Salsa Verde Burgers

Wow, these Salsa Verde Burgers are OFF THE HOOK! If you need a new burger idea that everyone will love, look no further. These burgers are lean with a mean, green kick topped with pepper jack cheese, salsa verde and avocado – delish!

I shared this delicious homemade salsa verde recipe for Better Homes and Gardens on Delish Dish and decided to make these burgers using the salsa for dinner last night. You can also use store bought salsa verde, but trust me, nothing beats homemade!

I made the burgers with both lean beef burgers and chicken burgers since I had both on hand, and I loved them equally.  My husband's not eating carbs this week so he ate two beef burgers without the bun. Whether you make them with lean beef, turkey, chicken, buffalo, black bean patties, veggie burgers... modify them however you wish!

I calculated these with 93% lean beef patties, with the bun and without and with the bun and no cheese. Any other variations you'll have to do on your own – enjoy!
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Loaded Philly Cheesesteak Baked Potato

Quick skillet steak with onions, peppers and mushrooms are loaded on top of a baked potato and topped with melted cheese – this is awesome and perfect for the meat and potato lover in your life!

I've had this idea for a while, and finally made it for dinner to test it out – start to finish this took 20 minutes and it was so good! I used a full fat provolone cheese, because I wanted the cheese to melt nice, after all this is a cheese steak and at 8 points plus for the whole meal I was able to splurge. If you want to use reduced fat, that's totally up to you, you'll save 1 point.

Can you do this with sweet potato? Of coarse you can! But I thought russet would pair perfect with the steak and just to clear up the confusion, white potatoes aren't all that bad for you. Potatoes are have gotten a bad rap as a white starchy food, but when they're not drowning in butter or deep fried as french fries, they are actually a healthy, low calorie, high fiber food and a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, potassium and manganese. They also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity so if you want to stick with a traditional baked potato, it's OK!

Skinny Tip: If you buy bag of russet potatoes, the potatoes are much smaller than the ones they sell individually, they average about 5 to 6 oz each.

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Roast Beef Sandwich with Melted Cheese and Caramelized Onions

I wish this photo could capture how delicious this sandwich is. I made a few attempts at photographing this, but the photo can't capture how sweet these caramelized onions are and how perfect they taste with yesterday's leftover garlic infused roast beef and melted Swiss cheese.

Father's Day is coming up and I'm trying to think of dishes that would make Dad happy. For those of you who are Pinterest obsessed, I made a Skinny Father's Day board and pinned recipes I think Dads would love. My husband loves caramelized onions, I can't say I blame him. I never knew just how good they were until I met him; he makes them all the time. The onions shrink to about half their size when the slowly cook down, and as they turn golden in color they turn sweet and delicious. They are great over burgers too, I make them with a lot less oil than he does with great results.

I don't east sandwiches often, maybe once a week. But when I do eat a sandwich, my bread of choice is a fresh baked whole wheat French or Italian bread from the bakery because it's generally made with no fat and I love a crispy fresh baked loaf.


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Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw

It's 80° today, perfect day for grilling so I thought I would highlight this recipe from the archives. Turkey burgers with a cayenne pepper kick! Here's a fun way to turn boring turkey burgers into something with a little more exciting. If you're a buffalo wing fan, you'll love the flavors in this turkey burger topped with a broccoli slaw tossed with my very own homemade blue cheese dressing.

Someone recently emailed me and gave me this idea, she took my zucchini turkey burger recipe and dipped it in hot sauce after. I decided to add it to the turkey meat instead, and figured you can always serve more on the side if you wish!

And by the way, there's carrots in these burgers but I promise, you can't even tell. It's a great way to add more fiber and vegetables into your diet whether it's for yourself or your family.

I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so Frank's hot sauce is perfect for my taste, but if you really like it hot you could use Tabasco or your favorite cayenne hot sauce.

To make these burgers gluten free, you can sub the breadcrumbs for gluten-free oats.


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Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu

What could be better then chicken stuffed with ham and melted cheese?!

