Podcast 95: Recipe Rescue – Ham & Broccoli Hash Brown Casserole

by The Meal Makeover Moms on March 3rd, 2010

Casseroles often get a bad rap … and for good reason. They’re typically made with butter, cream of something-or-other soup, and lots of full-fat cheese. So when Shayna, a loyal Facebook fan, posted a recipe for a cheesy hash brown casserole with ham and asked us to give it a healthy makeover, we accepted the challenge. Shayna found the recipe on one of the many food blogs she follows, and to be perfectly honest, it looked mighty good. But when we crunched the nutrition numbers, we knew it needed some serious rehab. Given the recipe’s 1 stick of butter, 1 pound of ham, and the sour cream and cream of chicken soup, each gooey serving had 16 grams of the bad saturated fat and over 1,000 milligrams of sodium.

Okay, enough complaining. The new recipe that we presented to Shayna, her husband Dave, and her teenage son, Aaron was considerably leaner than the original thanks to a few key ingredients: reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, light sour cream, and Campbell’s Healthy Request soup. The sodium was a whole lot lower too thanks to the soup and a lower sodium deli ham. And no Recipe Rescue by The Meal Makeover Moms would be complete without the addition of at least one super-nutritious ingredient, which is why we added a 10-ounce box of frozen chopped broccoli. Given all the potassium-packed potatoes in the dish, the broccoli was a nice subtle addition — plus, it added a lot of vitamin C!

Ham & Broccoli Hash Brown Casserole

Makes 8 Servings

  • One 30-ounce bag frozen hash browns shredded potatoes, thawed
  • 1 ½ cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (6 ounces), divided
  • One 10-ounce box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
  • One 10 ¾-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup (we like Campbell’s Healthy Request)
  • One 8-ounce container light sour cream
  • 8 ounces ham, cut into ½-inch cubes or pieces (about 2 cups) (we like Boar’s Head Lower Sodium Ham)
  • 1/2 small onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a very large bowl, stir together the hash browns, 1 cup cheese, broccoli, soup, sour cream, ham, onion, and garlic until well combined.

3. Place the hash brown mixture into the prepared baking dish, using a rubber spatula to spread evenly, top with the remaining cheese, and bake until heated through and golden brown on the top, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool for about 10 minutes, slice, and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 230 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated), 590mg sodium, 29g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 15g protein, 15% vitamin A, 45% vitamin C, 25% calcium

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Shayna and her family really liked the new recipe. In fact, when we spoke to Aaron, he said, “it tasted pretty good!” Shayna also told us that the reason the hash brown casserole first caught her attention was because she just so happened to have A LOT of hash brown potatoes in her freezer. “Dave and I saw an add on Craig’s List for 100 pounds of potatoes and 50 pounds of onions from a farmer in Idaho. So we stocked up. With the potatoes, I made hash browns. I grated, blanched, and flash froze them, and then cut them into bricks.” You should see Shayna’s freezer! She also makes her own cream of mushroom soup, a recipe she found on A Year of Slow Cooking. So suffice it to say, she had plenty of ingredients on hand for our potato casserole.

Shayna and Dave have three boys between them. Two are in college and Aaron is home, so when they’re all together they eat a lot of filling foods — things like pasta and casseroles. “I’m in a Biggest Loser competition at work and Dave has high blood pressure and cholesterol so we’re trying to pay closer attention to the foods we eat,” Shayna told us.  “We try to avoid a lot of red meat, we have one meatless meal per week, and we avoid fast food, fried food, and junk food. Recently, we’ve also changed over to brown rice and whole wheat bread and pasta.”

We certainly hope our light and nutritious hash brown potato casserole helps to keep Shayna’s family healthy and well fed in the future … and we hope you all like it too.

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2 Comments | Filed Under Dinner, Podcast, Potatoes, RecipeRescue 

Podcast 87: Persimmon Cookie “Rescue”

by The Meal Makeover Moms on December 30th, 2009

In season October through February, bright orange persimmons are often found adorning holiday tables … but have you ever tried them before?  Much to our embarrassment, neither of us had feasted on persimmons until Catarina, a Facebook fan from San Ramone, CA sent us a box filled with Hachiya (hi-CHEE-ah) persimmons picked straight from her father-in-law’s backyard persimmon tree.

The back story behind these gorgeous orange orbs is as follows (it gets a little complicated, so follow closely):

> Catarina posted a note on our Facebook fan page asking if we could give her mother-in-law’s persimmon cookies a healthy makeover. Made with a cup of Crisco, she hoped The Meal Makeover Moms could lighten things up with a healthier oil.
> Catarina is married to Robert, and they have a 6-year old son named Enzo. Robert’s grandparents, Salvadore and Rose, had a persimmon tree in their backyard, which Robert enjoyed as a child.
> Robert’s dad now lives in the house, and the tree continues to bear its beautiful fruit each autumn.

