Turkey Noodle Casserole

Jerod came up with this recipe this week and asked me to add the ingredients to the shopping list. It sounded yummy to me and I'm always up for a casserole! I cooked a full turkey breast in advance and measured and weighed it out to get it ready for this recipe. That is definitely the healthier and cheaper route to go. You could also probably easily make the portion sizes smaller, but we have found that our lunches have been too small so we are STARVING by the time we get home, so we split the casserole into 4 servings rather than 6. For 6 servings, the points value per serving is only 5. I give it a solid 4 stars. It made awesome lunches this week.

Turkey Noodle Casserole (from Jerod's creative mind)
Serves 4
* 1/2 tsp table salt
* 6 oz roasted turkey breast
* 1 cup mushroom(s), chopped
* 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
* 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
* 10 1/2 oz canned cream of mushroom soup
* 1 cup green peas
* 3 cup uncooked egg noodles
* 1 cup water, with chicken boullion cube dissolved

Cook noodles. Combine turkey cubes and noodles in 2 or 3 quart casserole dish. Saute mushrooms and onions until tender and then combine with remaing ingredients except bread crumbs and cheese. Pour over turkey noodle mixture. Just before cooking, sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese. Base, uncovered in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Fast and easy, can do ahead and refrigerate up to a day.

Points per serving: 8

Chicken Parmigiana

I made this the other night for Jerod's birthday. This has always been one of my favorite recipes and it's totally easy. I use the plain bread crumbs and make my own spices by adding fress herbs, dried onions or garlic, or whatever I feel like. It makes me feel so chef-y. Yummy Yummy. It gets a 5 from me. You can add spaghetti, salad, bread, or whatever you want just because it's such a nice low-point main course.

Chicken Parmigiana (from ww website)
Serves: 4
1 sprays olive oil cooking spray
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly pounded (four 4-oz pieces)
2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
Place egg whites in a shallow bowl. Combine bread crumbs with Italian seasoning and salt; pour into another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg whites; turn to coat. Dip chicken in bread crumb mixture; turn to thoroughly coat.
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and add oil; heat over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink in center, about 4 minutes per side.
Pour 1/2 cup of sauce into prepared baking dish; place chicken in dish and pour remaining sauce evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake until chicken is cooked through and cheese is bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Points per serving: 5

Garlic Chicken Pizza

Garlic Chicken Pizza (from Cooking Light Magazine)
Serves: 8
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
4 minced garlic clove(s)
1 cup mushroom(s), chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup plum tomato(es), chopped
8 oz Chicken cooked breast, skinless, boneless, cubed
1 crust Boboli Original Pizza Crust, 12
1 oz crumbled low fat feta cheese
3 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 oz grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400.
Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Place crust on a baking sheet; brush vinegar mixture over crust. Top with chicken, tomato, and mushrooms; sprinkle with cheeses and green onions.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until cheeses melt and brown.

Points per serving: 5

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu (adapted from the ww website)
Serves 4

• 4 sprays cooking spray, or enough to coat chicken
• 1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, butterflied into four 4-oz fillets
  
• 3 oz Boar's Head Smoked Ham, or other brand, four 3/4 oz slices
• 3 oz low-fat Swiss cheese, four 3/4-oz slices
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup honey mustard
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, Italian-style

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to 1/4-inch thickness; remove plastic wrap. Arrange 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese on each chicken breast.

Starting from shorter end of chicken, roll up breast into a tight pinwheel. Tuck in ends. Secure with toothpicks.

Place flour, honey mustard and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls. Add chicken to flour; turn to coat. Transfer chicken to honey mustard; turn to coat. Place chicken in bread crumbs; turn to coat.

Transfer chicken to prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Remove toothpicks and serve.

Points per serving: 7

Banana Pudding

Banana Pudding (from the noggin-de-moi)
Serves: 4

• 2 cup fat-free skim milk
• 2 medium banana(s), sliced
• 16 items reduced-fat vanilla wafer(s)
• 4 serving fat-free sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
• 8 Tbsp fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Mix pudding and milk.
Place one to one and a half vanilla wafers in bottom of 4 water goblets or other serving glasses. Arrange one-third of banana over cookies. Spoon one-third of pudding mixture over banana; repeat procedure with remaining cookies, banana and pudding, ending with pudding. Spoon whipped topping over pudding. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

(Reduce bananas or wafers to lower point value.)

Points per serving: 4

Chicken Noodle "Soup"

Chicken Noodle "Soup" (from my own noggin)
Serves: 6

• 1 breast uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 uncooked skinless, boneless chicken thigh
• 5 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 medium onion(s), chopped
  
• 1 cup carrot(s), chopped
  
• 1 cup celery, chopped
  
• 3 garlic clove(s), minced
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tblspn fresh basil
• 1 tsp dried cilantro
• 6 cups uncooked egg noodles

Put everything together in a crockpot except the noodles. Cook for 4-5 hours on high or until the carrots are at your desired softness and chicken is fully cooked. Remove any remaining bone or skin from chicken thighs and shred the chicken meat. Add noodles and cook for 1/2 hour more.

Points per serving: 6

Baked Turkey and Jack Cheese Chimichangas

Baked Turkey and Jack Cheese Chimichangas (from WW website)
Serves: 8

• 2 sprays cooking spray
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 16 oz fat-free canned refried beans
• 1 3/4 cup salsa
• 4 1/2 oz canned green chili peppers, mild, drained and diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 3 Tbsp scallion(s), thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 large burrito-size wheat flour tortilla(s)
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Coat a 13- X 9- X 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Add turkey to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess liquid from pan and then add beans, 1 3/4 cups of salsa, chili peppers, chili powder and scallions. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes; stir in cheese.
Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil; warm in oven for 10 minutes.
Assemble chimichangas by spooning about 1/2 cup of turkey mixture onto each tortilla; fold in sides and roll up.
Place chimichangas, seam-side down, in prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, until tortillas are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes. Serve each topped with 2 tablespoons of salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

Points per serving: 5