Savory Mac & Cheese "Muffins" with Spinach

O............M..............G!!      LOOKEY WHAT I FOUND! 

Oh, how I love homemade macaroni & cheese! Unfortunately, I love it so much that I rarely make it for fear that I will lose all portion control abilities and end up eating far more than I planned. And then comes....The Mac & Cheese Muffin!! 

I'm so flippin excited right now - I can't pound my keyboard fast enough to get this out to you to share!!

These individual sized portions of creamy, cheesy pasta are the perfect solution to satiate your cravings without going overboard. Two of them for dinner with a side salad and you can be happily satisfied. 

I think one would also make a perfect side dish to chicken, beef or pork. There’s even spinach in these so you can feel good about getting in some veggies! Real, full fat cheese are used in these (at still only 4 WW Points+ per muffin that seemed worth it to me) but if you want to lighten them up further you could use reduced fat cheeses. These are made with sharp white cheddar and Gruyere but feel free to get creative and use any of your favorite cheeses instead! 

Re-Vamped Taco Salad (Healthy Style)

MMMMmmm Did someone say Tacos???????  I love, love, love tacos and it's been really hard for me to cut them out of my life. But NOT ANYMORE - Taco's here I come!! I found a great re-vamped taco recipe from a facebook page! Not just any old facebook page but a great one called Fit Life - Happy Wife (super cute name) Check it out if you get the chance, she has some great ideas! 

Anyhoo....Here is her recipe for Taco Salad (for one) 

Hearty Vegetable Lasagna - YUM!

This Veggie lasagna is VERY, VERY, VERY good!! I was skeptical at first because I really like my meaty lasagna, but with the mushrooms and the veggies,  I didn't even miss the meat! This is a super hearty version that I will definitely make again and again! If you add some spinach to the ricotta cheese, it makes it even better! 

Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

White beans mashed with ripe avocado and blended with sharp Cheddar and onion makes an incredibly rich, flavorful filling for this wrap. The tangy, spicy slaw adds crunch. A pinch (or more) of ground chipotle pepper and an extra dash of cider vinegar can be used in place of the canned chipotles in adobo sauce.  These would be great served with my Black Bean Salad and Homemade Tortilla chips.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Chili sauce and sesame oil add lively flavor to this easy stir-fry dish. It's a perfect solution for nights when there's no time to cook.

Roasted Fish and Veggies with Quinoa and Pine Nuts

This easy, colorful meal is roasted in a parchment-paper-lined pan to avoid the need for added oil. You can garnish the finished dish with cilantro and pine nuts, but a combination of basil and almonds or walnuts and parsley would be delicious as well. I have recently found that I LOVE the roasted Edaname (which is roasted soy beans) better than the pine nuts! Check out the health benefits of Quino HERE

How to make Roasted Tomato Sauce

'Tis almost the season for TOMATOES!! yayyyyyy -  I can't wait!! Unfortunately, I didn't grow a garden this year and that really stinks...BUT...I am going to enjoy the Farmers Market this year to support my local growers. And one of the easiest ways to preserve that great unique flavor of your summer veggies from the market or your own garden, is to make a basic, roasted tomato sauce that can be adapted later on when we have that craving for summer tastes in the winter time.  Roasted sauce requires very little effort and roasting the tomatoes brings out a layer of richness in taste that fresh tomatoes do not have. Make a huge batch and freeze it for later on for all your pasta recipes, Mexican recipes or slap it on a fresh crust of Italian bread. OH!!  I can't forget about the eggplant dishes!!  Great, speaking of Eggplant, now I want that!! Roma Tomatoes are the best for roasting because out of the tomato varieties, they have the least seeds. 

Almond Crusted Walleye

Fishing season is here!! Send your man out to catch dinner while you get ready to bathe these walleye in Parmesan cheese and fresh basil! It creates the perfect crust for this favorite freshwater fish. 

Triple-Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Poppers

 Fill your wrappers with pizza toppings, bake, and chew -- you'll never go back to those frozen things from Totino's... 

Wonton Taquitos

Mexican finger food at its finest -- crunchy, perfectly sized, and with an ideal calorie count at only 202 calories for 4 of these bad boys!! So good and SO easy to make! 

Devil-icious Egg White Salad

This super-creamy salad is lighter in labor AND lower in fat than traditional deviled eggs... Weeee! 

Curried Chicken Salad

Mmmmm... Curried Chicken...Need I say more?? 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt (like the kind by Fage or Chobani) 
• 1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise 
• 1 tsp. lemon juice 
• 1 tsp. curry powder 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 8 oz. cooked and roughly chopped skinless chicken breast 
• 1 cup halved red grapes 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 
• Optional seasoning: cayenne pepper 

Directions: In a large bowl, thoroughly mix yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, and seasonings. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Chill before chewing, or just gobble it up! MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Nutritional Info: 1/4th of recipe (about 1 cup): 147 calories, 4.5g fat, 378mg sodium, 11.5g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 17.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 4

Source: Hungry Girl

Bacon Egg White Salad

Pair the decadence of bacon with the virtuousness of egg whites, and BOOM! This recipe rocks hard... 

BBQ Veggie Pasta Salad

Grilled veggies, spirally noodles, crumbly feta cheese, and a BBQ ranch sauce!?! It's all true, people...it's under 300 calories!! yipeeeeee 

Fiery Tuna Salad

 Hot sauce + jalapeños + creamy tuna salad... It just works. Add a bunch of veggies, and get ready to chow down! 

Easy Salmon Cakes

If you are trying to boost your intake of omega-3s, try this simple favorite. It is a great way to use convenient canned (or leftover) salmon. The tangy dill sauce is fantastic!! 

Baked Mac & Cheese

Mac & cheese can be a true comfort on a gloomy day, and Eating Well's healthy update takes advantage of extra-sharp Cheddar balanced with creamy low-fat cottage cheese and tucks a layer of spinach into the middle, which may help picky eaters down their vegetables. Whole-wheat pasta adds robust flavor and extra fiber. With this recipe they Cut calories by 43%.... Cut total fat by 66%.... Cut saturated fat by 68% and added folate and fiber by adding spinach to increase nutrients. Low-fat milk replaces whole milk to cut down on fat and calories. Use whole-wheat pasta instead of refined white pasta to boost fiber. Replace some of the regular (full-fat) cheese with low-fat cottage cheese, which has great creamy texture.  Most recipes can be altered like this without losing flavor and adding calories! If you are sensative to wheat, you can also use Brown rice pasta :)

Healthy Boardwalk Chili Corndogs

Rachel Ray's Healthy Boardwalk Chili Corndogs

This is a great video from Food Network's Rachael Ray.  Like she says in the video, what else could make a corndog any yummier than a Chili Corndog!! 

Open Faced Meatball Sandwich

YES.......THIS IS UNDER 300 CALORIES!! WHOOO HOOOOO!! GO MEAT! 

Lasagna Cupcakes

These lasagna cupcakes are a big hit with the kids and they are great for parties!