Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese with a Healthy Twist

Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese

with a healthy twist!

Ingredients

16 oz whole wheat pasta (rotini or penne)

1 lb shredded BBQ pork (homemade or store bought)

½ medium onion, diced

3 oz shredded cheddar

3 oz shredded monterey jack

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Dash of nutmeg and cayenne

12 oz cooked squash (fresh or frozen, I used a combination of butternut and acorn)

1 tbsp butter or olive oil

1 tbsp flour

3 cups skim milk

Sprinkle of parmesan and parsley (fresh or dried)

Directions

1.       Boil pasta, drain and set aside (I undercook since it will be baked).

2.       In a sauce pan, heat butter or olive oil, add onions and garlic, sauté 3-5 minutes

3.       Sprinkle in flour and sauté 1-2 minutes.

4.       Add milk and slowly bring to a boil, stirring every few minutes.  Add Dijon, nutmeg and cayenne.

5.       Once the milk has thickened, slowly stir in the cheese and then the squash. Mix in shredded pulled pork. Add the pasta. Combine and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

6.       Sprinkle top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and parsley.

7.       Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake Cake

Ingredients:

For the Chocolate Cake Layers:

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup brewed coffee, cooled

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

For the Cheesecake Layer:

2 pkg low fat (8oz each) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1 bag (10oz) Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips (can substitute Andes Peppermint Crunch bars, chopped)

For the Frosting:

1 pint heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

½ bag Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips

Instructions

For the Cakes:

1.       In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

2.       In a measuring cup, mix together cooled coffee and milk. Set aside.

3.       Grease 2- 8inch round baking pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

4.       IN mixer, beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Slowly add in dry ingredients alternating with the coffee and milk mixture, about 3 additions of each.

5.       Pour cake batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans. I also use Wilton's Baking Strips on my pans to keep the cakes from getting rounded on the tops (I found them at Michaels).

6.       Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, you can wrap each layer in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for later assembly! For the

Cheesecake Layer:

7.       Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a large roasting pan on the lower 2/3 of the oven, preheat the pan too!

8.       Prepare 8 inch springform (regular cake pan will work fine too) by wrapping bottom of pan (outside) with double layer of foil. Spray pan with nonstick baking spray and line bottom (inside) with a circle of parchment paper. Meanwhile, boil a kettle of water to use later.

9.       Beat cream cheese with granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. Add in salt and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream, heavy cream and peppermint extract. Fold in baking chips. Pour into prepared 8 inch springform pan. Place pan in center of preheated roasting pan in the oven. Pour boiling water slowly into the roasting pan, until there is about an inch of water coming up the sides of the springform pan.

10.   Bake cheesecake for 45 minutes. Turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove and cool completely on counter.

11.   When cooled, transfer entire springform pan into the freezer for several hours or overnight. I put it in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove cheesecake and wrap in plastic wrap and return to freezer, or assemble cake.

For the frosting, beat heavy with powdered sugar and peppermint extract until stiff peaks form.

12.   To assemble the cake, lay one frozen layer of chocolate cake on cake plate. Top with frozen cheesecake and second layer of chocolate cake. Frost sides and top with a thin layer of whipped cream to apply a crumb coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour. Remove from refrigerator and frost remaining cake. Topped with crushed candy.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Baked Penne with Sausage

Baked Penne with Sausage

Ingredients

Whole wheat penne (1 box)

16 oz marinara (homemade or favorite jarred sauce, Ragu traditional makes a good base)

1 cup red wine (can substitute chicken stock or water)

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pound ground Italian sausage

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups shredded mozzarella

½ cup grated parmesan

Italian seasonings (use a blend or combination of oregano, basil, garlic powder)

Olive Oil

Salt, pepper to taste

Directions

1.       Brown sausage with Italian seasonings and drain on a plate lined with paper towels

2.       Add approximately 1 tablespoon olive oil to a sauce pan, add red pepper flakes.  Add the chopped green pepper, onion and garlic once the oil is hot.  Saute for 3-5 minutes.

3.       Add the homemade marinara or jarred sauce.  Add wine or stock, bring to a simmer.  Add the cooked sausage and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.

4.       Cook the pasta al dente (or even a little under).  Drain and pour into a 13x9 baking dish.

5.       Add the sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and mix.  Top with the remaining mozzarella and grated parmesan, sprinkle with Italian seasonings, bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes or until browned on top.

Penne with Brussel Sprouts and Pancetta

 Ingredients

16 oz whole wheat penne

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling

2 ¼ inch slices of pancetta, diced

1 large rosemary sprig (or 1 ½ tsp dried), chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and chopped

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped

Fresh lemon juice for serving

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

White wine

Salt, pepper to taste

Directions

1.       Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until the pasta is al dente (a little undercooked is even better).

2.       Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta and rosemary. Saute until the pancetta fat turns translucent and lightly browned (about 2 minutes). Add garlic, cayenne and black pepper to taste and cook until the pancetta is browned (about 3 minutes).

3.       Add the sliced brussel sprouts, a large pinch of salt and a splash of white wine (may substitute chicken stock or water). Saute until sprouts start to soften (about 2 minutes). Spread sprout minture in pan and press down to flatten. Let it sit, stir it up and repeat (lightly sprinkle with parmesan each time). Add butter and sauté one minute.

4.       Drain penne and add to pan. Cook, tossing until everything is evenly coated. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, parmesan and garnish with chopped Italian parsley.  Serve (4 servings).