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

Print Recipe

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.

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

Print Recipe

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.

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
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 1% lowfat milk
• 2 cups 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):  320 calories, 13g 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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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.

The original Oatmeal Bake called for half a stick of butter, half a cup of sugar, an egg, 2 cups of milk,  and 1 ½ cups of oatmeal.  Kelly typically added a chopped apple.  “I wanted to cut back on the butter and sugar but I was afraid the recipe wouldn’t come out right if I changed it.”  So Kelly, who recently discovered our Cooking with the Moms podcast on iTunes and heard us talk about our Recipe Rescue blog series, decided to send us her family’s favorite breakfast dish in hopes we’d give it a healthy makeover.

When we got her email, the recipe definitely got our mouths watering, but we agreed it could benefit from less fat and sugar, and we also felt it needed something more. In the end, we trimmed the butter from 4 tablespoons down to 2 and cut the sugar from half a cup to a third. We kept Kelly’s apple (we suggest you don’t peel it to get extra fiber and nutrients) and added half a cup of finely chopped pecans for heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and great quality protein.

Apple-icious Oatmeal Bake
Makes 6 to 8 Servings

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups 1% lowfat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 medium red apple, unpeeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup pecans, coarsely or finely chopped (your choice)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Lightly oil or coat an 8 X 8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and the butter until well combined.  Whisk in the egg until creamy and then whisk in the milk and vanilla.

3.  Stir in the oatmeal, apple, pecans, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Place the mixture evenly in the pan, sprinkle with additional cinnamon, and bake about 30 minutes, until the top turns golden and the oatmeal is set.  Scoop out and serve warm.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  240 calories, 12g fat (3g saturated, 4.5g monounsaturated), 300mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 16g sugar, 3g fiber, 7g protein, 15% calcium

Original Recipe per Serving:  240 calories, 10g fat (5g saturated, 2.4g monounsaturated), 300mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate, 21g sugar, 2g fiber, 6g protein, 15% calcium

Even though our rescued recipe has slightly more total fat, the bad-for-you saturated fat is lower and the good monounsaturated fat is higher. We also have less sugar and more fiber. Kelly and her family loved the new recipe.  “I thought it was great,” said Kelly.  “Now I’m eating something a little bit healthier with the nuts and apples and less butter and sugar.”  As a third grade teacher, Kelly told us it’s important to be a good role model for her students, and in turn, she’s now more conscious of what she serves her family. Ten-year old Julia actually suggested her mom add more apples the next time she makes the recipe!

Getting her girls to eat breakfast can sometimes be a challenge given everyone’s early morning schedules during the school year.  “This recipe is so easy …Claudette could make this herself the night before and then heat up a serving before school in the morning.”

So the next time your kids say, “I’m not hungry,” or, “I don’t have time to eat breakfast,” just make this yummy oatmeal bake and perhaps they’ll change their minds!

]]> http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/2009/06/19/recipe-rescue-oatmeal-bake/feed/ 13 http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/2009/05/22/recipe-rescue-tater-tot-casserole/ http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/2009/05/22/recipe-rescue-tater-tot-casserole/#comments Fri, 22 May 2009 13:23:46 +0000 The Meal Makeover Moms http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/?p=5662

Tater Tot Casserole:  The name alone sounds downright unhealthy.  The words gooey and gloppy come immediately to mind as do mega high in fat.

Recently, our friends Vicky and Jen, hosts of the weekly radio podcast, What Really Matters, featured a Recipe Rescue “contest” on their blog.  They received a bunch of recipes — Creme Brulee French Toast, Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, and Decadent Black Bottom Pie, but the one we ultimately chose for our “rescue” was Tater Tot Casserole.

Michelle, a mom from Cincinnati, Ohio, found the original recipe in her city’s newspaper. The ingredients included such things as Tater Tots, a pound of ground beef or turkey, shredded Cheddar cheese, a can of your favorite cream soup, and a stick of butter (can you believe it?).  The nutritional damage … nearly 450 calories per serving, 32 grams of fat, 15 grams of  saturated fat (that’s almost a day’s worth), and over 1,000 milligrams of sodium.

