Beef Enchilada Bake

The other day, my mom was cleaning out her drawers and she found a couple of recipes that she had torn out of a magazine.  Before she gave them to me, I had been searching the Internet for a new recipe...something different.  This recipe is definitely different.  It was so good too.  It's great for a weeknight or a weekend.  If you don't like spicy food, I would get the rotel without the green chilies.  Happy baking and eating everyone!

Recipe: Beef Enchilada Bake (Courtesy of Ladies Home Journal Magazine)

Ingredients:

1 pound of lean ground beef (or ground turkey)

1 can (10.75oz) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 pound of Velveeta cheese cut into 1/2 inch cubes

6 CORN tortillas cut into halves

1 can (10oz) of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies undrained

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Brown meat in large skillet; drain

3. Stir in soup and one cup of Velveeta
4. Spoon 1/3 of the meat mixture into 8 inch square baking dish; cover with 6 tortilla halves and 1/4 cup of rotel.  Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat mixture, Rotel, and Velveeta (I added a little extra cheese to mine).  Cover with aluminum and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Crispy Zucchini Fries

Here's a healthy recipe from Pampered Chef.  You can serve this as an appetizer at a party or with a meal.  Each serving size (about 3 fries) has only 70 calories and 2g of fat.  Happy cooking and eating!

Recipe: Zucchini Fries (Courtesy of Pampered Chef)

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini
1-1/2 cups large fat free seasoned restaurant style croutons
1oz Parmesan cheese divided
1 egg white
1/2 cup of nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup of loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3tbsp light mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves peeled
1/2tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line Cookie Sheet with Parchment Paper. Trim and discard ends of zucchini; cut in half crosswise using Chef's Knife. Cut each zucchini half using the NEW French Fry Cutter (discard any thinner pieces). Place croutons in Manual Food Processor; cover and pump handle until finely chopped. Grate Parmesan cheese with Microplane Adjustable Fine Grater. Place chopped croutons and half of the Parmesan cheese in Coating Tray; mix well.
2. Whisk egg white in Classic Batter Bowl until frothy. Add zucchini; mix gently until well coated. Dredge zucchini in crouton mixture, pressing firmly to coat. Arrange zucchini in a single layer on Cookie Sheet. Bake 14–16 minutes or until crisp.
3. Meanwhile, for dip, combine remaining Parmesan cheese, yogurt, basil, mayonnaise, garlic and black pepper in clean processor bowl; cover and pump handle until well blended, scraping down sides as necessary. Remove Cookie Sheet from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Serve zucchini fries with dip.

Yield: 10 servings

*Items in BOLD are Pampered Chef items.  If you would like to purchase any of them, please let me know!

Spring Pasta Stir-Fry

So in honor of spring and to encourage healthy eating, I have decided to share a recipe that captures both Spring and health!  You can add a few other vegetables to this dish if you would like (broccoli).  Happy cooking and eating everyone!

Recipe: Spring Pasta Stir Fry (Courtesy of Pampered Chef)

Ingredients:

1 package of uncooked fettuccine noodles (WHEAT NOODLES ARE HEALTHIER)

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into julienne strips

1 small yellow summer squash, cut into julienne strips

1 small zucchini cut into julienne strips

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into strips

2tbsp of olive oil divided

2 garlic cloves pressed

3/4tsp of salt divided

1/4 cup of snipped fresh basil leaves 

1/4tsp of coarsely ground black pepper

1oz of fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In an 8-qt. Stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to stockpot; keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables. Using Julienne Peeler, cut carrot, yellow squash and zucchini into long julienne strips. Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and remove seeds using Cook's Corer.  Then slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch strips.
3. Heat Stir-Fry Skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until garlic is softened and begins to brown. Add carrot, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Add remaining oil, remaining salt, basil and black pepper to pasta; toss gently. To serve, spoon pasta into serving bowl; top with vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 180, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 26 g, Protein 7 g

*Items in bold are Pampered Chef tools, please contact me if you are interested in purchasing any of the items.