Veggie Ham Egg and Cheese Bake

For an easy brunch recipe to serve for a large gathering, try this wonderful savory egg dish; made with part whole eggs, part whites, mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers, scallions, tomatoes, ham and cheese.

You can modify this however you wish – swap the ham for lean sausage or leave it out. Swap the cheddar for mozzarella or leave it out for dairy-free. As for the vegetables, use whatever you prefer, no rules here!

My sister in law Denise recently made something very similar to this at a brunch she hosted and I knew I wanted to remake it (just a bit lighter). Her recipe called for flour but I tested it without and it worked fine, plus I swapped some of the eggs for egg whites, added a lot more veggies and use reduced fat cheese. This turned out wonderful, and you can prep it ahead and bake when your guests arrive. Enjoy!


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Easy Macaroni Casserole

This easy baked pasta dish is made with whole wheat elbows, ground turkey, veggies, marinara sauce and cheese. I can't say enough good things about this casserole! It's comforting, kid-friendly and so easy to make because there's no need to pre-cook the pasta!

I come from the school of having to cook your pasta in plenty of water, so when someone kindly shared this recipe with me, I won't lie, I was skeptical! But I loved the outcome, and since then I've made it a few times over tweaking it to my taste and we love it!

And the whole wheat elbows from DeLallo - I'm so impressed with their taste! In fact, I like their pasta so much that I am partnering up with them this year as a brand sponsor. If you've been following me for a while you'll know that my family and I don't like the taste of whole wheat pasta. But that completely changed when I tried DeLallo, and my kids and husband liked it too!

I used whole milk mozzarella on top because the points didn't change by using reduced fat, and I love my cheese melted and gooey, but you can use whichever you prefer.

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Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Whole wheat pasta baked in the oven with a quick pumpkin sauce made with bacon, shallots, pecorino cheese and a touch of rosemary then topped with mozzarella cheese. This is such a great Fall dish and my husband loved how it turned out!

I'm really excited to share this pasta dish, because I finally found a brand of whole wheat pasta that me and my family actually likes. Even my husband couldn't believe it was whole wheat and thought they had to be lying. The brand is Delallo, and I honestly can't say enough good things about them.

It's definitely more of a high end pasta in price, but for me good pasta is worth paying more for. Not only is their pasta 100% whole grain, it's also organic and cut with bronze plates which is always my favorite kind of pasta. But what really gets me excited is they sell their whole wheat pasta in every pasta shape you can think of, from standard spaghetti, linguini and penne, to the more exotic shapes like orecchiette, gemelli and fusilli bucati just to name a few. I found a few of those shapes in my local supermarket, but you can also buy them on their website.

Back to this pasta dish, I wanted to make this quick so I opted for canned pumpkin. But you can make your own homemade pumpkin puree which in my opinion always tastes best! You could also use butternut squash in place of pumpkin if you wish and if you're eating gluten free you can certainly use brown rice pasta.

Canned pumpkin really has no taste, so I added flavor my sauteeing some bacon and shallots, then I added a little fresh rosemary and Pecorino Romano to mimick a pumpkin pasta gnocchi dish I love ordering out, then thinned it out with some chicken broth. My husband just happened to walk in the door when it was ready, and I love getting his opinion because he's brutally honest – and he loved it and even went back for seconds.

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Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Butternut squash, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro and spices are simmered in a skillet with green chilies and jalapeno, then wrapped in tortillas and baked in the oven with enchilada sauce and cheese – these vegetarian enchiladas are delicious and perfect for meatless Mondays, or any day of the week!

Yup, I'm pretty enchilada obsessed and this meatless version did not dissappoint. Because of my love affair with enchiladas, I always make my own enchilada sauce and keep it frozen; you can use the recipe from my skinny chicken enchiladas but if you're pressed for time store bought enchilada sauce would be fine. Canned beans are inexpensive so this is a great meal if you're on a budget. I served this with fiesta lime rice, but you can also have this with cilantro lime cauliflower "rice" to keep the carbs low.

Butternut squash has so many health benefits; it's low in fat, loaded with fiber, rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and beta-carotene, just to name a few. Combine that with black beans which are super high in fiber and protein and you have one healthy dish which is not only satisfying, it tastes great too. Enjoy!

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Skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna casserole, the quintessential American dish. Perfect for potlucks and under $10 to make. Made with canned tuna, mushrooms, peas and noodles in a creamy sauce (and no canned soup) finished with toasted breadcrumbs – so good!

The first time I tried tuna casserole was back in 2011. Yes, you heard me right! In fact, when I told my daughter what we were having, she warned me she may be eating something else tonight. The good news is we all LOVED it, and I've made it for my family many times since then. Today I decided to give my photos a facelift since this was on the menu.

