Paula Deen's Lean: Pumpkin Baked Penne

It's that time of the year where we love our kitchens to be full of the wonderful aroma of pumpkin pies and breads baking. Well, how about a little PUMPKIN BAKED PENNE instead?

Paula Deen has a fabulous recipe for PUMPKIN BAKED ZITI that looks incredible. It is simple, different and very easy to make lean. Here is the Cookin' Lean version of Paula's dish. Try it out early this week for an simple, healthy meal that will allow you to take it easy before the really serious Thanksgiving cookin starts!

PUMPKIN BAKED PENNE

SERVES 8

INGREDIENTS

FAT FREE cooking spray (for prepping the dish)

1 pound mild or hot chicken Italian sausage

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 (15-ounces) can pumpkin puree

1 cup FAT FREE chicken broth

1 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup FAT FREE Half-n-Half

1 pound WHOLE WHEAT Penne pasta, cooked

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated REDUCED-FAT Parmesan  


DIRECTIONS  

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray baking dish with cooking spray. 

Cook chicken sausage in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.

Remove from skillet and drain fat on paper towels and set aside. Discard any and all fat from the skillet. Place the sausage in a separate bowl and set aside.

Add onion, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and oil to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until soft; about 3 minutes.

 Stir in pumpkin puree and FAT FREE chicken broth. Mix together and add salt.

 Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Stir in half-n-half and sausage. Simmer until the sauce comes together and is thickened slightly.

Add cooked penne pasta and parsley to the skillet and gently toss all the ingredients together to coat. 

 

Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese.

 Bake for 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

RESULTS

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving):

BEFORE~ 472.5 calories /  21.1g fat / 49.25g carbohydrate / 19.75g protein / 2.9g fiber

AFTER~ 248 calories / 4g fat / 38.9g carbohydrate / 17.3g protein / 5.4g fiber



SAVES~ 224.5 calories / 17.1g fat / 10.4g carbohydrate
ADDS~ 2.5g fiber

I always think it's fun to try foods out of their typicall use. For example, when chocolate is worked into a main course or in this case, when pumpkin is used in something other than breads, pies or cookies! The pumpkin puree works! It is a great way to sneak in nutrients; creating a dish that seems very rich yet isn't. The little bit of fat-free half-n-half creates a thick sauce without all of the cheese and butter you would assume would be in a dish like this. Overall, it was fabulous! And in case you are wondering, it makes great left-overs too (if you are lucky to have any).

Paula's original recipe suggests baking this recipe in 8 individual ramekins, which is a very cute idea for a dinner party. Either way, the bake time and temp stays the same.

Enjoy and let us know what you think!!

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Cookin' Lean Craft: Candy Corn Tree

When does sugar content not matter when it comes to making sweet treats? When you don't plan on eating 'em!

 This fun little activity was too cute not to share. Yes, it is pure sugar, but the intention is to decorate with this recipe, not actually eat it. Although, Kimber and I did sneak in a few candy corn and dips into the frosting. Gotta have some fun and treat yourself every now and then, right?

If you are home from school or stuck indoors because of Sandy like we are, this is the perfect activity to keep the kids busy for a bit. We are in a hotel and we even had room for this! No kids around the kitchen? This craft makes an adorable place card holder or dish label for a festive fall buffet. This little idea came from Paula Deen. While looking up new recipes to start working away on, I stumbled upon this video. Have fun with it!!


CANDY CORN TREES

INGREDIENTS:

• SUGAR Joy Cone ICE CREAM CONES

•  PILLSBURY Funfetti Creamy Supreme Halloween Icing (Or make with vanilla frosting and orange food coloring)

• CANDY CORN

• Not a candy corn fan? Try using Reese's Pieces! 

DIRECTIONS:

• Spread icing all over the surface of the cone.

• Starting with the bottom row, lightly press the candy into the icing.

• Continue making each row until reaching the top of the cone.

• To add a place card, dab an extra bit of icing on top and stick card gently into the icing.

