Skinny Cheesy Pasta Bake

I had such a great time guest posting over at Love and Laundry!

Hop over and check out Shatzi's amazing blog and grab my recipe for Sunshine Muffins!

You are in for a treat, my friends.

This pasta bake is so tasty and guess what?? It's healthy too! Made with ground turkey and whole wheat penne pasta, it will fill you up and satisfy that comfort food craving! It makes such a big pan, you'll most likely have leftovers for lunch the next day. You're welcome. ;)

SKINNY CHEESY PASTA BAKE: (recipe adapted from Allrecipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat or fat free sour cream
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and carrot until onion is translucent and carrot is crisp-tender. Add the pound of turkey. Cook until it is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
4. Layer ingredients into prepared baking dish as follows: half the cooked penne pasta, provolone cheese, sour cream, half the sauce mixture, remaining penne, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven until cheeses are melted, about 30 minutes.

Here's a few pictures I took of the layering process:

Pour half of cooked pasta into bottom of lightly greased 9x13 dish:

 Layer sliced provolone cheese on top of pasta:

 Spread sour cream over provolone cheese:

Add half the sauce onto sour cream layer:

Add the remaining half of penne pasta:

 Sprinkle the pasta with shredded mozzarella cheese:

 Spread the remaining half of sauce over mozzarella:

 Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese:

 Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly:

 ENJOY!!!

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Peachy Keen {No Bake} Cream Cheese Pie

You ready for another yummy pie recipe?!

I think I went a little crazy in the produce section. Everything was on sale - peaches for .89 cents a pound, kiwi 3 for $1.00 and berries are super cheap this time of year in So Cal! So I got home from the grocery store and had no clue how I was going to use everything up before it went bad.

Introducing you now to the Peachy Keen {No Bake} Cream Cheese Pie! It has a yummy crust made out of vanilla wafers, that gets topped with sliced peaches, kiwi & raspberries, and then topped with a cream cheese mixture that is too die for! It's so light and refreshing, the perfect dessert for a hot summer night. Plus, your house will stay cool because you don't need to turn your oven on to cook it!

I'm drooling just looking at these photos. This pie is the bomb.

First step, make your crust:

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers

1/4 cup melted butter

Press into pie pan...

Slice one large, ripe peach and layer on top of the crust:

Slice two ripe kiwi and layer on top of the peaches:

Layer 1/2 cup raspberries on top of the kiwi:
{I love the colors!}

Mix your cream cheese mixture. Cream together:

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened (I used light)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

Pour your cream cheese filling over the fruit:

Spread to cover...

Cut into slices and enjoy! How simple is that?! Make sure to keep it chilled in the refrigerator!

PEACHY KEEN {NO BAKE} CREAM CHEESE PIE:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup crushed vanilla wafers
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
•  1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 large peach, peeled and sliced
• 2 kiwi, sliced
• 1/2 cup raspberries

Directions:

1) Combine crushed vanilla wafers and melted butter. Press into pie pan to make crust.

2) Cream together softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla.

3) Arrange sliced peaches on top of the crust. Then layer the sliced kiwi and raspberries. Top with cream cheese filling and chill in refrigerator. Garnish with additional raspberries and kiwi slices if desired. Enjoy!

If you like this recipe, PIN it! Also, feel free to follow me (via Google Friend Connect) on the right side bar --> and also on PINTEREST and FACEBOOK! I follow back ;) Thanks!

LINKING THIS RECIPE TO THESE FUN PARTIES:

Friday Flair, Frugal Friday, Delicatley Constructed Friday, Friday Fun Party, Friday Favs, Pity Party, Foodie Friday, Fantabulous Friday, Weekend Wrap-Up Party, Flaunt it Friday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Spotlight Saturday, Tuesday Talent Show, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff, Strut Your Stuff, Frugal Food Thursday,

French Crepes

My husband served a two-year mission in Paris, France for our church some years back. He came home with this awesome little French cookbook. When we first got married, he started making crepes for me.

