Ultimate Recipe Swap - Weight Watchers Easy Enchiladas

Fishmama at Lifeasmom.com is hosting her weekly recipe swap and with Labor Day weekend upon us, she's focusing on recipes you can use to feed a crowd.

One of my favorite crowd recipes is for Weight Watchers Easy Enchiladas, but I usually don't make them into enchiladas for a crowd! I just cook what would be the filling of the enchiladas and then let people put it on tortillas or chips, whatever their stomachs desire. This can easily serve 8 -10 people depending on how big their appetites are.

Here's how to make this Weight Watchers Easy Enchiladas filling!

Ingredients:

2 teaspooons of oil (I only keep Olive Oil at my house for cooking)

1/2 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped (whatever color suits your taste buds)

6 scallions, sliced

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup canned stewed tomatoes

3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the sausage, bell pepper and scallions, stirring frequently to break up the sausage, until browned. Add the chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, beans, chickpeas and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

When it comes time to eat, I usually have the stove on low and leave the pot with the filling there and let people serve themselves. Have various types of tortillas available along with whatever condiments (cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.) that you think your guests would like on their 'enchiladas.'

Everyone I've ever served this to has absolutely loved it! It's a healthy alternative to the typical beef or chicken 'taco.'

Corn Salsa Recipe

I mentioned this Corn Salsa in a post I made earlier about my Hoppin' John Stew. A friend suggested that I make it again to take to MOPS today and I granted her wish. It took me two trips to the grocery store to get the ingredients because I forgot to get the corn on my main grocery trip so I had to take the children into the commissary with me to grab a couple of cans.

Corn Salsa

(Adapted from a recipe in Southern Living's Christmas Cookbook)

2 Cans Rotel Tomatoes (mostly drained)

1 Can Whole Kernal Corn (drained)

1/2 Green Pepper (chopped)

1/2 Onion (chopped)

Juice from 1 Lime

Salt, Cumin and Cilantro to taste (I like lots of cilantro)

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate a few hours before serving to let flavors gel. Serve with Corn chips or Tortilla chips. It's addictively delicious!

New Year's Recipe

I had some of my friends over on New Year's Day for dinner. 4 adults (1 spouse was home sick) and 7 kids under 6 (1 kid was home with the sick spouse). It really was a super good time. The adults just stood around the kitchen grazing and chatting and occasionally intervening to bring peace between 2 kids. It was my favorite kind of laid back get together!

On the menu was Chili, Hoppin' Johns Stew, Corn Salsa, Strawberry Pretzel Dessert, Peach Pie, and a yummy Vegetable Crescent roll dish that a friend brought. Oh and I steamed up a few of my FBC Tamales.

The sick spouse who wasn't able to make it let me know that we had to have Black-eyed peas since that's a southern New Year's tradition. I'm not a big fan of Black-eyed peas because I think they're somewhat bland on their own, but when I came across this recipe in my latest Southern Living mag I decided it looked yummy and I would give it a try. It really turned out delicious so I'm going to share it with you!

Hoppin' John Stew

1 Tbsp Butter
1 Cup Chopped Smoked Ham
1 Med. Onion, chopped
2 (15 oz.) cans Black-eyed Peas, drained and rinsed
2 (10 oz.) cans Diced Tomatoes with green chiles, undrained (Rotel)
1 Cup Frozen Corn (I used a can)
1 Tsp. Sugar
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro

Melt butter over medium heat; add ham and onion, and saute 3-5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in black-eyed peas and next 3 ingredients. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirriing occasionally, 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cilatro.

The actual recipe recommends being served over cheese grits. I think this would be delicious, but didn't make grits. It was yummy on its own!

My Corn Salsa was delicious, too, so maybe I'll post that recipe some time, too.

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

I make Crock Pot Mac and Cheese for just about every potluck I go to. It's easy and is usually a crowd pleaser. Today's was one of my personal favorites even though I only got a few pieces off of the bottom after everyone had been through the line tonight.