That is one proud little girl!

If you are already thinking ahead, you may want to save this idea for Christmas or the winter holiday season. It will be here before we know it! Use white icing with green and red M&M's or blue and white York Peppermint Pieces to create a sweet winter wonderland!

Kimber and I wish you a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Be safe. Have fun. And stop back again soon as we start cookin' it up again!

**You may have noticed I haven't been posting much. I miss it soooooo much! This year I coached varsity volleyball for the first time and needless to say, it is very time consuming. I have loved every minute of it, but it doesn't allow much time for cookin' new recipes. There just haven't been a lot of exciting and new home cooked meals over the past couple of months. Well, the season is winding down and I am back! I hope you're ready to start cookin' some lean Food Network inspired recipes with me. I know I am ready to get back into it!! This time of year is one of my favorite times to be in the Cookin' Lean Kitchen. Hope you join us!

Cooking Light with The Neelys: Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Pizza just isn't red sauce, cheese and pepperoni these days. Restaurants, delivery chains and creative home cooks are finding ways to add excitement to the pizza pie; covering a wide range from dessert varieties to classic dinners just like this Chicken Alfredo Pizza. Patrick and Gina Neely created a delicious looking Chicken Alfredo Pizza that I just couldn't resist. When ordering pizza out, it is my ultimate splurge. Being familiar with the way my brain works with food, you know that any time I find a favorite splurge I immediately start cookin' up ideas for ways to make it lean.

That's exactly what happened here. Stay home tonight and try out this healthy and inexpensive recipe for Chicken Alfredo Pizza. You'll love the taste and most importantly, you'll feel good about having something that is good for you too.

CHICKEN ALFREDO PIZZA
Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 pound BAKED and DICED boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thin sliced works best)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup FAT FREE half-and-half
• 1/4 cup KRAFT Reduced-Fat Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 package Pillsbury pizza dough
• 2 cups baby spinach, well washed and drained
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 package KRAFT Fat Free shredded Mozzarella
• "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Olive Oil Spray, for the crust

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place pizza dough on a pizza stone or pan, spreading out the dough and working into a pie shape. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside.

Melt the ICBINB in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant. Add the flour and cook until light blonde in color.

Whisk in the fat free half-and-half, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and season lightly with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the sauce to cover the bottom of the pizza.

 Evenly top with the baby spinach, grape tomatoes, grilled chicken and the mozzarella. 

Spray the edge of the crust with ICBINB olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake the pizza for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is thoroughly melted.

Remove from oven ... slice and serve.

RESULTS

NUTRITION FACTS: (Per serving; 1/8 of pizza)

BEFORE~ 348.8 calories / 19g fat / 25.7g carbohydrate / 18.8g protein / 1.1g fiber
AFTER~ 247.6 calories / 4.4g fat / 28.8g carbohydrate / 21.25g protein / 1.1g fiber
SAVES~ 101.2 calories and 14.6g fat

This was such a fun recipe to make! It  may look fancy, but is simple enough to involve the little helpers in your house. Kimber was excited to top off the pizza with spinach, chicken, tomatoes and cheese; the perfect job for her!

The nutritional savings came in the cheese and cream substitutions. The original recipe calls for heavy cream, which we easily replaced with fat free half-and-half (a frequent Cookin' Lean substitution). The shredded mozzarella comes in a fat free variety, so that was another big saving piece. I am sometimes a little afraid that the fat free cheese won't melt as nicely, but KRAFT'S fat free Mozzarella did beautifully! If you really want to, you can try using a whole-wheat pizza crust or flat bread, but that all depends on your personal preferences. For this recipe, I felt the changes we were making were enough to where keeping a regular pizza crust would be just fine.

Overall, you are going to love the look and taste of this pizza! And in case you were wondering, it is even great the second day!!

Try it out and let me know what you think! We want to hear about how it turned out for you, as well as any healthy or creative modifications YOU may have made to this recipe.

ENJOY!!

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