Chicken Cordon Bleu is elegant enough to serve for for company yet simple enough to please any palate, especially picky family members. I usually serve myself two pieces and make a big salad and dinner's done!

Some of you may notice this recipe from the archives, I gave them a mini-makeover and made them simpler and lighter, so throw away your old print-outs and print this out instead.

Previously my instructions called for cutting the chicken breasts yourself. So many of you had a hard time doing this, so I re-worked it with pre-sliced chicken cutlets instead. If you're a pro at slicing your own chicken, then go ahead and do it yourself  – you will cut the cost in half.

I also eliminated the toothpicks, which saves time and quite honestly works fine without. A little cheese may ooze out, but that's ok! If you want to use the toothpicks, up to you but it's so much quicker without.

Traditionally when ordered in a restaurant, this dish is fried. Baking them works just fine and no one will noticed you used reduced fat Swiss. Enjoy!

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Chicken and Andouille Sausage

A chicken and sausage stew made with skinless chicken legs and spicy andouille sausage simmered with flavors from the deep south – without the extra fat.

Today is Fat Tuesday, but any day is really a great day to enjoy this comfort dish. Traditional gumbos are made with a whole lot of fat and take hours to make. My lighter version you won't miss the fat because there's still tons of flavor. The stew itself is not very spicy, but the sausage is so you get a little heat each time you take a bite. If you're not a fan of spice, a smoked turkey sausage or turkey kielbasa would taste great too.

To lighten this dish, I use lean skinless chicken on the bone (the bone adds great flavor) and lean chicken/turkey andouille sausage. It's simmered with onions, bell pepper and celery, also known as the "holy trinity" in Cajun cuisine, and topped with scallions. This is the type of dish you may want to serve with a fork AND spoon, I served mine with 1/4 cup of cooked rice on the side, completely optional. Quinoa or farro would also work nicely.

I found the chicken a little tricky to calculate on the bone; I was getting discrepancies when I calculated it raw, vs cooked on the bone, vs cooked off the bone so I decided to weigh the meat off the bone cooked, I feel this is the most accurate. The chicken I purchased was from a small bird, so if you have really large chicken, the nutritional info will change. If you prefer white meat, be sure to use skinless breasts on the bone so your meat doesn't dry out and you still get the great flavors from the bones.

Low carb, gluten free, and really good!


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Crock Pot Picadillo Stuffed Peppers

 

Leftover picadillo and brown rice makes a super easy second meal, all in the crock pot. Top it with melted cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese and you'll have a delicious dinner without much fuss. Each pepper is a complete meal-in-one.
As I mentioned in my last post, we use leftover picadillo many ways in my home. Stuffed peppers are a great way to use leftovers and nothing goes to waste here –  the tops of the peppers get diced and are added to the filling.

The slow cooker is the perfect appliance for making stuffed peppers, I've also included oven directions below.

When buying bell peppers for the slow cooker, I look for peppers that have flat bottoms that can stand upright on their own.

You can double the recipe to make 6, which would fit perfectly in a 6 qt slow cooker.

BTW, we love stuffed peppers in my home and I've posted other variations:

Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Santa Fe Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers

and there's even a stuffed pepper soup. Enjoy!

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Zucchini Lasagna

By replacing the lasagna noodles with thin sliced zucchini you can create a delicious, lower carb (gluten-free) lasagna that's loaded with vegetables, and you won't miss the pasta!

This recipe is from the archives, but needed a photo-makeover. I also like to make some of my older recipes over to see if I can improve them. I made slight adjustments to the original recipe, so if you have an old printout, you may want to re-print it. This feeds eight, and is quite filling. Everyone in my house likes it, including my picky daughter.

The first time I made this, I didn't grill the zucchini first, but there was a lot of liquid so I found grilling it first greatly improved it. I soaked up as much of the liquid as I could with paper towels before layering the ingredients. I think the next time I make this, I'll try it with turkey sausage in place of the ground beef, I bet it will be spectacular!