Now, before we go any further, I need to tell you that because my husband is fluent in French, he is very particular on how you say the word CREPE. If you just read that word and thought CRAPE - you would be wrong. :) The E sound is pronounced like Eh. The French way to say the word is: Cr-eh-p. Crepe. Doesn't that just make you feel French to say it like that?!

Back to my story...my hubby ended up changing the recipe in the cookbook several times (you should see the margins, all scribbled out and rewritten) and has made up his own version that are AMAZING. Like, best crepes EVER. My kids beg him at least once a weekend to make them. Poor guy.

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of having my in-laws in town for the weekend (Six Flags, baby!!) and what better excuse to bug dad into making crepes for the family?! So I pulled out my camera and begged him to let me take pictures and share his secret recipe for his famous 'Chef Cory Crepes'. He finally agreed! YAY!

FRENCH CREPES:

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups flour
• 6 eggs
• 5 cups milk
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl with whisk.

2) We have a crepe pan but you can use any small (about 8") nonstick pan. Turn up your heat on your burner to medium-high. Spray your pan generously with cooking spray and pour a small amount of batter on your pan (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Rotate pan around until batter covers the entire bottom surface in a thin layer. 

3) Cook until edges of crepe start to raise and bubbles begin to form underneath (as below)

4) This is what takes a bit of practice...shake the pan a little until the crepe is loosened and FLIP! You can also use a spatula to help out. :)

5) Cook for an additional 30 seconds and serve warm with your favorite toppings! This recipe makes tons of crepes! I like to serve them with cut up fruit, fruit jam and whipped topping and my kids like cinnamon and sugar sprinkled inside and then rolled up (as below). There are tons of ways to enjoy these!

Here's my bro in law devouring his crepe!

The hubs says folding them in half once and then in half again, as the picture below, is the French way of eating a crepe. ENJOY!!

If you like this recipe - PIN IT!! Also, feel free to follow me (Google Friend Connect) on the right side bar --> and also follow me on PINTEREST and FACEBOOK too! I follow back! ;) Thanks!

LINKING THIS RECIPE TO THESE FUN PARTIES:

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Lighter Chicken Pot Pie

I explained my pie obsession in THIS post in which I also promised a delcious chicken pot pie recipe. Well, here it is!

As a kid, I was never been a big fan of chicken pot pie. I guess I felt like if you're gonna put something in a pie, it better be something sweet! ;) As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate it more and more.

However, we all know chicken pot pie has like a million calories. This recipe captures all the goodness of a pot pie while cutting way down on the calories. It's full of veggies and has a light crust on the top made from phyllo sheets. My family ate this whole pie in about 10 minutes. No leftovers. It was that good!

LIGHTER CHICKEN POT PIE (recipe adapted from Everday Food Oct. '07 issue)
Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
• 1 (10-oz) package frozen peas, thawed
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (I used a large can of cooked chicken)
• 8 phyllo sheets (each 9x14 inches, thawed)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, 8-10 minutes.

2) Add flour, and cook, stirring 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.

3) Remove from heat and stir in peas, lemon juice, and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Pour filling into a 9-inch pie plate (as below).

4) Stack phyllo sheets on a work surface and use a paring knife to cut into 10-11 inch circles. Using two at a time, brush tops of phyllo with 1 tsp oil and repeat with remaining circles and oil. Place phyllo stack over filling and press down and tuck in on sides (as below)

5) Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 20-25 minutes. Let pie cool 15 minutes before serving.

6) ENJOY!!

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LINKING THIS RECIPE TO THESE FUN PARTIES:

Tip Me Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tips & Tricks, Tasty Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Uncommonly Yours, Lil Luna Link Party, Friday Fun Party, Friday Flair, Frugal Friday, Foodie Friday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, A Pinteresting Party, Spotlight Saturday, Recipe of the Week,

The Perfect Side Dish: Easy Quinoa Salad Recipe

The first time I had quinoa was when I had my friend and her husband over to barbeque about 2 years ago. I asked my friend to bring a side dish, and in she walks with this weird looking mushy salad with feta cheese and tomatoes. I had to keep asking her to repeat the name: Keen-wa. How weird, right? I had never heard of such a thing!

