Zucchini Tots

I made these with dinner tonight and my boys (who HATE zucchini!) devoured them! I had doubled the batch and they were begging me to make more!! I found this recipe on one of my fave websites www.skinnytaste.com. (Note: I doubled the recipe to make 24 mini muffin-sized tots)

Zucchini Tots
Skinnytaste.com
adapted from The Two Bite Club
Servings: 3 Serving Size: 4 tots • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 108 • Fat: 4.3 g • Protein: 6.8 g • Carb: 11.5 g • Fiber: 1.8 g • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 262 mg (without salt)


Ingredients:

• 1 cup zucchini, grated
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 medium onion, diced
• 1/4 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.

Grate the zucchini into a clean dish towel. Wring all of the excess water out of the zucchini. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fill each muffin section to the top, pushing down on the filling with your spoon so it's nice and compacted so they don't fall apart when you take them out of the tin.

Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are golden.

Use a plastic knife or rubber spatula around the edges of each tot to remove them from the muffin tin. Enjoy!!

Cajun Cake

This is a recipe I got from my Grandma Bingham. She passed away in November, and I love when I make this recipe because it is handwritten by her. My family loves this so much that 2 of my kids have requested this cake for their birthday cakes this year alone! It is moist and delicious.

Cake:
2 cups flour( I use a GF blend)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups crushed pineapple ( I use the whole big can!)
Mix and pour into a 9x13 greased pan and bake 35 min. at 300 degrees
(I do a cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes)

Icing:
1 stick margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned milk (evaporated)
Boil 5 minutes
Remove from heat
Add:
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
Spread on while warm onto warm cake. Sauce will seep into the cake for amazing yummyness you will love!

Crockpot Italian Chicken

I found this recipe (via Pinterest!) on http://www.crockadoodledo.blogspot.com. It is absolutely AMAZING! Soooo amazing that I made it TWICE in one week! Mmm hmmm!!

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

16 Ounce Bottle of Italian Dressing (I used non fat)

1/2 Cup of Parmesan Cheese

Italian Seasoning

4-6 Potatoes scrubbed cut in half or wedges (you can peel if desired) (I like red potatoes!)

1/2 bag of mini carrots

Spray crock with Pam

Squirt a small amount of Italian dressing at bottom of crock-pot.

Place two chicken breasts in crock.

Pour some of the Italian dressing on the chicken.

Sprinkle half of cheese onto the chicken.

Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken.

Place next two chicken breasts into crock-pot, if possible not directly on top of the first breasts.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of chicken.

Pour carrots on top

Pour more of the Italian dressing on top of chicken and carrots.

Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken and carrots.

Place potatoes on top.

Pour the remaining Italian dressing on the potatoes.Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the potatoes.Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 

**10 WW PointsPlus value (PPVs) per serving (1/6th of recipe).You may want to re-calculate with your own ingredients for accuracy!

Coconut Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter

2/3 c. milk

1 (3.4 oz) box instant coconut flavor pudding mix

2 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1 c. sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a large pan, mix together the sugar, butter and the milk. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add in the pudding mix, oats, coconut and vanilla. Let stand 5 minutes.
Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper, allow to cool completely and enjoy! Store in airtight container.

Staceys Chop and Dump Chicken

I just made this one up as I went along, it is cooking right now, so we shall see...I may be erasing this one!

4 chicken breast cut up into bite size

1 red onion chopped

1 green pepper chopped

6 large mushrooms sliced

1/2 cup unsalted cashews

1 large container greek yogurt

2 cups skim milk

1 packet lipton garlic and herb seasoning

Put first 5 ingredients in 9x13 dish, mix nest 3 ingredients and pour over chicken and veggies, sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 min to 1 hr.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes

Orange Ginger Chicken

5 chicken breasts

1 bottle La Choy Orange Ginger sauce/marinade

Put all in a gallon ziploc bag

Freeze

To serve:

Thaw and grill or bake at 350 for 45 min. or until juices are clear

Asian Sesame Chicken

5 Chicken breasts

1 bottle Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame reduced fat dressing

