Luscious But Low-Fat Cheesecake

Luscious But Low-Fat Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
1 container (32 oz.) low-fat cottage cheese
2 packages (8 oz. each) neufchâtel cheese
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
1 cup low-fat (1%) Greek yogurt

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and 1 tbsp. sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, drain cottage cheese in a strainer 15 minutes. Whirl cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add neufchâtel and 2 cups sugar and blend until no lumps remain. Then add flour, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, eggs, and egg whites and blend until mixture is smooth, scraping inside of bowl as needed. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until edges are puffed slightly and center barely jiggles when pan is shaken gently, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven, leave door slightly ajar, and let cheesecake sit in oven another 30 minutes.
4. Mix together yogurt and remaining 1 tbsp. sugar. Put cheesecake on a cooling rack. Carefully spread yogurt-sugar mixture over top of cheesecake and let cool completely. Chill, covered with foil, at least 4 hours. Run a thin knife around the outside of the cheesecake to loosen, remove side of pan, and slice cheesecake with a hot knife.

My notes:
My family loved this cheesecake. The greek yogurt on top makes for a tangy little surprise when you take a bite. And while it is rich, it's definitely not as rich as all those other cheesecakes out there.

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

My notes:
Nice and easy to prepare and so delicious! The combo of the green chiles and cumin was actually my favorite part about this dish. We topped it with some homemade salsa and it really completed the dish.

Tuna Casserole

Tuna Casserole
Ingredients

8 ounces wide egg noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/3 cup chopped carrot
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 3/4 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
2 (5-ounce) cans albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and carrot; cook 6 minutes or until carrot is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk until slightly thick. Stir in cream cheese, mustard, salt, and pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Remove pan from heat. Stir in noodles, peas, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and tuna. Spoon mixture into a shallow broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

My notes:
Loved this! The mixture of Parmigiano-Reggiano, cream cheese and dijon was amazing! Just a great new take on tuna casserole. Big crowd pleaser and very nice for a meatless Lent dish.