Thanksgiving has long been one of my favorite holidays. But the catch has always been getting through the week without having to go buy a new pair of jeans due to overindulging. Keeping that in mind this year, I planned some easy and low-cal casseroles to get us through the week, and leave me to freely indulge in all my turkey day favorite dishes.
First though, I need to do a shout out for my favorite side dish at this year's Thanksgiving dinner table: Martha Stewart's Sweet Potato and Sage Casserole. And yes, I brought home a hefty glad storage container full of it.
Black Bean and Corn Casserole
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 oz corn kernels
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed/drained
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 12 tortilla chips, crumbled
Preheat oven to 375. Spray your casserole dish (shallow and wide works better than a deep round for this) with your non-stick spray of choice (I use an olive oil spray.) Using a non stick pan on medium heat, cook the onion, garlic and bell pepper, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until both are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the corn.
Whisk the eggs and egg whites, milk, hot pepper sauce and ricotta together in a large bowl. Add the beans and the cooked vegetables. Spread evenly in your casserole dash, top with the cheese and the crushed tortillas. Bake until browned and bubbly. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and freshly ground pepper on top. Serves 6.
Turkey Tetrazzini
- 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, defrosted
- 1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
- 1 lb ground turkey breast
- 8 oz fettuccine, cooked per package directions, drained
- 1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup mozzarella
- 1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375. Spray your casserole dish (use a deep round if you want it more creamy, a shallow and wide dish if you like the crispy noodles) with your non-stick spray of choice (I use an olive oil spray.) Season the ground turkey with garlic powder, salt and pepper then brown in a non stick pan. Set aside.
Whisk broth and milk together in a medium-size saucepan. Stir in one tablespoon of butter. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened and boiling (8-10 min.) Add salt and pepper, remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and ricotta.
Add your noodles, vegetables and turkey to the cheese sauce. Stir together until everything is coated with the sauce. Pour into the casserole dish. Top with the mozzarella. Bake until browned and bubbly (20-30 min.) Serves 6.