To achieve Crock Pot Mac and Cheese greatness, here's what you need:

*I typically double this recipe because I take it to large pot lucks

8 oz Uncooked Elbow Macaroni

1 1/2 c Milk

1 stick melted butter

3 c Shredded Cheese

2 Eggs, beaten

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook Elbow Macaroni to desired tenderness

Spray crock pot with cooking spray

Put all ingredients in the crock pot

Cook on low 3 -4 hours

Today, I used one bag of Mexican blend cheese because it was all I had left in the freezer. I think it actually added a little additional flavor with the spices already in the cheese.

I also used evaporated milk instead of regular milk because I didn't realize until I already had the macaroni in the crock pot that I had used all my milk yesterday! I think this helped it be a little more creamy and rich.

Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. Everyone raves about this every time I take it so I guess that means it's pretty good or else they don't eat good Mac and Cheese in El Paso!

Two New Recipes

Today was a MOPS day and one thing that I love about MOPS days is that I almost always try out a new recipe. That way if I don't like whatever it is that much or it's very fattening and I don't want it sitting around the house, I can always pass it off to my guinea pig friends. Today I hit 2 home runs. One is a good Weight Watcher Recipe; The other not so much!

Grits Casserole

1 Cup Grits
1/2lb grated cheese
1 small can green chilis
2 Eggs
Salt, Pepper, Garlic to taste

Prepare grits according to box directions

Combine all ingredients with Grits. Place mixture in greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 until 'firm.'


Weight Watchers Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

*The original recipe calls for making your own Graham Cracker Crust, but I used a store bought Graham Cracker Crust and it worked just fine!

2 Egg Whites
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp Table Salt
2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Fat Free Evaporated Milk
4 Tbsp Whipped Topping

Using an electric mixer, whip egg whites until they're frothy. Fold in remaining ingredients and then beat until smooth. Pour mixture in Graham Cracker Crust. Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Top each serving with whipped topping.

Makes 8 3point Servings.

Hope you enjoy these!

Almost Heaven...West Virginia

Today's post is an ode of sorts to West Virginia. You might not know this, but my family hails from the southwestern part of WEST Virginia. This might explain some of my hillbilly or redneck tendencies :o) Did you know there are people in the United States who still don't understand that Virginia and WEST Virginia are 2 different states? Imagine it!

Nonetheless, today West Virginia University is playing Auburn University at 6:45pm CT. When I saw this game on the schedule, I knew exactly what Jenna Beth was going to have to do....1/2 day she'd be a Mountaineer, 1/2 day (game time) she'll be a Tiger! So here's the cute little Mountaineer.

Even more funny is that while I was trying to take her pictures in this outfit, but my grandmama called from West Virginia about a recipe exchange email I sent her. She was concerned that the way the exchange worked, not many people would get her Garlic Cheese Biscuit recipe so I assured her I'd post it here for all the world to see! She's a great cook, so I can guarantee that these will be delicious.

Bernice's (not Berneese) Garlic Cheese Biscuits

Melt about 1/3 c of Margarine with 1-2tsp of Garlic Powder

Combine:

2 c Biscuit Mix (she uses Jiffy Baking Mix )

About 2/3 c - 1 c Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Dash of Garlic Powder

Enough Buttermilk to wet the dry ingredients (about 1 c)

Drop by Teaspoonsful onto greased cookie sheet, an inch or 2 apart. Bake at 400 until brown (10 - 12 Minutes). Using a pastry brush, brush the top of biscuits with the Butter/Garlic mixture as soon as removed from oven.

PS - Sometimes she even adds shredded pepperoni to the biscuits.

A note about my grandmama - - I'm not sure she measures anything precisely. Once when I was making a frozen pizza at her house, I pulled the pizza out of its wrapper and put it on a pan to put in the oven and she looked at me like I was crazy and said "Aren't you going to add more cheese and pepperoni to that?" She's the queen of doctoring packaged foods to her taste. My brother who wouldn't touch a vegetable other than spinach as a teenager convinced her once that pizza is a balanced, nutritious meal.

Maybe one day she'll let me share her Chicken and Dumplings recipe with you.