Crock Pot Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup. If you love a slow cooker recipe that requires no pre-cooking, then you'll love this spicy black bean soup. Spicy black bean and chicken soup with tomatoes, chiles, peppers and spices is delicious served with cool avocado and a touch of sour cream. Top it with cilantro for freshness and your taste buds will want to do a mariachi dance. This month I asked my facebook fans what kind of recipes they wanted to see more of in 2013 and Slow Cooker recipes topped the charts! Second place was main dish meals, so I've been keeping my slow cooker on my counter and have been keeping my promise! I must confess, it's harder to develop recipes in the crock pot.
I first made this with sauteed onions and there is no doubt in my mind it ruined the soup. This makes a nice amount of soup, perfect for freezing and reheating for a second night, or for lunch on the go. It's mildly spicy, not over the top. Ingredients: After it's done, remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Crock Pot Picadillo. Picadillo, a flavorful Cuban dish made with ground beef and a sauce made from simmering tomatoes, green olives, bell peppers, cumin, and spices is one of my family's favorite weeknight meals. Trust me on this one, if you want a recipe the whole family will love, this is it! I grew up on this dish and my friends used to love eating over when my mom made it for dinner. This was probably one of the first recipes I ever learned how to cook and I make it at least once a month, although usually on the stove.
(stove top version here) It's inexpensive, kid-friendly, freezer friendly and gluten-free. I knew this would adapt nicely for the slow cooker, and I was right! In fact, I think it's even better since the lean beef cooks longer and becomes very tender the longer it simmers. This makes a lot, so you'll get several meals out of it. Anytime you use ground beef in the crock pot, you'll need to brown it first on the stove. Set slow cooker to HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8. Crock Pot Picadillo Stuffed Peppers. Leftover picadillo and brown rice makes a super easy second meal, all in the crock pot.
Top it with melted cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese and you'll have a delicious dinner without much fuss. Each pepper is a complete meal-in-one. As I mentioned in my last post, we use leftover picadillo many ways in my home. Stuffed peppers are a great way to use leftovers and nothing goes to waste here – the tops of the peppers get diced and are added to the filling. The slow cooker is the perfect appliance for making stuffed peppers, I've also included oven directions below. When buying bell peppers for the slow cooker, I look for peppers that have flat bottoms that can stand upright on their own. You can double the recipe to make 6, which would fit perfectly in a 6 qt slow cooker. BTW, we love stuffed peppers in my home and I've posted other variations: Turkey Stuffed PeppersSanta Fe Turkey Stuffed PeppersChicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers and there's even a stuffed pepper soup.
Ingredients: Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese. Cheesy macaroni and broccoli are topped with bread crumbs and baked to perfection. Kid friendly, vegetarian and comfort food at it's finest. I first made this back in 2011, and it has since been very popular. Last week I made it again and updated the photos, I forgot just how good this is! This time I used rotini pasta, you can really use whatever shape you like. My step by step photos are still the original, so keep that in mind when you make this. It's perfect if you're craving macaroni and cheese but don't want to waste a days worth of calories in one meal. When I first made this, I used a Mexican blend of cheese, because it was all I had on hand, but since I've been making it with a sharp reduced-fat Cheddar such as 50% less-fat Cabot, in my opinion this is better with a sharp cheddar to really let the cheesy flavors stand out. To speed things up, I used pre-cut fresh broccoli.
Ingredients: In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Mushroom Stroganoff. A quick and easy meal, perfect for Meatless Mondays! A combination of Shiitake, Baby Portabella and Cremini mushrooms with noodles in a light creamy sauce. I played around with Mushroom Stroganoff a few times last week (until we were sick of it) for a Meatless Monday option. Now don't get me wrong, I love Beef Stroganoff, so for me it was a challenge to get the flavor of the beef without using any meat as well as keeping it creamy yet light. The bonus of making it without the beef is that you can eat more for less calories and fat. Using a variety of mushrooms gave nice textures and flavor and the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste helped give me some of that beef flavor I was looking for. I love Ronzoni Smart Taste noodles, I think they have the best taste but No-yolk and Healthy Harvest are also good options.