We had three goals for our makeover:  Lighten things up, add an extra veggie or two, and incorporate a surprising and fun element for Michelle’s daughter.  Here’s what we did:

• To cut the saturated fat and sodium we used a lower fat/lower sodium cream of mushroom soup, 1% lowfat milk, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and lean ground beef (lean turkey or veggie crumbles works great too), and we gave that stick of butter the boot.
• For our veggie addition, we added coarsely chopped mushrooms and a shredded carrot.
• To bring a smile to everyone’s face, we switched from Tater Tots to potato Smiles.

Smiley Face Casserole
Makes 10 to 12 Servings

• One 26-ounce bag frozen potato Smiles (we used McCain)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
• One 8-ounce package presliced mushrooms (or 8 ounces whole mushrooms), coarsely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean or higher), ground turkey, or 12 ounces veggie crumbles
• 1 large carrot, shredded (about 1 cup)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• One 10.75 ounce can lower fat, lower sodium cream of mushroom soup (we used Healthy Request)
• 10.75 ounces (fill the empty soup can) 1% lowfat milk
• 8 ounces (2 cups) preshredded, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Bake the potato Smiles according to package directions.  When done, remove from oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the meat, carrot, and garlic powder and cook, breaking up the large pieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat.

4. Stir in the soup, milk, and, 1 ½ cups of the cheese (the mixture will seem very liquidy at this point, but don’t worry) and heat until the mixture comes to a simmer.

5. Arrange half the Smiles on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Top with the meat mixture, the remaining half cup of cheese, and the remaining potato Smiles. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake until the mixture is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  270 calories, 13g fat (4.5g saturated), 550mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 18g protein, 40% A, 20% calcium

Thanks to those cute potato Smiles, we had a blast giving Michelle’s recipe a “rescue.”  If you have an opportunity to try it, please share your feedback right here on the blog.  Also, if you’d like to see more photos, check out our flickr page.

Every month, we take a recipe from one of our blog readers and give it a healthy makeover. In April, we teamed up with Sahar, host of Fat Fighter TV, and offered to do the same for one of her readers. We had plenty of recipes to choose from — everything from Philly cheese steak and chocolate chip cookies to chicken enchiladas and cherry dump cake!

Ultimately, we chose a recipe for Chili Con Queso Mac ‘n Cheese, sent by Sandy, a mom of five from Arizona. Sandy got the recipe from Rachael Ray (not personally, of course)! “The original was greasy, and although very yummy, there was that ‘ugghh my stomach hurts from the grease and the fat’ afterwards. Even though it tasted good, it was just not healthy and I wanted to cut down the calories.”

Given that the original recipe served 4 and called for a pound of pasta, 3 cups of full-fat cheese, whole milk, butter, and leftover chili AND had nearly 1,000 calories and 24 grams of saturated fat (more than most people should eat in a day), we certainly understood where Sandy was coming from.

For the Recipe Rescue, we made a bunch of ingredient switches — white pasta to a whole wheat blend, whole milk to 1%, butter to canola oil, and full-fat cheese to reduced fat.  We also reined in the portion size so it served 6 to 8 versus just 4, and we used a can of vegetarian chili for ease and convenience.

“My family all liked it. I hid the box of pasta before serving because we have had bad experiences with the healthier pasta. The whole wheat has a different flavor and doesn’t always taste good.” That said, Sandy and her family liked the whole wheat blend. “The pasta was delicious because it was covered up …you couldn’t tell it was the healthier pasta.”

In the end, we transformed Sandy’s Rachael Ray, stick-to-your waistline recipe into something a lot lighter with less than half the original calories and significantly less fat.

Chili Mac & Cheese
Makes 6 to 8 Servings

• One 14.5-ounce box dried whole wheat blend rotini pasta
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups 1% lowfat milk
• 3 cups reduced fat shredded yellow cheddar cheese, divided
• Kosher salt to taste
• One 15-ounce can vegetarian chili (Amy’s or Health Valley), or 2 cups leftover chili

1. In a large saucepan, cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate medium or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Gently cook, whisking frequently, until the mixture is smooth and the flour has had a chance to cook, about 1 minute.

3. Add the milk, raise the heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.. Preheat the broiler on high or the oven at 400F.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir 2 cups of the cheese into the thickened milk. Add the chili and stir to combine.  Add salt to taste. Stir in the cooked pasta until coated with the cheese sauce.

5. Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Place the baking dish under the broiler and brown the cheese on top or place in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts.

