Dinner July 18 to July 24

This week I got kinda lazy and just went through my casserole cookbook.  I really do like making casseroles.  It's usually pretty quick and I can make it before I go to Zumba and when I get home dinner is pretty much ready to go.

Saturday: Chili, Lime and Tilapia & Cod, fries, and green beans.  As I have said before I buy frozen fish.  I just take out what I am going to use and the rest go back into the freezer.  Well this week I had some pieces of tilapia and cod left in the freezer so I just made them at the same time.  Cod and tilapia are both a white fish, I figured the cod recipe I had would work for both.  And it did.

Chili Lime Cod

2 lbs. cod
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter

juice of 1 lime

Heat oven to 450.  Spray oven safe pan with Pam.  Place cod in pan.  In a small bowl mix together chili powder, dried oregano, and salt.  Roast 5-7 minutes until opaque.  Melt butter in a small sauce saucepan.  Add lime juice and cook for 1 minute more.  Before serving drizzle butter mixture over cod.

The french fries were a single serving tray that you can just pop in the microwave.  Follow the directions.

For the green beans, they are the frozen ones.  You can steam them right in the bag.  Just follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Sunday:  Meatball and Hashbrown Casserole, black beans, and broccoli.  You can use frozen fully cooked meatballs if you're in a rush but I went ahead and baked my own.

Meatball and Hashbrown Casserole

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup light sour cream

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1 tsp. Mrs. Dash

1 (32 oz.) bag diced hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef

1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Form ground beef into 20 meatballs (if desired season with salt and pepper). Spray baking sheet with Pam and place meatballs on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until cooked through.  In a bowl, stir together soup, sour cream, cheese, Mrs. Dash, and pepper. With a paper towel, pat hash browns dry and then stir into soup mixture. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam and spread hash brown mixture into prepared dish.  Slightly press cooked meatballs into hash brown mixture in even rows. Cover and bake 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more or until hash browns are done.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.

For the broccoli, they are the frozen ones.  You can steam them right in the bag.  Just follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Monday:  Chicken Pot Pie, black beans, and green beans.  I love chicken pot pie.  And this recipe is pretty simple.  I wanted to try different vegetables instead of the same corn, peas, carrots, and green beans.  In the freezer section I found New World Farms:  French-Style Normandy Vegetables.  It had cauliflower, squash, and zucchini. 

Chicken Potpie

1 (24 oz.) bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

2 (10.5 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup

1 tube Pillsbury reduced fat crescent rolls

1/8 tsp. Mrs. Dash

1 1/2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp ground thyme

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9x13in baking dish with Pam.  In a large bowl combine all ingredients except crescent rolls. Pour into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and place crescent rolls, in a single sheet over the contents and carefully stretching to cover.  Bake until dough is fully cooked and golden brown, about 18 minutes.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.

For the green beans, they are the frozen ones.  You can steam them right in the bag.  Just follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Tuesday:  Sausage Pasta Casserole, black beans, and mixed vegetables. This dish is a free form lasagna without the hassle of having to mess with lasagna noodles. And you can use pretty much any kind of pasta.

Sausage Pasta Casserole

1 (16 oz.) package sausage

1 (16 oz) box mostaccioli pasta

1 (16 oz) tub 1% low fat cottage cheese

1 (25 oz) jar Wild Oats Organic Roasted Garlic Pasta sauce

1/4 cup Land O'Lakes light butter with canola oil

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

3 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with Pam. In a frying pan brown sausage and drain. Stir spaghetti sauce and water into sausage mixture. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. In a bowl combine cooked pasta, butter, eggs, Parmesan, and half the mozzarella cheese. Spread pasta mixture into prepared pan. Evenly spread cottage cheese over pasta. Spread spaghetti sauce mixture evenly over top. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese over sauce.  Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.

For the mixed vegetables, they are the frozen ones.  You can steam them right in the bag.  Just follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.

Wednesday:  Leftovers.  Chicken wrap and veggie straws.  First I started out with a Flatout flatbread.  Those are 90 calories for the light ones.  And they also come in different flavors: original, Italian, and rosemary.  Today I used the original.  I smeared one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, spicy hot mustard, a big handful of spinach, about 4 ounces or so of sliced chicken.  Today I decided to go crazy and add two strips of fully cooked bacon.  Then roll it up, and cut it in half.  With a some veggie straws on the side...YUM!

Thursday:  Cheeseburger Casserole, black beans, and mixed veggies.  Now I don't know if these tastes like a cheeseburger, but my daughter loves this dish.

Cheeseburger Casserole

2 lbs 93/7 lean ground beef

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash

1 3/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1 cup Bisquick

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with Pam.  Brown beef in a large frying pan. Drain. Stir in garlic salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash, Worcestershire sauce into beef. Spread mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle cheese over top.  In bowl, mix together Bisquick, milk, and eggs. Pour batter over top. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and set in center.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.

 
These mixed veggies are ones that my mom gave me.  I don't know where she bought them.  They were prepackaged in their own sauce.  I just heated them up in the microwave and serve.

Friday:  Swiss Chicken, black beans, and mixed vegetables.  I'm always trying to find new ways to make chicken and this recipe just stood out.

Swiss Chicken

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 (10.5 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 (6 oz) box Kraft Stove Top Stuffing Mix for chicken, unprepared

1/4 cup Land O'Lakes light butter with canola oil, melted

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 inch baking dish with Pam. Lay chicken in bottom of prepared pan. Place cheese slices over chicken. In a bowl mix together soup and water. Spoon soup mixture over chicken. Sprinkle dry stuffing mix over soup layer and drizzle butter over top. Cover and bake 30-35 minutes or until chicken is done.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.

These vegetables were from the freezer section, it's a mix of green beans, wax beans, and baby carrots.  They are not the kind you steam in the bag, but you can steam them in the microwave.  Just follow the directions on the package.  Once they are done, I'll pour them into a mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 tsp. butter, Mrs. Dash, pepper, crushed red pepper, and the juice from 1 wedge of lemon.  Then toss to coat and serve.