Easy Mac & Cheese

from WeightWatchers.com

3 cups uncooked pasta, small pieces (i.e. elbow)

1/8 tsp. table salt, for pasta cooking in water

2 cups fat-free skim milk

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp table salt

3/4 tsp onion powder

1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, sharp variety

1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, or more to taste

POINTS: 6

Servings: 6 - 1 cup servings

Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water according to package directions; drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, while pasta cooks, in a large saucepan, whisk together milk, flour, salt and onion powder until blended. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cheese and hot sauce. Add sauce to pasta; toss to mix and coat. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

My girls and daycare kids gobbled this up! I used whole-wheat small shell noodles and instead of 3/4 tsp of onion powder (I didn't have any) I used 1/4 tsp. garlic powder and a few sprinkles of black pepper. Oh, and I omitted the hot pepper sauce. I had a small bite of this before the kids ate it up and it was pretty good. Definitely creamy! I know I will make this again because it was easy and they are ingredients that I have on hand! This sure beats the boxed version of Mac & Cheese and is A LOT healthier!

Creamy Chicken & Pasta Bake

1-1/2 cups multi-grain rotini pasta, uncooked
1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth
2 oz. Neufchatel cheese, cubed
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 3 minutes. Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Add Neufchatel cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 minute or until melted. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella. Drain pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into a baking dish (I use a 9X13 glass cake pan); cover. Bake 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 3 minutes or until melted. Let stand 5 minutes.

6 - 1 cup servings
Serving is 6.3 points

This is a yummy dish. My kids love it and so do I! This is another Kraft recipe.

Taco Salad Bowls

4 whole wheat tortillas
cooking spray
taco seasoning
1 large onion (diced)
8 oz. lean ground turkey
1 cup beans (kidney, black, pinto, etc)
2-1/2 tsp Chili powder
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp Salsa, divided
2 Tbsp light miracle whip
4 cups torn salad greens
1 large tomato
shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Crumple 4 large sheets of foil to make four 3-inch balls; place on baking sheet. Place 1 tortilla on top of each ball; spray tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with taco seasoning. Bake 6-8 minutes or until tortillas are golden brown. (tortillas will drape over the balls as they bake.)

Meanwhile, saute the onion in a large nonstick skillet. Then add meat, beans, and chili powder and cook until meat is done (stirring occasionally). Add 1/2 salsa; cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Mix miracle whip and remaining 2 Tbsp. salsa in a large bowl. Add salad greens and tomatoes; toss to coat. Spoon salad mixture into tortilla bowls; top with meat mixture, cheese (optional) and cilantro (optional) (point value doesn't include cheese).

This one is kind of tricky to give you a points value for. You can really mix it up to get a lower point value depending on how many points you want it to be. BUT it's about 6 points per bowl.

The meat mixture is about 14 points. I didn't measure it this time but I'm guessing it makes about 10 - 1/2 cup servings (5 cups). So if you fill your taco bowl with lots of lettuce and top
it will 1/2 cup of meat it could be less than 6 points. I also use the Don Pancho High Fiber Low Carb Low Fat wraps and they are only 1 point per wrap. So that can bring the points down too. I generally don't put cheese on mine because it adds more points than I want. This is all sounding really complicated but it's not. Let me know if you have any questions and I will try and help out.

I've had fun with this recipe and am still trying to master making the perfect taco bowl. I put my tin-foil balls into a bag and store them so when I make the recipe time and time again, I'm
not needing to make the balls each time. Also, you can get creative with the spices that you use to season your tortillas. I've enjoyed the taco seasoning but you could use chili powder, season salt, etc. We enjoy this dinner! I make this for "Taco Night" a couple times a month and it doesn't ever disappoint.