Helpful Tips/ tricks etc.

Freeze fresh herbs in olive oil, toss in

pan when needed. No need to ever 

waste fresh herbs again!

CALIFORNIA CHICKEN CASSEROLE

I found this recipe in Taste of Home magazine.

This is a nice family-style one-dish meal that could easily be

tweaked to suit your family's tastes by using a different kind 

of cheese or a different vegetable mixture.

I think that it could stand to have a bit more sauce so I

might double the amount of mayonnaise next time I make

 this.  Have Fun Tweaking it to your Liking, I hope you all

 enjoy it. Please Leave a Comment and Follow.

                               Thank you!

CALIFORNIA CHICKEN CASSEROLE:

Ingredients:

16 ounce bag frozen California blend vegetables, thawed *

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

4 ounce can mushrooms, drained

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 ounces pimientos, diced

6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded

Place the California blend vegetables and the chicken in a greased 9-inch square baking dish. In a medium skillet,

 sauté the mushrooms, celery and onion in the butter until very soft and a little browned, about 8 minutes. Stir the

 mayonnaise and seasonings into the vegetables until well coated. Mix in all of the remaining ingredients along 

with the sautéed vegetables. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350º for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake

 5-10 minutes longer until the casserole is browned and bubbly.

Makes 4-6 servings

Can be frozen

* This is a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower and sliced carrots.

Nutritional Values:

Per 1/4 Recipe: 499 Calories; 34g Fat; 36g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 4.5g Dietary Fiber; 9.5g Net Carbs
Per 1/6 Recipe: 333 Calories; 22g Fat; 24g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2.5g Dietary Fiber; 6.5g Net Carbs

Vegetable Casserole

Swiss Vegetable Casserole

For an easy brunch or meatless dinner, try this colorful blend of convenient frozen vegetables baked in a cheesy cream sauce.




Prep Time
20 Minutes

Total Time
50 Minutes

Makes
8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

6 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz)

1 bag (1 lb) frozen broccoli, carrots & cauliflower, cooked, drained

1/4 cup crushed round buttery crackers


Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 1- to 1 1/2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.
Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat.
Add 3/4 cup of the cheese; stir until melted. Stir in cooked vegetables. Spoon mixture into casserole. Sprinkle with crushed crackers and remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and casserole is bubbly.

To lower the fat in this casserole by about 2 grams per serving, use skim milk and reduced-fat Swiss cheese.

To make ahead, prepare this casserole as directed, reserving the crushed crackers. Cover and refrigerate up to one day. Then, sprinkle the casserole with the crackers and bake it for 30 to 40 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving (1 Serving)Calories 140(Calories from Fat 80),Total Fat 9g(Saturated Fat 5g,Trans Fat 0g),Cholesterol 25mg;Sodium 170mg;Total Carbohydrate 9g(Dietary Fiber 2g,Sugars 4g),Protein 7g;Percent Daily Value*:Exchanges:0 Starch;0 Fruit;1/2 Other Carbohydrate;0 Skim Milk;0 Low-Fat Milk;0 Milk;1 Vegetable;0 Very Lean Meat;0 Lean Meat;1/2 High-Fat Meat;1 Fat;Carbohydrate Choices:1/2;*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie die

Healthy dessert

Skinny Tropical Icebox Cake

Prep time: 15 minutes

Yield: 16 servings

Serving size: 1/16 of cake

Ingredients

2 - 15 ounce cans no sugar added peaches, drained
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 - 15 ounce cans Dole tropical fruit, drained
1 - 8 ounce tub Cool Whip Free topping, softened
1 box (1.5 ounce) Sugar-Free Fat-Free Jello Vanilla pudding
1 cup Silk Pure Coconut Milk Original
14-16 reduced-fat graham cracker sheets
Instructions

In a medium size bowl, whisk together Sugar-Free Fat-Free Jello Vanilla pudding mix and Silk Pure Coconut Milk Original. Whisk for 2 minutes until pudding starts to thicken.
Let stand for 5 minutes.
Fold in Cool Whip Free to pudding to mix.
Spread a small amount of pudding mixture on the bottom of a 9x12 glass dish or baking pan.
Top pudding mixture with 6-8 reduced-fat graham cracker sheets, making a single layer and leaving no space.
Lightly cover the top of graham crackers with another layer of pudding mixture.
Cover the pudding mixture with peaches, strawberries and tropical fruit, making sure to alternate between the different kinds of fruit.
Lightly cover the fruit with a thin layer of pudding mixture.
Top pudding mixture with 6-8 reduced-fat graham cracker sheets.
Add the remaining pudding mixture to graham cracker sheets.
Generously top with the remaining fruit, again evenly alternating between the peaches, strawberries and tropical fruit.
Refrigerate for 4-6 hours before serving.

Nutrition Info and Tips

Per Serving (1/12 of cake):

Calories: 161

Fat: 1g

Carbohydrates: 37g

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 2g

Sugars: 19g

Sodium: 239mg

Vitamin A: 2%

Vitamin C: 91%

Calcium: 3%

Iron: 3%

WWP+: 4 points

Halloween Healthy Snacks

Halloween is just around the corner! Awesome snack

 idea.

Ghosts are bananas with chocolate chips. Minis for eyes and regular size for the mouth.

Pumpkins are tangerines with a piece of celery for the stalk.

**Tip to keep the bananas from browning sprinkle them, dip them in, or spritz them with a little bit of any kind of citrus (orange, grapefruit, tangerines, pineapple, etc) You can also find a product called Fruit Fresh in the produce area in stores which won't effect the taste of the bananas.

<a href="http://www.hypersmash.com">Hypersmash.com</a>

unclog your sink! homemade drain buster!