As a kid, I always topped my Stroganoff with grated Parmesan cheese. Ingredients: Directions: Add flour; stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds. Skinny Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting. What can be cuter than mini turkey meatloaves topped with skinny mashed potato "frosting". A family friendly meal everyone will love (and no one will guess there are vegetables hiding in the meatloaf)! I'm not sure where the original concept for meatloaf cupcakes was born, but I saw this idea on Home Cooking Rocks and I knew I wanted to make my own skinny version. Since my turkey burgers with zucchini are such a smashing success, I decided to make them with shredded zucchini. The mashed potato frosting is basically my skinny garlic mashed potatoes made with fresh thyme which really compliments the meatloaf. I highly recommend using double metal liners, they hold up well with the meat, and if you want to re-heat leftovers, you can simply take the metal part off and pop them in the microwave.
If you plan on making them and eating them right away, have the mashed potatoes ready so when the meatloaf is cooked, you can top and eat! Ingredients: For the Meatloaf Cupcakes: Makes 12. Skinny Buffalo Burger Quesadilla. 100% grass-fed buffalo burgers with melted cheddar jack cheese and pico de gallo wedged in between two whole wheat tortillas. This was inspired by a lunch I had at Applebee's, although this sandwich is far leaner!
Sure, you can make this with lean beef, turkey or even use veggie burgers, but I wanted a fun way to introduce my first buffalo recipe on Skinnytaste. Did you know that 100% grass-fed meat is leaner than grain-fed meat? The benefits of eating wild buffalo are that it's hormone-free and antibiotic-free, it tastes just like beef only sweeter and it's much leaner. Because the meat is so lean, you have to cook it for less time than you would a fattier ground beef burger or it will become dry and overcooked. You can make the pico de gallo yourself, but I cheated and used a pre-made organic brand for convenience. Ingredients: Form 4 flat patties, as thin as you can. Clean the pan and heat on medium heat. Mom's Spanish Chicken and Rice.
Chicken and rice, otherwise known as arroz con pollo is a delicious one pot meal the whole family will love. Arroz con pollo can be made so many different ways and also varies from country to country. In fact, I don't use a recipe when I make this, I just use whatever I have on hand so it may never turn out the same twice. This is my Mom's version, which I've lightened up and recently altered slightly. This recipe first appeared here in 2008 but was in desperate need of a new photo so I hope you enjoy it!
Mom makes her arroz con pollo with beer, green olives along with some of the brine for more flavor and she adds frozen mixed vegetables to it. Some of my Latin recipes you'll see "sazon" listed in the ingredients. It's perfectly fine to use the chicken on the bone, and yes, you can use white meat if you prefer however, I personally find white meat too dry in this dish for my taste. Ingredients: Place onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cilantro in a chopper or food processor to chop fine. Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili. One of my most popular recipes! This is the perfect slow cooker dish because you just dump all the ingredients in, turn it on and come back to the best tasting meal!
No prep, super easy, freezes well and the kids love it! We love it over rice, or served in a bowl with multi-grain chips, topped with reduced fat cheddar cheese or avocados. This makes a lot and it is even better the next day for lunch! Easy for leftovers – try these Chicken Taco Chili Stuffed Peppers! Crock Pot Chicken Taco ChiliSkinnytaste.comServings: 10 • Serving Size: about 1 cup • Points+: 5 pts • Smart Points: 5Calories: 209 • Fat: 3 g • Sat Fat: 0 g • Protein: 23 g • Carb: 26 g • Fiber: 7 gSugar: 4 g • Sodium: 867 mg • Cholesterol: 50 mg Ingredients: Crock Pot Chicken a la Criolla. Criolla (literally creole) is a Spanish word widely used to describe Caribbean or Hispanic cuisine. In this simple yet flavorful dish, boneless skinless chicken thighs are stewed in the slow cooker with bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, olives, cilantro and spices.
Served over rice, this is one tasty and inexpensive meal for 9 points plus! As promised, I played around with my crock pot last night making this easy yet flavorful dish which requires no pre-cooking on the stove. In most cases, I think it's always best to brown the chicken, onions and garlic in a skillet before adding it to a slow cooker because it adds a depth of flavor you just don't get when you skip that step. That being said, for this dish I didn't think it was necessary because it has so many aromatics, herbs and spices that flavor is not lacking. Because slow cookers tend to mute the flavors from the long cooking times on low heat, you should always taste it at the end and adjust the spices and salt if needed.
