Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Yet another casserole dish. . . I made this with my favorite precooked chicken sausage. I actually forgot one of the ingredients. . the crushed tomatoes. . and I think it came out excellent. Maybe forgetting an ingredient isn't so bad. I didn't take any pictures though :(

I got this recipes on What Megans Cooking.


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1lb pasta
10oz frozen spinach, thawed
12oz precooked chicken sausage
8oz mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cook pasta al dente.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, cook until translucent. Add garlic. Stir in tomatoes,(the diced AND the crushed) oregano & basil. Simmer 8-10 minutes. Add cream. Cook until warmed. Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach & half mozzarella to pot with drained pasta. Toss to coat. Spread into 9x13 pan. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese & parmesan cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes.

Rice Ball Casserole

I am a HUGE fan of Gina's site. She shares great "lightened" recipes on her blog & no matter how often I go to her site I am always writing down 1 or 2 new recipes to try. I made this one last week:

2 cups uncooked long grain rice
4 cups water
1 sweet Italian sausage link, casing removed
10 oz lean ground turkey
1/4 cup onion, minced
salt and fresh pepper
5 oz frozen peas
16 oz tomato sauce
1/3 cup egg beaters or egg whites
1/2 cup pecorino romano
cooking spray
4 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
1 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

Cook rice in water according to package directions. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, sauté sausage meat; cook until brown breaking up into pieces as it cooks. Add turkey and onions and cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add peas and 8 oz tomato sauce and simmer on low, covered, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl combine rice, pecorino romano, eggs, and 3-4 oz tomato sauce and mix well.

Spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray, making sure to spray sides too. Add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to the dish and roll around to coat the bottom and sides.
Take half of the rice mixture and cover the bottom of the dish, press to form the bottom layer. Add the meat and peas. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Top with remaining rice and press until even. Top with remaining 4 oz of sauce, remaining 2 tbsp breadcrumbs, and remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes.

Serves 8. I cut ours into 6 portions. Served it with caprese salad. I really enjoyed it & will make it again.

Bubble Up Enchilada Casserole

Another great casserole recipe from Emily I often go to her site looking for new Weight Watcher friendly recipes. This one was a hit.

1lb ground turkey
10oz can enchilada sauce
8oz can tomato sauce
1 can refrigerated biscuits
1 1/2 cups fat free shredded mexican cheese (I used cheddar)
I also added a can of green chilis, some shredded zucchini & taco seasoning.

Preheat oven to 350.
Brown turkey in skillet. Slowly stir in enchilada sauce & tomato sauce. Quarter biscuits & stir into meat mixture. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese, mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 25 minutes. Top with remaining cheese & bake an additional 10 minutes.

The combinations for this kind of casserole are endless. Can be cut into 6 or 8 portions.

Chicken Pot Pie

After making the Arroz con Pollo I had 4 leftover thighs. I decided to take them & make my first Chicken Pot Pie. Originally I thought I'd make a fresh crust & all that. But then I took the quick & easy route & looked up a Bisquick recipe. I was able to throw this meal together in a few short minutes.


2 cups cooked cut up chicken
1 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1-2 cans cream soup (I used cream of celery & cream of mushroom)
1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Combine chicken, veggies & soups in a bowl. Pour into a greased pie plate. Whisk together Bisquick, egg & milk. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Cheesy Potato & Sausage Casserole

A few weeks back I planned on making kielbasa for dinner & when I went to defrost it, it turned out to be smoked turkey sausage I had. So I did what any other person would do: I googled sausage recipes. I found this one on Allrecipes and made it a little "lighter" by using fat free cheese & light sour cream.

1lb sausage
1 package refrigerated hash browns
1 1/2 cups fat free shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup light sour cream
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.
Cut sausage into 1/2" cubes. Combine half of the butter & the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Pour rest of butter on top. Bake 40-45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings.

This meal is simple, easy & delicious. I fried up some eggs with it. Perfect combination.

Zucchini Casserole

I used to not like zucchini. . but one night at a hibachi place I decided to give it another try. Now I love it. I go through phases with it though. I think I tend to cook it too often and then get sick of it. I've had this recipe written down for quite sometime and I finally got around to trying it. It's in the oven as I type and it smells divine!



Adapted from: Gina's Skinny Recipes

4 cups grated zucchini (I used 2 little zucchinis and a squash)
1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick
1 small onion, grated
3 egg whites
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Pour into pie dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 45 minutes until golden brown.

(before baking)

Serves 12
Calories: 110
Fat: 6
Carbs: 10
Fiber: 1
Protein: 3

Ooey Gooey Pasta

My little girl likes to take cookbooks out at the library. . how cute is that? This is a recipe from one of those cookbooks. Kid friendly to make & delicious to eat. Can't beat it. I adjusted the recipe to make it enough for us to all have.



1lb pasta *I always use Smart Taste
1 jar of sauce *depending on how much sauce you like. I used 1 1/2 16oz cans
1/2lb ground beef
8oz mushrooms
1 package frozen broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups shredded fat free mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook pasta according to directions. I add in my bag of frozen broccoli with the pasta. Drain.
Brown meat. Add mushrooms & cook until tender.
Combine meat, mushrooms, pasta & broccoli in a bowl. Stir in sauce. & half the mozzarella cheese. Pour into 9x13 pan. Top with rest of mozzarella cheese & sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake 30 mins.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 393.1
Total Fat: 6.2 g
Cholesterol: 33.2 mg
Sodium: 854.9 mg
Total Carbs: 61.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 11.1 g
Protein: 30.2 g

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta

1lb Smart Taste Pasta
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup ricotta cheese *part skim
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1 1/2 cup sauce *I used leftover meat sauce
1 1/2 cups fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
30 slices turkey pepperoni

Preheat oven to 375.
Cook pasta according to directions; drain. Stir in egg, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese & italian seasoning. Transfer to baking dish. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Spread with pizza sauce, top with pepperoni & sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes

Serves 6 at 7pts each

Tater Tot Casserole

1lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 can corn
30-40 tater tots *I used crispy crowns
salt & pepper to taste

Brown meat, drain fat, transfer to 9x13 dish. Saute onions; add to beef in pan. Mix in corn & soup into meat & onions. Top with tater tots & bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Serves 6, 5pts each.

Burger & Potato Casserole

1lb lean ground beef (or turkey)
3 cups potatoes, peeled & sliced thin
1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup onions, chopped
3/4 cup fat free milk
1 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
In large skillet, brown meat. Drain of all fat.
In medium bowl, combine, soup, onion & milk. (salt & pepper if desired)
Spray 9x13 baking dish with non stick spray. Layer potatoes, then soup mixture, then beef. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 50-60 mins. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese & bake until melted.

Serves 6. 5pts each