Banana Crumb Muffins

Banana Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted

Crumb topping:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place 15 muffin liners in muffin cups.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

I am falling more and more in love with Six Sisters' Stuff. Especially since Sean and I started counting calories. They include the nutrition information on just about every recipe. Makes it so much easier for us to make sure we're eating good. And everything is easy and good. Awesome.

Anyway, these muffins are delicious. This recipe didn't include any nutrition information but I figured it out on my own. These have 124 calories and 9 g fat per muffin. Awesomer!!! I don't have a tool to "cut butter" so I just used a fork and it was alright. By the way, I think you're supposed to use cold butter for the crumb topping. And my muffins took a little longer to bake; about 23 minutes. The toothpick came out clean after 20 minutes but when I took a bite there was still some uncooked batter at the bottom. 

Eggs Benedict Casserole

Eggs Benedict Casserole

12 ounces Canadian bacon, chopped
6 English muffins, split and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 eggs
2 cups 2% milk
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE:
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions
1. Place half of the Canadian bacon in a greased 3-qt. or 13x9-in. baking dish; top with English muffins and remaining bacon. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and onion powder; pour over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375°. Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven heats. Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake, covered, 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near
the center comes out clean.

3. In top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over simmering water, whisk egg yolks, cream, lemon juice and mustard until blended; cook until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and temperature reaches 160°, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to very low. Very slowly drizzle in warm melted butter, whisking constantly. Serve immediately with casserole. Yield: 12 servings (1-2/3 cups sauce).

Nutritional Facts: 1 piece with about 2 tablespoons sauce equals 286 calories, 19 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 256 mg cholesterol, 535 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 14 g protein.

We loved this casserole! This was a great change-up! I've never made a Hollandaise sauce before and it didn't turn our perfectly but tasted great all the same. It's always fun for me to try new cooking techniques. Even the kids liked this recipe. Wahoo!

Baked Ravioli

Baked Ravioli
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 medium onion, chopped 
3 garlic cloves, minced 
Coarse salt and ground pepper 
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, or oregano 
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes 
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes 
2 pounds store-bought ravioli 
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
DIRECTIONS 
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a large 
saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and 
season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, 
until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. 
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up 
tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced 
to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted 
water just until they float to the top (pasta will continue to 
cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot. 
3. Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin 
dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with 
cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly 
before serving. Serves 6-8

This was great! I wasn't a fan of the whole tomatoes but that's just me. Easily changed. This is a great meal for kids too! And nice to find a good meatless meal.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Casserole

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Casserole

2 1/2 cups uncooked pasta (not quite the entire box- I used shells, but any kind would work! Whole wheat works great too)
2 cups broccoli (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 (16 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare pasta as directed on package. Remove from heat, drain water, and dump pasta in a large bowl.
If using fresh broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces and place in a microwaveable-safe bowl. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Microwave for 3-4 minutes or until it reaches your desired crunchiness. If using frozen broccoli, prepare according to directions on package. Once finished cooking, place broccoli in the bowl with the pasta.
Dump the chicken, alfredo sauce, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese into the bowl and mix with the pasta and broccoli. Season with garlic salt, basil, and salt and pepper.
Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick cooking spray and dump pasta/chicken mixture inside.
In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese together. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling.

I feel like this meal had a lot of potential. I always think I'm going to like bottled Alfredo sauce but I never do. Homemade would be so much better. I also used canned chicken and fresh would have been better. But I LOVED that bread crumb topping. Yum! 

Tip: When I made the Ranch pasta salad I cooked double the amount of pasta and stored half in the fridge until I made this casserole.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Casserole Recipe

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 Recipe total Servings 15
Calories 335
Total Fat 13.77 g
Saturated Fat 7.53g
Monosaturated Fat 4.32g
Polysaturated Fat 1.92g
Total Carbohydrate 26.2 g
Fiber 0.7 g
Sugar 0.5 g
Protein 22.5 g
Cholesterol 87.48 mg
Calcium 219 mg
Iron 2.17 mg
Potassium 227 mg
Sodium 330 mg
Zinc 1.7 mg
Thiamin 0.29 mg
Riboflavin 0.3 mg
Niacin 5.7 mg
Folic Acid 52.6 Ug
Vitamin B6 0.3 mg
Vitamin C 10.8 mg
Vitamin B12 0.9 Ug
Vitamin A 388 IU
Vitamin E 0.26 mg
Vitamin K 1.9 Ug
Points 8
Points Plus 8
*The nutritional values are determined by the total ingredients divided by the number of servings for each recipe. Serving sizes may vary. The formula used here for points was obtained from public sources and is an empirical match to Weight Watchers calculators, but it is not an "official" Weight Watcher's calculator.

Read more at http://myrecipemagic.com/recipe/recipedetail/chicken-and-broccoli-alfredo-casserole-recipe#Z0vabyoJbXl2fud8.99

Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad

Creamy Ranch Pasta Salad
1/2 box shell shaped pasta

1 head of broccoli, chopped

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 package mini pepperonis

8 Monterey Jack cheese sticks, cut into cubes

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 packed Ranch dressing, prepared as directed (about 1 cup prepared)

Directions:

Cook pasta shells according to directions on the box, being sure not to overcook because you don't want your pasta to be too soft.  Rinse pasta in cold water and drain.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, peas, pepperonis, cheese and carrots.  Fold in cooled pasta.  Pour prepared ranch dressing over the pasta and stir until evenly coated.  Keep refrigerated until served.

I loved this salad! Perfect for summer. You can never go wrong with Ranch dressing. I couldn't find Monterey Jack cheese sticks so I just used Cheddar cheese that I already had. You could easily substitute the pepperoni for bacon or ham too. Delicious! And low in calories! According to My Recipe Magic there's only about 100 calories and 6 g fat per 1/2 cup of salad.