Holiday Favorites "Lightened Up"

Green Bean Casserole
Serves: 6 - 2 POINTS per serving

2 (9 ounce) bags frozen green beans, thawed, or 2 (15 ounce) cans no salt added green beans, drained
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can Campbell's HEALTHY REQUEST Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup skim milk
1 (3.5 ounce) can Real Baked Onion Pieces, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce (optional - note these are high sodium products)

In a 1 1/2-quart casserole, mix all ingredients except 1/2 can of the Real Baked Onion Pieces.
Bake uncovered 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until hot; stir. Top with remaining 1/2 can of Real Baked Onion Pieces. Bake an additional 5 minutes.



Crustless Pumpkin Pie
6 Servings – 1 POINT per serving

3/4 cup(s) Egg Beaters Egg Beaters
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
15 oz canned pumpkin
2/3 cup(s) McNeil Nutritionals SPLENDA No Calorie Sweetener

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour in a 9" pie pan sprayed with Pam. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.
Then at 325 for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.


NO CRUST PUMPKIN PIE
Entire pie is 6 POINTS

15oz. can of pumpkin
1/2c egg beaters
1 1/2 c. skim milk
3/4 c. splenda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pie spice

Mix and pour in Sprayed pie dish. Bake at 400 for 15 min., then at 375 for 45 min.


Self-Crust Pumpkin Pie
8 servings - 2 POINTS per serving

In large bowl combine 2 large egg whites with 2 cups canned pumpkin.
Add:
l cup nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup sugar
l tsp. cinnamon
l/2 tsp ginger
l/4 tsp nutmeg
l/4 cup flour

Slowly stir in l cup water. Mix well, pour into prepared 9" pie plate. Bake at 350 for 45-55 min (until knife inserted in center comes out clean).


Apple Pie
8 servings - 4 POINTS per serving

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
3 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, chilled and cut up
2 Tbsp water, or more if necessary
4 medium apple(s), McIntosh, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

2. To make the crust, combine 1 cup of flour and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a large bowl or food processor. Add 3 tablespoons of chilled margarine and process (or mix together with your fingers if you do not have a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and process or mix until a manageable dough forms. Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Pinch the edges to form a decorative rim; set aside.

3. To make the filling, combine apples, 1/4 cup of sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a large bowl; toss to coat apples. Arrange mixture in prepared piecrust.

4. To make the topping, combine oats, 5 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar and melted margarine in a small bowl; sprinkle over apples.

5. Bake until apples are tender and crumb topping is golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.


DREAMY CHEESECAKE
16 servings – 3 POINTS per serving

2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
15 oz. Light cream cheese, softened
8 TBSP. Splenda or other sweetener to = 8 TBSP.
1 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup reduced-calorie tub margarine, melted
1 TBSP. all-purpose flour
3 TBSP. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
juice of ½ lemon
2 cups non-fat sour cream

Using low speed of mixer, combine ricotta, cream cheese, and sweetener. Slowly pour in egg substitute. Beat until no yellow streaks appear. Add remaining ingredients, except sour cream. Mix until just combined. Fold in sour cream. Pour into 10" ungreased spring-form pan. Place in COLD oven. Turn oven to 325 degrees. Bake 1 hour. Turn oven off. Leave cake in oven 2 hours. DO NOT open door during baking or cooling time. Remove cake from oven. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove side of pan. Garnish with fruit, if desired.


EggNog Smoothie
2 Servings – 2 POINTS per serving (2 servings=5 pts.)

Regular eggnog = 8.5 pts for 1 cup

Ingredients
1 packet Weight Watchers Smoothie Drink Mix French Vanilla
1 cup fat-free skim milk
1/2 cup Egg Beaters Egg Beaters
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp imitation rum extract,

Add 6-8 ice cubes. Mix all together in a blender. Garnish with nutmeg. Makes approximately two, one cup servings.


Sauteed String Beans with Almonds
8 Servings – 1 POINT per serving

1/2 cup(s) slivered almonds
2 tsp olive oil
3 medium garlic clove(s), minced
8 cup(s) green snap beans, fresh, trimmed, or thawed if frozen
1/2 cup(s) canned chicken broth, or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Place almonds in a large dry skillet and place pan over medium heat. Cook until nuts are golden brown, shaking pan frequently, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove nuts from pan; set aside. Heat oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook , stirring, 1 minute. Add string beans and sauté 1 minute. Add broth to pan; cover and steam until string beans are crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper; stir to coat. Remove from heat; stir in toasted almonds. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.


