Taco Pizza

 Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey
1 envelope (reduced sodium) taco seasoning mix 
2 (8 oz.) cans reduced fat crescent rolls
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans 
2 cups low fat shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend 
1 can dicd tomatoes with green chilies (or you can use fresh to lower sodium) 
1/2 cup sliced black olives 
1/2 cup green onions, chopped 
Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. 

Brown ground turkey and drain. 

Add taco seasoning to the ground beef according to the package directions. 

Unroll crescent rolls into rectangles. Place in ungreased 11 1/2 inch x 16 1/2 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. 

Press dough over the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. Bake at 375 oven for 11 to 13 minutes or just until golden brown. 

Microwave beans in a bowl for 1 minute (or until warmed through). 

Carefully spread beans over warm crust creating a thin layer. 

Top with cooked beef mixture, sprinkle with cheese followed by tomatoes, black olives and green onion. 

Return to oven for 3-6 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. 

Makes 12 main dish servings or 48 appetizers. 


Serving Size: Makes 12 Squares

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe and Nutrition Facts here.

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The BEST Pizza Crust and Semi Homemade Garlic Knots

At our house, we have a weekend tradition of making homemade pizza! So, I've gone through quite a lot of different pizza crust types to find the best (and easiest) one! My absolute favorite one is Fleischmann's pizza crust yeast! It is so freaking good!

To make an awesome homemade pizza, you'll need:

1 pack of Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast

1-3/4 to 2-1/4 cups flour 

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar 
3/4 teaspoon salt 
2/3 cup of very warm water (120° to 130° F) 
3 tablespoons oil 

Pizza sauce

Shredded cheese ( I always use 2% Mexican blend)

Black olives, sliced

Marinated artichokes

White onions, chopped

Mushrooms, sliced

Turkey pepperoni

1. Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil

2. Mix together until well blended; about 1 minute

3. Add 1/2 cup flour gradually until dough forms a ball. Add additional flour, if needed to handle

4. Spoon dough out of bowl onto floured surface. Dough will be slightly sticky

5. Knead on floured surface

6. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic; about 4 minutes

7. Press dough out to fill greased pizza pan or roll dough to a 12-inch circle and transfer to greased pizza pan

8. Top as desired with pizza sauce, cheese and toppings

Bake on bottom oven rack at 425 for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is brown.

Add these garlic knots and some salad and you have the perfect weekend meal! 

Garlic Knots

1 can Pillsbury crescent rolls

6 tbs butter, melted

1 tbs minced garlic ( I use jarred.)

Combine 4 Tablespoons of the melted butter with the minced garlic in a small bowl. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.
With each triangle of crescent dough, roughly form into a snake shape and dredge through the garlic butter, then knot and place on your baking sheet.
Bake according to crescent roll package directions then baste with remaining butter when finished.
Serve & enjoy!

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Baked Mozzarella Sticks

 Ingredients

12 reduced fat mozzarella string cheese (cut in half)

2 tbsp flour

1 egg

5 tbsp Italian bread crumbs

5 tbsp Panko bread crumbs

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp dried parsley

olive oil spray

Freeze sting cheese.

Preheat oven to 400. Whisk egg in one bowl, in another bowl place flour. In a third bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and parsley. When cheese is frozen, remove from freezer. Dip cheese in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. After all cheese is breaded, lightly spray the tops with olive oil spray. Bake for 4-5 minutes on bottom rack. Turn cheese over and bake additional 4-5 minutes, watching carefully.

Recipe from Skinny Taste

2points+ for two sticks

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Taco Dip

 Ingredients

8 oz 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese

8 oz light sour cream

1 packet taco seasoning

16 oz jar salsa

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

2% Mexican Shredded cheese

Sliced black olives

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, and salsa. Mix with electric mixer. Spread misture onto the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese and olives. Serve chilled.

Recipe from Skinny Taste

2 points+ for 1/24th of dip

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Baked Chicken Nuggets

 Ingredients

16 oz (2 large) skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

salt and pepper

2 tsp olive oil

6 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tbsp Panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 and spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

 Put olive oil in one small bowl. In another bowl, combine both types of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in olive oil first, then in breadcrumbs. Place chicken on baking sheet. Lightly spray top of chicken with olive oil spray. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Flip and bake for additional 4-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Recipe is from Skinny Taste

4 points+ for 1/4 of chicken nuggets

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Cream Cheese Sausage Balls

1 lb hot sausage, uncooked

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups Bisquick

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix all ingredients until well combined using dough hook attachment on your mixer. Roll into 1 inch balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked. If baking frozen, add additional baking time.

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Hash Brown Casserole

 1 bag of Ore Ida frozen hashbrowns

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 container light sour cream

2 cups reduced fat shredded cheese

1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first four ingredients and place in casserole dish. Top with butter and cheese. Bake for 30-45 minutes.

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Deviled Eggs

 2 tbs Plain Greek Yogurt

6 Hardboiled Eggs

1 tsp Dijon mustard (I used a combo of regular and Jack Daniel's mustard.)

Paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut hard boiled eggs in half longways. Scoop yolks into bowl, add all ingredients, except paprika and mix. Scoop mixture back into eggs. Sprinkle paprika on top.

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Salsa Cilantro Chicken Tostadas

Not the most unique recipe, but a variation on tostadas!

 Ingredients 

Rotisserie Chicken, shredded

4 Thin Corn Tortillas

1/2 cup Black Beans

Frozen Chopped Onions

1/2 shredded cheese (Weight Watchers Mexican 4 blend)

2 tbsp Light Sour Cream

2 tbsp Otria Greek Yogurt Dip Salsa Cilantro

2 tbsp Rotel

Directions

Heat Chicken. Add frozen onions to black beans and heat according to the directions. Bake tortillas at 400 degrees directly on rack for 5 minutes. Top with beans, chicken, cheese, sour cream, salsa cilantro dip, and Rotel. 

