Family wants casseroles...

I've tortured my family long enough with health food, now they want real food:) I'm fine with making myself something different, but does anyone have any low cal, no noodle casseroles we can all enjoy?

Does it have to be "no noodle"? Or can you substitute with gluten-free noodles like rice noodles?

If no noodles, period, look for rice-based or potato based casseroles.

My husband has recently started asking for casseroles again, so I've suggested he look through our Looneyspoons and CrazyPlates books and find one recipe a week that he would like.

Here's one they might like.  It's an Italian casserole of layered vegetables and goes great with any poultry, meat or fish.

Tiella

and here's a good stew that is very low in calories but doesn't taste like it.  You can add diced chicken or any meat to it if you like.

End of the Garden Stewed Vegetables

I named it end of the garden because it has all the vegetables that are left in the garden in late summer.

Another favorite is

Pinapple Mango Pork 

There's no reason you can't cook low calorie but family friendly dishes.  Casseroles don't have to be rich and starchy. 

you can try something with quinoa or couscous...or just with potatoes

what i love and allways loved when i was a child was a broccoli-casserole...just brocoli and some bread pieces,  and some souce bechamel above...but definitly not low in cal but so tasty...and if you don´t eat too much of it it should be ok...you  can eat a fresh salad and the brocoli-casserole...and you are just fine...

bye

i love this website:

http://cookingdonelight.com/blog/category/cas seroles/

Ive made a lot of the things from her bakery and dessert section we love the chocolate chip cookies in particular!

If what they want are those casseroles that have a canned soup base, you can make them healthier.

Look for Wondra Flour.  It comes in a blue, round box, a little taller and narrower than a salt box.  It's finely granulated flour that does not lump with 100 calories to 1/4 cup.

In a 1 quart saucepan with a heavy bottom, combine 2 cups of fat free milk  (180 calories) with 1/4 cup of Wondra (100 calories).  When well mixed, put over medium high heat and stir until hot and bubbling.  Do not allow to come to a full boil.  Stir until it thickens.  This is the base.

For cream of mushroom, saute some fresh, sliced mushrooms in a non stick pan unti lightly browned.  Add the white sauce, taste and season with salt and pepper.

Cream of celery, do the same with chopped celery

Onion flavor, add a tablespoon of dehydrated onion flakes to 1 cup of sauce

Cream of chicken, add chopped leftover, cooked chicken and season with poultry seasoning (thyme and sage)

Cheese sauce - Take the white sauce off the heat and add 1 cup of reduced fat shredded cheddar.  Put the lid on and let it sit a couple of minutes until the cheese is gently melted, then stir and season.  This makes fantastic mac and cheese. 

Tex Mex cheese - add minced fresh jalapenos and chopped cilantro, and hot sauce to taste.

My Mum is the queen of low cal cassaroles... they are so delish and warming too.

Here my fav!

chop up a really good amount of veggies into large chunks (onion, carrots, zuchhini, peppers, tomato,), peel and half two garlic cloves

in a light spray of olive oil, sautee the garlic and onion until they just begin to caramelize (be careful not to get to dark- otherwise it's bitter) add veggies and sautee lightly- so that they are slightly caramelized too. season lightly with a bit of salt (not too much)

Pop Veggies into casserole dish.

Chop chicken breast into nice size chunks (she uses 3 breasts for 4 people)-
season and in the frying pan with a light spray of olive oil... seal (you don't need to cook through - make sure you have a high heat) add a 2/3 cup of tangy veggie stock and a squeeze of tomato puree and remove all the yummy bits which have stuck to the pan.

Add chicken and stock to Veggies and mix. add some pepper corns and a bayleaf... some parsely...

put lid onto pot and pop in the oven at 180 for 40min (you need to stir from time to time)...
check for seasoning and season to taste

you can serve the noodles, rice, potatoes, grain seperately--- or add them into the stew to cook together! It's so yummy!

 

This is a tastey, low calorie casserole

 Enchilada caserole

 1 lbs Meat (turkey breast, pork roast, chicken breast, ground beef or soy meat)

10-15 corn tortillas

Mexican seasonings (can use a packet or your own concoction)

bell peppers, tomatoes,chilies,corn,black olives( can use fresh,canned or frozen)

cheese ( Recommend a mixture of fat free and regular cheese.)

salsa and low fat sour cream

•  Brown meat in skillet. Drain fat ( you can also boil/roast chicken breast, pork ,or turkey and shread the meat.)
• Mix meat with seasonings and veggies
• Soften tortillas in the mirowave. (Layer in between moist paper towels. 20 seconds for five-six tortillas)
• place a layer of tortillas on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.(About 5 or 6)
• layer meat-cheese-tortilla, meat-cheese-tortilla
• top with cheese, chillies, and black olives
• bake in a 375 oven for roughly 25-30 minutes.
• serve with salsa and sour cream.

Great recipie to make with the kids!

 

I've used this recipe from cooking light and usually don't add salt and try to use low-sodium or sodium-free broth to cut down on the sodium content.  I also make it using chicken instead of beef and use white wine or sherry instead of red wine for the sauce and I omit the tomato paste and vinegar.  For the potatoes, I use red or yellow potatoes and leave skins on.  I don't add butter, but I like to add a little half n half or evaporated milk to give a little richer flavor.  My family loves this recipe.


SHEPARD'S PIE

Potato topping:
2 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 teaspoon butter or stick margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups diced carrot

1 cup diced celery

1 diced onion
6 cups quartered mushrooms (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon basil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 cups cubed leftover roast or stew meat

To prepare potato topping, place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Place potatoes, sour cream, and next 5 ingredients (sour cream through pepper) in a large bowl, and beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Keep warm.

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare filling, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery and onion; sauté 7 minutes. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, basil and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring until well-blended. Add broth and wine; bring to a boil. Stir in tomato paste and vinegar. Add meat and cook 2 minutes. Spoon meat mixture into a 2-quart casserole.

Spread potato topping over meat mixture and Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield:  8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

CALORIES 228 (26% from fat); FAT 6.6g (sat 2.4g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 18.5g; CHOLESTEROL 45mg; CALCIUM 50mg; SODIUM 330mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.5g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 1999




 

I don't know how low cal this recipie is, however, it is quite good.  Perhaps there are variation you can think of to make it low cal.  That or have a smaller portion and fill up on a salad.  It is quite good.  I added onions and peppers and reduced the amount of bisquits to 5 vs. the 10, usd 1 lb. lean ground beef and low fat mozz. cheese.

http://lifestyle.msn.com/foodandentertaining/ recipes/articlebhg.aspx?cp-documentid=7593361

Upside-Down Pizza Casserole Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes


Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 15-ounce can Italian-style tomato sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
1 10-ounce package refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)

Directions


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet cook beef until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce; heat through. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle mixture with cheese.

2. Flatten each biscuit with your hands; arrange the biscuits on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden. Makes 5 servings.

Casseroles can be healthy....  This one is a traditional beef stew made with root vegetables and braising steak. http://www.calorie-count.com/recipe/12419.htm l?refresh=1

Just 445 cals a portion and nutrition Grade A.  Served with some steamed vegetables and it's perfect for anyone trying to lose weight.  For the rest of the family, serve some crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Most casseroles can be modified for low fat, etc. For instance, the Upside down pizza one could look like this:

1 1/2 lbs turkey sausage

1 can oil free Italian tomato sauce

 1 1/2 c shredded skim milk mozzearella cheese

1 tube low fat refrigerated biscuits

Remeber, too, that portion size is important. If the recipe says "serves 5", make sure you only eat 1/5th of the total!