I am always searching for dinner items that my boys will eat while satisfying my husband and I. These Skinny Sloppy Joe’s with Skinny White Cheddar Sauce are dynamite and a perfect weeknight menu item and they are “skinny”.
In order to lighten these up I used lean ground turkey and the cheese sauce has a roux base with skim milk so there is no cream. You can use any kind of bun you like, or if you are going low-carb skip the bun all together. For these pictured I used a bag of Kings Hawaiian Rolls. I love the soft texture and sweet flavor of the buns combined with the tangy meat and creamy cheese sauce.
These are a delicious treat not only for a busy weeknight, but at potlucks or when you are watching a game. I hope you enjoy these as much as my family and I do. One quick side note, I actually read a tip on AllRecipes where a reader stated that if you fill the cups in a muffin tin with the leftovers and freeze. When frozen just pop them out and store in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Each one is the perfect size for a bun and ready to microwave at a seconds notice.
All the best,
Catherine
Skinny Sloppy Joes with Skinny White Cheddar Sauce
Ingredients
For the meat mixture:
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 c. water
1 t. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 t. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. tomato paste
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 bag Kings Hawaiian Buns
For the cheese sauce:
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1/2 to 3/4 c. skim milk at room temperature (to desired thickness)
3/4 c. white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat to medium high. Add ground turkey and cook until brown. Drain any fat and discard.
Add onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until they begin to get soft. Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili powder, dry mustard, tomato paste, Worcestershire Sauce and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Taste and salt & pepper to your hearts desire.
For the cheese sauce, take a small saucepan and heat butter on medium heat. Once heated, add flour and cook for a few minutes. Once butter and flour have combined, whisk in the milk in a slow, steady drizzle. Add cheese, cayenne and dry mustard and whisk together. Turn heat to low and add salt and pepper to your taste.
Gently warm your rolls and top them with a healthy portion of turkey mixture and cheese sauce. So good, so yummy, so easy!
Let’s face it, when we are trying to be healthy it can be a difficult balance so I do indulge in the protein bar/snack bar on a fairly regular basis. I know that eating whole foods – fruits and veggies is best, but being a mom, working and blogging I just don’t have the discipline to always have fruits and veggies with me. Plus, truth be told, sometimes I just don’t feel like eating a fruit or a veggie and want something with some chocolate in it!
A few things I look for in my bars is that it be tasty , healthy, have a decent amount of fiber, some protein (the more, the better) and be under or right around 200 calories. So here are my favorites:
1. Kind Bars: These bars are all natural, gluten free, wheat free and have a low glycemic index. While all flavors are tasty, my absolute favorites are:
Dark Chocolate and Cherry with Cashews + Protein: 180 calories, 9 g. fat, 4 g. protein, 22 g. carbs and 3 g. fiber
Almond and Coconut (if you aren’t a coconut lover, you will HATE these): 190 calories, 14 g. fat, 4 g. protein, 14 g. carbs and 4 g. fiber
2. Cliff Bar Kidz: These are as the name implies designed for kids, but I love the brownie flavor and so do my boys.
Chocolate Brownie: 120 calories, 3 g. fat, 3 g. protein, 22 g. carbs and 3 g. fiber
3. thinkThin Bites 100 Calorie Bars: These are the perfect little snack when you are trying to lose weight and are craving something sweet to hold you over. Sugar and gluten free, these are the perfect little bar to keep in your desk drawer or purse.
Toffee Nut: 100 calories, 4 g. fat, 6 g. protein, 12 g. carbs and 1 g. fiber
4. Lara Bar: This bar is all natural and when I am trying to eat clean this one is my go to. Unlike the other bars, the ingredient list on this one is minimal. My favorite flavor, peanut butter & chocolate chip only has 4 ingredients – dates, peanuts, chocolate chips (ok, there is more ingredient in here) and salt. The taste is delicious, although not like a peanut butter and chocolate cookie you will be extremely satisfied after eating this one.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip: 230 calories, 12 g. fat, 5 g. protein, 26 g. carbs and 4 g. fiber
I hope you enjoy this, please share your favorites with me – I am always on the hunt for something yummy!
