** This blog will still remain available to search for recipes that I've previously posted, I just won't have any new content from here on out. **
Join me on my family blog! {Final Blog Post}
The time has come. I am no longer on Weight Watchers and don't have the time to keep up my cooking and food blog in a way I wish I could. While this makes me quite sad I'm happy to say that I'll continue posting recipes on my family blog, the Simmworks Family Blog. So if you follow me here please make sure to bookmark the Simmworks Family Blog to read more recipes, DIY crafts, tips for green living and more!
Meatloaf Muffins {6 WW+ Dinner}
I love cute food. And these meatloaf muffins are pretty darn cute. I mean, they're small, they're colorful and they taste amazing. I've noticed that when I make our meals in smaller portions my kids seem to enjoy them a lot more and eat more than they normally would. So anything that I can convert from a normal, larger size to muffin tin size is awesome.
A few years back I made some meatloaf muffins and blogged about them but they weren't anything special. And since I love meatloaf I wanted to play with one of my favorite recipes a bit and tweak it to make me happy. Well this recipe has done it! Not only do my kids love these meatloaf muffins, I love them too! And the smaller size isn't just great for the kids, it means portion control for me
Meatloaf Muffins
Preheat oven to 350 and take out muffin pan. Saute onions, peppers, & garlic until tender. Add Italian seasoning & stir. Set aside to cool.
Place ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, egg, panko & cheese in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add in the cooled veggies and mix in. Form 12 small balls of mixture and place each ball in muffin well (balls will be roughly 1-1 1/2" in diameter).
Bake meatloaf muffins for 18-20 minutes. While muffins are cooking mix together ketchup, mustard & sugar. Once the 18-20 minutes are up take the muffins out of the oven and top with ketchup mixture. Put the muffins back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Let rest 3-5 minutes before serving with your favorite sides and veggies.
Serves 6 | 3 WW+ Points per muffin
Nutritional Info: 115 calories, 7g carbs, 5g fat, 12g protein, 1g fiber, 171g sodium
A few years back I made some meatloaf muffins and blogged about them but they weren't anything special. And since I love meatloaf I wanted to play with one of my favorite recipes a bit and tweak it to make me happy. Well this recipe has done it! Not only do my kids love these meatloaf muffins, I love them too! And the smaller size isn't just great for the kids, it means portion control for me
Meatloaf Muffins
- 1 20 ounce package 93/7 lean ground turkey
- 3/4 cup Trader Joe's fire roasted onions & peppers
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup light shredded cheese
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 and take out muffin pan. Saute onions, peppers, & garlic until tender. Add Italian seasoning & stir. Set aside to cool.
Place ground turkey, Worcestershire sauce, egg, panko & cheese in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add in the cooled veggies and mix in. Form 12 small balls of mixture and place each ball in muffin well (balls will be roughly 1-1 1/2" in diameter).
Bake meatloaf muffins for 18-20 minutes. While muffins are cooking mix together ketchup, mustard & sugar. Once the 18-20 minutes are up take the muffins out of the oven and top with ketchup mixture. Put the muffins back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Let rest 3-5 minutes before serving with your favorite sides and veggies.
Serves 6 | 3 WW+ Points per muffin
Nutritional Info: 115 calories, 7g carbs, 5g fat, 12g protein, 1g fiber, 171g sodium
Buffalo Chicken Dip {Tasty Appetizer}
When I think of dishes that can make or break a party the one dish that comes to mind is this amazing Crack Dip (or so it's called). You either love it or you hate it. And lucky for me, my friends love it! I first made it to bring to a girls night in at my friend Janelle's house. Within minutes of the dip coming out of the oven it was 1/2 way gone. And by the end of the night the pyrex baking dish was licked clean. No, seriously... every drop of dip was gone.
So I decided to make this dip for our Christmas dinner as an appetizer before the meal. It was a great hit with my husband's family so I've continued making it for other get togethers as well. This is definitely a great dish to bring when you need something hot and tasty. The next dip I'm eyeing is my friend Melissa's jalepeno popper dip. Yum!
