Just because I work from home doesn’t mean I want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Being a diabetic makes it more of a challenge, but I think I’ve found a tasty, diabetic friendly dish for the whole family with this one. Ground turkey (or really lean ground beef), leftover whole wheat pasta and veggies make a great meal, one that the kids have asked the recipe to be put in their cookbooks!
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08Feb
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18Nov
The kids love sloppy joes and baked pasta. One of the meals they like is Sloppy Joe Manicotti, but I didn’t want to go through the effort of stuffing the manicotti shells for supper. To make this dish, I combined their favorite sloppy joes with pasta, threw on a handful of cheese and baked it in the oven until the cheese was melted. They gobbled it up.
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11Sep
Last night was one of those nights where I didn’t really want to use the recipe I’d picked out when making up the menu, and decided to fly by the seat of my pants. It was a haphazard process, where I flung together what I had in the cupboard. As often happens, to my surprise, it was a great hit. I have been asked to make it again, so I thought I’d better write it down.
Mexican Chicken Pasta Bake
Serves 63 cups rotini twists (Mueller), uncooked
2 cups cooked chicken — shredded
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 1/2 cups salsa (I used Garden Fresh Wild Mild)
6 ounces tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups water
2 cups shredded brick cheesePreheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
Cook the pasta as directed, until al dente.
Combine pasta, chicken, tomatoes and salsa in a large bowl.
In another bowl, combine tomato paste and water, whisking until thoroughly mixed.
Add tomato paste mixture to the pasta mixture and stir well.
Pour mixture into baking pan, then sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 278 Calories; 14g Fat (31.7% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 75mg Cholesterol; 761mg Sodium.
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01Sep
This took me about 15 minutes to put together, including gathering all the equipment, ingredients and cutting up the ham and chicken. I love meals like this. It was a hit with the family too.
Ham & Chicken Marinara
Serves 63/4 pound cooked chicken — diced small
1/4 pound Canadian bacon — diced small
28 ounces marinara sauce
1/2 cup alfredo sauce
4 ounces cream cheese
2 cups egg noodles, medium, uncookedPreheat oven to 350F. Spray a 2 quart casserole (with a lid) with non-stick cooking spray. (Don’t spray the lid.)
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Pour into the casserole and bake, covered, for 55 minutes or until pasta is cooked.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 309 Calories; 18g Fat (42.5% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 112mg Cholesterol; 1026mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Fat.
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31Aug
I got this recipe from Meijer MealBox, the grocery chain’s website that combines recipes and coupons. It originally called for a can of creamed corn, but in an effort to reduce the carb count, I substituted corn kernels and cream cheese. The recipe below reflects the changes I made, and comments are after the directions and nutritional information. I served this with a nice big side salad.
Beef Tagliarini
Servings 61 pound ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups egg noodles, medium, uncooked
4 ounces cream cheese — cut into small pieces
1 cup corn
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheesePreheat oven to 350F. Spray a 2 or 2.5 quart casserole with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground chuck, onion and green bell pepper until no pink remains in the meat and the onions are tender.
Add in tomato sauce, water and dried basil. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Add in pasta, stir well, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked.
Add cream cheese and corn, stirring until cream cheese is melted.
Pour everything into the casserole. Sprinkle cheddar evenly overtop and bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 384 Calories; 30g Fat (58.6% calories from fat); 24g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 119mg Cholesterol; 465mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 4 Fat.
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If I had one word to describe this meal, it would be bland. There was little to no taste to it, even with the salt, pepper and garlic powder I added that wasn’t part of the original recipe. However, my family agreed this had lots of potential. I will try it again, but using a 6 oz can of tomato paste instead of the tomato sauce. And more seasoning – probably fresh garlic and italian seasoning (and more than just 1/2 tsp).
