Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Yum! Neither of us tasted the dill. This was really good!!!

Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Photo by ALB

A tablespoon of flour stabilizes the milk so that you can bring the sauce to a boil. The combination of onion and garlic powders plus fresh dill creates a flavor similar to ranch dressing.

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
3 slice applewood-smoked bacon
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1/3 cup condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup shredded six-cheese Italian blend (such as Sargento), divided
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray


Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done.

3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add 3/4C  Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

4. Preheat broiler.

5. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

CALORIES 497 ; FAT 17g (sat 9.2g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.4g); CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 368mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.7g; SODIUM 767mg; PROTEIN 33.3g; FIBER 2g; IRON 2.4mg

Cooking Light, MARCH 2010

15 Smart Points (my additions/subtractions at 4 servings)

Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Pork

D made this. Finally a fruit and meat dish we liked! You could tell it was homemade versus the Chinese Take-out, because it wasn't cloyingly sweet. We had with rice.

Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Serve a one-dish dinner loaded with fresh veggies, tender pork, and bold Asian-inspired flavor. A bed of coconut rice is an ideal accompaniment.

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided

1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, undrained

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup prechopped onion

1 teaspoon bottled minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup slivered green onions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Place almonds on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 4 minutes or until toasted. Set aside.

3. While almonds cook, combine pork, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce; toss well to coat. Drain pineapple in a sieve over a bowl, reserving juice. Combine juice, remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch, remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, and next 3 ingredients (through Sriracha), stirring with a whisk.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pork to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 cup onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in pineapple and bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with almonds and green onions.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

CALORIES 347 ; FAT 11g (sat 1.9g,mono 6g,poly 2.3g); CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 54mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.9g; SODIUM 582mg; PROTEIN 27g; FIBER 3g; IRON 2.5mg

Cooking Light, AUGUST 2009

Sausage and Pepper Calzones

D and I made these. The filling was fantastic. I used Pillsbury Pizza Crust as the dough (2 packages). Follow the cooking directions on the can for times. We both really liked this recipe.

Sausage and Pepper Calzones

Coat your fingertips with flour as you crimp the calzones to prevent the dough from sticking. Use mild Italian chicken sausage, if desired.

Dough:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided (about 12 1/3 ounces)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
Dash of sugar
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 2)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound chicken apple sausage (such as Gerhard's), cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce
1/4 cup 2% low-fat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

To prepare dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Gradually add 1 3/4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon oil, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir until a soft dough forms. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

To prepare filling, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and sausage; sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Spoon mixture into a bowl; cool slightly. Add mozzarella and remaining ingredients to sausage mixture; stir well.

Preheat oven to 450°.

Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 6-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spoon about 1/2 cup sausage mixture onto half of each circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold dough over filling; crimp edges of dough with fingers to seal. Place calzones on a large baking sheet lined with foil and coated with cooking spray. Pierce the tops of the dough once with a fork. Lightly coat the calzones with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 14 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Coat a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Place 1 calzone on coated side of foil; seal. Repeat procedure with remaining calzones and cooking spray. Place calzones in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; freeze.

Preheat oven to 450°.

To reheat, place foil-wrapped, frozen calzones on a large baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 calzone)

CALORIES 327 (30% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 3.5g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.6g); IRON 3.2mg; CHOLESTEROL 49mg; CALCIUM 124mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42g; SODIUM 680mg; PROTEIN 16.3g; FIBER 4g

Cooking Light, MAY 2007

Beef Chili with Bacon and Black Beans

So we liked this one. The flavor intensed as the week went on.

Beef Chili with Bacon and Black Beans

Yield: About 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10.
Source: Cooks Illustrated, March 2003.

Good choices for condiments include diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro leaves, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese.

If you are a fan of spicy food, consider using a little more of the red pepper flakes or cayenne--or both. The flavor of the chili improves with age; if possible, make it a day or up to five days in advance and reheat before serving. Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month.