Nutrition Information per Serving:   470 calories, 16g fat (6g saturated, 0.8g omega-3), 380mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, 31g protein, 30% vitamin A, 50% calcium

Sandy says eating meals together as a family is a huge priority.  “We eat a lot of homemade food.  My husband works from home and everyone is on an odd schedule here due to school, work, and activities, but I insist on everyone getting together for dinner.”

From now on, she plans to read labels more and make the switch to healthier foods like whole wheat blend pasta.

Marian M. is a mom of three kids from Wentzville, MO. Feeding her troops – Tyler, Kailyn and Ally – can be a challenge, but that hasn’t stopped Marian from teaching her kids that a diet filled with nutritious foods can taste really good. In three weeks, her husband Tyson returns from Iraq where he has served as an Army officer since January 2008. During his absence, she made it her mission to cook healthy meals for her family, lose weight, and get in shape.  “I have lost 26 pounds and feel like I am in the best shape of my life!” Marian told us.

We first connected with Marian on Facebook when she sent us the following message on our Meal Makeover Moms’ group page:  I would love to know if you have a good healthy recipe for potato soup… it’s so full of fat normally!

Marian’s message got us fired up.  Potatoes are naturally fat free, a great source of vitamin C, and have more potassium than a banana, but when cream and butter get added to the mix, pureed potato soup can indeed be full of fat.  So we set out to create a lighter, leaner recipe for potato soup (see below).  The recipe was incredibly easy to make. Our secret weapon:  a Breville Cordless Hand Blender (AKA immersion blender).  

Never used this convenient kitchen tool before? Now’s your chance.  For our latest blog giveaway, one lucky winner will receive a Breville Hand Blender – it’s a $119.00 value.  To enter, all you have to do is post a comment below about your favorite blender recipe (a soup, smoothie, etc) or why you’d like to win this giveaway.  We will select our winner using Random.org.  The giveaway ends at noon on Monday, April 13. We will enter you twice (doubling your odds) if you tweet about the giveaway to your Twitter followers, tell your Facebook friends about it, or post a review of our Cooking with the Moms radio podcast to iTunes (send us an email at moms@mealmakeovermoms.com to let us know you’ve done this).  Good luck …

Potato Carrot Soup with Goldfish Croutons
Makes 6 Servings

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced (1/2 to ¾ cup)
• 2 to 3 stalks celery, finely diced (about ½ cup)
• 4 cups all-natural chicken broth (one 32-ounce container)
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Whole grain Goldfish crackers for garnish (about 9 per bowl)

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.

2. Add the broth, potatoes, carrots, and thyme. Stir to combine. Raise the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil, uncovered, until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove the thyme. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup (or let cool slightly, transfer to a blender, and puree in batches).

4. Add the corn and cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls and top with the Goldfish.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cup):  230 calories, 5g fat (1.5g saturated), 520mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 8g protein, 70% vitamin A, 60% vitamin C, 10% calcium, 10% iron 

Jennifer T., a mother of two from Clarksville, Maryland who loves to cook, sent us Emeril’s spaghetti pie recipe and asked us to give it a healthy makeover.  “We love this recipe but it tasted ‘unhealthy,’” Jennifer told us.  Jennifer wasn’t crazy about the 3/4 cup sliced pepperoni (that’s about 3 – 4 ounces), or the whole milk and full-fat cheese.  The dish also called for green bell peppers and mushrooms – nutritious, yes, but not always the most kid friendly.

For our Recipe Rescue, we cut the pepperoni to just one ounce (and made it optional), switched to 1% lowfat milk and lowfat cheese, and used a whole wheat blend pasta instead of white (we like Barilla Plus because it’s made with ground flaxseed, chickpeas, and oats).  Jennifer was pleasantly surprised by the switch.  “I don’t typically like whole wheat pasta because it tastes too wheat-y, but I liked the Barilla Plus. I thought my daughter would know it was multi grain but she didn’t notice it.”

One of the biggest changes we made was the addition of mild-flavored zucchini which went over very well with Jennifer and the kids (and her hubby).  Jennifer’s daughter, 4 ½-year old Julia, helped prepare the entire meal.  She shredded the zucchini in a food processor and had an opportunity to take a few bites. “Julia can be picky. She’s often reluctant to try new things. But helping motivated her to taste the zucchini, and she really liked it.” Even 22-month old Evan loved the new dish. “He has recently become more picky, but he ate the pie and even had leftovers the next day!”