Inspiration: Frank's Redhot
Buffalo Chicken Dip aka Crack Dip
Heat oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.
Mix in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Stir in chicken.
Bake 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Top with cheddar cheese and broil on high for 1-2 minutes or until top is golden brown. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables (we love celery with this dip!).
Serves 6-8, doubling is recommended ;)
So I decided to make this dip for our Christmas dinner as an appetizer before the meal. It was a great hit with my husband's family so I've continued making it for other get togethers as well. This is definitely a great dish to bring when you need something hot and tasty. The next dip I'm eyeing is my friend Melissa's jalepeno popper dip. Yum!
Inspiration: Frank's Redhot
Buffalo Chicken Dip aka Crack Dip
- 8 ounce package low fat neufchatel cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup low fat ranch salad dressing
- 1/2 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT® Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- 1 cup lite shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup reserved for topping
- 2 cups roasted chicken breast, shredded
Heat oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth.
Mix in salad dressing, Frank's RedHot Sauce and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Stir in chicken.
Bake 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Top with cheddar cheese and broil on high for 1-2 minutes or until top is golden brown. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables (we love celery with this dip!).
Serves 6-8, doubling is recommended ;)
Corn Dog Muffin Bites {Guiltless 1 WW+ Appetizer}
When I chose what to make for the big game last weekend I knew one thing had to be on the list... these Pinterest inspired corn dog bites that I found over at Iowa Girl Eats. I don't know who pinned them first but it was love at first site! And it was a treat I was sure the kids would enjoy. Sure my son would peel off all of the corn bread and give it to his sister but both of them would enjoy these awesome, simple treats.
And I was right! These babies were a hit. And most of them were gone by the end of the first quarter. Luckily I made these in two batches so while one was being devoured the other was baking. Not that eating these cold would be bad. I wouldn't know anything about that though... That lone little doggy laying on the plate calling out my name after the game... YUM!
Inspired by Iowa Girl Eats
Corn Dog Muffin Bites
In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt, and stir to combine. Whisk into wet ingredients in two batches.
Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray, and spoon 1 Tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool in mini muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, and re-heat for 20-30 seconds before serving.
Makes 48 | 1 WW+ each
NI per muffin:
46 cals | 7g carbs | 1g fat | 2g protein | 0g fiber | 118g sodium
And I was right! These babies were a hit. And most of them were gone by the end of the first quarter. Luckily I made these in two batches so while one was being devoured the other was baking. Not that eating these cold would be bad. I wouldn't know anything about that though... That lone little doggy laying on the plate calling out my name after the game... YUM!
Inspired by Iowa Girl Eats
Corn Dog Muffin Bites
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup 1% low-fat buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 97% Fat Free Hebrew National hot dogs, cut into 1″ bites (6 pieces per dog)
In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt, and stir to combine. Whisk into wet ingredients in two batches.
Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray, and spoon 1 Tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool in mini muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, and re-heat for 20-30 seconds before serving.
Makes 48 | 1 WW+ each
NI per muffin:
46 cals | 7g carbs | 1g fat | 2g protein | 0g fiber | 118g sodium
Green Monster Smoothie {5 WW+ Breakfast}
After the killer smores brownies we indulged in last night I needed a breakfast that was easy to make and full of veggie goodness. My friend CB over at See Cupcake Run had just posted about an awesome smoothie she made with two handfuls of spinach so I knew I could get my leafy greens in. Then when I saw the recipe and it called for peanut butter and bananas I knew I had to try it.
For 5 points, this smoothie is so much more than a cup of spinach. Honestly, I couldn't even taste the spinach. All I tasted was banana and peanut butter. And next time I might shake it up by trying sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. Or maybe lowfat chocolate milk. Although that might have to be saved for dessert due to all of the sugar in chocolate milk. We'll see!
Inspired by See Cupcake Run
Green Monster Smoothie
Now add in the chia or flax (if using) and nut butter.
Next, add in the spinach followed by the banana on top.
Blend until smooth.
Add in your ice cubes and blend some more.