The original cookie recipe (which Catarina sometimes turns into “bars”) called for 2 cups of all-purpose flour, a cup of Crisco, and a cup each of sugar, persimmon pulp, raisins, and chopped walnuts. “I love it because it’s a family recipe that’s been passed down. While I’d like to put a cookie in Enzo’s lunchbox, I’d feel a lot better if the oil was more heart friendly,” Catarina told us.

So for our Recipe Rescue we …

> Replaced the cup of trans-fat laden shortening with half a cup of canola oil.
> Cut the sugar from 1 cup to 3/4 cup (we tested the recipe with brown sugar and granulated, and either works fine).
> Replaced some of the flour with whole wheat.
> Tested the recipe in a 9×13-inch baking pan as a “bar.” Catarina used the batter for cookies (how’s that for versatility!?).

Here’s what Catarina thought of the new cookie recipe: “I LOVE the new recipe! I could immediately taste the difference without the Crisco. It is a clean, crisp taste. Robert said that he wants to be ‘bad’ when he eats a cookie, and that is why he eats cookies. But he was pleasantly surprised with the taste. I bet I could increase the sugar back to 1 cup for special occasions.”


Sweet Spiced Persimmon Bars

Makes 24 Servings

This batter can be turned into a bar or a cookie.  You can either use brown sugar or granulated sugar. If you use brown, your bars/cookies will be a little darker in color and moister in texture.

  • 2 very ripe Hachiya persimmons (to yield 1 cup puree)
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar or granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 cup golden raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Use a knife to remove the green top of the persimmons as well as any grainy middle or seeds. Place the persimmons – skin and all — in a blender or a food processor and blend to a smooth pulp. Measure off 1 cup of puree and reserve (and freeze) any remainder.

3. In a bowl, combine the persimmon pulp, egg, and baking soda.  Whisk together and set aside (the mixture will gel slightly).

4.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and canola oil until well combined. Add the persimmon mixture and whisk to combine.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the persimmon mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the nuts and raisins.

6. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 bar):  160 calories, 8g fat (0.5g saturated, 0.9 omega-3), 80mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 2g protein

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Catarina’s Sweet Spiced Persimmon Cookies

The batter yields 30 cookies. They are lower in saturated fat and calories than the original recipe because we nixed the shortening, and they don’t contain any trans fats (the original recipe had 2.5 grams trans fat per cookie while our new-and-improved cookie and bar have none)!

To make the cookies, Catarina used a scoop, which looked like a small ice cream scoop (around 2 tablespoons). She baked her cookies for 18 minutes, though depending on your oven and the type of cookie sheet you use, the cookies could be done as soon as 12 minutes.

We had a great time giving this recipe a healthy makeover. It’s perfect for a snack or dessert, and thanks to the persimmons (a good source of vitamin C and beta carotene), whole wheat flour, canola oil, raisins, and omega-3 rich walnuts, it’s an easy way to boost the nutrition of your family’s diet.

For lots more information on persimmons be sure to listen to this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast. And to see all the photos from our persimmon cookie “Rescue,” visit our Meal Makeover Moms’ Flickr page.

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8 Comments | Filed Under Desserts, Fruits, Podcast, RecipeRescue, Snacks 

Recipe Rescue: Creamy Fish Chowder gets a Makeover

by The Meal Makeover Moms on October 16th, 2009

Even though we’re dietitians, we don’t typically freak out too much when we see a little bit of butter or cream in a recipe. But when a dish calls for three cups of light cream and eight tablespoons of butter, we tend to do a double take. Here’s why: One cup of light cream has 46 grams of fat and 29 grams of saturated fat while a tablespoon of butter has 12 grams of fat and about 7 grams saturated fat. (The healthy upper limit for saturated fat intake is 20 grams per day).

A few weeks back, Kristin from Manic Mommies posted a recipe for Pam’s Fish Chowder, one of her family’s favorites. Made with the three cups of cream and eight tablespoons of butter that we just mentioned, we decided that an intervention was in order!  We”re huge fans of the Manic Mommies’ blog and podcast, and we contribute a recipe to their blog each week — so it’s not like we just randomly offered to give someone’s recipe a “rescue” out of the clear blue sky.

Kristin was psyched when we got in touch with our Recipe Rescue proposition. “I recently renovated my kitchen and now I want to cook more. My kids have a great palate and they like vegetables, so I want to expose them to new foods. They love this chowder, though I don’t make it often because of all the cream,” Kristin said.

For our Rescue, we lightened things up quite a bit. We cut back on the butter and replaced some of it with olive oil. We also nixed the cream entirely and used a mix of 1% lowfat milk and all-natural chicken broth instead. To thicken the milk/broth combo, we used a roux. For added nutrition, we tossed in some diced carrots.  “I liked the carrots more than I expected, and I might even add some peas for my husband Steve the next time I make it,” Kristin told us.

This past weekend, we got in the car and drove to Kristin’s house to cook up our new, skinny version of her chowder.  Her 4-year old daughter, Sophie and fellow Manic Mommy Erin joined in the fun.   While we were there we recorded their weekly (and zany) podcast with them.  There were lots of laughs to go around!

