Recipe Rescue: Oatmeal Bake

by The Meal Makeover Moms on June 19th, 2009

Six years ago at a neighborhood brunch, Kelly J. of Marietta, GA tasted an oatmeal bake so rich, so sweet and so irresistibly delicious that she immediately asked her friend for the recipe. Half a dozen years later, she still makes the dish especially on days when her 14-year old daughter, Claudette, heads off to softball.  “Claudette plays competitive softball. Sometimes she plays in tournaments that last all day and into the night, so she needs a hearty breakfast before she goes,” Kelly told us.  And with husband Dave as one of the team’s coaches, he too benefits from a stick-to-your ribs breakfast.

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.

momandjulie-makingoatmealbake

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!

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13 Comments | Filed Under Breakfast, Grains, RecipeRescue 

Recipe Rescue: Tater Tot Casserole

by The Meal Makeover Moms on May 22nd, 2009

smiley-face-casserole-final

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-ingredients

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

adding-smiles-to-casserole1

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.

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9 Comments | Filed Under Beef, Dinner, Potatoes, RecipeRescue 

Recipe Rescue: Chili Mac & Cheese

by The Meal Makeover Moms on May 4th, 2009

sandy chili mac & cheese photoEvery 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.

chili-mac-ingredients

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-cooked-in-pan

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.

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11 Comments | Filed Under Beans, Dinner, Pasta, RecipeRescue 

Immersion Blender Giveaway & Potato Soup Recipe

by The Meal Makeover Moms on March 30th, 2009

Breville Hand Blender

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).  Marian M running roadrace

Marian M family

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 …

Blending Potato Carrot Soup

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 

Potato Carrot Soup with Goldfish

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189 Comments | Filed Under Giveaways, Lunch, Potatoes, RecipeRescue, Soups/Stews, Vegetables 
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