I'm an (I'd like to think) adventurous eater, so I decided to give the weird salad with the weird name a try.

Holy cow. I LOVED it! I seriously ate almost the entire bowl!

This is where my love affair with quinoa began.

Now we eat quinoa at least three times a month, minumum. It's so healthy for you and honestly, so fun as a new cook, to mess around with! This recipe has a super basic dressing that I use ALL THE TIME. It gives the quinoa a really tangy zip that I love. Then I add whatever I have on hand in my fridge or cupboard.

For the picture above, I added cherry tomatoes, leftover cooked corn on the cob, and a can of drained and rinsed black beans. But I've made all sorts of variations with this quinoa and dressing recipe so BE CREATIVE! And let me know what you think! What quinoa combos do you like??

EASY QUINOA SALAD RECIPE:
Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry quinoa (white or red)
• 1 can chicken or vegetable broth

Dressing:

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (minced)
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2-3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp. italian parsley, chopped (optional)

Add In:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• kernels cut from 2 cooked corn on the cob (or 1 cup canned corn)
• Anything else you like! Use up those leftover vegetables in the crisper!

Directions:
1.  Check your quinoa package directions to see if your quinoa needs to be rinsed prior to using. I've bought kinds that have been pre-washed and others that haven't.

2.  Pour quinoa into medium sized pot and pour in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all broth is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. When done, the grain is soft and all the broth is absorbed.

3.  Mix together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the quinoa into a serving bowl and stir in the dressing.

4.  Now throw in the add-ins or anything else you think sounds good. So fun to play around with this salad!ENJOY!!

If you like this recipe, PIN IT!! Also, feel free to follow me (GFC button on the right -->) and follow me on PINTEREST and FACEBOOK! I follow back, too!! Thanks!

LINKING THIS RECIPE TO THESE FUN PARTIES:

Catch a Glimpse, Somewhat Simple Party, Creative Thursday Link Party, Spotlight Saturday, Weekend Wrap-Up Party, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Seasonal Inspiration, A Pinteresting Party, Sunday Blog Love, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Tasty Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tips & Tricks, Tasty Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Uncommonly Yours, Lil Luna Link Party, Friday Flair, Friday Fun Party,

It's Dinner Thyme! Chicken

I get so bored of the same chicken recipes. I'm always experimenting with different flavors and combos. I love herbs and thyme is one of my favorites! If you're looking for a new chicken recipe that's easy, quick and flavorful - look no further! Give this recipe a try this week for your family and let me know what you think!

IT'S DINNER THYME! CHICKEN
Ingredients:

• 2 red onions, sliced
• 2 pounds chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. oil
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. molasses
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season your chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper. Place sliced onions circles in a 9x13 pan and lay chicken on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

2.  While chicken is cooking, mix up your sauce with the remaining ingredients. Pour on top of chicken and bake another 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Finished product is amazingly moist, tender, flavorful chicken! How easy is that?! Enjoy!

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LINKING THIS RECIPE TO THESE FUN PARTIES:

Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Tasty Tuesdays, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Somewhat Simple Party, Catch a Glimpse, Creative Thursday, Spotlight Saturday, Weekend Wrap-Up Party, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Seasonal Inspiration, A Pinteresting Party, Sunday Blog Love, Cast Party Wednesday, Uncommonly Yours, Lil Luna Link Party, Friday Fun Party, Friday Flair,

Chocolate Lust

I come from a dessert family.

Yup. My side of the family LOVES dessert. We love baking them and we love eating them. Other families have their things. Like some enjoy hiking together. Or maybe gardening brings the family together. With my family, it's bonding over dessert. :) I realize my blog name includes "Healthy" and I do try to bring healthy recipes to this blog, however, when you've grown up in a dessert family like mine, you have a treasure trove of awesome dessert recipes that must be shared.

