CHEESY GRILLED BANANA PEPPERS

Cheesy Grilled Banana Peppers

This sophisticated version of poppers uses mild banana peppers, creamy Gouda cheese, a bit of bacon for a smoky richness, and tomatoes to offer a bit of freshness. Serve these as an appetizer or unexpected side dish at your next barbecue!

INGREDIENTS
4 banana peppers, fresh
2 slices bacon
1 red or yellow tomato, diced
3 oz smoked Gouda cheese, diced
1 T parsley or cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup panko* (Japanese breadcrumbs)

*You can substitute whatever breadcrumbs you have on hand.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the grill to medium heat. Wash and cut the stems off the peppers. Using a fork or vegetable peeler, scoop out the seeds. Cook bacon until brown but not crisp; drain and crumble. Combine all remaining ingredients and stuff them into the peppers. Wrap each pepper in a piece of aluminum foil, taking care to cover the tops tightly. Place foil packets on the grill so they stand upright, keeping the filling inside the peppers. Cook with grill lid closed for 10 minutes.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Info

Amount Per Serving:

Calories: 140.7

Total Fat:	7.8g
Total Carbs:	10.4g
Dietary Fiber:	2.2mg
Protein:	8.1g

BACON, HAM, & LEEK QUICHE

BACON, HAM AND LEEK QUICHE

Makes 8 servings
Each serving equals one 5 A Day serving

Ingredients
6 strips turkey bacon
1/2 cup low-sodium ham, diced
12 leeks, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup low-fat Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup egg substitute
1 cup fat-free half and half
1 cup skim milk
1 prepared 9-inch pie shell

Fry bacon until crisp. Drain. Reserve 1 Tbsp of drippings.
Fry leeks and ham in bacon drippings until leeks are tender (5-10 minutes). Drain.
Mix Swiss cheese with flour. Set aside.
Beat egg substitute add cream, and milk.
Add cheese and flour mixture. Mix well.
Stir in crumbled bacon, ham and leeks. Mix well.
Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie shell.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 

Calories 186, 

Protein 17g, 

Fat 4g, 

Calories From Fat 21%, 

Cholesterol 21mg, 

Carbohydrates 19g, 

Fiber 1g, 

Sodium 396mg.

GOAT CHEESE, PEPPER & BACON TART

GOAT CHEESE, PEPPER AND BACON TART

Serves 8

1 8- or 9-inch pie shell
4 slices bacon, cooked crisply and crumbled
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
4 ounces goat cheese
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

Cooking Directions
Place pie shell in pie plate.
In bottom of pie shell evenly scatter the crumbled bacon and chopped peppers.
In medium bowl, beat together the cheese, eggs, milk, seasonings and onion.
Pour over bacon and peppers in pie shell.
Bake in a 325 degrees F. oven for about an hour, until set ( a knife inserted into custard halfway between center and crust will come out clean) and lightly browned on top.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions
Flavorful and easy to put together, this tart works well on a brunch buffet or as a side dish for a light lunch.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 230 calories; 

Protein 9 grams; 

Fat 15 grams; 

Sodium 530 milligrams; 

Cholesterol 90 milligrams; 

Saturated Fat 4 grams; 

Carbohydrates 17 grams; 

Fiber 0 grams

BACON & EGG CASSEROLE

Bacon & Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

7 eggs
2/3 cup milk, unsweetened soy milk, or unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms
½ cup almond meal
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ lb bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Heat oven to 350° F.

Sauté the onions, peppers, and mushrooms in a little oil. Layer the vegetables, cheese, and bacon in a casserole dish. Blend the eggs, milk, almond meal, and spices and pour over the top. Sprinkle with paprika if you want.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center just begins to set, or reaches 155-160° F. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to finish cooking the center.

Makes 6 Servings

Nutritional Info Per Serving: 
2 grams fiber, 
20 grams protein, 
295 calories, 
9 grams fat,
445 grams sodium, 

6 WW points

BROCCOLI BACON SWISS QUICHE

Broccoli Bacon Swiss Quiche

 

We call this Broccoli Bacon Swiss PIE in my house, as my husband does not like 'Quiche' but LOVES Broccoli Bacon Swiss PIE. Real mean don't eat Quiche - they eat PIE! BY any name this dish is perfect.

1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
4 slices bacon, diced
One 10-ounce package frozen broccoli florets, cooked and drained
4 large eggs
1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups (about 6 ounces) grated Swiss

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet and sauté the onion and bacon over medium high heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Add broccoli and toss to mix; set aside to cool.

Beat eggs, ricotta, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in large bowl. Fold in cheese and cooled vegetables. Pour filling into prepared pan and bake until knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.

WLS portion of 1/8th wedge:  (SERVES 4)
Calories 171,
fat 10 g,
carbs 4.5 g,
protein 15 g
Serves 4

BLT & MORE SALAD

BLT-and-More Salad

 

• 4 Servings
• Prep/Total Time: 20 min

20 20

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup cubed avocado
• 2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• Dash each salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 4 Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, avocado and bacon. In another small bowl, whisk the sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, garlic, dill, salt and pepper; pour over salad. Gently toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and pine nuts. Serve immediately in lettuce leaves. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 3/4 cup equals 
129 calories, 
8 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 
17 mg cholesterol, 
236 mg sodium, 
10 g carbohydrate, 
3 g fiber, 
6 g protein.  

Diabetic Exchanges: 
1 high-fat meat, 
1 vegetable.

BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN

Low Carb Bacon-Wrapped Chicken



Ingredients:
(with El Pollo Loco-style marinade)
Marinade:
1/4 cup Corn Oil
1/4 cup Onion
1/4 cup Butter
2 tbsp Minced Garlic
1/4 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1 tsp Orange Extract

4 Large Chicken Breasts, slicked into 1" cubes
12 slices Bacon
4 oz of Cream Cheese
2 tbsp green chiles
1 tsp minced garlic
Makes 6 servings

Nutrition Information (per Serving)
376 Calories, 20.2g Fat, 1.2g Total Carbs (0g Fiber) , 44.5g Protein

For more free healthy recipes, cooking tips and tutorials go to http://www.FaveDiets.com

Bacon Tomato Melts

 

If you like BLTs, this cheesy open-face sandwich will be right up your alley. It only has 206 calories and 10 g of fat per serving and delivers healthy doses of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium.

SERVINGS: 4 sandwiches

CARB GRAMS PER SERVING: 15

2	large tomatoes
1/4	cup light sour cream
1	green onion, thinly sliced
1	clove garlic, minced
1/8	teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8	teaspoon ground cumin
4	1/2-inch slices bakery-style or sandwich-style whole wheat bread
2	cups fresh spinach leaves
8	slices turkey bacon, cooked according to package directions
1/2	cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese blend (2 ounces)

1. Preheat broiler. Slice tomatoes. Seed and chop one or two of the slices to make 1/4 cup chopped tomato. Set remaining tomato slices aside. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup chopped tomato, the sour cream, green onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, and cumin. Set aside.
2. Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted, turning once. If desired, set aside some of the spinach leaves for garnish. Top bread slices with the remaining spinach leaves, tomato slices, sour cream mixture, and bacon. If desired, top with the reserved spinach leaves. Add cheese. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes more or until cheese is melted.  
Makes 4 sandwiches. 

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

• Servings: 4 sandwiches
• Calories206
• Total Fat (g)10
• Saturated Fat (g)5
• Monounsaturated Fat (g)3
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2
• Cholesterol (mg)42
• Sodium (mg)623
• Carbohydrate (g)15
• Total Sugar (g)3
• Fiber (g)3
• Protein (g)12
• Vitamin C (DV%)23
• Calcium (DV%)27
• Iron (DV%)7

Diabetic Exchanges

• Starch (d.e.)1
• Vegetables (d.e.)1
• Medium-fat Meat (d.e.)1
• Fat (d.e.).5

BEEF FILET W/ BACON & GORGONZOLA BUTTER

Beef Filet with Bacon and Gorgonzola Butter


Ingredients:

• 1 small scallion
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or any blue cheese)
• 2 (6-ounce) filet mignons
• ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 2 slices bacon
• 2 teaspoons virgin olive oil
• ½ pound mixed mushrooms (such as oyster, cremini, shiitakes or portobello), sliced

Directions:
1. Arrange rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 425°F.  
2. Thinly slice white portion of scallion; set aside.  
3. To make the Gorgonzola butter, finely chop green portion of scallion, and place in a small bowl. Add butter and cheese; stir to combine.  
4. Sprinkle each beef fillet with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Wrap a slice of bacon around side of each filet, and secure with toothpicks.  
5. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add filets, and cook on all sides, turning frequently with tongs, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 7 to 10 minutes for rare.  Or roast until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in center of each filet registers 135°F for medium-rare, 145°F for medium, 160°F for medium-well or 180°F for well done.  
6. While filets roast, heat same skillet over medium-high heat, add mushrooms, reserved white portion of scallion and remaining 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes.  
7. Spoon mushrooms onto 2 serving plates, and top each with a filet. Serve with Gorgonzola butter.  

Nutritional Information
Per Serving:

Net Carbs: 2.0 grams

Fiber: 2.0 grams

Protein: 41.0 grams

Fat: 35.0 grams

Calories: 480

Recipe Information:

Makes: 2 servings

Prep Time: 0:15:00

Marinate Time: 0:00:00

Cook Time: 0:20:00

BACON WRAPPED PORK TENDERLOIN

BACON WRAPPED PORK TENDERLOIN

Ingredients

1 Pork Tenderloin (about 1 1/4 lb)
3 Scallions, trimmed and cut lengthwise in strips
5 Strips of lower sodium bacon

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Make a long slit lengthwise down center of pork, being careful not to cut all the way through.
2. Open the pork like a book. Place scallions on one cut side of pork; fold pork back over to close.
3. Wrap bacon slices around pork to cover completely. Place in small roasting pan.
4. Rub 1/2 tsp pepper and 1 Packet of your choice of sugar sweetener over bacon. Roast 20 minutes or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center reads 150 degrees. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Servings Per Recipe: 5

• Total cal. 172
• Total fat 6g
• Sat. fat 2g
• Cholesterol 69mg
• Sodium 134mg
• Protein 25g
• Carbs 4g
• Fiber 0g

Peas and Bacon 

Preparation time: 5 min	Servings: 8
Cooking time: 10 min

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, finely chopped

1-1/2 lb frozen peas, thawed

2 tbsp fresh lemon thyme, chopped

2 tbsp chives, chopped

Cooking Directions:

Heat a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook bacon 5-6 minutes until browned. Stir in peas and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until peas are tender. Stir in chives and lemon thyme. Serve hot. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 88

% Calories From Fat 20.5%

Total Fat 2g

Saturated Fats 0.6g

Mono-unsaturated Fats 0.8g

Poly-unsaturated Fats 0.3g

Cholesterol 4.4mg

Sodium 190mg

Total Carbohydrates 12g

Dietary Fiber 3.7g

Sugar 4.6g

Protein 6g