Zesty Chicken-Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. wide egg noodles
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tsp. whole wheat flour
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp. chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 tsp. seasoned dried bread crumbs

Makes 4 Servings (1 cup per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt if desired; drain.
3. Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle with flour; cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and Parmesan; cook, whisking constantly, until sauce bubbles and thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat.
4. Stir noodles, chicken, onion, jalapeno, and mustard into sauce. Transfer to prepared casserole dish; sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs. Bake until browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

WW POINTS VALUE: 10 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. Casserole are the perfect comfort food to enjoy during a cold winter evening. This casserole dish is like a chicken-macaroni and cheese dish. It's a very filling and flavorful dish that will become a family favorite at the dinner table. The original recipe calls for canned chilies but using diced jalapeno peppers taste just as good.





Cinnamon-Raisin Baked French Toast

Ingredients:

• 8 slices cinnamon-swirl raisin bread, halved on diagonal
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 3 tbsp. granular sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar (optional)

Makes 6 Servings (2 half slices per serving)

1. Spray a 8 x 11 baking dish or casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Arrange bread in prepared baking dish, overlapping slices, if needed.
3. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 2 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread, lightly pressing bread to help it absorb egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F.
5. Uncover dish and sprinkle French toast with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until puffed and browned, about 35 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This is the perfect dish to make and enjoy on the weekend for brunch. French toast is a wonderful comfort food to enjoy during the cold winter months. The recipe calls for granular sugar but you can use honey in place of the sugar and the dish still tastes good. Milk is also a good substitute for half-and-half and whole wheat bread or challah bread are good substitutes if you can't get cinnamon-swirl raisin bread. Also, try topping this French toast with you favorite sliced fruit for a more filling and elegant dish.

Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients:
Tenderloin:

• 1 (4 lb.) whole beef tenderloin, tied
• 2 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Sauce:

• 1 (8 oz.) container reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp. prepared horseradish
• 1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Makes 8 (6 oz.) servings & 1 cup sauce (2 tablespoons sauce per serving)

1. Heat the oven to 450 F.
2. For the tenderloin: Place the meat in a large baking pan. Combine pepper, rosemary, and salt in a small bowl. Rub meat all over with oil, then rub in seasonings.
3. Roast until meat thermometer measures 125 F for medium-rare, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve warm with horseradish sauce.
4. For the sauce: While meat is cooking, whisk together sour cream, horseradish, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature with tenderloin.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook.  This is the perfect main course when you're having company over for an elegant dinner. The beef tenderloin is seasoned in a simple way and the horseradish sauce is easy to make. The sauce can be adjusted can be adjusted easily with a little more horseradish or Dijon mustard if you want more heat. If you don't have beef tenderloin on hand, you can use sirloin steak, skirt steak, or flank steak and grill the meat and serve the sauce on top of the meat and the meal will still be elegantly delicious. 

World's Easiest Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 2 tbsp. light corn syrup
• pinch salt
• 8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Makes 12 Servings (2 tablespoons per serving)

1. Combine the half-and-half, corn syrup, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Bring to just a boil, whisking until smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth.
2.  Return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly; boil about 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Use immediately or cool to room temperature. Transfer to a covered container; refrigerate up to 1 month. Gently reheat before serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 2 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Best-Ever Desserts Cookbook. If you love hot fudge sundaes, this sauce is for you. This hot fudge sauce tastes just as decadent as the hot fudge sauce at your local ice cream parlor. I highly recommend using dark or bittersweet chocolate in this recipe for a rich flavor. If you don't have vanilla extract on hand, use mint, peppermint, almond or orange extract for a more exotic or sexy flavor.

Slow-Cooker Turkey Meatballs Mustardy Sour Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 slices firm whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
• 1 lb. ground skinless turkey breast
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. A1 steak sauce
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Makes 6 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. Put the bread into a food processor or blender and pulse until it forms fine crumbs. Combine the bread crumbs, turkey, onion, egg, 1 tablespoon of the mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. With damp hands, form the mixture into 36 meatballs. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the meatballs to a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker. Mix together the broth, the remaining 1 tablespoon mustard, and steak sauce in a glass measure; pour over the meatballs. Cover and cook until the meatballs are firm and cooked through the sauce has thickened slightly, 1-2 hours on high or 2-4 hours on low.
4. Just before serving, stir in sour cream until blended.

WW POINTS VALUE: 4 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Ultimate Chicken Cookbook. This comfort food is perfect to cook during the cold weather months on the weekend. Turkey meatballs are actually delicious. The meatballs come out firm and flavorful after coming out of the slow-cooker. I added minced garlic and parsley to the meatballs to make them more flavorful and the end result was delicious. The sauce is flavorful too. Serve these meatballs on top of cooked whole wheat couscous or cooked quinoa and the point value will increase the points value to 3 for a more filling meal.

Chicken and Tomatillo Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
• 12 tbsp. shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
• 12 tbsp. fat-free sour cream

Makes 6 Servings (2 enchiladas per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch dish or casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Put tomatillos in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Stir together tomatillos, scallions, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper in a large shallow bowl.
3. Dip both sides of 1 tortilla into tomatillo mixture. Place tortilla on foil on work surface; top with about 1/4 cup of chicken, 1/2 tablespoon of Mexican cheese blend, and 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Fold two opposite sides of tortilla over to enclose filling. Place enchilada, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, 5 1/2 tablespoons of cheese, and sour cream, making total of 12 enchiladas. Pour remaining tomatillo mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining 6 tablespoons cheese.
4. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 20 minutes; uncover and bake until heated through, about 10 minutes longer.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. Mexican food is a wonderful comfort food that can be enjoyed during the cold winter months. Don't be intimidated by tomatillos. Tomatillos are called Mexican green tomatoes and belong to the tomato family. They look like small green tomatoes but they have papery husks on them which you can peel off. This casserole is flavorful and delicious. You can even used boneless, skinless turkey breast in place of the chicken and the casserole will still be delicious. I highly recommend using sharp cheddar or Monterey jack cheese in this recipe for a sharp, Mexican flavor.

Blue Cheese-Dressed Iceberg Lettuce "Steaks"

Ingredients:

• 2 very thin slices sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 tbsp. reduced-calorie mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
• 1 firm head iceberg lettuce, cored, ends trimmed, and cut into 4 thick slices
• 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese

Makes 4 Servings (1 lettuce steak, 1/4 of tomato, 1/4 of onion, 2 tablespoons cheese and 2 1/2 tablespoons dressing per serving)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. To make croutons, spread bread cubes on small baking sheet and bake, turning once or twice, until golden crisp, about 5 minutes.
3. To make dressing, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, salt, and hot sauce in a small bowl.
4. Place 1 1 lettuce steak on each of 4 plates. Drizzle evenly with dressing and top with tomatoes, onion, blue cheese, and croutons.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. This is the perfect salad to serve alone or before the main dish of meat and potatoes. This salad is very filling and flavorful. Make sure the iceberg lettuce is cold so it can have that nice crunch to it. The blue cheese crumbles add a nice tangy flavor to the salad as well.