Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese with Bacon

The most decadent tasting, yet lower in calories, Homemade Mac N Cheese You’ll Ever Make! Macaroni Pasta blended with Italian Blend Cheese, then Melted Into A Warm Cream Sauce with tomatoes, bacon, and blue cheese.

Mac and cheese is no longer only for the under 16 crowd. You’ll find variations of this classic dish on menus everywhere. While those menu options might sound gourmet and difficult to make at home, this does not need to be the case.

I am really excited to share with you my newest recipe: Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese with Bacon.

It sounds decadent, but with a few simple swaps, we keep calories and fat in line while adding a pop of color and nutrition boost with the addition of tomatoes.

Yield: 10 servings

Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese with Bacon

Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese with Bacon

A savory Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese with Bacon recipe loaded with cheese, perfect for dinner or entertaining guests.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. elbow macaroni
  • 3 cups 1% milk
  • 15 oz. can diced tomatoes drained
  • 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
  • 4 oz. blue cheese crumbled
  • 1/4 cup bacon bits
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. dry ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

    1. Cook elbow macaroni per box instructions, drain.
    2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
    3. Whisk flour into butter, adding a little at a time.
    4. Slowly pour milk into flour mixture, small amounts at a time, whisking until thickened before adding more. This step can take up to 15 minutes.
    5. Add spices, then whisk in Italian cheese.
    6. Stir in bacon, then elbow macaroni. Blend well.
    7. Gently fold in canned tomatoes and blue cheese crumbles.
    8. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 646mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 13g

 

Veggie Fried Rice with Tofu | High Protein Vegetarian Fried Rice

Veggie Fried Rice with Tofu | High Protein Vegetarian Fried Rice

This veggie fried rice from Stacey Mattinson, RDN is high in protein and stacked with veggies! Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner that your family is sure to love.

Making an entire meal in one pan is my dream! I love how this veggie fried rice comes together quickly in a large wok or skillet. It’s super versatile, which gives you a lot of flexibility with whatever veggies you have on hand. I’ve made it high in protein by adding tofu, but you could also skip the tofu and pair it with your own favorite protein!

VEGGIE FRIED RICE

I did a few things to stack this veggie fried rice nutritionally:

  • BROWN RICE IS HIGHER IN FIBER AND MICRONUTRIENTS LIKE POTASSIUM, PHOSPHOROUS, MANGANESE, FOLATE AND B VITAMINS COMPARED TO WHITE RICE
  • I ADDED IN LOTS OF VEGGIES, INCLUDING CANNED TOMATOES, ONIONS, CARROTS, PEAS AND ZUCCHINI
  • PROTEIN-RICH TOFU MAKES IT AN ENTIRE MEAL (FORGET HAVING TO MAKE A PROTEIN SIDE!)
  • I WENT EASY ON THE ASIAN SAUCES TO KEEP IT MODERATE IN SODIUM. YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE IF THAT FITS YOUR PALATE!

BENEFITS OF CANNED TOMATOES

Canned tomatoes are a great addition to cooked dishes because they are often more flavorful than fresh tomatoes! Tomatoes are canned at their peak ripeness, within just three to six hours of being picked from the vine. Canned tomatoes are nutrient-rich (hellllooo vitamins A, C and lycopene!) and cheap to keep on hand.

HOW TO SERVE

The glory of this veggie fried rice is… it can be served as a complete meal itself! But, you could also try it with my Mongolian Beef recipe or another favorite protein.

DYK canned tomatoes are sealed at their peak ripeness within 3 hours of picking?! Try this delicious high protein Veggie Fried Rice using canned tomatoes! CLICK TO TWEET

TIPS FOR SUCCESS FOR VEGGIE FRIED RICE WITH TOMATOES

As I mentioned before, it’s a pretty flexible and forgiving recipe. You’re welcome to add whatever veggies you have on hand, just be sure to cook your hard veggies first because they’ll need the most time to soften. Tossing the tofu lightly in corn starch helps it brown up and firm better during the cooking process. This recipe turns out better with chilled brown rice than freshly cooked brown rice, so make a batch of brown rice a day ahead of time if you can! Have all your ingredients washed and chopped ahead of time, and this fried rice with tomatoes comes together in about 20 minutes.

Without further ado, click here for the full recipe! 

Easy Baja Fish Tacos with Salsa

Easy Baja Fish Tacos with Salsa

Whip up these crispy baja fish tacos with tomato-cabbage slaw, avocado crema, and a healthy dose of salsa in no time! Ready in 30 minutes, this is the perfect light, delicious meal ideal for any night of the week. This dish couldn’t be easier and makes a great weeknight dinner that everyone is sure to love. You can feel good about feeding this meal to your family, as it’s full of lean protein from the fish, as well as fiber, vitamins, and minerals from canned tomatoes. These baja fish tacos are also budget-friendly, as canned tomatoes are a great affordable alternative to fresh tomatoes that still provide plenty of nutrients and pack in the same flavor punch. 

