crockpot

It’s no secret… I LOVE Italian food, and I’m a HUGE fan of pasta.

I always order the Jenny pasta dishes, and it’s pretty frequent that I’m trying new Italian dishes here at the house. It’s such comfort food and such a treat, I love finding healthy alternatives to some of the calorie-rich treats of the past. This dish was UNBELIEVABLE, and the perfect sauce to have in the crockpot on a snowy day.

The recipe itself comes from Gina over at Skinnytaste. I’ve looked at this recipe SO MANY TIMES, but I’ve never had the pancetta on hand to make it. The night before the snow rolled in, I made it a point to pick up pancetta and extra lean ground beef. I’m so glad that I did!

Somewhere between a bacon and a ham…. this stuff rocks!

Note: My version of this sauce yielded a different amount of servings than Gina’s, and yours may come out slightly different as well. Always measure out your sauce to be sure you’re eating the calories you’re expecting. I made half of the recipe Gina posted originally and adjusted the nutritional information based upon what my version created.

Crockpot Bolognese Sauce

From Skinnytaste

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 oz pancetta, chopped (or center cut bacon)

1/2 large white onion, minced

1 celery stalks (about 3/4 cup), minced

1 carrots (about 3/4 cup), minced

1 lb 95% lean ground beef

2 Tbsp. white wine

1 – 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 bay leaves

salt and fresh pepper

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup half & half cream, fat-free

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large deep saute pan sprayed with cooking spray, sauté pancetta on low heat until the fat melts, about 4-5 minutes.

2. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Note: To mince the celery, onion, and carrots, I used my food processor to create that finely chopped effect!

3. In a separate pan sprayed with cooking spray, add meat, season with salt and pepper and sauté until browned. Once meat is browned, drain and rinse. Place in a food processor and grind to a fine texture.

4. Add beef to the vegetable mixture. Add wine; cook until it reduces down, about 3-4 minutes.

5. Add meat mixture to crock pot. Add tomatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper; cover and set slow cooker to LOW 6 hours.

6. After the 6 hours, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

7. Add half and half and parsley.

8. Stir and serve over 2 ox. of your favorite pasta or spaghetti squash.

Per 1/2 cup serving (sauce only):

CAL 183; CARB 12g; FAT 7g; PROT 20g; FIB 2g; WW Points Plus: 5

Wowsers... What a Food Day!

Planning for Change

Gooey Butter Cookies {AKA No Thanks to Cookies}

I feel a little ridiculous saying that this is a recipe.

Three ingredients + One Crockpot. It’s THAT easy. SERIOUSLY.

But it was WAY too clever not to share. It has two ingredients… and is cooked in the crockpot. I’ve made two batches to date, and I plan on making more.

It started when I saw this at the grocery store. I don’t usually buy the turkey tenderloins, but I had a coupon for it so why not? So glad I did…

I never make the tenderloin because I’m not always sure what to do with it. But I have quickly realized that I am overcomplicating things.

Without further ado, let me share with you the EASIEST turkey BBQ recipe you’ll ever make, and one you’ll keep coming back to. I’ve made it twice and I have more tenderloin for another batch in the freezer!

Smoky Pulled Turkey Wraps

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 Jennie-O Applewood Smoked Turkey Tenderloin

1/2 onion

Pam cooking spray

Flatout Light Flatbread Wrap

Fresh Spinach

Tomatoes

1 wedge Laughing Cow French Onion Flavor (or flavor of your choice)

BBQ Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice your onion.

2. Prepare your Crockpot by spraying it with Pam cooking spray. (This makes it MUCH easier to clean in the end.) Add onions to the bottom of the pot, and add one of the two tenderloins in your Jennie O package.

3. Place the lid on the Crockpot and fire it up on low for 6-8 hours, until turkey tenderloin falls apart and onions are caramelized and delish! Once time has expired, stir the meat and watch it fall apart, or use my fun blender method to shred your turkey.

4. Spread your wedge of Laughing Cow on the flatbread. Add the spinach and tomato as well.

5. Add about 1/4-1/2 cup of shredded turkey to the flatbread, and top with BBQ sauce. Roll it up, and it will look gorgeous like this!

As you can imagine, making the pulled turkey is just one of many ideas… you could add the turkey to salad, or enjoy it inside a sandwich thin topped with my famous Mustard BBQ Sauce and with a side of my WW Cole Slaw.