Tip: Using a mandoline is a must to slice the zucchini thin, and it's quick and easy. You can also make the sauce ahead of time if you want to speed this up for a weeknight.

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Baked Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

Cheesy baked pasta made with Italian chicken sausage, mozzarella, ricotta, Pecorino Romano and spinach (but don't worry, no one will care about the green stuff). Perfect to feed a hungry family!

This is also easy to make ahead, then pop it in the oven when you are ready to eat. If you like to freeze meals ahead for the month, this freezes well after baking. To freeze, I like to cut it in portions when it's cold, then wrap them in plastic and freeze individually. When frozen you can put them in large freezer bags and label them so you can take out as many or few pieces as you want at a time.

If you don't want to make such a large amount, you can easily halve this recipe and make in a square baking dish as I did in the photo above. Italian turkey or chicken sausage works great, use whichever is available near you. For a meatless version, try this Baked Ziti with Spinach recipe.


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Spicy Black Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayonnaise

One bite of this spicy black bean burger with spicy chipotle mayo and creamy avocado and you won't miss the meat! Yes, these were good enough to please even the adult carnivore's in my home (a bit too spicy for my kids).

Make no mistake, I love meat, but I also think it's good to give it up at least once a week, so why give Meatless Mondays a shot? Pretty inexpensive to make and really not hard to make. The hardest part is forming them into patties, and even that isn't so bad.

These cook best if frozen so plan to make them ahead and cook as needed. You can even double the batch to keep them on hand whenever you need them.

To store them in your freezer, freeze them on wax paper until they set, about 2 hours, then transfer them into containers. I keep all my homemade burgers labeled in Glad Freezerware containers which can withstand extreme temperatures without cracking. Labeling them keeps them organized so when I have backyard BBQs, I have something to please every palate. Also perfect for once a month cooking!

Vegetarian, High in Fiber, and Gluten Free if using GF oats (excluding the bun). I highly recommend making them exactly as written, don't change a thing!


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Smoky Spice Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Black Beans and Corn

Grilled salmon steaks rubbed with a spicy blend of smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, brown sugar, cumin and cocoa powder served with a quick side dish of black beans, grilled corn, cilantro and splash of lime juice.

You will love the spicy smoked flavors of the salmon paired with the sweet corn side with fresh lime and cilantro flavors. This is a complete meal ready in less than 30 minutes.

Salmon is an excellent source of high-quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids and a good source of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. When buying salmon, I look for fresh or frozen sustainable wild options such as Alaskan salmon which is raised in pristine waters - it costs a little more but it's leaner than farm raised because the fish are raised in the wild and get more exercise, the meat has a natural red color whereas farmed salmon is artificially colored. Coho, Chum and pink salmon have less fat than King and Sockeye varieties.

To make this quick side dish, I bought frozen grilled corn from Trader Joe's. I know many of you don't have a Trader Joe's near you so fresh grilled corn cut off the cob or regular frozen kernels would work fine too.

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Chicken Panini with Arugula, Provolone and Chipotle Mayonnaise

One word to describe this hot panini... dee-licious!

I'm in love with the flavor combination of this grilled chicken panini made on Ciabatta bread with melted provolone, arugula and a spicy chipotle mayonnaise.

This sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner and you can easily prepare this for one or a family of eight!

A panini press is on my Christmas list this year, but not having one has never stopped me from making paninis before. I lightly spray the bread with oil and use my George Forman grill and it's ready in minutes. You could even use a grill pan on the stove and place an iron skillet on top to press it down.


And if you are new to my site, don't forget my tip on how to make a bigger sandwich for less calories!

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Coconut Chicken Salad with Warm Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Warm oven-fried coconut chicken over a bed of baby greens, cucumber, tomato, shredded carrots topped with a hot honey mustard vinaigrette. It's the perfect mix of salty and sweet, warm and cold.

I'm not sure what it is about spring, maybe the thought of having to get into a bathing suit in just a few more months, or maybe it's just the sunshine that switches my brain to want less soups and stews to large main dish salads. This salad has plenty of protein to keep you satisfied and the warmth of the chicken doesn't leave me feel like I'm missing something. Serve this for lunch or dinner; use any combination of salad fixins' and dig in!

