Peppered Roast Tenderloin

Taken from  "Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook"

1 (2 1/2 pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon salt

(I didn't use the fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage....just used what was in my spice cabinet).

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. With small knife, make small incisions all over tenderloin; insert a slice of garlic into each incision. Rub oil all over meat. Mix together peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, sage, and salt in cup; rub mixture all over tenderloin.
3. Place tenderloin in roasting pan; roast 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 350. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of tenderloin registers 145 for medium, about 20 minutes longer.  (For medium-well to well done, I roasted mine with a lid on the roaster for an hour.)   Transfer to cutting board; let stand 15 minutes. Cut into slices.

Cowboy Grub (casserole)

(taken from "Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook")

1 pound eye of round beef, cut into 1/4" cubes
1 pound fat-free shredded hash browns
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion
3/4 cup barbecue sauce

Spray a slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray. In the cooker stir together the beef, hash browns, onion, and barbecue sauce until well mixed. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2 hours.

Chicken Dumpling Casserole

(taken from "Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook) 

3 cups hot water

8 ounces fat-free shredded cheddar cheese 

1 (4 oz) jar mushrooms, drained 

2 (10 oz) cans chicken breast

3 (12 oz) jars fat-free chicken gravy

1 (16 oz) can mixed vegetables, drained

1 (12 oz) bag egg-less dumplings (No-Yolk) 

Spray a slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray.  In the slow cooker mix together the water, cheese, mushrooms, chicken breast, gravy and vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Stir in the dumplings, making sure dumplings are completely covered with liquid.  Continue cooking for 1/2 hour more or until the dumplings are tender. 

Note: If some of the dumplings accidentally rise above the liquid and become dry, simply remove those few dumplings with a slotted spoon before serving. 

Honey Mustard Chicken

(taken from "Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook")

8 (4-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups fat free honey-Dijon salad dressing


Spray a slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray.  Put the chicken in the slow cooker and over it with the salad dressing. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Crockpot Pizza

1 (16-oz) box rigatoni (or your choice shape) noodles
1 1/2 lbs hamburger (or ground turkey)
chopped onion, if desired
diced green peppers, if desired
sliced mushrooms, if desired
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 pkg pepperoni
1 12-16 oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
any other favorite pizza items


Cook 1/2 box of pasta according top package instructions. Rinse and drain, then set aside. Brown hamburger, seasoning to taste. Drain off excess grease. Add the desired amount of onions, green peppers and/or mushrooms to the hamburger, cooking on simmer to soften. (This is one of those recipes that you should taste and add a bit of this and that seasoning-wise to taste.)  

Spray crock pot with non-stick spray. Layer crock pot as many times as possible in this order:  Pasta, hamburger mix, spaghetti sauce, pepperoni, other pizza items, and cheese.  Repeat. Cook 3-4 hours on low or until cheese is melted and slightly bubbly.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Garlic Herb Oil

Taken from the "SparkPeople Cookbook"

1 1/2 pounds red or new potatoes
2 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed and sliced
1 T fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray
2. Scrub the potatoes, but do not peel; cut them into quarters. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the potatoes, oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary and salt.
3. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared  baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, stir and roast an additional 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and light brown. Serve warm.

Makes 8- 1/2 cup servings

Taco Seasoning

Taken From the "SparkPeople Cookbook"

Much better for you than the packets you can buy!  I make this x2 and store it in an airtight container. As often as I make taco salad, this is great!

Makes 3 Servings ( 1 2/3 tbsp per serving)

3 T ground cumin
1 T chili powder
1 T red pepper flakes