Here’s our lightened-up version of Emeril’s spaghetti pie, a recipe Jennifer says she plans to add to her permanent recipe file:

Silly Spaghetti & Zucchini Pie
Makes 5 to 6 Servings

• 8 ounces dried whole wheat blend spaghetti (we like Barilla Plus)
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• One 10 or 12-ounce medium zucchini, unpeeled and shredded (about 2 packed cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup preshredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 ounce sliced pepperoni (about 10 slices), coarsely chopped, optional
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup 1% lowfat milk
• 1/4 cup grated P armesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pan.  Stir in the pasta sauce and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add the zucchini and basil, raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, about 8 minutes.  Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stir the cooked zucchini, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni as desired into the pasta until well combined.  Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish (preferably round or oval).

4. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the milk.  Pour the egg mixture over the top of the spaghetti.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly on top.

5. Bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let stand about five minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 310 calories, 12g fat (4.5g saturated), 350mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 20g protein, 20% vitamin A, 35% vitamin C, 25% calcium, 8% iron — Emeril’s recipe = 440 calories, 23g fat (9g saturated), and 2 g fiber

Good nutrition is a big priority for Jennifer. She prefers eating at home and places a lot of importance on getting more fruits and vegetables into her family’s diet.  We hope this new spaghetti pie helps her to meet that goal.  To view more Spaghetti Pie photos, visit our Flickr page.

Laurie mixing topping

The original recipe called for chicken, celery, mayonnaise, a can of cream of chicken soup, hard boiled eggs, slivered almonds, minced onions, cracker crumbs, and yes, you guessed it, potato chips.  “I didn’t love the combination of the mayo, soup, eggs, cracker crumbs, and chips,” Jennifer told us.  “And besides, the kids and I don’t like cooked celery.”  What Jennifer did like were the almonds and the fact that this recipe was something she found in her grandmother’s old recipe box.

Jennifer assembling ingredients

Sean grinding the flaxseeds

Jennifer’s New Year’s resolution was to feed her family a healthier diet.  “We’re busy and crazy and I was falling into the pattern of eating out or making convenience foods for the family.  I decided that I had to do better for my kids.”  To help Jennifer meet her goal of eating out less and cooking more budget-minded meals at home, we turned her old-time recipe into a dish any modern-day mom would rave about.

For our Recipe Rescue, we switched from celery to broccoli – definitely more kid friendly, used a light canola mayonnaise for some heart-healthy omega-3 fats, and chose an all-natural cream of chicken soup to cut some of the sodium and fat from the original recipe. We also created a super-yummy topping (we’re not kidding, this topping rocks) with fluffy, flaky Japanese panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, ground flaxseed, and finely chopped almonds. By adding the almonds to the topping vs. mixing in a handful of slivered or sliced, we kept the great nutrition (almonds are rich in cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat) without freaking the kids out (let’s face it, some kids can’t handle “lumps”).

Ready to enjoy the Recipe Rescue!

The entire family loved mom’s dinner.  When Jennifer asked ten-year old Laurie if she liked it, she replied, “Mom, did you think I wouldn’t?!”  Even eight-year old Sean, known to be picky at times, ate it, though he preferred the broccoli and crunchy topping over the actual chicken.  Jennifer told us that she loves to cook and plans on making our Recipe Rescue again and again. Now that’s what we call success!

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole with Crunchy Almond Topping

Makes 5 to 6 Servings

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, baked and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 ½ cups) *
• 2 ½ to 3 cups small broccoli florets
• One 14.5-ounce can ready-to-serve all-natural cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup (we like Health Valley)
• 1/3 cup light canola mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup almonds, very finely chopped (in a food processor or on a cutting board)
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket and steam until crisp tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the soup and the mayonnaise until well combined.  Add the chicken and broccoli and stir gently to combine.  Place in a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
3. To make the topping, mix together the almonds, breadcrumbs, flaxseed and Parmesan cheese.  Spread evenly over the chicken mixture.
4. Bake until the mixture bubbles and the topping turns golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Serve over rice, pasta, or noodles.

* To cook the chicken, place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350°F until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 35 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving:   240 calories, 12g fat (2g saturated, 1.2g omega-3), 430mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 21g protein, 25% vitamin A, 60% vitamin C