For those of you who haven't tried this yet, I originally posted this back in 2011 after getting many requests for a lighter version. Now it's become quite popular on my site. You can easily adapt this with different vegetables, swap the tuna for chicken, use whole wheat noodles – no rules to cooking, just have fun with it.

Can't wait to hear what you all think!

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Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Lasagna rolls stuffed with spinach and cheese, then topped with a creamy butternut parmesan sauce and baked in the oven with even more cheese – trust me, you want these in your life!

Last year I fell in love with creamy butternut squash as a pasta sauce and have had this on my mind ever since. Now that the Fall is here it was the perfect time to play around with this idea.

They turned out as good as I could have imagined, even my teen daughter who is pretty picky loved these! And, they are meatless so they're perfect for meatless mondays. Use gluten free noodles to make them gluten free or whole wheat for added whole grain. Enjoy!

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Turkey Pastelón (Sweet Plantain Lasagna)

Sweet strips of plantains are layered with savory picadillo and cheese. It's that sweet salty thing that makes this taste SOOOO good!

It's Hispanic heritage month and in it's honor I thought this delicious Puerto Rican comfort dish (made light of course) would be an excellent recipe to honor it. My Mom is from Colombia, so we grew up eating plantains a lot in my home.

Plantains are like a cousin to the banana, and depending on the ripeness you'll cook them in different ways. For this recipe, you'll want them pretty ripe (they should be browned and soft). My plantains could have used a few more days to ripen, but I couldn't wait, I needed to make this.

I spent many summers as a kid with Aunt and cousin who moved to paradise (Puerto Rico). Those were some of my best childhood memories and the food I ate their were some of my favorite meals. Pasteles, empanadillas, pernil – their food is like no other, and they cook with so much flavor, only sometimes they tend to be a little on the not-so-light side. But with a few tweaks I was able to make this dish lighter, I just used a little less oil to cook the plantain, and to further lighten it, I made the picadillo with turkey instead of beef, and part skim cheese and I think it's just as good as the real deal – without the extra fat. To serve this, I sliced it into 9 slices and served it with a big salad on the side and my husband and I felt totally satisfied.

This is delicious (and gluten-free!), and now that it's gone, I'm craving some more! I just bought more plantains and this time I'm letting them get really ripe. Enjoy!

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Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese

Cheesy baked spaghetti squash and baby spinach – a comforting, cheesy dish, without the guilt. Perfect for Meatless Mondays or any day of the week!

I am down to the last few days of finishing up the cookbook, so forgive me for not posting more recipes. But since it's Monday, I thought this delicious meatless dish from the archives would be perfect for this beautiful Fall day.

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you, I think you are all going to love this dish. I was craving something cheesy, without all the carbs from macaroni and came up with this.

I basically swapped the pasta from my Skinny Macaroni and Cheese recipe with spaghetti squash and was really impressed with the results.

No, spaghetti squash does not taste like pasta, it's slightly sweeter and of course a vegetable rather than a grain, but we all loved this dish. Even my husband gave it a thumbs up – I think we all found our favorite way to east this squash.

It can be prepared ahead, then baked just before ready to serve. I reheated leftovers in the microwave for lunch the next day and it was just as good as when I first made it.

If you are looking for a dish that is gluten-free, low-carb, vegetarian and comforting, give this a try. Serve this as a main dish, or as a side dish. I think this would even freeze and reheat well, if anyone tries this let me know!

By the way, serving spoon is from Such A Time Designs.

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Best Skinny Eggplant Rollatini with Spinach

This decadent, cheesy Italian comfort dish is my favorite way to enjoy eggplant and now that the weather is getting cooler, a great excuse to turn on your oven. Thin slices of eggplant are baked, then stuffed with ricotta, parmesan and spinach and baked with my homemade marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Folks, this dish is restaurant quality (without the frying and extra fat you'd get in a restaurant).

If you're thinking your not a fan of eggplant, I know this recipe will change your mind. The eggplant is sliced so thin (I used my mandolin for perfect even slices) that it literally melts in your mouth once it's baked. A serving is super generous, you'll be stuffed for under 250 calories. And it's meatless, so you can save this for meatless Mondays (but honestly I can eat this every day).

In the past I've sliced my eggplant a little thicker, but trust me, it's just not the same. I prefer to use two medium eggplants so my slices all come out even in size (can you say OCD?) and I save the odd-sized pieces for another recipe (chop it up and simmer it in marinara for a delicious Eggplant and Tomato Sauce). But if you prefer to use one large one and don't mind all your rolls coming out different sizes, go for it. This recipe is a little more time consuming, so save this for the weekend when you can play some music and sip some wine while you cook… Bon Appetit!

