Friday, June 27, 2014

Turkey "Pasta" Casserole



This meal was what happened when I wanted to do a simple pasta bake for the family...while still being able to stick to my low-carb meal plans. Turns out, cauliflower is an incredible substitute for most starches - noodles, breads, rice, mashed potatoes, etc. There are a lot of ways to prepare it, and each more delicious than the last!

To chop the cauliflower quickly, with zero mess, I used my Vitamix blender. I filled the canister half full of cauliflower, topped it off with water, pushed it to medium speed, and turned it off nearly immediately. The result was finely diced cauliflower that cooked quickly in my sauce.



Enjoy!


Aunt LoLo's Turkey "Pasta" Casserole
Serves 6
(Each serving equals 1 Lean, 3 Green, .33 Condiments)

Ingredients:
24 oz. ground turkey (measured AFTER cooking and draining) (4 Lean)
29 oz. canned tomatoes with their juice, pureed (6.5 Green)
8 oz. low-fat mozzarella cheese (2 lean)
20.25 oz. cauliflower, finely chopped (11.5 green)
4 wedges Lite Laughing Cow Cheese (4 healthy fats)
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 tsp. smoked paprika (1 condiment)
1 tsp. granulated garlic (1 condiment)

1. In a skillet, brown your turkey. Drain and measure out what you need for your casserole. Set any extra aside for another meal.

2. Return meat to the pan, add your pureed tomatoes, cauliflower, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and granulated garlic.

3. Cook over low heat until the flavors are well blended, about 20-30 minutes.

4. Add your Laughing Cow cheese and stir to combine.

5. Sprinkle with mozzarella, cover, and cook on low until the cheese is melted. (Optional - stir the cheese in, if you like.)

Enjoy!

PS - I told my kids this was Pizza Soup, and they enjoyed it quite a bit. *Grin*