what's for dinner?

december 2003

During the holiday season, we often are just too busy to prepare dinner every night. Casseroles come to the rescue when you want to prepare a meal ahead of time or make sure that you have two meals in one. Our first meal is a favorite in most families. Here we cut down on fat and salt so that your entire family can enjoy the meal together and get on with the wrapping and hiding of gifts, and shopping.

Add more vegetables if you like. In the past we have diced zucchini or added spinach. Just add the carbohydrate exchanges if you use them. The results will disappear before your eyes. We serve this with a salad which we make with greens and grapes. It just sings. Penne Casserole   Penne Casserole (for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above) Our next meal features a hearty oven-baked beef stew with shiitake mushrooms that you can assemble ahead of time. It takes about 40 minutes for the casserole to bake, giving you plenty of time to steam some baby carrots and mash some potatoes. Steak and Shiitake Oven Stew   Steak and Shiitake Oven Stew (for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above) Who says you have to have lasagna noodles to make lasagna? In our next meal, we used dried fettuccine noodles (all that was in the pantry at the time) with wonderful results. Serve this with a tossed salad to complete the meal. Pass the shredded Parmesan cheese! Fettuccine Lasagna   Fettuccine Lasagna (for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above) Our markets frequently feature pork chops on sale. Coated with garlicky bread crumbs, they make a superb quick meal. Serve this with steamed Brussels sprouts, and frozen fat-free, sugar-free frozen yogurt or ice cream for dessert. Pork Chop Casserole   Pork Chop Casserole (for the recipes, click on The Recipes or click on the individual recipe above) BSP and FTG