One Step Macaroni and Cheese

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Meal Occasion: Lunch/Dinner
Makes 10 – 12 servings
Serving size 1 cup
Cost Per Serving: less than $1

Ingredients:
5 cups Great Value skim milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons Great Value sugar
1 tablespoon Great Value butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) package Great Value whole wheat elbow macaroni
Great Value salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Great Value reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven 350°F.
2. In bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and sugar.
3. In 2-quart oblong baking dish, combine remaining ingredients, reserving some cheese for later, if desired. Carefully pour milk mixture over macaroni and stir well.
4. Bake, covered, 60-65 minutes or until all liquid is almost absorbed. Uncover, add remaining cheese, and continue baking about 5 minutes more, or until cheese melts.

Tips:
• All in one dish with no boiling pasta—toss together, cover and bake.
• Make this recipe your own by using different Great Value cheeses, adding ground turkey, or chopped veggies.

Mac and Cheese-One Step and No Pot!

Shrimp Cheese Grits Casserole

This post was from awhile ago…but making for Christmas gang also!  I am exhausted! I had 30 wonderful kids with me all weekend as we all went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  My daughter, Haley, invited 30 of her friends from Wash U in St. Louis to come experience Mardi Gras for the first time.  Many had never even been to the South so of course I had to have lots of food!! We had 5 king cakes and I cooked our classic Louisiana dishes that feed a crowd. I made Shrimp and Cheese Grits from Freezer Friendly Meals, ahead of time and froze so I didn’t have to spend hours in the kitchen when everyone got there.  I also had to make our favorite appetizers kids love to dig into – Hamburger Dip and Super Salsa…both with only a few ingredients and so easy. Of course they were gobbled up! It was a whirl-wind weekend full of fun but good to be back in my routine too!

Shrimp and Cheese Grits for a House Full

Marinara Sauce

My daughter-in-law, Sana, mentioned the other day that she was craving a red sauce so she pulled out my trim&TERRIFIC Diabetic Cooking cookbook and made the Marinara Sauce. She served it over angel hair pasta and said it was the best marinara sauce she had ever had! She keeps telling me that Diabetic Cooking is her favorite cookbook as it has mainstream ingredients – easy to use even in her New York apartment. This Marinara Sauce is so easy and delicious – nothing beats homemade marinara and it’s so versatile! Serve over pasta or add eggplant or ground meat.

Marinara Sauce from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Diabetic Cooking Cookbook

Jars of marinara sauce stock the grocery shelves, however, nothing beats a rich robust homemade marinara sauce.  This quick to make recipe is as easy as opening up cans and adding Italian seasonings.  Try cutting up some zucchini or eggplant in the sauce.  Serve over pasta.

Makes 12 1/2-cup servings

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/3 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup water, chicken or vegetable broth

1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 bay leaf

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Pinch sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté onion, celery, carrots, and garlic over medium heat 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil, bay leaf parsley, sugar and salt and pepper.

2. Bring to boil, reduce heat, continue cooking 15 minutes longer.  Add more broth if mixture gets too thick.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

Terrific Tidbit:  This freezes well in individual freezable plastic containers, so you can pull it out and defrost as needed.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 46, Calories from fat (%) 0, Fat (g) 2, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 335, Carbohydrate (g) 9, Dietary Fiber (g) 2, Sugars (g) 5, Protein (g) 2, Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 carbohydrate

Marinara Sauce-Easy and Diabetic Friendly

If you have never roasted vegetables before you are in for a treat.  Not only do I consider roasting a time-saver, but also it intensifies the natural rich flavor of the veggies.  I always line my baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up!  Now, here’s my ultimate quick tip-just use frozen chunky vegetables so there’s no chopping.  I like the Great Value California Stir-Fry-I find the stir-frys have larger chunkier vegetables.  So, put on the veggies and start the pasta and your meal is complete.  Be sure to try whole wheat pasta for a nutritional boost in your meal.  Watch Holly prepare recipes to solve your daily dinner decision.

Roasted Vegetable Primavera with Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Meal Occasion: Dinner
Makes 6 servings
Serving size 1 cup
Cost Per Serving: less than $2

2 (16-ounce) Great Value frozen California style vegetables, defrosted
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon Great Value minced garlic
3 tablespoons Great Value olive oil
Great Value salt and pepper to taste
1 (8-ounce) package Great Value penne (whole wheat)
3 tablespoons grated Great Value Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Great Value dried basil leaves

Instructions:
1.Preheat oven 450°F.
2.Line baking sheet with foil. Spread defrosted vegetables, tomatoes, and garlic on baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in oven 35–40 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. 
4.Ladle out about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain pasta and add to pan, mixing with vegetables and basil.  Add reserved pasta cooking water for more sauce, if desired.  Sprinkle with Parmesan, toss well.

Tips:
•Easy clean up—always line your pan with foil.
•Set aside some of the pasta water – add to the dish if the sauce seems dry.

Roasted Vegetable Primavera and Pasta-What a combination!

Chicken Orzo Salad from Holly Clegg’s trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites

Makes 12 (1/2-cup) servings

This is one of those main dish entree salads that I make on television for a mouth-watering enticing recipe or I prepare at home when I want a delicous easy to make salad…sometimes you want something hearty yet light and this recipe fulfills all my requests.  And, anyone that knows me, knows I think Rotessiere chicken was the greatest invention ever…making this salad an easy toss together meal.  I always keep a bag of frozen edamame in my freezer as I love the crunch (and nutrition) it adds to any recipe…and what could be bad when you toss in sun-dried tomaotes and feta?  I can’t wait for you to try this easy, healthy and delicious recipe!!

Featuring chicken, edamame, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta, this fantastic, marinated light pasta salad combines bold flavors with great ingredients.

2 cups orzo pasta
2 cups diced, rotisserie, skinless white chicken
1 cups frozen peas, thawed, or shelled edamame
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, reconstituted, reserving 1/3 cup water from reconstituting tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons Nakano seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain.
2. In large bowl, combine orzo, chicken, edamame, green onions, feta, cucumber, tomatoes, dill.
3. In another bowl, whisk together reserved sun dried tomato water with remaining ingredients.
4. Toss with orzo mixture. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Calories 300, Calories from fat (%) 18, Fat (g) 13, Saturated Fat (g) 5, Cholesterol (mg) 26, Sodium (mg) 148, Carbohydrate (g) 42, Dietary Fiber (g) 6, Sugars (g) 4, Protein (g) 29, Diabetic Exchanges 2 starch, 3 vegetable, 1.5 fat

Terrific Tidbit:  To reconstitute the tomatoes, pour 1 cup boiling water over them and let sit for 15 minutes or until soft.

Chicken Orzo Salad