Serves 1 | 5 WW+ Points
For 5 points, this smoothie is so much more than a cup of spinach. Honestly, I couldn't even taste the spinach. All I tasted was banana and peanut butter. And next time I might shake it up by trying sunflower butter instead of peanut butter. Or maybe lowfat chocolate milk. Although that might have to be saved for dessert due to all of the sugar in chocolate milk. We'll see!
Inspired by See Cupcake Run
Green Monster Smoothie
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 1/2 ripe, frozen banana, peeled
- 2 handfuls organic spinach
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 1 tablespoon better n' peanut butter
- 1-3 ice cubes
Now add in the chia or flax (if using) and nut butter.
Next, add in the spinach followed by the banana on top.
Blend until smooth.
Add in your ice cubes and blend some more.
Serves 1 | 5 WW+ Points
S'mores Brownies {6 WW+ Dessert}
We were in need of a little sweetness in our home and when my son saw some marshmallows in the cupboard he asked if we could make something with them. Ok, first he asked if he could just eat them but when I turned him down he got creative. When I asked what he wanted to make with them he said chocolate. So I took that to the next level and asked if he wanted to make marshmallow brownies. Of course he was all up for that!
When I went into the cupboard for the chocolate bar my dear friend, Miranda, gave to us from her home in Switzerland when she visited earlier in the week I saw the graham crackers and knew we had to attempt to make smores brownies. The base we used is the classic Dorie Greenspan brownies sans the espresso powder and walnuts and than we just added our toppings. I might try and do this with different ones next time... peanut butter, caramel, the combinations are endless!
And the end product... well, it was totally worth it.
Inspired by a Pinterest search
Smores Brownies
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Chop up chocolate. Layer 9" pan with foil (see my tip here) and coat foil with butter.
Place butter in a heat proof bowl and top with chocolate. Place over simmering water and heat until fully melted. Remove from heat.
Mix in sugar (don't worry if it turns grainy, that's normal).
Add eggs, one at a time. Whisk each egg in thouroughly before adding the other. Add vanilla and whisk to combine. Whisk a bit more to make sure everything is well incorporated. Add salt and flour into the mix and stir until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and top with marshmallows. Then top with graham cracker pieces.
Bake for 30-33 minutes. Top should be lightly browned and puffy.
Let cool completely before removing from pan. Marshmallow topping should settle down a lot while cooling. Then, lift foil and place on cooling rack. Carefully remove foil from edges. Cut into squares (warning: this will be very sticky!) and serve.
Serves 12 | 6 WW+ Points
When I went into the cupboard for the chocolate bar my dear friend, Miranda, gave to us from her home in Switzerland when she visited earlier in the week I saw the graham crackers and knew we had to attempt to make smores brownies. The base we used is the classic Dorie Greenspan brownies sans the espresso powder and walnuts and than we just added our toppings. I might try and do this with different ones next time... peanut butter, caramel, the combinations are endless!
And the end product... well, it was totally worth it.
Inspired by a Pinterest search
Smores Brownies
- 5 tablespoons of butter, cut into 1" pieces
- 4 ounces of dark chocolate
- 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 1 cup crushed graham crackers (about 4 sheets)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Chop up chocolate. Layer 9" pan with foil (see my tip here) and coat foil with butter.
Place butter in a heat proof bowl and top with chocolate. Place over simmering water and heat until fully melted. Remove from heat.
Mix in sugar (don't worry if it turns grainy, that's normal).
Add eggs, one at a time. Whisk each egg in thouroughly before adding the other. Add vanilla and whisk to combine. Whisk a bit more to make sure everything is well incorporated. Add salt and flour into the mix and stir until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and top with marshmallows. Then top with graham cracker pieces.
Bake for 30-33 minutes. Top should be lightly browned and puffy.
Let cool completely before removing from pan. Marshmallow topping should settle down a lot while cooling. Then, lift foil and place on cooling rack. Carefully remove foil from edges. Cut into squares (warning: this will be very sticky!) and serve.
Serves 12 | 6 WW+ Points
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