Easy Baja Fish Tacos with Salsa

This one-dish meal can also fit everyone’s food preferences, as you can build your taco just the way you like them. Want more slaw than crema? Easy! Interested in having less tortillas and more fish? Make this into a salad instead! You can also easily turn this recipe into a meal prep option; just make everything but the fish ahead of time, place into air-tight containers, and cook up the fish when you’re ready to eat. And, this recipe is the perfect highlight for your next party! Colorful, light, and delicious, it’s sure to please everyone at your table.

Ready for a flavor bomb? Learn how to make this recipe with our video here.

How do you enjoy your fish tacos? We would love to know! Tag us on Instagram so we can see your creations!

Yield: 6 servings

Easy Baja Fish Tacos with Salsa

Easy Baja Fish Tacos with Salsa

Whip up these crispy baja fish tacos with tomato-cabbage slaw, avocado crema, and a healthy dose of salsa in no time! Ready in 30 minutes, this is the perfect light, delicious meal ideal for any night of the week.

Ingredients

Crispy Fish:

  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 ounces tilapia or flounder fillets

Tomato Cabbage Slaw:

  • 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
  • 1/2 cup canned fire-roasted tomatoes, diced, drained
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Avocado Crema:

  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt, Greek
  • 1 avocado, mashed
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 lime, juiced

Tacos:

  • 6 6-inch corn tortillas
  • 3/4 cup prepared salsa

Instructions

    1. To prepare crispy fish: in a small, shallow bowl, mix together the cornmeal, salt, chili powder, and garlic powder. Place beaten eggs in a second small shallow bowl.
    2. Slice the fish fillets into 2-inch strips (6 total strips, 2 ounces each). Dip fish strips into the beaten egg and then coat well with cornmeal mixture.
      Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Place coated fish fillet strips in the pan and cook until they are golden brown and flake easily with a fork (about 3 minutes on each side).
      While cooking fish, prepare tomato cabbage slaw and avocado crema (see below).
    3. To prepare tomato cabbage slaw: toss together shredded cabbage, roasted tomatoes, and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
      To prepare avocado crema: blend yogurt, avocado, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice.
    4. To assemble tacos, briefly warm tortillas in a pan and then top each tortilla with: ¼ cup tomato-cabbage slaw, 1 fish strip, 2 tablespoons salsa, and 2 tablespoons avocado crema.

Notes

Recipe is written by Jaime Ruisi, a Portland Oregon-based nutritionist, where she advocates for a balanced lifestyle and body positivity.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

2 tacos

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 541Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 679mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 11gSugar: 9gProtein: 35g

If you’re looking for other delicious recipes, check out some of our favorites:

Tomato Pesto Hummus
Swiss Chard Pecan Lasagna
Black Bean Corn Chili

Zesty Tomato Smoothie (with VIDEO)

Zesty Tomato Smoothie (with VIDEO)

Rise and shine! This easy, savory zesty tomato smoothie is like a healthy, nutrient-rich, alcohol-free Bloody Mary. Rich in lycopene—thanks to a whole can of tomatoes—it’s a great snack, post-exercise drink, and light breakfast. This comes together in no time at all, which will make this become your new go-to smoothie!

Zesty Tomato Smoothie

Thanks to the addition of canned tomatoes, this recipe is teeming with nutrients, like lycopene. When compared to fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes and tomato products have a slightly higher amount of lycopene in them due to the cooking and canning process they undergo. Similar to most nutrients, it’s more natural to obtain lycopene from foods rather than supplements. In order to achieve maximum health benefits associated with lycopene, it is recommended to consume tomato products with a heart healthy fat, such as olive oil or avocado. You can pair this zesty tomato smoothie with a delicious avocado toast or breakfast hash to maximize the benefits! Learn more about the health connection between tomatoes and lycopene here.

Want to make this for yourself? Get the recipe below, and watch our video here.

 

Yield: 2 servings

Zesty Tomato Smoothie

Zesty Tomato Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup almonds, slivered, soaked
  • 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • ½ cup soymilk
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • ¼ jalapeno
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Place almonds in a dish, cover with water, and soak for about 30 minutes. Drain water.
  2. Place almonds, tomatoes, soymilk, green onions, jalapeno, lime juice, cilantro, black pepper and ice cubes in a blender and process until smooth.
    Pour into 2 large glasses.
    

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 204Total Fat: 12.5gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 58mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 9g

If you’re looking for other delicious recipes, check out some of our favorites:

Tomato Pesto Hummus
Swiss Chard Pecan Lasagna
Black Bean Corn Chili
Easy Chicken Curry