PS- for those who want to know what brand of Mandolin, it's available on Amazon, it's from OXO (click to see).

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Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas

Cheesy meatless enchiladas filled with zucchini and cheese, topped with my homemade enchilada sauce –so delicious whether you are vegetarian or not.

While zucchini is still in season, I'm sharing this recipe from the archives. You all know how much I love enchiladas, well these zucchini enchiladas are huge and filling, and one of my favorite meals in the summer. Perfect topped with chopped cilantro, scallions or jalapeños.

For more enchiladas recipes try; chicken enchiladas, chicken and white bean enchiladas with salsa verde, and turkey and black bean enchiladas. This meatless recipe is also a favorite, and since it has no meat I can splurge a little more on the cheese –yum!

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Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Cheesy macaroni and broccoli are topped with bread crumbs and baked to perfection. Kid friendly, vegetarian and comfort food at it's finest.

I first made this back in 2011, and it has since been very popular. Last week I made it again and updated the photos, I forgot just how good this is! This time I used rotini pasta, you can really use whatever shape you like. My step by step photos are still the original, so keep that in mind when you make this.

It's perfect if you're craving macaroni and cheese but don't want to waste a days worth of calories in one meal. You still get that same comforting taste, with a little less guilt.

When I first made this, I used a Mexican blend of cheese, because it was all I had on hand, but since I've been making it with a sharp reduced-fat Cheddar such as 50% less-fat Cabot, in my opinion this is better with a sharp cheddar to really let the cheesy flavors stand out.

To speed things up, I used pre-cut fresh broccoli. This recipe was loved by all in my home, even my not-so-crazy-about-broccoli husband loved it and leftovers are perfect for lunch. You can bake this in one large baking dish, or individual oven safe dishes for perfect portion control, or you can make half and use a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

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Cheeseburger Casserole

If you're a cheeseburger lover, and the thought of ground beef, tomatoes, pickles and cheese tickles your fancy, then this truly American, comforting casserole is for you!

I was recently given the Bobby Deen: From Mama's Table to Mine cookbook as a gift. Bobby, in case you're not familiar is Paula Deen's son, who makes his Mama's Southern dishes a bit healthier and on the lighter side.

Whenever I get a cookbook, I usually attempt a dish that's out of my norm. A cheeseburger casserole... now that's not a dish I grew up eating!

What the heck is a cheeseburger casserole? Think cheeseburger essential ingredients such as lean ground hamburger meat sauteed with diced tomatoes, onions, a touch of mustard, and some not-so common burger ingredients such as pasta, all topped with melted cheddar and finished off with diced pickles.

My toddler gobbled this up, and I thought it was pretty darn good – and I would certainly make this again. I'm sure you can have fun with this and add your favorite cheeseburger toppings. I'm thinking sauteed mushrooms would be really good here too and maybe a few bacon crumbles for a bacon cheeseburger casserole (why not!).

The one thing I changed was the serving size, I thought 9 servings was a little more realistic than 12 for adults, and at about 260 calories (7 points plus if you're on Weight Watchers) it's still well under 300 calories.

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Lightened Up Green Bean Casserole with Shallot Crumb Topping

Not your Momma's Green Bean Casserole!

Confession: I strongly dislike mushy green beans.

Year after year I've been asked to post a lighter green bean casserole, and I've opted out because the thought of mushy green beans in canned soup with fried onions just doesn't do it for me.  I'm very particular about how I like my green beans, I love them roasted so they get a little browned, cooked until tender crisp.  I like them sauteed with a little garlic and oil, I even love them in a salad... but frozen or out of a can... I can do without them.

But, seeing how so many of you love green bean casserole, and after getting a Williams Sonoma Catalog with a (not light) recipe inside, I was inspired to give this a try.

I blanched my green beans for 2 minutes so they wouldn't turn to mush. If you like your green beans soft, I would boil them for 5-7 minutes.

I made a mushroom sauce with milk and chicken stock instead of heavy cream. After tasting it, I thought it needed a little extra something, so I added some Pecorino Romano.

That fixed the flavor problem! Then came the topping, I wasn't about to fry onions so I chopped up some shallots and decided to go with a toasted bread crumb topping instead. Next time I may add a little bacon to this (yes, there will be a next time). Put it in the oven and crossed my fingers. When it came out of the oven I served myself a plate and thought it was pretty good! In fact, I had to servings, but this was my lunch so I didn't feel guilty.

Tips: Next time I make this I will cut the green beans in half, I think it would be easier to serve. Panko would work great in place of the bread crumbs. Adding a little bacon or pancetta to the crumbs would be delicious in my opinion. You can certainly halve this to feed a family of 4. Hope you enjoy!

