Spaghettio's - Adult Style!

The other day I walked into my friend Meredith's house and smelled the best dinner cooking. I asked her what it was and she said - just a recipe she throws together all the time in the crock pot. I told her I had to have it and went out and bought the ingredients that day and made it the next. It did not disappoint!



Isn't she adorable. She is my neighbor and I can call on her for ANYTHING - and I just about have!



Meredith didn't really have a name for it - so my girls and I came up with "Spaghettio's - Adult Style"! To me, it tastes like what I thought Spaghettio's tasted like as a kid. (Although I have had them as an adult, I think they are disgusting - however, this stew tastes nothing like Spaghettios of old)!

Spaghettio's- Adult Style!
1 pound stew meat
1 (46 oz) Vegetable Juice
1 (29 oz) can "Veg-All" Vegetables, drained
1 sweet onion
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
1/2 teaspoon dried Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup dried noodles



Douse meat with worcestershire sauce. Toss meat in flour and fry on all sides. This takes about 10 minutes.
Cut sweet onion in small pieces and place in bottom of crock pot.
Place seared meat on top of onions.
Pour bottle of vegetable juice all over meat.
Pour whole can of vegetables in crock pot.
Put dried herbs and minced garlic in crock pot.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Thirty minutes before serving, put 1 cup of dried noodles in the crock pot.
I had 2 hot dogs in my deli drawer and I cut them up and threw them in the crock pot at the same time I tossed in my dried noodles. This is a great recipe to use up some of those extra cans of veggies in your pantry!

Enjoy and get ready to relive a taste from childhood!

Bobi's Bites: Manicotti

Isn't it funny what we remember from our childhoods? Things our parents feel will scar us for life barely make an imprint and then simple things that pass us by in a moment stick with us forever. I find it funny I can barely recollect the faces of my teachers from K - 6th grade but I can tell you what meals were served in what dishes and the frequency at which they were served. I remember the 9x13 dish that my mother always made this manicotti in also served my family an eggplant parmesan that tasted like the dead snake we found in our basement one summer. Poor Ms. Entz - I can't remember 3rd grade - but I'll never forget the smell of that Eggplant Parmesan or the way I felt about that brown Pyrex dish afterwards. I hope this simple and fast recipe leaves lasting memories with your family!

Step 1: Boil Manicotti noodles according to box; Drain.



Stuffing for Manicotti

3/4 cup ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
3/4 lb. mozzarella, shredded
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 T. butter
2 T. grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of black pepper.

Drain ricotta or cottage cheese. Combine ricotta, mozzarella, eggs, butter, Parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.

Stuff 8 noodles or however many are in half a box of mozzarella pasta.
Spread thin layer of marinara sauce in bottom of pan or 9 x 13 glass dish. Arrange manicotti in pan. Add rest of sauce and sprinkle each manicotti noodle with a teaspoon of Parmesan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes.

WW Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce

This is a lovely dish that is ready in the amount of time it takes to cook the pasta. This recipe proves you don't have to sacrifice taste and quality when you are in a rush! It comes out of the "New Complete Cookbook" on page 400.

Weight Watchers Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce
Serves 4
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
6 ounces fettuccine
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 Tablspoons minced flat-leaf parsley

1. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, broth and lemon zest; mix until smooth.
2. Cook the fettuccine according to package directions; drain and place in a serving bowl. Top with ricotta mixture, then sprinkle with walnuts, Gorgonzola and parsley; toss to coat.

Per Serving: 271 callories, 10g total Fat, 3 g Saturated Fatt, 55 mg Cholesterol, 129 mg Sodium, 33g Total Carbs, 2g Fiber, 12g Protein, 136 g Calcium.
Total Points per Serving: 6.