bell peppers

Italian Turkey Sausage & Pepper Pasta

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I’ve been making this for years…since before we had kids. In fact, when we were first married, we lived near a Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant and went there often. My husband always ordered a “Skilletini” which is a tomato based pasta dish served with peppers, onions, & sausage, much like this one. Maybe that’s why we love this so much. It reminds us of our newly-wed date nights. It was a favorite then and it’s a favorite now in our own home. ~Erin

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Ingredients:

8 oz. uncooked whole wheat penne pasta

1 ¼ lb. turkey Italian sausage (5 links)

1 bell pepper of each color: green, red, yellow, and orange; sliced into strips

1 lg. onion, sliced

2-4 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 T. squeeze garlic)

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. salt

3 T. of pasta water (reserved before draining cooked pasta)

1 T. olive oil

Parmesan cheese for serving, optional (not included in WW points calculations)

Crushed red pepper flakes for serving, optional

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Instructions:

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions; reserve 3 T. of pasta water, drain, & set aside.

Brown sausages in a large skillet over medium-high heat; remove from pan & set aside. You can either leave them whole to cook them, then slice each into four pieces; or you can slice and then cook them. I prefer to slice first and then cook the pieces because they cook faster. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Cook peppers and onions in olive oil over medium-high heat until they are crisp-tender (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about a minute).

Add the Italian seasoning, salt, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta water, and sliced sausage pieces. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add penne pasta and stir to heat through.

Serve with parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Weight Watchers Info.: This recipe makes 10 servings. Each 8 oz. serving (about 1 ½ c.) is 5 SmartPoints.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

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I love stuffed peppers. Stuffing anything in a pepper just automatically makes it better. These Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers are easy, cheesy, and meaty. They are best grilled but great out of the oven too.

͂ Erin

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz. fresh, sliced mushrooms
  • 8 oz. thinly sliced roast beef, chopped into small pieces
  • 8 oz. (8 slices) provolone
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 2 large bell peppers
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 T. steak seasoning
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Instructions:

Cut the peppers in half from top to bottom; remove seeds and veins and place pepper halves in a pan. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook onions, garlic, and mushrooms until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender. Add roast beef, Worcestershire, and steak seasoning; cook until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the outdoor grill to medium heat or the oven to 400°F.  Line each pepper half with a slice of cheese.  Stuff the peppers with filling and top with another slice of cheese.  If cooking on the grill, place the peppers directly on the rack and cook until the peppers are tender and cheese is melted.  If cooking in the oven, place the pan of peppers on the lower rack and cook about 30 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is melted.

WW Freestyle Info.: Each stuffed pepper half is 10 points.  This recipe makes 4 servings.

Greek Quesadillas

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  Posted by Robin 

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I make these as a (very filling) vegetarian dish, but if you want to throw in some shredded rotisserie chicken, you could. My husband Barry usually complains about all-veggie meals because he doesn’t feel like they are filling, but he loves this one – and stays good and full. It’s one of our daughter Emery’s favorites too!  These are so rich tasting and super easy, but I also love how absolutely gorgeous they are. We all deserve a pretty meal now and then!  

Ingredients: 

8 8-inch tortillas*

2 c. shredded mozzarella*

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 c. fresh spinach

1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled*

1 red bell pepper, chopped** 

12 Kalamata olives, pitted & sliced (I usually buy them sliced and count 2 or 3 slices as one olive depending on size)

Cooking spray

*Weight Watchers-friendly ingredient substitutes:  

8 8-inch Ole Extreme Wellness High Fiber low carb tortillas wraps

2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella

½ c. fat-free feta (Nikkos is my brand)

**You can do sun-dried tomatoes instead of red bell peppers; I don’t think they go as well together so I recommend either/or – the bell pepper is definitely the healthier option and is my preference – the sun-dried tomato can be too dominant a flavor for me, but Barry loves them.

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Directions:

Spray non-stick pan with cooking spray; begin heating to medium heat.  Place a tortilla on a plate and build, using about a half cup of mozzarella per quesadilla (it’s the glue that will hold it all together).  Pile on what you’d like (for Weight Watchers, no more than 9 slices of olives – about 3 olives); place carefully in the pan and top with another tortilla. Brown on both sides; cut and serve.

Weight Watchers Info.:  For a whole 8-in. quesadilla, this is just 8 SmartPoints (serves 4).

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