Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole

• I can't believe I haven't ever posted this recipe! It's a great summer/fall side dish, especially for Mexican food. I do recommend making sure your squash is as dry as possible. I usually use some extra flour with it to make sure it's not too mushy. It can be a bit on the spicy side, so adjust jalapenos and chiles to taste. Enjoy!
• Tex Mex Summer Squash Casserole (Eating Well)
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• 2 1/4 pounds summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
• 2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
• 1 4-1/2-ounce can chopped jalapenos, (about 1/2 cup), drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 1/4 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, (about 7 ounces), divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup mild salsa
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine squash, onion, chiles, jalapenos, salt and 3/4 cup cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
3. Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the squash is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Spoon salsa over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden and heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and red onion.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Garnish just before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 101 calories; 5 g fat ( 3 g sat , 0 g mono ); 15 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 217 mg sodium; 265 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 high-fat meat

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Chicken Tortilla Soup - Another version

 And so begins the cold weather...probably for good this time! There's nothing like a nice warm comforting bowl of soup when it's cold outside! This crock pot favorite is sure to please the whole family. Yummy! Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

2 (4-ounce) skinned and boned chicken breast halves, cubed
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato puree
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
4 (5 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

Combine first 13 ingredients in a 4-quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook at HIGH 6 hours. Discard bay leaf.

Cut tortillas into 1/4-inch-wide strips; place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 375° for 5 minutes. Stir and bake 5 more minutes or until crisp. Serve with soup; garnish, if desired.

Yield: 10 cups

CALORIES 112 FAT 0.8g SODIUM 513mg CHOLESTEROL 13mg

Buffalo Chicken Chili

In honor of the Super Bowl and the "Souper" Bowl Cans for Comments, I thought I would post some new SB WW friendly recipes this week. Don't forget to leave me a comment for Cans for Comments. :)

Buffalo Chicken Chili (Adapted from Rachael Ray)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 pounds all-white meat ground chicken breast (I'd probably only use 1 lb, 2 seems like too much)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika (you can substitute with chipotles or chipotle chili powder)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1/4-1/2 cup hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (you could use sauce too)
I'd say these next two items you could just put out as toppers:
Tortilla chips (pts)
Blue cheese, crumbled

Fresh chopped parsley

Place a large pot over medium-high heat, add 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon, and the butter. Once the butter has melted and the pot is hot, add the ground chicken. Brown it, using the back of a wooden spoon to break it up in to small pieces, about 5-6 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, paprika, bay leaf and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the hot sauce, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes, and bring up to a bubble. Simmer for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors come together.