For the chicken I found the cornflake crumbs gave this a nice crispy texture, but unseasoned breadcrumbs would work just as well in their place. This would also be great with shrimp, enjoy!!

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Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole

Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole, a dish your whole family will enjoy.

Italian rice balls, otherwise known as Arancini are one of my favorite appetizers, but I usually stay far away because they are deep fried and loaded with fat. If you've never tried them, they are balls of rice stuffed with chopped meat, peas and cheese, then breaded and fried, what's not to love?

This lightened up casserole is the genius of my friend Julia from Julia's Healthy Italian. I "skinnified" her recipe a bit to cut the points down, but she takes all the credit for the creativity of turning an otherwise very heavy meal and making it lighter. The servings are large and very satisfying. A simple green salad on the side is all you need to complete this.

This is probably a good weekend recipe to make since it requires some prepping, Julia usually makes double and freezes the second casserole to use later on. I halved her original, but it makes sense to make two for the same amount of work it takes to make one.



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Homemade Spinach Manicotti

The secret to irresistible manicotti is to make them from scratch with homemade crespelles, which are basically Italian crepes. These are filled with spinach, egg and three cheeses and topped with homemade sauce. Filling and delicious!

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Portuguese Seafood Stew

One of the perks about having a recipe blog is that friends are eager to share their wonderful recipes with me. This recipe was given to me by my friend Don and it was delicious! This is a recipe I will be making again and again. Simple and delicious. You can pretty much use whatever shellfish you like, mussels, lobster, crab, even fish if you like. Serve this with some good crusty bread to sop up the juice.

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Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

Chicken and vegetables seasoned with sage, rosemary and balsamic vinegar, then baked in the oven. A delicious healthy meal, with very little clean-up.

This great Italian dish was from my cooking session with my good friend Julia of Julia's Healthy Italian. She's a mom of four small kids, an amazing cook and was so sweet to share this dish with all of you.

Prep time is quick, throw it in the oven and dinner is ready in 35-40 minutes. For easy clean up you can make this in disposable tins.

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Colombian Chicken Sancocho

Sancocho is a hearty soup, almost like a stew and is a traditional dish in the region of Antioquia, Colombia that combines potatoes, yuca, corn, plantains and meat. For me and my family this is the ultimate comfort food and is absolutely delicious. In Colombia "el almuerzo" is the main meal eaten in the afternoon and this is soup typically served with rice and avocado on the side. I used skinless lean chicken to lighten this up, but they typically cook this with the whole chicken, feet and all! The best way to eat this soup is with some salsa or cumbia music playing in the background... enjoy!!

Sancocho De Pollo
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6 • Old Points: 8 pts • Points+: 9 pts
Calories: 393.7 • Fat: 8.7 g • Protein: 30.8 g • Carb: 43.9 g • Fiber: 5.5 g • Sugar: 9.7 g Sodium: 555.5 mg

Ingredients:

• 6 skinless chicken thighs


• 1 tbsp oil


• 5 scallions, chopped


• 1 tomato, chopped


• 4 cloves garlic, chopped


• 1/2 onion, chopped


• 1 cup chopped cilantro


• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces


• 3 pieces of yucca (about 2 cups)
  


• 3 ears corn, cut in half


• 1 small green plantain, peeled and chopped into 1" pieces


• 1 tsp cumin
  


• 2 chicken bullion cubes


• salt to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, saute scallions, onions and garlic in oil. Add tomatoes and saute another minute. Add chicken pieces and season with a little salt. Saute a few minutes, then add yucca and plantain and fill pot with water. Add chicken bullion, cumin and half of the cilantro and cover pot. Simmer on low for about 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, adjust salt and add potatoes, cook and additional 15 minutes. Add corn and cook an additional 7 minutes or until corn is cooked. Serve in large bowls, and top with cilantro.