Take care!
Catherine
I changed my stuffed peppers from using beef to ground turkey. I also used brown rice instead of white rice for the added nutrition and fiber. For my two boys I gave them the filling minus the peppers and they loved it. A few carrots on the side and they also have a complete meal.
This meal is super filling and since you have all food groups represented, you can be in and out of the kitchen in no time. Enjoy!
Ground Turkey and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1.5 – 2 cups cooked brown rice
6 green bell peppers
1 3 oz. can tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cloved garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil, or 1 T. fresh basil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 T. half & Half
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook the turkey until evenly browned. Once browned, drain and add the turkey back into the skillet. Add rice, tomato paste, worcestire sauce, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes and half & half. Simmer on medium for about five minutes. (If necessary add water if the mixture looks a bit dry. I added about a 1/4 cup to moisten the mixture up a bit. This will depend on the fat content of your turkey as well.) Add salt & pepper to taste.
Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.)
Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper.
Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!
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I am still on my kick of trying to eat a bit more clean and healthy. I will say that I am feeling really good and I am sure that the additional fruits, veggies and reduction of refined sugar may have something to do with it. 🙂
So, I had a craving – a really, really big craving for potato soup. Normally laden with butter, cream, cheese and all sorts of other fabulously rich items, I knew that my normal recipe was not going to be what I was looking for, however I had an idea…
I bought these giant and I mean giant potatoes from Costco. One potato could easily serve 2-4 adults. Don’t believe me – check it out:
Anyways, I decided to bake it, then scoop out the pulp and puree that with some chicken stock. Sautee some onions ahead of time and add a few spices and it I have to say, that it is a pretty darn good alternative when you are trying to eat a little cleaner. This could also easily be made into a vegetarian version by using veggie stock instead of chicken stock. Of course I did top mine with some scallions, low-fat plain greek yogurt and some bacon – because you can’t have potato soup without it (in my humble opinion any ways. :))
No Guilt Potato Soup
Server 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 – 2 lbs baking potatoes, baked in the oven until soft (I baked my giant potato in a 400 degree oven for about 75 minutes)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- additional spices (I used a little garlic powder, onion powder & cayenne and just sprinkled it in until the soup tasted good to me
- Garnishes – top with scallions, low-fat plain greek yogurt, bacon and/or cheese
Once pureed, add salt, pepper and seasonings to taste. Top with garnishes and enjoy this warm, delicious soup.
I have to start this post by stating that this shake is NOT as delicious as a chocolate shake that will make you forget that amazing, smooth flavor that only sugar and fat can bring. However, I will say that this shake is a pretty darn good alternative when you are trying to shed a few pounds and will definitely feel you up for many hours. Definitely a go to in my arsenal of healthy recipes when I am trying to shed a few lbs.
Healthy Protein Shake
serves 1
Ingredients
- One scoop protein powder (for this recipe, the protein powder I use is 100 calories per scoop – I also used chocolate for this recipe, but any flavor would work)
- 1/2 frozen, ripe banana (if you don’t have a frozen one, no worries a fresh one will work also :))
- 1 cup cold water
- 1/2 cup crushed ice
- 1 T. light peanut butter (I used a brand called Better N Peanut Butter that I found at Trader Joe’s. I should also add that this should be called, “Better N No Peanut Butter At All” because it has 50% fewer calories, but isn’t as dynamite as the real thing)
Directions
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth & frothy.
200 calories, 2 grams fat & 15 grams protein*
*Please note that protein comes from my protein powder that I used, which was the GNC Be Buff brand. I used chocolate, but couldn’t find that variety online. Click here for the link to the vanilla bean.