8 ounces bacon (about 8 strips), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans , drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , with juice
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
table salt
2 limes cut into wedges

1. Fry bacon in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat, leaving bacon in pot. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and cayenne; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Chicken Curry

This was good, but missing something. I know they aren't comparable but I like Butter Chicken better. D said it was easy to make, and we had with broccoli. D thought it needed more vegetables in it.

Chicken Curry

1 tablespoon canola oil
3 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups green bell pepper strips (about 1 large)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
Lime wedges (optional)


1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes or until browned, turning once. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken mixture from pan. Combine juice, soy sauce, curry paste, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add juice mixture and coconut milk to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until slightly thick. Return chicken mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup chicken mixture and 3/4 cup rice)

CALORIES 402 ; FAT 10.2g (sat 5.2g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.5g); CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 33mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.4g; SODIUM 806mg; PROTEIN 34.7g; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 3.1mg

Cooking Light, MARCH 2010

Southeast Asian Fried Rice

D made this. He said it was easy. He really liked it. I thought it was bland, so I covered it in spicy chili garlic sauce.


Southeast Asian Fried Rice

Save leftover brown rice to prepare this take on a Thai-style stir-fried one-dish meal. A little bacon replaces the ham or pork that can sometimes appear in this preparation.

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste), divided
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 bunch green onions
2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
2 1/2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice
1/4 cup vertically sliced shallots
2 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (used a thigh)
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
Cooking spray
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
4 lime wedges (didn't use)


1. Combine first 4 ingredients, 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine eggs and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek in a bowl. Separate green tops from green onions, and diagonally chop; set aside. Cut green onion bottoms into 1-inch pieces; set aside.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling pan to coat evenly. Add rice; stir-fry 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer rice mixture to a large bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in pan. Add shallots to pan; stir-fry 30 seconds or until tender. Add chicken; stir-fry 1 1/2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add brown sugar mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute or until liquid thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Add chicken mixture to rice mixture.

3. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel; return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add broccoli and bell pepper; stir-fry 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, green onion bottoms, and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute or until fragrant. Add chicken mixture to pan, cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated; return chicken mixture to large bowl.

4. Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add egg mixture to pan, swirling to coat pan; cook 30 seconds or just until egg is set. Transfer egg to a cutting board; chop. Stir egg and bacon into rice mixture. Top with green onion tops; garnish with lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups rice mixture and 1 lime wedge)

CALORIES 438 ; FAT 16.3g (sat 3.7g,mono 6.7g,poly 4.3g); CHOLESTEROL 167mg; CALCIUM 98mg; CARBOHYDRATE 41.3g; SODIUM 786mg; PROTEIN 31.6g; FIBER 5.6g; IRON 3.3mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2010

Beef and Pinto Bean Chili

So D and I had this. I made it. It was easy. We both thought it was bland. And if you made it from the magazine, there wasn't an instruction to add back the beef. I used 2 different types of beef, sausage, bacon, and andouille. And still bland. Also, the "after-effects" are very noticeable. We both blew up different bathrooms.

Beef and Pinto Bean Chili

For a three-alarm chili, leave the seeds and membranes in the jalapeños. The sour cream has a cooling effect, but you can seed the peppers or use less for a milder result.

Cooking spray

1 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)

1/4 cup minced jalapeño peppers (about 2 large)

10 garlic cloves, minced

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (I used Happy Ending)

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Didn't use the following:

1/2 cup thinly sliced radish

1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped

6 tablespoons small cilantro leaves
6 tablespoons sour cream

6 lime wedges

1. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle beef evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cook until liquid almost evaporates (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Stir in paprika, cumin, and tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add broth, tomatoes, beans and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until mixture is thick and beef is very tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2. Ladle 1 cup chili into each of 6 bowls. Divide radish and avocado evenly among bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cilantro and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 421 ; FAT 23g (sat 6.8g,mono 10.9g,poly 2.6g); CHOLESTEROL 53mg; CALCIUM 123mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.4g; SODIUM 787mg; PROTEIN 21.6g; FIBER 8.5g; IRON 4.1mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2010