Enjoy!

Here's what the Salsa Cilantro dip looks like. I found it in the deli at my grocery store.

These are 15 points for the 4 tortillas!

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Flatbread Pizza

 Ingredients

Flatout Light Original Flatbread

1/2 cup Light Ragu Tomato and Basil Sauce

1 tsp Olive Oil

12 slices Turkey Pepperoni

1/3 cup 2% shredded Mozzarella cheese

Artichokes

Onions

Or whatever toppings you'd like!

Preheat oven to 350.

Drizzle oil on flatbread and spread around. When oven is preheated, place flatbread directly on oven rack and bake for 7 minutes. Take out and top with toppings and bake for an additional 7 minutes.

Only 8 WW points for the whole thing!!! It was yummy and crispy, too!

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Creamy Grape Salad

 Ingredients

1 lb green seedless grapes, washed and dried well
1 lb red seedless grapes, washed and dried well
8 oz fat free Plain or Greek yogurt
4 oz light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Directions

Mix yogurt, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until blended well. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving dish.

Combine brown sugar and crushed walnuts. Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely. Chill until ready to serve.

8 servings, 1/8th is serving size and has 4 WW points! It's so yummy!

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Zesty Turkey Tostadas

Ingredients

1/4 lb ground turkey

Frozen chopped onions

4 Mission EXTRA THIN yellow corn tortillas

Taco Seasoning

Rotel

2/3 cup Weight Watchers Mexican Shredded Cheese

Taco Sauce

3 tbsp Light Sour Cream

Shredded Lettuce

1/2 cup refried beans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook ground turkey and onions in skillet. Add taco seasoning. 

Place tortillas directly on oven rack and bake for 5 minutes.

Top tortillas with refried beans, turkey, cheese, rotel, taco sauce, lettuce, and sour cream.

You can have all of this for 14 WW points! The EXTRA THIN tortillas are the key, though! They have 1 point per tortilla and are SOOOOO good! We've had this meal 3 times so far! LOVE it.

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Southern Cornbread

This is true southern cornbread! It's not sweet and you'll need a cast iron skillet and buttermilk! :)

Ingredients

2 cups Self Rising Enriched white corn meal

2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

2-3 tbs corn oil

cast iron skillet

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Mix corn meal, buttermilk, and egg in bowl. Place cast iron skillet on an eye of the stove. Pour 2-3 tbs of corn oil and heat. When oil starts to sizzle, turn eye off. Pour oil into the corn meal mix. Stir. Pour corn meal mix back into cast iron skillet. Place on bottom rack and bake for 20-25 minutes until it doesn't jiggle in the middle. Then move to the middle rack and continue to bake for 5 minutes until top is golden brown.

Use a knife to loosen the sides when it comes out. Flip onto rack to cool.

Slice it and eat it! Butter makes it even more divine!

This is what I will be using in my cornbread dressing on Thanksgiving.

P.S. 

Come check out Piece of Cake's new Christmas design! It makes me want to bake! :)

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Homemade Chex Mix

Every fall, I look forward to making this delicious snack! You must try it!

Ingredients
6 cups Corn Chex cereal

3 cups Cheerios Cereal

1-2 cups pretzel sticks
Mixed Nuts (Optional)- I used pecans.

6 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt

3/4 teaspoons Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder

Directions
Heat oven to 250°F. In large bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels; set aside. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

This is the yummiest snack ever! I think I need to make a second batch because it's addictive!

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Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Rinse seeds.
2. Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.

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Pepperoni Pockets

 Ingredients

1 can of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

Pepperonis

Mozzarella Cheese

Directions

Unroll Crescent rolls into triangles. Place pepperonis and cheese on triangles.

 Fold edges over to make a pocket.

 Bake at 375 degrees for 11- 13 minutes.

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Restaurant Style Margaritas

Ingredients
1 Can Frozen Limeade
Tequila
Triple Sec
1 Bottle of beer (I used Blue Moon, but you can use whatever kind you prefer.)
Ice

Add Limeade to blender. Using the empty limeade can fill it with 2/3 tequila and 1/3 triple sec. Add to blender. Add LOTS of ice. Blend to desired consistency.
AFTER you have blended it, add the bottle of beer. DO NOT blend after you have added the beer. It will be a mess.
Now, you are ready to enjoy! Pour them into salt rimmed glasses and you will smile!

Recipe from Meg at Whatever

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BBQ Nachos

Ok, so this isn't really a recipe, but more of a meal idea!

One of my favorite things about going to hockey games with my dad when I was younger was the BBQ nachos from Corky's that they served. It was always a must that we got them and they were always delicious. So, for several years whenever I ate at a BBQ restaurant I always hoped they would have BBQ nachos. I haven't really found any places that have them here in Nashville. So, when Trey suggested we pick up Whitt's BBQ one day, I decided to make my own nachos!

You can use whatever you like or have to make the nachos. I put the tortilla chips on a cookie sheet, sprinkled them with cheese, and baked them in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes to get them toasted and melty! Then, I topped them with the BBQ, BBQ sauce, and sour cream. They were SO delicious!

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Baked Hush Puppies

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix or 2 cups self rising cornmeal mix
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup low fat milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1. Combine cornmeal mix and red pepper in a larger bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture.
2. Combine eggs and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Add egg mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into miniature muffin pans coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 425 for 13 minutes or until golden. Remove from pans and serve immediately.

Makes about 3 dozen

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