Put chicken in a gallon freezer bag

Pour dressing over chicken

Freeze

To serve

Thaw and dump into 9x13 dish and bake for 45 min. or grill

Garlic Ranch Chicken

1 FAMILY
4 Breasts of chicken
1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packets
1 c.skim milk
1 c. fat free mayonnaise
2 Tbsp dried minced garlic

6 FAMILIES
24 Breasts of chicken
6 packages Hidden Valley Ranch dressing packets
6 c. skim milk
6 c. fat free mayonnaise
12 Tbsp dried mince garlic

To simplify this recipe and make it more frugal simply use one bottle your favorite FREE Ranch Dressing from your stockpile and add 2 T of minced garlic. It is easy and FABULESS!

TO FREEZE
In gallon-sized baggie combine ingredients, except chicken. In separate, small bag, place approx. ½ c. of mixture. Place chicken in remaining mixture in gallon-sized bag and place small bag inside.

TO PREPARE AFTER FREEZING
Thaw large bag enough to get small bag out and place small bag in fridge, while allowing chicken to continue to thaw. Grill or broil chicken. In last few minutes of grilling chicken, baste chicken breasts with mixture from small bag.

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas

6 servings

1 1/2-2 green peppers, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced (for looks.. since they cost more than green ones)
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 lb - 1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
fajita seasoning (cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, lime/lemon)

Combine all raw ingredients into ziploc bag. Freeze. To eat: Thaw. Then put into skillet with 2 TBSP oil. Stir fry until chicken is thoroughly cooked and veggies have softened. Serve in warm flour tortillas.

Ranch Cheddar Burgers

• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 cup shredded or cubed cheddar cheese
• 3 Tbsp Ranch Dressing Mix

Make your own Ranch Dressing Mix:

• 5 Tbsp dried minced onions
• 7 tsp parsley flakes
• 4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion salt

**To make a dressing from the dry ranch dressing mix: Combine 2 Tbsp dry mix with 3/4 cup buttermilk.

Directions:

Combine beef, ranch dressing mix and shredded cheddar cheese. Gently shape 6 patties of equal size and thickness. With your thumb, or back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of each patty. This helps that patties to cook evenly. Grill patties over direct high heat with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to medium doneness – 8-10 minutes, turning once. Or cook in fry pan on stove top over med- high heat until done. If desired, during the last minute of grilling, place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt. Serve warm onhamburger buns with tomatoes, lettuce and ranch dressing.

Freezing Directions:

Combine beef, ranch dressing mix and shredded cheddar cheese. Gently shape 6 patties of equal size and thickness. With your thumb, or back of a spoon, make a shallow indentation about 1 inch wide in the center of each patty. This helps that patties to cook evenly. Place a small square of wax or parchment paper between each patty and place in gallon size freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months. TO SERVE: Thaw desired number of patties. Grill patties over direct high heat with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to medium doneness – 8-10 minutes, turning once. Or cook in fry pan on stove top over med- high heat until done. If desired, during the last minute of grilling/frying, place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt. Serve warm on hamburger buns with tomatoes, lettuce and ranch dressing.

Servings: 6 burgers

Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken

• 1 pound Chicken breasts, preferably organic
• 2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium limes, juiced
• 2 medium Garlic, cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons Cilantro, fresh, chopped
• 0.25 teaspoons Salt
• 0.125 teaspoons Pepper
• 1 cups Salsa Verde

Directions:

Mix olive oil, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper in a bowl. Divide and pour into freezer bag with Chicken marinade for at least one hour or freeze until ready to use. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high heat, Grill for about 6 minutes a side. Serve withsalsa verde.

Freezing Directions:

Divide and pour into freezer bag with Chicken. Freeze until ready to serve. TO SERVE: Thaw. Heat grill or grill pan to medium high heat, Grill for about 6 minutes a side. Serve with salsa verde.

