• 1 pound ground beef (93/7)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (15 ounce) pinto beans
• 1 bottle (8 ounce) taco sauce
• 1 can Rotel
• 1 small can of chopped green chilies
• 1 small can of sliced black olives, drained
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inches), halved (La Banderita fat-free soft taco)
• 2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, taco sauce, tomatoes, chilies and olives. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Spread 1 cup meat mixture in a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Layer with 4 tortilla halves, 1 cup meat mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat twice. (I left off the top layer of cheese for the first round in the oven).

Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; (add remaining cheese) bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.  6 servings; approximately 479 calories/serving.  8 servings; approximately 360 calories/serving.  Note: 6 servings makes a very large serving.  If serving with a side, such as taco rice or a salad, 8 servings would still be a nice size serving.

• 1 small head of cabbage
• 1 pound lean ground beef (I generally use 93/7)
• 1/2 C chopped onion
• 1 C uncooked rice
• salt
• pepper
• 1 can Campbell’s healthy choice tomato soup
• 1 can (11.5oz) of tomato juice
• 1 1/2 C water

Chop the cabbage into medium pieces and spread in the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan.  (I love the cabbage so I generally go heavy on it…approximately 10 cups).  Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet until the meat is no longer pink.  Stir in the rice, salt, and pepper.  Spoon the beef mixture evenly over the cabbage.  Combine the tomato soup, tomato juice, and water and heat until boiling.  Pour over the cabbage and beef.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.  Serves 6-8.

6 servings…approximately 298 calories/serving; 8 servings…approximately 223 calories/serving

• 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
• 1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carton (18 ounces) refrigerated fully cooked barbecued shredded pork
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained (Rotel)
  
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cups reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute red pepper and onion in butter and oil until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute longer. Stir in the pork, tomatoes, broth, cumin, pepper and salt; heat through.

Drain pasta. Add pasta and cheese to pork mixture. Sprinkle with green onions. Yield: 8 servings – 1 1/4 cups each.  Each serving is approximately 373 calories.

• 1 pound ground beef, 93/7
• 1 cup diced/chopped onion
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder

Brown the ground beef and onion.  Salt and pepper the meat if desired.  Add the water, ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, and chili powder.  Stir until well combined.  Simmer for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes approximately five 1/2-cup servings.  1/2-cup servings are approximately 192 calories each…1/4-cup servings are approximately 96 calories per serving.

• 1 package (7-1/4 ounces) macaroni and cheese dinner mix
• 1 pound ground beef (I used 93% lean)
• 3 tablespoons chopped onion (I used more)
• 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper (I used more)
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (I used 1/2 tsp)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (I used reduced-fat)
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed (I omitted)
• 1/4 cup 2% milk (I used skim)

Cook macaroni according to package directions; set cheese packet aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.

Add the soup, water, ketchup, mustard and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes.

Drain macaroni; add to the beef mixture. Stir in the corn, cheese, contents of reserved cheese packet, butter and milk. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 480 calories, 24 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 92 mg cholesterol, 1,253 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 25 g protein.

• 4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 cup olive oil (I think this could probably be cut in half)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives

Place salmon in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and remaining salt. Spoon 1 tablespoon over each fillet.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, olives and remaining oil mixture. Spoon over fillets.

Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 4 servings.

• 3/4 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 3/4 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce (I used Hunt’s roasted garlic)
• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
• 1 cup (8 ounces) 1% cottage cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 6 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Italian cheese blend
• 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Set aside 1 cup spaghetti sauce; stir remaining sauce into meat mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until thickened.

In a small saucepan, melt cream cheese over medium heat. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cottage cheese, egg and parsley.

Spread meat sauce into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with three noodles, Italian cheese blend, 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and cream cheese mixture. Layer with remaining noodles and reserved spaghetti sauce; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Italian seasoning.

Cover and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef (I used turkey)
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 (8-inch) corn tortillas
• 2/3 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent.  Add the garlic, stir, and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the beef, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 5 minutes, or until the beef is no longer pink.

Stir in the chilies, beans, tomatoes, and tomato paste.  Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.  Lay 1 tortilla on the bottom of the pie plate.  Spoon half of the beef mixture on top.  Place the second tortilla on top followed by the rest of the beef mixture.  Place the remaining tortilla on top and sprinkle with the cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until hot and the cheese is melted.  Cut into four wedges.

Calories 310, Carbs 38, Total Fat 6, Protein 26, Fiber 10, Cholesterol 25, Sodium 330

• 8 ounces uncooked mostaccioli
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (16 ounces) fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook mostaccioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain if necessary.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese and marjoram; set aside. Drain mostaccioli.

Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce into an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with half of the mostaccioli, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Layer with remaining mostaccioli, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (dish will be very full).

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

• 1  (16-ounce) package frozen potato and onion pierogies (such as Mrs. T’s)
• Cooking spray
• 2  center-cut bacon slices, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3  cup  (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4  cup  thinly diagonally sliced green onions
• 1/4  cup  chopped seeded plum tomato
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Arrange the pierogies in an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cook bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until crisp; remove from pan. Set aside.

3. Add garlic to drippings in pan, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup cream cheese to pan, and cook for 1 minute or until cream cheese begins to melt, stirring frequently. Gradually add chicken broth to pan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the cream cheese mixture evenly over pierogies. Top evenly with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove from oven, and sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomato, and pepper.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 pierogies and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Calories: 303

Fat: 12.8g (sat 6g,mono 4.3g,poly 0.4g)

Protein: 12.1g

Carbohydrate: 36.4g

Fiber: 2.2g

Cholesterol: 38mg

Iron: 0.4mg

Sodium: 646mg

Calcium: 141mg