Meatball Subs

Quick Note: Very easy, very tasty--definitely a 'guy' recipe. I used extra lean ground beef (in an effort to be a little healthier). I'm sure you could also use lean ground turkey. I used pre-made marinara sauce, but I may try her sauce next time. I made more meatballs from the recipe than she does. They would be HUGE if they were divided as indicated below.

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup (3 handfuls), Italian bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons (several drops) Worcestershire sauce,
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano or Romano
Coarse salt and black pepper

5 Minute Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, (2 turns around the pan)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
A handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14 ounces) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Other ingredients

4 semolina crusty sub rolls, with or without sesame seeds 1 (10-ounce) bag
(2 1/2 cups) shredded provolone or Italian 4-cheese blend
Shredded basil (sweet) or shredded arugula (spicy) leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place ground sirloin in a large mixing bowl and punch a well into the center of meat. Fill well with the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, parsley, cheese, and a little salt and pepper.

Mix up meatball ingredients until well combined, yet not over-mixed. Divide mix into 4 equal parts, roll each part into 4 balls and space equally onto a nonstick baking sheet. Place meatballs in oven and roast about 12 minutes.

Break a meatball open and make sure meat is cooked through before removing from the oven.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed pepper. Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer until meatballs are removed from oven.

Combine meatballs and sauce and pile into sub rolls, 4 meatballs per sub. Top with shredded cheese and place under subs under broiler to melt cheese. Top with shredded basil or arugula.

Source: foodnework.com; Rachel Ray

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Quick Note: This has become a McGill household staple. Kevin requests this just about every time I ask "what would you like for dinner this week"? We have also just done the chicken part of the recipe, minus the pulling or the sauce. Another option (especially nice in non-grilling months) is to cook the chicken in the slow cooker with same rub ingredients. I tried this a few weeks ago and the chicken was very moist and easy to shred.

Ingredients

Chicken:
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
Cooking spray

Sauce:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses

Remaining ingredients:
8 (2-ounce) sandwich rolls, toasted
16 hamburger dill chips

Preparation

Prepare grill. To prepare chicken, combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 20 minutes or until a thermometer registers 180°, turning occasionally. Let stand for 5 minutes. Shred with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, heat canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar and next 5 ingredients (through pepper); cook 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup, vinegar, and molasses; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Place about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on bottom halves of sandwich rolls; top each serving with 2 pickle chips and top roll half.

Source: Cooking Light

Chicken and Summer Veggie Tostadas

Ingredients

1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
12 ounces chicken breast tenders
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup chopped zucchini (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup green salsa
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation
Preheat broiler.
Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over chicken. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, corn, and zucchini to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in salsa and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.

Working with 2 tortillas at a time, arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle each serving with about 3/4 teaspoon of remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.

Source: Cooking Light

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Quick Note: I was feeling cheap, so I used ham instead of prosciutto. I also don't know that the butter is necessary. I may try it without to lighten up the recipe a bit.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
5 teaspoons butter, melted
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 teaspoon paprika
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place broth in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave at high 15 seconds or until warm. Stir in butter and garlic. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and paprika in a medium shallow bowl; set aside.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt, oregano, and pepper. Top each breast half with 1 slice of prosciutto and 1 tablespoon mozzarella. Roll up each breast half jelly-roll fashion. Dip each roll in chicken broth mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place rolls, seam side down, in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour remaining broth mixture over chicken. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until juices run clear and tops are golden.

Source: Cooking Light

Chicken and Root Vegetable Potpie

Quick Note: This is a labor intensive dish, but it is great comfort food.

3 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
1 cup (1/2 inch) cubed peeled baking potato
1 cup (1/2 inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
1 cup (1/2 inch) cubed celery
1 (10-ounce) package frozen pearl onions
1 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bit-sized pieces
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 T chopped fresh thyme (I used dry)
1 1/2 t salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed

Preheat oven to 400.

