the sausage mixture. Stir gently to combine. Spoon the mixture into a 2-quart casserole.

4. Bake, covered, in a 375° oven for 25-30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake about 5 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.

Served with salad

Results: We are overflowing with leftovers in our house, so I divided this into two 9x9 pans and put one in the freezer. Half of this dinner was the perfect amount for a family of four (with two being small children.) We had no leftovers.

This is very easy and quick to put together. It was also very tasty. Henry ate THREE bowls of this. He loved it. Steven, surprisingly, ate the sausage, but didn't want the pasta. That counts! Yay!

Chicken and Root Vegetable Potpie

Serves 8

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled celeriac (celery root)
1 cup (1/2-inch-thick) slices parsnip
1 (10-ounce) package frozen pearl onions
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces), divided
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Bring broth to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add peas and next 5 ingredients (through onions) to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes. Add chicken; cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl.

3. Increase heat to medium. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place all but 1 tablespoon flour in a medium bowl; gradually add milk to bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broth; cook for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in chicken mixture, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

4. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon flour on a work surface; roll dough into a 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Place dough over chicken mixture, pressing to seal at edges of dish. Cut small slits into dough to allow steam to escape; coat dough lightly with cooking spray. Place dish on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 16 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is bubbly.

Results: Do you have three hours to stand in the kitchen and chop vegetables? If so, then THIS IS THE MEAL FOR YOU! This dish was good, but it would have tasted a lot better had it not taken sooooo loooooong. I kid you not...I was standing in the kitchen for THREE HOURS! And the boys wouldn't even touch it! The only thing that makes me feel better about this meal is that I doubled the recipe so I now have one waiting in the freezer for an easy meal another night. I won't repeat this, but only because it took way too long.

Make-ahead Pizza Casserole

Serves 6 (I think it's more like 8)

Cooking spray
1/2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese
2-3 Italian sausages, cooked and diced
3 medium tomatoes, cored and diced
6 cups cubed French or Italian bread (about 1 medium-size loaf)
5 eggs
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil (I used about 2 tablespoons fresh basil)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Grated parmesan cheese

1. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the mozzarella, sausage, tomatoes, and bread. Arrange the bread mixture evenly in the baking pan.
3. Using the same bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the milk, sour cream, oregano, basil, and garlic powder. Beat well.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, tilting the baking pan from side to side to soak all the bread cubes evenly. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate at least three hours, or overnight.
5. Remove from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes; heat oven to 350°F. Uncover the casserole and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on top. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese before serving.

Served with a green salad.

Results: This was very easy to make, you just have to be sure to give yourself the time to let it refrigerate. I made it in the morning so all I had to do was pop it in the oven at the end of the day. Very, very tasty! I would definitely make this again, and next time I'll try freezing half, because we had a lot left over. Steven ate one serving and even asked for seconds! Henry hardly touched it, but he was very grumpy that day. Both boys wanted the tomatoes picked out.