TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE 

1 can tuna in water *undrained

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 fat free milk

3/4 cup saltines crackers * crushed (low sodium ones)

6 oz egg noodles 

1 can any cream soup you like ( I used cream of mushroom)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 medium onion diced

1 stalk celery diced

1/2 tsp pepper

I didn't add any other salt to the recipe because of the salt in the other ingredients. Plus the saltine crackers have alot.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and set aside. Fill pot with water and salt the water if you want to. Once to a boil add your noodles, While the noodles cook in a small frying pan with some cooking spray over medium high heat add your onions and celery and cook until tender about 5-7 minutes. Add you mixed vegetables into the frying pan and heat through. Take off heat and set aside, drain noodle and let sit. In a large bowl put in your soup, milk and spices and stir to combine. Add in your tuna and vegetables, mix to combined. last pour in your noodles and toss to coat. Pour into your prepared pan and place in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then take out and place on the top your cracker crumbs. Place back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Take out and let cool for about 10 minutes. Then serve.

Makes 4 servings

About 296 calories a serving

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast with Apple Cider Gravy

1 turkey breast (about 2 to 3 pounds), skin removed
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

DRY RUB:
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 GRAVY:
                                                                                  1/4 cup turkey broth (from the pan drippings), plus extra chicken broth if not enough                                                                                       turkey drippings to equal 1/4 cup
                                                                                  canola oil cooking spray
                                                                                  1/4 cup finely chopped onion
                                                                                  1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage (ground sage can be substituted)
                                                                                  1/4 cup apple cider
                                                                                  2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
                                                                                  2 tablespoons fat-free half-and-half
                                                                                  salt and black pepper to taste

Direction:

 Preheat the oven to 425°F. Rub the outside of the turkey breast with the oil. Combine the rub ingredients in a small bowl and toss to blend well. Rub the outside of the turkey with the mixture. Place the turkey breast in a small roasting pan or similar pan (with or without a rack in the bottom) and roast, covered, for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and baste the turkey with any pan drippings. Continue to roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the thickest part of the breast is cooked throughout. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and let it cool for 15 minutes. While you are waiting, pour the turkey drippings and any browned bits from the bottom of the roasting pan into a measuring cup (hopefully, you will have about 1/4 cup-if not, you can add some chicken broth to equal that amount). For the gravy, start heating a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat.When the pan is hot, coat it with the cooking spray and add the chopped onion. Lightly brown the onion, stirring occasionally (about 3 minutes). Add the sage and cook, stirring, for 30 to 60 seconds. Reduce the heat to simmer, and stir in the reserved turkey drippings and the apple cider. In a small cup, blend the flour with the half-and-half and quickly whisk the mixture into the saucepan with the gravy. Continue to simmer for about 2 to 4 minutes, whisking occasionally, until nicely thickened. Season with salt and pepper if to taste. Carve the turkey into slices and serve topped with your homemade gravy.

Stuffing with Celery and Thyme

4 cups cubed reduced-sodium whole-wheat bread
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 stalks celery, minced
1 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 12" x 8" baking dish with no-stick spray.Coat a large baking sheet with no-stick spray. Place the bread on the baking sheet and mist with no-stick spray. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a large bowl. Coat a 10" no-stick skillet with no-stick spray and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, celery, onions, poultry seasoning, thyme, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not browned. Add the stock to the bread cubes in the bowl. Toss to mix. Add the onion mixture and mix well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 8 servings

About 94 calories per serving

Cranberry Sauce

1 cup sugar ( equal)

1 cup water

4 cups cranberries

OPTIONAL:

zest of orange

pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger

raisins

Directions:

Bring water to a boil. Add in the sugar. Stir to dissolve, add the cranberries bring back to a boil. Reduce and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Add in the optional ingredients at this point if you are adding them. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp. Put an a cover bowl and place in the frig to completely chilled. Will also thicken as it chills.

The calories will change depends on your sugar and if you add other optional ingredients. 

You can also replace the water with orange juice if you would like and that will also change the calories some.

Makes about 6-8 servings

About 37 calories per serving

Cranberry Sauce Muffins

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup Equal

1/4 cup light butter

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 salt

1 cup cranberry sauce

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cups fat free milk

1 large egg

1 tsp orange zest

Direction:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl mix the soften butter and the sugar. Then add the vanilla and the egg. Mix well. Once mixed well add in the the cranberry sauce(not from a can, FRESH) and then the milk and zest. Combined well. Then add your wet ingredients into the dry stir till combined. Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray. Fill 3/4 of the way and then bake for 15-18 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. remove to a cooling rack to cool. Enjoy.

Makes 12 muffins/ 1 muffin a serving

About 115 calories a serving

(For the original recipe  http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/cranberry-sauce-muffins/ )

Low Calorie Classic Pumpkin Pie

Cocoa Meringue Drops

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cocoa powder

pinch salt

3 large egg white (room temp)

1/8 tsp. cream of tarter

2 Tbsp. powder sugar( Optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift 1/4 cup sugar,cocoa and salt into small bowl and set aside. Beat eggs and cream of tarter in large bowl until it forms soft peaks. Add in the other 1/4 sugar about 1 tbsp at a time.until your get medium peaks then start adding in the cocoa mixtures again little at a time. Beat until all combine. Its should be stiff peaks and nice and glossy. Drop by tsp onto the parchment lined sheets. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheets completely.

Makes about 40 small cookies

About 15 calories a cookie

Low Calorie Banana Bread

1/4 cup Granulated White sugar

2 Tbsp Blue Bonnet - Light Butter Sticks

1 Large Egg, 

1/4 cup Apple Sauce,

3 Chiquita - Small Banana,  (6 - 6 7/8" long)

1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking soda,

1/4 ts Salt

1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder

Direction:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. blend butter and sugar together. Add in the one egg and the applesauce. mix to combine. Fold in the mashed bananas. In another bowl add the flour,salt and baking soda. Mix to combined all. Then add 1/2 c of flour into the banana mixture. completely combined. Then do this until all flour is combined in the banana mixture. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray, then pour your batter into the pan. Bake in preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes. When you take a toothpick into the center of the loaf it should come out clean. Then remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for about 5 minutes. The remove from pan to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Makes 8 servings

About 98 calories a slice

Chicken Tetrazzini

4 slice turkey bacon fully cooked

1 cup white wine

4 Tbsp. light butter

4 gloves garlic

1 1/2 cups mushrooms, quartered

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 lb chicken breast shredded

8 oz light cream cheese

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

                                                                                 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

                                                                                 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

                                                                                 1 box whole wheat pasta

                                                                                 4 cups water

                                                                                 2 tsp better then bouillon low sodium(chicken flavor)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Also get a large pot of salted water on for your pasta. First melt butter in a large pan, add garlic, and then mushrooms. Let cook about 3-4 minutes. Add in the white wine and let reduce by half another 4-5 minutes. Once reduced sprinkle in the 1/3 cup flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Than add in your water and the bouillon and let thicken up about 5-6 minutes. after that cut the cream cheese into smaller chunks and add then into  the pan and mix well. add in your shredded chicken, peas, and 1 cup of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese, all the Parmesan cheese, add you salt and pepper too. Last break up your bacon into little pieces and drop in last. Stir all to combined. Turn heat to low and let simmer while you cook your pasta about 10 minutes. Drain your pasta and add pasta to your sauce mix. combine.  Now pour your pasta and sauce into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle on the last 1/2 cup of your cheese and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Makes 12 servings

About 360 calories per serving

(Original recipe Ree Drummond food network the Pioneer woman)   http://thepioneerwoman.com/