Sometimes you just want a stick-to-your-ribs kinda meal. A Philly Cheesesteak, a big bowl of chili, a meaty pizza, or a chicken pot pie. If it's wimpy, diet-y food you're looking for, you're in the wrong place. Ready for food so good it'll fool your husbands, guy pals, boyfriends, and brothers? Here are HG's Manly Meals!
PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 201 calories, 3.5g fat, 1,165mg sodium, 24g carbs, 5g fiber, 6g sugars, 20g protein |
Ingredients2 slices light bread (40 to 45 calories each with about 2g fiber per slice)
2 slices (about 1 ounce) extra-lean turkey bacon
2 slices fat-free American cheese
20 sprays I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
DirectionsOver medium heat, cook bacon strips in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray until crispy (about 5 minutes). Set aside.
Evenly spritz butter spray onto 1 side of each slice of bread, using 10 sprays per slice.
Top the unsprayed side of 1 slice of bread with a slice of cheese. Place bacon strips on top of cheese and cover with second slice of cheese. Next, top with the other bread slice (with the buttered side facing up).
Place sandwich in a heated pan sprayed with nonstick spray and cook over medium-low heat until bread is brown and toasty and cheese is nice and melty (1 to 2 minutes per side). Use a spatula to press down on the sandwich while it cooks.
Slice sandwich down the middle or diagonally, or just bite right into it!
MAKES 1 SERVING
PER SERVING (1 quesadilla): 240 calories, 3g fat, 705mg sodium, 24g carbs, 9g fiber, 1g sugars, 34g protein |
Ingredients1 medium low-fat flour tortilla (about 110 calories with at least 6g fiber)
2 ounces cooked boneless skinless lean chicken breast, sliced
cup shredded fat-free cheese (any flavor)
1 tablespoon diced scallions
Optional toppings: fat-free sour cream, salsa
DirectionsOver medium heat, set tortilla in a pan lightly spritzed with nonstick spray. Arrange the cheese evenly on top and then place chicken strips and scallions on half of the tortilla.
Once cheese begins to melt, fold the cheese-only side over the other side. (Use a spatula to press down firmly, securing the quesadilla's shape.) Continue to cook for a minute or so, flipping quesadilla halfway through.
Slide your quesadilla onto a plate and top with salsa and sour cream, if you like. Enjoy!
MAKES 1 SERVING
PER SERVING (1 cup): 120 calories, 1g fat, 820mg sodium, 26g carbs, 6g fiber, 10g sugars, 6g protein |
Dan's chili is insanely good and has become a staple at home and at the HG office. It's great alone, over Tofu Shirataki noodles, on a baked potato, as a side dish, or as a main meal. It definitely takes a lot longer to prepare than most HG recipes, but it is SO worth it! (BTW, not only is Dan the inventor of the world's best veggie chili, he's also my husband.)
Ingredients4 ¼ cups canned tomato sauce
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with green chilies
¾ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup canned jalapeño slices, chopped
1 cup canned sweet corn kernels, drained
1½ cups chopped onions
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1¾ cups chopped carrots
1½ cups chopped portabello mushrooms
1½ tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Optional: salt
DirectionsPlace the tomato sauce, tomatoes, jalapeños, chili powder, and cumin in a large pot. Stir over low heat. Once mixture is heated, stir in the garlic and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
Add carrots and continue to cook over low heat. Meanwhile, over medium heat, cook onions, peppers, and mushrooms for 3 to 5 minutes in a large pan with just ½ cup of water (and some salt, if desired). The onions and peppers should still be a little crunchy. Using a slotted spoon to drain any excess water, add the veggies to the pot.
Add beans, corn, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Mix well. Everything should now be in the pot.
