(44) Broccoli-Cheese Pie

According to my husband, real men don't eat quiche... but they WILL eat 'egg pie'!! He deemed this 'one darn good egg pie' and I agree! It was delicious and I can't believe only 200 calories a piece! We had hash browns and strawberries to round out a great meal.

Two notes - First, I wish I had seen the make-ahead note and made this the night before. It wasn't hard to make, but I was HUNGRY so it would have been nice to just pop it in the oven! Second, I don't have a deep dish pie dish, just a regular 9" one and a regular 10" one. I used the 10" dish and had too cook it a little longer to get it firm in the center. (I think you could have also used an 8x8" glass square dish, a tart pan, or even a springform pan.)

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Broccoli-Cheese Pie

Source: Eating Well Magazine, Winter 2004
Yield: 6 servings

If you want to give this a fancy name, call it a crustless quiche. For a vegetarian version, simply omit the Canadian bacon.

2 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, such as
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups cubed whole-wheat country bread, (about 2 slices, crusts removed)
3 cups broccoli florets
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices Canadian bacon, diced (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup grated Monterey Jack, or part-skim mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (6-cup capacity) with cooking spray. Add breadcrumbs, tilting to coat bottom and sides.

2. Whisk eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add bread and stir to coat. Set aside in the refrigerator.

3. Steam broccoli until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Refresh under cold water and drain well. Chop coarsely.

4. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onion; cook, stirring often, until softened and light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion mixture and broccoli to the egg mixture; stir in cheese. Pour into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.

5. Bake the pie until light golden and set, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

Nutrition
209 Calories; 12 g Fat; 5 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 164 mg Cholesterol; 14 g Carbohydrates; 13 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 341 mg Sodium; 205 mg Potassium


* Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through step 4. Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

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(115) Butternut Squash and Leek Gratins

This is one of those recipes that takes forever to put together. Maybe I'm stingy, but if I spend that much time working on a recipe, it better be DARN good and this one was!! My only comment is that the recipe states to test with a knife coming out clean. I don't quite understand how squash is supposed to ever be dry or clean?! So don't make the mistake that I did and cook it an extra 10 minutes! It was a touch dry, but that was my own fault. I will certainly make this recipe again!

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Butternut Squash and Leek Gratins
Individual gratins bake more quickly than a large casserole would.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 gratin)
Source: Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004

1 (2-pound) butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon butter
4 cups finely chopped leek (about 6 large)
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool 30 minutes. Scoop out pulp, and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Melt butter in pan. Add leek; cover and cook 20 minutes or until tender, stirring once. Reduce heat to medium-low; uncover and cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients (through egg yolk) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add squash and leek; stir until well combined. Divide the squash mixture evenly among 6 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Place ramekins in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Cover pan with foil; bake at 325° for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and place the ramekins on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese over each ramekin.

Preheat broiler.

Broil gratins for 2 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 186 (31% from fat), Fat: 6.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 2.2g,poly 0.8g), Protein: 8.6g, Carbohydrate: 25.9g, Fiber: 3.6g, Cholesterol: 181mg, Iron: 2.9mg, Sodium: 437mg, Calcium: 170mg

(65) Southwestern Corn & Pepper Gratin

I think the recipe name is deceiving. Gratin to me is a layered vegetable (potato or otherwise) dish with lots of cheesy/milky sauce... This is a southwestern corn pudding. No matter what it's called, it was yummy. HUGE HUGE serving size. I will definitely make this one again! (PS: I made it in a 2qt baking dish)

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Southwestern Corn & Pepper Gratin

Yield: 4 servings
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, July 1997

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced red bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 3/4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears), divided
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated sharp cheddar cheese
Cooking spray
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add 2 cups corn, jalapeño, and cumin; sauté 5 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese. Spoon about 3/4 cup bell pepper mixture into each of 4 gratin dishes coated with cooking spray.

Combine 3/4 cup corn, 1/2 teaspoon salt, milks, flour, and eggs in a blender; process until smooth. Pour about 1/2 cup egg mixture over vegetables in each dish. Place dishes on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until golden.

Note: This recipe can also be prepared in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 425º

Nutritional Information
Calories: 279 (31% from fat), Fat: 9.5g (sat 3.2g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.5g), Protein: 15.9g, Carbohydrate: 36.8g, Fiber: 5.6g, Cholesterol: 176mg, Iron: 2.8mg, Sodium: 617mg, Calcium: 243mg

(61) Spinach-Cheese Bake

I thought for SURE this recipe had bombed - it was just so weird looking after it was put together. I was really anticipating having chips and salsa for dinner... but guess what!? It was not a bomb at all! It was VERY tasty! This came out almost like a spinach lasagna - good texture and great flavors. YUM. I cut it as 8 servings vs. 12 and served with breaded pork chops and some fruit. I'll make this again for sure!

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Spinach-Cheese Bake

You can assemble the casserole in less than 10 minutes by using preshredded cheeses. Pair this dish with fresh berry salad and mini muffins for a lovely Mother's Day or graduation brunch.

Yield: 12 servings
Source: Cooking Light Magazine, May 2007

1 tablespoon butter, melted
Cooking spray
2 (6-ounce) packages fresh baby spinach
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 3/4 ounces)
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper



1) Preheat oven to 350°.

2) Pour the butter into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; tilt dish to coat. Place spinach evenly in bottom of dish; sprinkle evenly with cheeses.

3) Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Pour milk mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 157 (34% from fat), Fat: 6g (sat 3.7g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.4g), Protein: 10.8g, Carbohydrate: 15.1g, Fiber: 1.6g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Iron: 2.6mg, Sodium: 494mg, Calcium: 263mg