Cheddar Baked Chicken

Recipe from: Keeping up with the Joneses

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1Tbsp milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup crispy rice cereal
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
2 Tbsp butter, melted (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In three separate bowls, or containers, mix the following together:
Bowl 1 - flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder
Bowl 2 - egg and milk
Bowl 3 - cheese, breadcrumbs, cereal
3. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into a baking dish to coat
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. Then dip in the egg mixture. And press into the cheese-cereal mixture. You'll start to hear snap-crackle-pop!!
5. Arrange them in the baking dish.
6. Optional: pour over 2 Tbsp melted butter before baking
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and juices run clear.

**This was so easy and so delicious. The next time I would add a little bit of spice to spice it up, but it was great as is. I served with green beans and a baked sweet potato.

Chicken Spaghetti

Recipe from: Natasha at A Day in the Life

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts--boil in water to cook and then cut up into small pieces (or I cooked mine in the crock-pot for a few hours covered in Rotel then shredded)
8-10 oz. of spaghetti--cooked in water that chicken was boiled in (I broke mine into 3 inch pieces)
1 can Rotel
1 lb. Velveeta (1/2 a block)
3 tbsp. worcheshire
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp of butter

Directions:
Mix all the above ingredients together and bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins or until bubbly.

**This was super easy and very delicious. We will be having this again. :)

Beef & Cheese Foldover

Recipe from: Kendall at Keeping Up with the Joneses

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Garlic powder, to taste
Salt & pepper
1 cup frozen corn (I used canned Whole Kernal Corn)
1/4 cup ketchup
2/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 pie crust
Cooking spray
1 cup Mexican style shredded four cheese blend
1/2 tsp parsley flakes
Optional toppings: salsa and sour cream

Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 375. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray and carefully unroll the dough in the center.
2. Chop the onion.
3. Season the beef with garlic powder, salt and pepper (as much as you like).
4. Add the onions and cook until no longer pink.
5. Combine the barbecue sauce, ketchup and corn in a large bowl.
6. Drain the ground beef.
7. And stir into the bowl.
8. Spread into the center of the dough, allowing room for you to fold the edges up around the sides.
9. Bake for 20 minutes, spread with cheese, and bake for 5 more minutes.
10. Sprinkle with parsley flakes.

**The pie crust makes this amazing! Fred also topped his slice with Ranch dressing. We really enjoyed this.

Spicy Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 eggs, beaten
12 lasagna noodles, cooked, rinsed and drained - I used 9 noodles ...because they come 18 to a pack and I had made lasagna before...if you use 12 what are you going to do with the other 6?!?! But I did not adjust the other ingredients and it worked out just fine

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix first 3 ingredients; combine 1/2 cup (I put about 3/4 a cup with the other ingredients) with chicken, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and eggs. Spread 1/4 cup onto each noodle; roll up.
3. Spread 1/2 cup of the remaining sauce mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish (I used a 9x9 square baking dish since I only had 9 roll ups); cover with lasagna rolls (seam-sides down), remaining sauce mixture and mozzarella.
4. Bake 25 min. or until heated through.

Chicken Taco Soup

Recipe from: All Recipes and my dear friend, Leslie

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:
1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

**It was absolutely amazing. I used the "Hot" rotel and "Hot" taco seasoning to make it spicier. Very easy and very good!

Silk's Mint Chocolate Soy Milk

Are you looking for a taste of the holidays, but you don't want to drink away your calories? Well, look no further. For just 90 calories, you can have one serving of Silk's Mint Chocolate Soy Milk.This tastes like a cold peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks. It's that yummy! Give it a try!

Holiday Cocktails

You don't have to drink your calories this Christmas season. Here are some fabulous drinks to help you keep your figure rather than putting on the pounds:

Reindeer Tracks

Ingredients
2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka
1 oz. hazelnut liqueur
1/2 oz. crème de cacao
Splash of cream
2 chocolate cookie wafers, crushed

Preparation
Rim a martini glass with chocolate cookie crumbs and set aside. Shake Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka, hazelnut liqueur, crème de cacao and cream over ice and pour into the glass. Dust top with more chocolate cookie crumbs.


The swap: Instead of using cookies, try crushed hazelnuts or low-fat graham crackers. You can also substitute 2% milk or half-and-half for the “splash of cream.”

The save: 108 calories and 7.5 grams of fat

Eggnog Martini

Ingredients
2-1/2 oz. eggnog
1 oz. Van Gogh Vanilla Vodka
3/4 oz. amaretto

Preparation
Combine ingredients in shaker and shake with ice. Strain into chilled martini glass. Dust with freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon.


The swap: Instead of eggnog, use 1/4 cup of 2% milk combined with 2 Tbl. of bourbon with a dash of freshly grated nutmeg (or simply buy a low-fat eggnog!).

The save: 22 to 44 calories

’Tis the Season Sangria
Serves: 8

Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
Cinnamon stick
750 ml red wine
1 oz. Cointreau
6 oz. sparkling water
4 oranges, thinly sliced, for garnish
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced, for garnish
1/2 lime, thinly sliced, for garnish
1/2 Pippin or Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced, for garnish
20 grapes, green and red, for garnish

Preparation
Place sugar, water, orange and lemon juices, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Pour red wine, Cointreau, and sparkling water into a punch bowl. Remove cinnamon stick from the syrup, then pour into punch bowl. Float fruit on top. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

The swap: Use agave nectar, which dissolves easily and is low on the glycemic index, and honey or a low-cal sugar alternative like Splenda to sweeten. (Or, you could just cut back on the amount of sugar!).

The save: 193 calories

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie

Ingredients
3/4 oz. Partida Blanco Tequila
1 oz. peppermint schnapps
3/4 oz. Godiva Liqueur
1-1/2 oz. cream
Chocolate syrup and candy canes for garnish

Preparation
Rim martini glass with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes. Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into glass.

The swap: Use 2% milk instead of cream, and unsweetened cocoa powder (or sugar-free chocolate syrup) instead of chocolate sauce.

The save: 152 calories and 15 grams of fat!