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Sweet Potato Turkey Shepherds Pie

Ground turkey sautéed with mixed vegetables, sliced mushrooms and fresh herbs with a savory garlic sweet potato topping. Comfort food without the guilt!

This is a crazy month for the North East. First we got slammed with a hurricane, and yesterday a Nor'easter. This is what it looks like outside my door...

Thousands of people, including myself are still without power. Here on the south shore of Long Island, the fear the power company has is if they turn the power back on, it may start fires to the homes with severe water damage. There of talks of having to inspect every home before they turn the power back on... I'm afraid this means it could be a while before I get my power back.

I'm not complaining, I'm managing fine for now thanks to my generator to keep my house warm, but many neighbors aren't so lucky. Yesterday I visited an elderly woman who lives by herself, was cold, had no food and it just broke my heart knowing she is one of many. My girlfriend and I went grocery shopping for her and brought her some food and batteries and a warm hug, but she insisted on staying home despite the cold.

Talk about a month to give thanks, I just want to remind you all to count your blessings! Be thankful for the little things: heat, clean water, hot showers, electricity, and hot food on the table. The simple necessities we often take for granted.

This dish can be assembled ahead of time, then baked in the oven when you are ready to eat. It also freezes well and reheats great. I made them in individual oven safe dishes for perfect portion control, but you can also make this in one large pie dish.


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Mushroom Kale Lasagna Rolls

Lasagna rolls are delicious and make perfectly portioned meals. I usually fill them with spinach in my popular spinach lasagna rolls but have been thinking of trying them with kale for a while. I can't think of a better way to eat kale! These were wonderful, everyone in my home loved them and I will certainly be making them again. Try them for meatless Mondays!

Sorry I haven't posted much this week. Hurricane Sandy did so much damage here on Long Island, and we are still without power. Many of my friends and neighbors lost their homes and cars, so I am grateful for the temporary inconvenience, I know it could have been a lot worse. It may be a while before we get our power back, but luckily I have a small generator which gives us just enough power to keep our refrigerators on, and limited access to some internet and television.

There is certainly no short supply of food in my house, thank God so we've been cooking up a storm! It's also the only way to keep the house warm as the temperature has been dropping and keep my sanity. If you make these, I would love to know how you enjoyed them!


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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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Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats

A fun twist on a Mexican favorite! Summer zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, cheese and scallions. Serve this with cilantro lime rice and you'll have yourself a fiesta!

A few weeks ago I posted Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats and they were such a hit I've been thinking up new stuffing ideas, when it hit me... naked enchiladas!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you probably know how much I LOVE enchiladas. In the past I have posted recipes for Skinny Chicken Enchiladas, Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas, Turkey Black Bean Enchiladas, and Creamy Chicken White Bean Enchiladas with Salsa Verde.

This idea is the perfect way to use up leftover chicken, plus it's perfect for low-carb and gluten-free diets - and yes, yellow squash would also work well.

A few notes: I usually have shredded chicken breast on hand, I like to throw a package of chicken breasts in the crock pot to use for recipes throughout the week, you can click here for the method. I love making my own enchilada sauce (nothing beats homemade), but to speed this up you can of course use jarred. And finally, I like to blanch the zucchini first so that it bakes quicker, but if that seems like too much work, just bake it an additional 10 minutes and it should be fine.

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Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

Shredded chicken breast and broccoli cooked with noodles in a light creamy sauce topped with toasted breadcrumbs. A simple dish the whole family will love, even the little ones!

This is an inexpensive dish, you can make this ahead, then top it with the breadcrumbs and put it in the oven 20 minutes before you are ready for dinner.

I have a great tip I've talked about before but if you are new here you will love this!

I buy chicken breast in bulk because it's less expensive. When I get home from the store I separate the chicken placing some in my refrigerator to use right away, I take a portion and place them in freezer bags to freeze for the future and I set two or three chicken breasts aside and throw them in my crock pot. I pour some water over them and 4-6 hours later I have perfect shredded chicken to use in other recipes though out the week such as enchiladas, chicken salad, stuffed peppers, or whatever! A great way to save time in the kitchen and only takes minutes to do.

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Kalyn's Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Basically a deconstructed version of stuffed cabbage layered with shredded cabbage, ground beef and brown rice cooked in tomatoes then topped with melted cheese.

Last week when I was browsing other blogs Top Dishes for 2011, (I always love those posts) I came across this recipe on Kalyn's Kitchen. It had January comfort food written all over it... I knew I HAD to try it!!

This turned out great, and easily serves 10 people. Although stuffed cabbage doesn't usually have cheese, I loved the addition of it in this recipe. I gave you the nutritional info with and without the cheese but if you don't have any allergies to cheese, I say make it with!

Leftover can be frozen and reheated for another day.


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