This is one of them.

Chocolate Lust goes back a long way for me. I remember many Sunday evenings that included this for dessert. It has the yummiest crust on the bottom. I love crust. And the middle layer is a combo of cream cheese and Cool Whip with a top layer of chocolate pudding. Um, yum. You just cannot go wrong with that tri-layer goodness. Not sure who came up with the name, but I'm thinking it makes sense...

CHOCOLATE LUST:

For Crust:

• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks melted butter
• 1 c. chopped nuts

Mix well and press into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

For Middle Layer:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1 (10 oz) container Cool Whip

Beat sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the Cool Whip and mix. Spread on cooled crust.

For Top Layer:

• 2 (6 oz) packages instant chocolate pudding

Prepare the pudding by directions on the package. Pour over cream cheese layer and chill. Serve and ENJOY!

Layer 1: Crust

 Layer 2: Cream Cheese & Cool Whip

  Layer 3: Chocolate Pudding

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LINKING THIS RECIPE TO THESE FUN PARTIES:
Friday Fun Party, Frugal Friday, Delicately Constructed Friday, Flaunt it Friday, Fantabulous Friday, Free For All Friday, Weekend Wrap-Up Party, StrutYour Stuff Saturday, Seasonal Inspiration, Spotlight Saturday, Sweets for a Saturday, Tips & Tricks, Tip Me Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesday Talent Show, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Catch a Glimpse, Somewhat Simple Party, Creative Thursday, A Pinteresting Party, Sunday Blog Love, Cast Party Wednesday, Uncommonly Yours, Lil Luna Link Party,

Healthy Chicken Tamale Pie

I am obsessed with pies.

I have no idea why, but lately I am.

I feel like that's all I've made. Just last week I made Shepard's Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, (recipe to come later...) a creamy cheesecake style pie, and this little beauty: Chicken Tamale Pie.

Seriously. I must have some kind of pie-related condition that makes me only want to bake and eat pie shaped foods. Whatever it is...me likey, because this Tamale Pie is awesome.

I am a huge fan of regular tamales, with their yummy corn exterior and meaty filling. But I've never had the courage to make them from scratch before. This pie is an easy alternative to a tamale and you know what? I think it's even better. It has red enchilada sauce on it and if you know me at all, then you know I could pour enchilada sauce on my potatoes as gravy I love it so much! (hey, that's actually not a bad idea! :)

Plus this pie has the yummiest tamale style green chili corn crust that I could eat all day. Seriously. Such a good combination. With very few ingredients and its simplicity to throw together, it's the perfect go-to dinner. Oh, and it's healthy too! You seriously have to make this. Like, tonight for dinner. Your family will thank you. :)

CHICKEN TAMALE PIE: (recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fat free milk
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning, divided (I made my own taco seasoning using THIS recipe)
• 1 (14.75 oz) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8.5 oz) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breasts (or 1 large can)
• 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• cilantro and crumbled Cotija cheese for serving

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Combine the first 6 ingredients (milk thru green chiles) using just 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning. in a large bowl. Stir just until moist. Pour mixture into a round pie plate coated with cooking spray.

3.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. While corn crust is baking, mix the chicken and remaining 1 tablespoon taco seasoning together. When corn crust is done - it will be just barely set and golden brown - pierce entire surface liberally with a fork. Pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with seasoned chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Top with Cotija cheese and cilantro. ENJOY!

LINKING THIS RECIPE TO THESE FUN PARTIES:

Somewhat Simple Blog Party, Catch a Glimpse Party, Crafty Soiree, Transformation Thursday, Swanky Stuff Thursday, Creative Thursday, Frugal Friday, Friday Fun Party, Flaunt it Friday, Delicately Constructed Fridays, Free For All Friday, Fantabulous Friday, Weekend Wrap-Up Party, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Seasonal Inspiration, Spotlight Saturday, Tips & Tricks, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Tip Me Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Tasty Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Trick or Treat Tuesday,