Medium White Sauce

Great on diced potatoes--this is Mom's recipe! :)

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup canned milk
1/4 cup water

Cook until thick.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Taken from the SparkPeople cookbook by Meg Galvin


1 pound ground beef, 96% lean (turkey burger works good too!)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp dried thyme
One 24-oz jar low sodium marinara sauce
One 3/4-pound eggplant, unpeeled, diced (2 cups)  (I omitted this- add it if you want!)
15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded Italian five-cheese blend (mozzarella works if you can't find Italian blend)
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 egg white)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
6 no-boil lasagna noodles


1. In a skillet over moderate heat, brown the ground beef and drain any excess fat. Stir in red pepper flakes, thyme, tomato sauce, eggplant, and 1-1/4 cup water. 


2. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded cheese blend, egg substitute, and parsley. 


3. Coat the inside of the slow-cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place enough meat sauce in the slow cooker to cover the bottom. Top with 2 or 3 lasagna noodles (break them up as needed) to cover the meat sauce. Repeat layer. 


4. Top the second layer with all of the cheese mixture and finish with a top layer of the remaining meat sauce. 


5. Cover and set the slow cooker on low. Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. 

Spicy Turkey Mini-Meatloaves

Taken from the SparkPeople cookbook by Meg Galvin


(if you don't like spicy stuff...cut back or cut out the spicy seasonings) 


1 pound ground turkey, 93% lean 
1 medium onion, finely diced (1 cup)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup shredded carrots 
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp chipotle pepper powder (or the chili powder of your choice) 
2 tbsp chili sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
6 slices turkey bacon 


1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, onions, oats, carrots, eggs, salt, pepper, chili powder, chili sauce, and mustard. 


2. Prepare large muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. Line the inside of each tin with one slice of bacon. Drop 3/4 cup of the meat mixture into each turkey-bacon lined cup. 


3. Bake until an internal temperature of 165 is reached, about 40 minutes. 

Pecan Chicken with Maple Citrus Sauce

Taken from the SparkPeople cookbook by Meg Galvin


1/4 cup pecans, halved or pieces
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp finely chopped parsley


1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 


2. Chop the pecans by hand or in a food processor until they are the same size as the breadcrumbs; set aside 2 tablespoons for use in the sauce. Combine the chopped pecans with the breadcrumbs and the pepper; place in a flat-bottomed bowl. 


3. Pour 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup into a plastic bag or onto a dish. Trim any fat from the chicken, and cut each breast into three slices. 


4. Dip the chicken in the syrup, then coat the nut mixture. Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish and bake until the meat is no longer pink, about 30 minutes. 


5. About 10 minutes before the chicken is done, start preparing the sauce. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons syrup, and the lemon and orange juice into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Just before serving add in the reserved 2 tablespoons chopped pecans and the parsley. Pour the sauce over the meat or serve it on the side. 

Pizza Tot Casserole

1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (15oz) pizza sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package (32 oz) frozen tater tots
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook the meat, green pepper, onion, and mushrooms over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add pizza sauce and basil.

Transfer to a greased 3 Qt. baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese, then tater tots. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until tater tots are lightly browned. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Yields 8 servings.

Alaskan Halibut Chowder

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 (8 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, diced
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 pounds halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and garlic, and continue cooking until the potatoes have softened slightly, about 10 minutes.
2. Pour in the chicken stock, tomatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the milk and cream, season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the halibut. Continue simmering uncovered until the halibut is flaky and no longer translucent in the center, about 10 minutes. Gently stir in the Cheddar cheese and red pepper flakes until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Taken from the SparkPeople cookbook by Meg Galvin

4 ounces whole-wheat noodles (or no-yolk egg noodles)
1/2 slice whole-wheat bread (I used one whole slice and it was better)
2 tbsp unsalted light butter
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1 1/2 cups finely diced mushrooms
2 Tbsp flour
1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1/3 tsp dried
1/2 tsp white or black pepper
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
12 ounces reduced-sodium canned tuna, packed in water, drained
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese (or mozzarella--I used this and it was yummy!)
2 cups frozen peas and carrots


1.  Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare an 8" x 10" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the noodles according to package directions (you'll want 2 cups of cooked noodles); place 1/2 slice of whole-wheat bread into a small food processor to grind into crumbs. (hand crumbling worked for me!)

2. Place the butter into a medium saucepan over moderate heat.  Once the butter is melted and hot, add the onions and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Do not let the onions brown. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine; cook for 1 minute. Add the thyme and pepper, and then add the milk. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

3. Add the tuna, cheese, peas and carrots, and noodles to the pan and stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs (I sprinkled a little bit more cheese on the top, too!) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly. Serve warm.