Cook over low heat for about 2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so. Chili is done when carrots have lost their crunch.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
For Weight Watchers POINTS® values and photos of all the recipes in this book, check out hungry-girl.com/book. |
PER SERVING (1 potato): 226 calories, 0.5g fat, 335mg sodium, 46g carbs, 5g fiber, 4g sugars, 9g protein |
This is one of the very first guilt-free recipe swaps I ever created. And to this day, it's still one of my favorites. I've fooled close to two hundred people over the years with these twice-baked potatoes. They're as creamy and delicious as any stuffed potato out there!
Ingredients1 medium (8-ounce) baking potato
1 slice fat-free American cheese
1 ounce fat-free liquid non-dairy creamer
Salt, paprika, and parsley, to taste
DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees.
Puncture potato in several places with a fork. Peel the skin off the top of the potato and then cook potato in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes.
Once potato is cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides, leaving behind an empty potato shell. Set shell aside.
Place potato pulp in a small dish and then add cheese, creamer, and a little salt. Mash it all together until the cheese melts, leaving a creamy, cheesy mashed potato mixture.
Place potato mixture back into the potato shell and sprinkle with paprika and parsley.
Place potato in a baking dish sprayed lightly with nonstick spray and bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until top is nice and brown.
MAKES 1 SERVING
DUMP THESE CHUMPS!
Manly meals to avoid when you're out . . . |
Spaghetti and meatballs (900 calories and 30g fat!) |
Lasagna (870 calories and 50g fat!) |
Pot Roast (730 calories and 35g fat!) |
Fish and Chips (1,130 calories and 55g fat!) |
Ribs (1,190 calories and 70g fat!) |
Nutritional information based on averages.
PER SERVING (1 pizza): 264 calories, 4.5g fat, 1,263mg sodium, 35g carbs, 12.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 27g protein |
Feel free to season your sauce with any of your favorite spices. You can even add a little bit of Splenda for a sweet pizza sauce!
Ingredients1 medium low-fat flour tortilla (about 110 calories with at least 6g fiber)
1½ ounces ground-beef-style or sausage-style soy crumbles, thawed if previously frozen
cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
cup canned tomato sauce
2 teaspoons reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Optional: salt, black pepper, oregano, onion powder, red pepper flakes, etc.
DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place tortilla in a baking pan sprayed lightly with nonstick spray and bake in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until slightly crispy.
Combine tomato sauce and garlic powder. Season sauce to taste with the optional ingredients, if desired. Remove tortilla from oven and spread on tomato sauce.
Next, sprinkle crumbles, cheese, and grated topping evenly over sauce. Return pizza to the oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and crumbles are hot.
If you like, top pizza with optional ingredients. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut into slices.
MAKES 1 SERVING
HG Tip: Counting sodium? Save around 400mg by using no-salt-added tomato sauce. |
PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 282 calories, 7g fat, 1,448mg sodium, 35g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 23g protein |
Ingredients2 slices rye bread (reduced-calorie, if available)
2 ounces (about 4 slices) Oscar Mayer 98% fat free oven roasted turkey breast
¼ cup well-drained sauerkraut
1 slice reduced-fat Swiss cheese (4 grams of fat or fewer)
4 teaspoons fat-free Thousand Island dressing
20 sprays I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray
DirectionsEvenly spritz butter spray on 1 side of each slice of bread, using 10 sprays per slice. Spread non-buttered sides evenly with the dressing.
With the buttered side down, top one slice with sauerkraut, cheese, and turkey. Then top with the remaining slice of bread, buttered-side up.
Cook sandwich in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray over medium-low heat, occasionally pressing down on sandwich with a spatula. Flipping once or twice, grill until both sides are browned and crisp. Serve immediately.
MAKES 1 SERVING
HG Tip: Watching your salt intake? Cook up your own turkey breast and save about 500mg of sodium. Packaged deli meats are super-high in the stuff! |
PER SERVING (¼th of pie): 235 calories, 6g fat, 723mg sodium, 26g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 18g protein |
This chicken pot pie is a surprisingly authentic swap for the real thing. The reduced-fat crescent topping is the best part. Yum!