Buttermilk Herb Chicken

• 1 cup buttermilk (see note below to make your own which i do using skim milk)
• 1 tablespoon honey, preferably local
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 pounds Chicken breasts, preferably organic

Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a freezer bag slightly shake to mix, and let sit in refrigerator for at least one hour or up to overnight. Heat grill or pan to medium heat, discard marinade and cook chicken until done.

Freezing Directions:

Combine all ingredients into a freezer bag slightly shake to mix, and place into freezer until ready to serve. To Serve: Thaw in refrigerator. Heat grill or pan to medium heat, discard marinade and cook chicken until done.

**Note: A good substitute for buttermilk is 1 tablespoon lemon juice in 1 cup milk let sit for about five minutes then incorporate. So in this recipe you’d use 1/2 tablespoon with 1/2 cup milk. Hereare a few other suggestions too. Enjoy!

Teriyaki Honey Chicken

• 4 pieces boneless, skinless, chicken breast or thigh
• .5 cup honey
• .5 cup soy sauce
• .25 cup water
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• gallon freezer bag

Directions:

In a bowl, combine marinade ingredients. Place chicken in zippered bag. Pour marinade over chicken, seal bag, and let marinate 8 hours. Remove from marinade. Grill chicken until juices run clear. Or to cook in oven, place in a greased baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350ºF uncovered 20-30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-30 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Freezing Directions:

Prepare as directed above but instead, place in freezer bag and freeze, no need to marinate in refrigerator. To serve: Thaw if frozen. Remove from marinade. Grill chicken until juices run clear. Or to cook in oven, place in a greased baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350ºF uncovered 20-30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-30 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Servings: 4

Tomato Basil Burgers

• 1 pound ground turkey
• .33 cups fresh basil, chopped
• .33 cups feta cheese crumbles
• .33 cups julienne sun dried tomatoes, oil packed, drained

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until well incorporated. Make a large ball of the meat and then divide into fourths (see pictures below). Make 4 quarter pound hamburger balls and then mold into patties. Cook on hot grill for 3 minutes on each side or until hamburgers are cooked to desired doneness. Serve on buns with additional toppings if desired.

Freezing Directions:

You can make up these hamburgers and freeze them using sheets of wax paper to divide them and then place them in freezer bags. To serve: Thaw. Cook on hot grill for 3 minutes on each side or until hamburgers are cooked to desired doneness. Serve on buns with additional toppings if desired.

Servings: 4

Bacon Bleu Burgers

• 1 pound ground turkey
• .67 cups bacon crumbles (approximately 3 oz)
• .33 cups bleu cheese crumbles
• Optional – extra bleu cheese crumbles for melting on top

Directions:

Cook bacon in 400 degree oven on a cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp. Remove, allow to cool and chop in food processor. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until well incorporated. Make a large ball of the meat and then divide into fourths. Make 4 quarter pound hamburger balls and then mold into patties. Cook on hot grill for 3 minutes on each side or until hamburgers are cooked to desired doneness. Serve on buns with additional toppings if desired.

Freezing Directions:

You can make up these hamburgers and freeze them using sheets of wax paper to divide them and then place them in freezer bags. To serve: Thaw. Cook on hot grill for 3 minutes on each side or until hamburgers are cooked to desired doneness. Serve on buns with additional toppings if desired.

Servings: 4

Buffalo Bleu Burgers

• 
  1 pound ground turkey
• 2 Tablespoons buffalo wing sauce
• .33 cups bleu cheese crumbles
• Optional – extra bleu cheese crumbles for melting on top

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until well incorporated. Make a large ball of the meat and then divide into fourths. Make 4 quarter pound hamburger balls and then mold into patties. Cook on hot grill for 3 minutes on each side or until hamburgers are cooked to desired doneness. Serve on buns with additional toppings if desired.

Freezing Directions:

You can make up these hamburgers and freeze them using sheets of wax paper to divide them and then place them in freezer bags. To serve: Thaw. Cook on hot grill for 3 minutes on each side or until hamburgers are cooked to desired doneness. Serve on buns with additional toppings if desired.

Servings: 4