Food really is my favorite subject to talk about, other than music. So I decided to write about some recipes I have tried from blogs I have come across and give my opinion. I am determined to become healthy inside and out and I welcome as many people around me to join me. That being said, since I eat a lot of my dinners with my boyfriend, I am somewhat forcing him to eat healthier. At first he wasn’t thrilled at the idea but once I told him what we could eat (burgers, meat loaf, pasta, fries, etc) and just make small changes he was more willing to try. Here are some recipes we have tried recently. Keep in mind we are both young and on budgets so not only am I on the search for healthy, but cheap as well! The good thing about most of these recipes is they provide leftovers to eat during the rest of the week.
PS sorry I haven’t taken my own pictures, my camera is busted. So I will have to use the pictures off the blogs I got them from .
Skillet Lasagna
I got this recipe from one of my favorite recipe blogs Budget Bytes. Her recipes are so good, easy and cheap! She even puts a pricing chart of everything she uses so once you get the basics, you start saving big time!
Keep in mind this makes A LOT of food, Kevin and I had leftovers for probably 3 or 4 dinners after we ate this the first night. I didn’t mind though because this is one of those foods that tastes better as leftovers after everything has marinated into each other. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
When we went shopping for this meal I was planning on buying whole wheat noodles and not telling him. But when we got it he said, “Um those are brown” and I said, “I know they are whole wheat!” His response was sticking his tongue out and making and icky sound. However, when he tried it he couldn’t even taste a difference other than whole wheat noodles taste heartier and are more filling! It made me really happy.
Here is the recipe. (You can go Here to see her step by step pictures.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic
1.25 lb Sausage (She used a sweet sausage, we used a spicy sausage)
1/2 Cup Red Wine (optional-we didn’t have it so we didn’t use it)
3 oz. Tomato Paste
1 (15 oz.) can Diced Tomatoes (You can use ones seasoned or not)
1/2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 Cup Water
8 oz. Pasta (We just used the whole bag)
15 oz. Ricotta Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
3 Cups baby spinich (optional)
STEP 1: Mince the garlic and cook it with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until softened (2 minutes). Squeeze the Italian Sausage from it’s casing into the skillet. Break it up and cook until thoroughly browned.
STEP 2: Add the wine and tomato paste to the skillet. Cook and stir for about two minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and a 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low.
STEP 3: As the sauce simmers on low, cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes or until al dente). Drain the pasta in a colander.
STEP 4: Stir the drained pasta into the sauce. Add the fresh spinach and stir in until wilted.
STEP 5: In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, a dash of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir until everything is evenly combined. Drop the ricotta cheese mixture onto the sauce and pasta by spoonfuls. Sprinkle one cup of shredded mozzarella over top and cover with a lid (or foil) to allow the cheese to melt (about 5-10 minutes, heat should still be on low). Serve hot!
I strongly suggest trying this! It makes tons of leftovers and it’s like a healthier hamburger helper, but tastier!
Another recipe we tried and LOVED is from one of my other favorite blogs Girl Meets Life
Cheesy Turkey Bacon Meatloaf
This was so good, the sauce on top was caramelized and somewhat sticky which was so delicious! And once I mentioned “bacon” and “meatloaf” Kevin was interested. This is a very simple and cheap recipe to make and we had leftovers too!
You can visit the original recipe page Here.
meatloaf ingredients:
1 package (about 1.3 lbs) lean ground turkey meat
2-3 slices whole grain bread (We used 3/4 Cup Bread Crumbs)
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese (We didn’t have this so we used 3/4 Cup Shredded Mexican Cheese)
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
generous dash Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic (or 2 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil (for sauteeing veggies)
topping/glaze ingredients:
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toast the bread in the toaster oven. Put the toasted bread into the food processor and pulse until you have breadcrumbs. Set breadcrumbs aside.
3. Sautee the pepper, onion, and garlic with olive oil over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until cooked through.
4. Place all of the loaf ingredients (**except for the Laughing Cow cheese**) in a large bowl and combine well (you’ll have to get your hands dirty!)
5. Spray a loaf pan or casserole dish with nonstick spray and put mixture into the pan.
6. Slice each cheese wedge into thirds. Stick each piece of cheese (6) throughout the turkey mixture, pressing it into the middle of the loaf. Try to seal the “holes” so the top of the meatloaf is flat again. (I just mixed the cheese in with the meatloaf because we didn’t have the laughing cow cheese)
7. Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl, and spread the mixture evenly over the top of the meatloaf.
8. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, and slice to serve.
This is only 200 calories a serving can you believe that?! And it is so tasty!
Hint: Take out halfway through and drain the grease out because I forgot and had to do it at the end. You may still need to do it again at the end. Unless you have one of those fancy schmancy ones that bakes on a rack in the dish!
We paired this with some roasted potatoes seasoned with Mrs. Dash (Salt free!) and some Garlic Powder and Pepper. We also had a salad with it too so it was very fulfilling!