BLT Lettuce Wraps. Crispy reduced fat bacon, shredded lettuce and ripe diced tomatoes mixed with light mayonnaise wrapped in a crispy green iceberg lettuce cup. A low carb guiltless BLT! There is something about the flavor combination of a BLT that invokes childhood memories of sitting around mom's kitchen table, it's funny how the flavors of food can trigger a memory. Oh what I would give to be a kid for a day again. Back then we probably had it on white bread, but today I enjoy them just as much on a lettuce wrap, same great flavors without the bleached white bread. This is easy to make ahead for lunch on the go and perfect for Low Carb or Gluten Free diets. BLT Lettuce WrapsGina's Weight Watcher Recipes Servings: 1 • Serving Size: 2 lettuce wraps • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4Calories: 160.7 • Fat: 10 g • Protein: 10.8 g • Carb: 8.1 g • Fiber: 1.9 g • Sugar: 0.8 gSodium 505.8 mg Carefully remove 2 large outer leaves of a head of lettuce. Dice tomato and set aside in a bowl.
Add tomato... Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken. Although I wish I was still away on vacation in sunny Florida, I am happy to be home cooking my own healthy meals again. It's not always easy eating healthy on vacation or in the airport. This dish is fairly simple to make and the whole family will love it. I ate two pieces with the remaining broccoli on the side for a perfect meal.
Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed ChickenGina's Weight Watcher RecipesMakes: 9 pieces • Size: 1 piece • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 ptsCalories: 142 • Fat: 4.9 • Carbs: 4.8 • Protein: 19.4 Ingredients: 3 (24 oz total) large chicken breast halves1 large egg2 tsp water3/4 cup whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs2 cups broccoli floret, cooked, chopped small5 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese (I used Lacy Swiss)saltspray oiltoothpicks Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. Slice chicken breast halves into thin cutlets. Cut each slice of cheese in half. Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs. Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken. What happens when you combine Skinny Baked Jalapeño Poppers with chicken?? Oh yeah baby!! Cheesy stuffed chicken breast stuffed with diced jalapeño, cream cheese, cheddar jack cheese, scallions and bacon!
I basically deconstructed my jalapeño poppers and stuffed them into chicken and the results where mouth watering!! I used bread crumbs because I was out of panko, but I think seasoned panko would give these a wonderful crunch like I used on my Skinny Baked Jalapeño Poppers. I made the serving size a generous two pieces, so a simple vegetable, fiesta lime rice, or a salad on the side would make this a complete meal. Trust me, you won't want to stop at just one!
And those of you on Pinterest, if you want some Skinny Cinco De Mayo inspiration, check out my Cinco De Mayo board! Ingredients: Wash and dry chicken cutlets, season with salt and pepper. Combine cream cheese, cheddar, scallions, jalapeño and bacon crumbles in a medium bowl. Cauliflower Fritters. This is a delicious way to prepare cauliflower. It's similar to the taste of a potato pancake and makes a fabulous side dish – your kids will love them! My Sicilian friend Julia is a wonderful cook. I remember the first meal I ate in her NYC apartment; lamb chops and fried cauliflower which she calls broccoli a pasteta. She joked that day you can fry a sponge and it would taste good – she's probably right. These are a lightened version of her recipe, made with Pecorino Romano, parsley, egg, garlic, white whole wheat flour and just enough oil to saute them in a pan. Cauliflower FrittersSkinnytaste.com Servings: 8 • Size: 2 fritters • Old Points: 2 • Weight Watcher Points+: 3 pt Calories: 139 • Fat: 6 g • Carb: 14 g • Fiber: 4 g • Protein: 7 g • Sugar: 1 g Sodium: 269 mg • Cholest: 61 mg Ingredients: Steam the cauliflower in 2 1/2 cups water over medium heat until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Adapted from Julia's Healthy Italian. Skinny Baked Jalapeño Poppers. With Superbowl around the corner, these lightened up Jalapeño Poppers will make the perfect party appetizer. Jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese, coated with seasoned panko, then baked not fried. You won't miss the full fat version! This was another recipe request from one of my wonderful readers! You guys rock. Back to making these jalapeños, one important note when making these, wear gloves while handling the peppers.
These can be made ahead of time, then baked when ready to serve. Low-Fat Baked Jalapeño PoppersGina's Weight Watcher RecipesServings: makes 24 • Size: 2 poppers • Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 2 ptsCalories: 61.6 • Fat: 2.7 g • Protein: 4.2 g • Carb: 5.3 g • Fiber: 0.7 g Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cream cheese, cheddar and scallions in a medium bowl. Combine panko, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in another bowl. Fill peppers with cheese filling with a small spoon or spatula.
Dip peppers in egg beaters. Spray a baking pan with oil spray. Ground Turkey with Potatoes and Spring Peas. Loaded Turkey Santa Fe Baked Potato Skins.