Stylish, Stealthy & Healthy.

Tag Archives: Casserole


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Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Sometimes I have ideas that at first thought seem awesome, but then… they end up not being so great.  Like that time I bleached my hair in high school aaaand then it turned the color of a rusty nail.  Or that time I slipped an extra “1″ into my doctor’s note in high school, so I could leave at 11:30 instead of 1:30, but got caught and sentenced to my first-ever detention.

Also, any fashion decision I made before the age of 24 18.

And any time I drank whatever juice was sludging around inside an unmarked Igloo cooler at a frat party in college.

Oh and the time I impulsively bought that Ford Tempo which I’m pretty sure was just a maroon deathtrap on wheels.

But sometimes… sometimes these ideas turn out to be kind of fantastic.  Such was the case here.  I had a hankering for enchiladas (which is accurate 5 out of 7 days a week) but no tortillas.  What I did have was penne pasta and the will to create.  So with wide eyes and high hopes, a dream was born.

So much better than the random party cooler juice.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Serves: 6
Total Cook Time: About 45 minutes
You’ll Need: 
2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
1 T olive oil
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
4oz can fire-roasted, diced green chiles
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1/4 cup fat free greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 tsp. cumin
1 T Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 cup garden salsa
1/3 + 1/2 cup reduced fat shredded Mexican blend cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare pasta according to directions and set aside.  In a large pot, heat oil over med-high and sautee peppers, onions, chiles, crushed red pepper, cumin, paprika and oregano for about 6 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another 3o seconds.  Reduce heat to low.  Stir in cream cheese and salsa, along with 1/3 cup shredded cheese.  Stir in chicken and cooked pasta.  Mix in greek yogurt to help combine.  Pour mixture into a coated baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and then panko breadcrumbs.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

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I have to say, my ego was a little inflated after this turned out so well.  Maybe I should follow my gut more often?

Then again…

Right.


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Misjudged

So today is kind of a big day… but first… a recipe.

I love when you realize that something you always thought you hated, turns out to be so much better than you remembered it, or ever thought it would be.  Brussels sprouts, for example.  Who knew those little green leafy balls of vitamins would grace my plate no less than once a week in my adult life?

And omigosh, wine.  How good is wine?? Remember that first sip you took of something that wasn’t Arbor Mist or a raspberry Bartles & James, and you literally wanted to spit it right back out?  Now that wine is my favorite wine.  And the sweet stuff?  Blech.  I’m all set, thanks.

But seriously, back to food.  I remember always thinking cauliflower was like an insult to veggie trays.  Why even put it on there?  It tastes like nothing!  (These are all thoughts that ran through my head when faced with a veggie tray situation.  Along with um, where the hell is the hummus?)  But now… now cauliflower is my homey.  I throw it in everything from soups to mac and cheese and now… into a delicious casserole.  Forgive me cauliflower.  For I have misjudged you.

Ground Turkey and Cauliflower Gratin Casserole
(Inspired by Kalyn’s Kitchen)
You’ll Need:
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
2 frozen bags of cauliflower flowerets (or 1 large head, cut small, stems removed)
4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup fat-free Chobani plain Greek yogurt (or light sour cream)
1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 T Frank’s RedHot hot sauce
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 cup panko seasoned bread crumbs
Salt & pepper
Small bunch of green onions

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350.  In a large pot, bring enough water to cover the cauliflower to a boil,  and cook for 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is soft.  Drain and then mash with a potato masher until a medium consistency (still some pieces of cauliflower.)
While cauliflower is cooking, sautee ground turkey in pan, coated with cooking spray, until browned, and sprinkle on poultry seasoning.  Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, Greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl, then mix in hot sauce and mustard.  When the turkey is finished browning, drain excess liquid from the pan and mix the cooked turkey into the cheese mixture, along with 1/4 cup of chopped green onions.  Than mix in mashed cauliflower, and stir to combine.  Salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the mixture into a coated baking dish.  Sprinkle the panko and the shredded cheese on top, and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until top is crispy and golden brown, and cheese has melted.  You can even broil it for a minute or two to get a really crispy top.

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Originally I thought this would be a great side dish, but we ended up eating it as the main course.  It’s really filling and definitely a perfect wintry comfort food.  And Brandon didn’t believe me when i told him it was mashed cauliflower.  (POW! Stealth points.)

So I admit it.  I misjudged you, cauliflower.  You are pretty great.  And no hard feelings, but you should know I will still go for the bell peppers and carrots every time when faced with a veggie tray situation.   You got that casserole game on lock, though.

So why is today so special, you might be asking… well, today my little blog is 1 year old.  I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I honestly cannot tell all of you how much your comments and friendships mean to me.  When I wrote my first post, I was terrified.  I didn’t think anyone besides my mom would ever read this.  (Hi Mom!)  Having this little space to put all my random thoughts, and the amazing people I’ve gotten to know and call friends, well it’s more than I hoped for when I stared at that “publish” button for the first time 365 days ago.  So thanks for reading, making me laugh and making me feel a little less crazy on a daily basis.  Love you all x’s infinity.


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Breakfast Casserole

I got busy this past weekend, you guys.  For real.


Me and my kitchen?
Got. It. On.

We whisked, blended, pureed, baked and simmered.  It was exhausting and I kind of wanted to smoke a cigarette and take a nap afterwards.

Lately I’ve been kind of slacking in the meal-planning department.  Not that I’ve been wasteful, because I’ve totally been cooking with ingredients I already have.  But since my whole promise to go to the gym after work these days, I’ve been slightly uninspired by the time I get home.  My creativity levels drop dramatically when I’m tired.  All I want to do is collapse and pray a pizza delivery man accidentally shows up at my front door and I reluctantly accept the pizza after arguing for a good five minutes about take-out ethics, but he proves a point by saying it’s the least he can do for making me get up off the couch.  And I thank him and close the door and eat the entire thing.

I may have dreamed this scenario a few times.
And yes, I realize, most fantasies that open with a pizza delivery man don’t end so innocently, but I really love pizza y’all.

So to combat this inevitable scenario, I spent a little time on Sunday making a few meals to keep us fed through the week, and simultaneously discourage last minute half-assed dinners gracing our plates.  We’re better than that.

And even though I had to swat Brandon’s hand with a spatula to keep him from eating this whole casserole (this was meant to be my breakfast all week), he thoroughly enjoyed the very generous portion he got and asked that I make this, and I quote, “like every day.”  I think the pizza delivery man scenario is more likely to actually happen.

Breakfast Casserole
You’ll Need:
6 eggs
1/3 cup egg whites
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup diced onions and peppers
2 1/2 links sausage, casings removed (I used pork, but any kind you like will work)
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper

Directions:  Preheat oven to 375. In a large pan, spray with PAM and sautee onions, peppers and  sausage, breaking up the links as it cooks.  Once vegetables are soft and sausage has browned, remove from heat and set aside.  In a casserole dish, whisk together eggs, milk, egg whites and dash of salt and pepper, then pour in hot ingredients.  Sprinkle cheese overtop of the mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until you can insert a knife and pull it out clean.

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I honestly have no idea what took me so long to make one of these.  I’ve seen Kelly talk about making something similar on her blog and always made a mental note to follow suit, but I have the attention span of a gnat and I’m sure immediately replaced that thought with one containing a new pencil skirt or a bottle of wine.

Shockingly I managed to buy a new black pencil skirt last week.
And there’s a cold bottle of Sauv Blanc in my fridge.

Priorities.

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