Candied Sweet Potatoes
4 Servings – 3 POINTS per serving

2 large sweet potato(es), about 2 lbs, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 2-inch thick pieces
1/4 cup(s) orange juice
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine, melted
1/2 tsp table salt

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover potatoes. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain potatoes and arrange them in a single layer in bottom of a shallow baking dish. Whisk together juice, sugar, syrup, margarine and salt; pour mixture over sweet potatoes.

Bake for 30 minutes, then stir to coat potatoes with liquid and bake for 15 minutes more, until sauce is thick and bubbly. Stir once again before serving. Yields about 1 cup per serving.


Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes
4 servings – 3 POINTS per serving

8 small uncooked red potato(es), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 medium garlic clove(s), peeled
1/4 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
2 Tbsp chives, fresh, minced
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

Combine potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan and pour in enough water to cover; set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and boil until potatoes are fork tender, about 8 minutes; drain water from saucepan. Add sour cream, milk and chives to pan; mix until combined. Mash mixture with a potato masher until smooth (or leave some lumps if desired); season to taste with salt and pepper. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.


Cranberry Orange Relish
8 servings – 2 POINTS per serving

12 oz cranberries, fresh
1 medium orange(s), navel, washed, unpeeled and cut into chunks*
1 cup(s) sugar
1 piece(s) ginger root, fresh, peeled, about 1-inch, chopped
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Put cranberries, orange, sugar, ginger and cinnamon in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Scrape into a serving bowl (or a plastic container if making ahead). Cover and refrigerate until serving. Yields about 1/3 cup per serving.

*NOTES: *If the flavor from using the entire orange peel is too strong for you, add some fresh orange zest instead, and then remove the white pith before cutting the orange into chunks. If you want to give the relish a different spin, add chopped cilantro or mint and minced jalapeno pepper. Also, some or all of the sugar can be substituted with Splenda (could affect POINTS values). You can make this relish up to 5 days ahead. This recipe is great as a spread for leftover turkey sandwiches or as an accompaniment to roast pork or chicken.


Stuffing with Sage and Chives
8 Servings – 2 POINTS per serving

1 spray(s) cooking spray
12 slice(s) whole-wheat bread, or white bread, preferably day-old, cubed*
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp light butter
1 cup(s) onion(s), diced
3 medium celery, stalks, diced
2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 cup(s) canned chicken broth
2 Tbsp chives, fresh, chopped

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 4-quart shallow baking dish with cooking spray.

Arrange bread cubes on a large ungreased baking sheet in a single layer (use 2 baking sheets if there’s not enough room). Bake until lightly toasted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bread from oven and set aside; leave oven set to 350ºF.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil and butter together for 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and celery; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add thyme, sage, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Cook until herbs are fragrant, about 1 minute.

Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add bread, broth and chives; toss to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and cover with foil; bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, 15 minutes more. Yields about 1 cup per serving.

*NOTES: *Leave the bread bag open and somewhat uncovered for 1 to 2 days (at room temperature) before making the recipe.

You can make this stuffing in advance and bake it just before serving. The stuffing will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.

Feel free to substitute your favorite bread, such as whole grain, sourdough or a light variety (could affect POINTS values).

For added flavor, you can also add about 1 cup of diced Granny Smith or McIntosh apples to the stuffing (could affect POINTS values).


Pecan Tartlets
12 Servings – 3 POINTS per serving

2 spray(s) cooking spray
3 large egg(s)
1/8 tsp table salt
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup(s) dark corn syrup
2/3 cup(s) dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup(s) chopped pecans
24 half pecan halves


Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place twelve 3-ounce ramekins in a shallow baking pan or on a rimmed cookie sheet for easy handling; coat ramekins with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with salt. Add melted butter, corn syrup, sugar and vanilla; beat well. Blend in chopped pecans and then spoon batter half way up ramekins; gently place 2 pecan halves on top of each ramekin.

Bake for about 17 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF and bake until a knife or toothpick inserted in center of a ramekin comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and allow to cool; serve in ramekins with a spoon, either warm or cold. Yields 1 per serving.