Skinny Fish Chowder
Makes 6 Servings

  • 1 ¼ pounds white fish such as cod, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (that’s about 2 large potatoes or 3 cups diced)
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 12 ounces to 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice (2 to 2 ½ generous cups diced)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sherry wine or ¼ cup white wine
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 ounce pancetta ham or 2 slices all-natural bacon, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups 1% lowfat milk
  • 1 cup all-natural chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, optional
  • Oyster crackers, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Place the fish, potatoes, onion, carrots, olive oil, sherry wine, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, salt, pepper, dill, and celery seed in a Dutch oven, and gently stir to combine.

3. Cover and bake until the fish is cooked and the vegetables are tender, 1 hour.  Remove from oven and set aside.  About 15 minutes before the fish is done, prepare your “cream” sauce.

4. Sauté the pancetta in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and heat until melted.  Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly (it may look lumpy at first, but keep whisking until smooth).

5. Whisk the milk and broth slowly into the flour mixture. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat, and whisk in the sour cream as desired.  Add the sauce to the fish mixture and stir gently to combine. Remove the bay leaf.  Serve in individual bowls and top with oyster crackers as desired.

Tip: When cooking for a crowd (or if you want leftovers), double the recipe.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 generous cup):  310 calories, 10g fat (4g saturated, 0.2g omega-3), 400mg sodium, 27g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 23g protein, 180% vitamin A, 25% vitamin C, 15% calcium

The original recipe had 470 calories, 28g fat, and 18g saturated fat per 1 generous cup serving.

mmm-kitchen-fish-chowder-testing

Of course, the proof is always in the pudding. Since Sophie was on hand to help, we asked her what she thought of her mom’s  new recipe. She told us it was yummy” and gave it two-thumbs up. As for Kristin, “I can now make it more often since it’s so much lighter.”

We plan to make this recipe too (thanks Kristin)! It’s one of those hearty soups that really sticks to your ribs. And since all of our kids liked it, we suspect it will become a regular dinner dish this winter.

Check out our Flickr page for more photos of our kitchen adventures with the Manic Mommies.

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6 Comments | Filed Under CulinaryAdventures, Dinner, Potatoes, RecipeRescue, Seafood, Soups/Stews 

Recipe Rescue: Spinach Goo

by The Meal Makeover Moms on August 14th, 2009

When Barbie D., a mom of five from Scotch Plains, NJ, sent us her recipe for Spinach Goo and asked us to give it a healthy makeover, we couldn’t say no.  With a name like “goo,” we knew the recipe was sure to be rich and well, gooey.  Barbie told us that Spinach Goo (AKA Cheesy Spinach Casserole), is a favorite at family gatherings, but given the ingredients, she always felt a twinge of guilt when serving it.  “I originally got the recipe from my 90-year old mother, and for years, I’ve been serving it at parties as a side dish.  It’s been in the family for a long time,” Barbie said.

This family classic is made in the slow cooker so it’s oh-so easy.  The recipe calls for spinach, eggs, cottage cheese, half a stick of butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, and nearly half a pound of American cheese. When we crunched the numbers, we found that each small serving (it serves 12 as a side dish) has 180 calories — not bad — but 7 grams of saturated fat and nearly 800 milligrams of sodium … not so good.

Experts suggest eating no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day and no more than 20 grams of saturated fat. When you consider that half a cup of regular cottage cheese has over400 milligrams of sodium and that the butter and American cheese contributed about 6 grams of saturated fat to the dish, you can see why this recipe needed a rescue!

cheesy-spin-casserole-ingredients

For the fix, we switched from regular cottage cheese to a no-salted added, lowfat version. We also swapped reduced-fat Cheddar cheese for the American cheese and nixed the butter and salt all together. Admittedly, our makeover was a bit on the extreme side, so we added grated Parmesan cheese for a kick of flavor. The result is a healthy vegetable side dish with less than half the fat and sodium.

barbie-spinach-casserole-drain-spinach-400

Cheesy Spinach Casserole
Makes 12 Side Dish Servings (or 6 Main Dish Servings)

  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • One 16-ounce container 1% lowfat, no salt added cottage cheese (2 cups)
  • One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
  • 1 ½ cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, cottage cheese, spinach, Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, flour, and pepper until well combined.

2. Spray the bowl of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Add the spinach mixture, and use a spatula to smooth the top.

3. Cover and cook on low until set, 3 hours.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 120 calories, 5g fat (2.5g saturated), 340mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 13g protein, 120% vitamin A, 25% calcium

barbie-spinach-casserole-ingr-in-bowl

Overall, Barbie was happy with the new recipe. While clearly the dish was less salty and not nearly as rich, she said she was “pleasantly surprised” as was her husband. “I think I could pass this off at the next party!” Barbie suggested adding a pinch of nutmeg next time for added flavor. We agree and also think this dish would be great as a vegetarian main dish.

Check out our Flickr page for more photos of the Cheesy Spinach Casserole.  Let us know if you try this recipe and be sure to post your comments right here to our blog.

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8 Comments | Filed Under Dinner, RecipeRescue, SlowCooker, Vegetarian 
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