Bring broth to boil in a large Dutch oven. Add peas and next 4 ingredients to pan; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes. Add chicken; cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl.

Increase heat to medium. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Place all but 1T flour into a medium bowl; gradually add milk to bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broth; cook for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in chicken mixture, parsley, thyme salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle remaining 1T flour on a work surface; roll dough into a 13x9-inch rectangle. Place dough over chicken mixture, pressing to seal at edges of the dish. Cut small slits into the dough. Coat dough lightly with cooking spray. Place dish on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 16 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is bubbly. Yield: 8 servings

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Taco Soup

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can ranch style beans
1 can pinto beans with jalapenos
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can white hominy
1 chopped onion

Brown ground beef. Add all other ingredients (don't drain any of the cans). Simmer 20 minutes. Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips or corn bread.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream.

Calories 354, Fat 14.1g, Protein 18.9g, Fiber 2.5g

(Source: Cooking Light)

Pan-Fried Chicken-and-Ham Parmesan

Note: Instead of serving the chicken with garlic herb pasta, I cooked whole wheat thin pasta and seasoned it with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and a little bit of olive oil. I'm sure either way is very tasty!

4 (6-oz.) skinned and boned chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 thinly sliced smoked deli ham slices (about 1/4 lb.)
4 (1-oz.) fresh mozzarella cheese slices
Garlic-Herb Pasta
Grape Tomatoes

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Whisk together egg and 2 Tbsp. water. Dredge chicken in flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in breadcrumbs, shaking off excess.

2. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Top chicken with ham and cheese.

3. Bake chicken in skillet at 350° for 8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve over Garlic-Herb Pasta; top with Grape Tomatoes.

Garlic-Herb Pasta: Cook 8 oz. vermicelli according to package directions; drain. Toss with 1/4 cup Garlic-Herb Butter. Season with salt to taste. Makes 4 servings.

Garlic-Herb Butter: Stir together 1/2 cup softened butter; 1 large garlic clove, pressed; 2/3 cup chopped fresh basil; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; and 1/4 tsp. salt until well blended. Use immediately, or cover and chill up to 3 days. For longer storage, form into a log or press into ice cube trays, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap; freeze up to 1 month. Makes 1/2 cup. Prep: 15 min.

(Source: Cooking Light)

Lazy Chicken

balsamic vinegar
chicken breast (thinly sliced)
olive oil
2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
montreal steak seasoning by McCormick
white wine (or broth)
28oz can of crushed tomatoes
10 leaves of fresh basil
2 sprigs of oregano
1/2 cup cheese

Splash each chicken breast with vinegar. Heat olive oil in a large pan (about one circle of oil around the pan). Brown chicken for about 2 minutes on each side. Remove chicken. Go once more around the pan with olive oil. Add a thin layer of potato and onion, sprinkle with montreal seasoning to taste. Let cook, turning occasionally. Add a couple of glugs of white wine. Top with chicken, pour crushed tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with herbs, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and potoatoes are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Optional: Thinly sliced squash and zuchinni is a good addition to this dish. Add this to the pan with the onion and potato.

(Source: Rachel Ray)

Turkey Chili

2lbs ground turkey (or extra lean ground beef)
28oz can of diced tomatoes, not drained
2 cans of dark red kidney beans, not drained (or black beans)
2 T chili powder
1/2 diced onion
2 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 T paprika
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 t cumin

Brown turkey, onion and garlic in a pan. Combine browned turkey and remaining ingredients in a crock pot and stir together. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Turkey Meat Loaf

2 lbs ground turkey breast
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 T dried oregano
3 T worcestershire sauce
2 T low-sodium soy sauce
2 t dried basil
1 t garlic powder
Cooking spray
1/4 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 400.
Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Place mixture in a 9x5 loaf pan coated in cooking spray. Top with 1/4 cup ketchup. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Yield: 6 servings.

Calories: 272 Fat: 3.5 Protein: 39 Carb: 20.4 Fiber 2.1

(Source: Cooking Light)