Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Jennifer S.

This is very close to the one that Olive Garden serves.

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 quart half and half
1 14 ounces can of chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
1 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoons extra virgin oil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheeses optional
1 pound potato gnocchi you can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets, or in the frozen food section.


Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning;, simmer until soup is heated through.

You can add more chicken if you like. While you could use leftover cooked chicken breasts, I really think using the rotisserie chicken that are found in many grocery stores is the best way to get the optimal flavor of this soup. If you want to make the soup lower in calories, you can use milk instead of half and half. Half and Half does taste better though, and it also reheats better than milk does.

Pasta Fagioli

Jennifer S.

1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, with casing removed
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5-oz) Italian flavored stewed tomatoes
2 cans (14.5-oz each) chicken broth
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cans Cannellini beans (white kidney beans)drained and rinsed
1 TBS tomato paste
2 cups small pasta shells OR another small pasta shape you like
1 bunch fresh kale, washed, tough stems discarded, cut into 1" pieces OR 1 small box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
grated Parmesan cheese

Brown sausage, breaking into smaller pieces, with onion and garlic. Drain and add to crock pot.
Add everything except pasta, kale and cheese to crock pot. Stir well. Cook on low for 5-6 hrs OR high for 2-3 hours.
During last 30 minutes of cook time add pasta and kale, stir well. Let simmer until pasta is tender (20-30 min) and kale is wilted.
Served with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on soup.

Veggie Pasta Primavera

Jennifer S.

1 lb. whole wheat linguine, uncooked
1 pkg. (10 oz.) baby spinach leaves
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 jar (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tub (8 oz.) Garden Vegetable 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding spinach, peppers and mushrooms for the last 5 min. Drain in colander.

MEANWHILE, cook cream cheese and milk in same saucepan on low heat until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.

RETURN pasta mixture to pan. Add basil; mix lightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Smart Pork-Pasta Toss

Jennifer S.

1/2 lb. whole wheat spaghetti, uncooked
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, divided
1 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped red onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 cup Shredded Italian* Three Cheese Blend, divided

COOK spaghetti as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook 5 to 6 min. or until done, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.

ADD remaining dressing, onions and garlic to skillet; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until onions are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes; cook 1 min. Add broth and meat; stir. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN spaghetti. Add to ingredients in skillet with the spinach and 1/2 cup cheese; mix lightly. Top with remaining cheese.

Easy Meatless Manicotti

Jennifer S.
I make this for friends who've just had babies and for our family all the time. It's super easy and so yummy. You can also add ground meat (beef, chicken or pork) with the spinach if you want something different.

* 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
* 1 (16-ounce) carton fat-free cottage cheese
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
* 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 (8-ounce) package manicotti (14 shells)
* 1 (26-ounce) jar fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup water

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, cottage cheese, and the next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a medium bowl. Spoon about 3 tablespoons cheese mixture into each uncooked manicotti. Pour half of tomato-basil pasta sauce into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer over sauce, and top with the remaining sauce. Pour 1 cup water into dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella evenly over sauce. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until shells are tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Lighter Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip

Jennifer S.
Assemble up to two days ahead, and bake just before serving.

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)or pita chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (through spinach) in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.

Healthy Mac

Jennifer S.

3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach
1 3/4 cups 1% milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 cup low-fat (1%) cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni or penne

1. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold water; press out excess moisture.
3. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking). Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, if necessary, then bake for 35 to 45 minutes

Pasta Dish

Diana P.

2 2/3 Cups uncooked penne pasta (8 oz)
3 oz pancetta or 4 strips bacon, chopped*
1 Tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 Can (28 oz) organic crushed tomatoes with basil, undrained
1/2 Cup whipping cream
2 Cups packed fresh baby spinach leaves


1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on box. Return to pan; keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp. Remove pancetta to paper towels to drain. In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and mushrooms in oil 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender. Stir in tomatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in whipping cream; heat just until hot. Stir in pasta.
3. Add spinach; toss until spinach is wilted. Sprinkle individual servings with pancetta.

Makes 5 servings (1 1/3 cups each)