Ingredients8 ounces raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
One 10.75-ounce can Campbell's 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery Soup
3 servings Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls refrigerated dough
DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook chicken pieces for several minutes in a pan spritzed with nonstick spray, until chicken is light brown (cooked but still tender). Set aside.
Heat frozen veggies in the microwave according to package instructions.
Mix chicken, vegetables, and soup together, and then place in a 9-inch round baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Place dish in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly, stirring halfway through.
While dish is cooking, unroll 3 crescent rolls. Use your hands to combine pieces into one large ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll dough out (super-thin) into a circle just large enough to fit inside the dish (a little less than 9 inches wide).
Add dough to the top of the mixture and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until top is golden brown.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Dig hearty meat-packed pies? Check out the Squash-tastic Shepherd's Pie on page 278 in the butternut squash section of the "Fun With . . ." chapter! |
For a pic of this recipe, see the photo insert. Yay!
It doesn't get any manlier than inhaling an entire chicken pot pie. But if you decide to eat the real deal (instead of HG's slimmed-down swap), it can easily cost you 850 calories and 50 plus grams of fat! To burn that off, you'd have to: |
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Times based on estimates for a 150-pound woman.
PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 271 calories, 3g fat, 835mg sodium, 32g carbs, 3g fiber, 8g sugars, 31g protein |
Heads Up! These Sloppy Janes are a little sweet because, well, that's the way I like 'em! If you don't like yours sweet, feel free to leave out the Splenda.
Ingredients1 pound raw extra-lean ground turkey
5 small hamburger buns (light, if available)
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped red bell peppers
1 cup canned tomato sauce
¾ cup canned no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ tablespoons Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon steak seasoning blend, dry
Dash of salt
DirectionsSpray a large pan with nonstick spray and bring to medium-high heat. Add turkey to the pan. Spread the meat around in the pan to break it up a bit.
In a small dish, combine Splenda, salt, and steak seasoning. Sprinkle this mixture over the meat and continue to stir meat in the pan. Once the meat has browned, reduce heat to medium.
Add onions, peppers, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar to the pan. Stir and then continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomato sauces and tomato paste to the pan and stir well. Reduce heat to low and cook the mixture for an additional 5 minutes.
Toast the buns, if desired. Put one-fifth of the mixture on each bottom bun and then finish off with tops of the buns.
MAKES 5 SERVINGS
CHEW ON THIS:
More than half a billion pounds of bacon are produced in the U.S. each year. You don't want to know how many calories and fat grams that adds up to! |
PER SERVING (1/6th of loaf): 127 calories, 1g fat, 688mg sodium, 7g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 2g sugars, 22g protein |
This turkey taco meatloaf is addictive! Once you start eating it, it's hard to stop. Luckily, it's super-low in calories and packed with good-for-you stuff.
Ingredients1 pound raw extra-lean ground turkey
2 slices fat-free cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
½ cup canned sweet corn kernels
¼ cup chopped green bell peppers
¼ cup chopped onions
½ cup salsa
½ packet of taco seasoning mix, dry
DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook peppers and onions for 3 minutes over medium heat in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine onions and peppers with turkey, corn, and seasoning mix. Spread half of the mixture evenly into the bottom of a loaf pan (about 9" × 5") sprayed with nonstick spray.
Layer the two slices of fat-free cheese on top of the mixture (try to keep slices away from the pan's edges). Evenly top with the remaining meat mixture.
Pour the salsa over the top of the loaf. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
Top loaf with shredded cheese. Return loaf to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
CHEW ON THIS:
Meatloaf recipes first appeared in American cookbooks in the 1880s! |
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 301 calories, 3.5g fat, 1,277mg sodium, 20g carbs, 7.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 49g protein |
Ingredients1 package House Foods Tofu Shirataki, Spaghetti Shape
3 ounces cooked boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1½ ounces ground-beef-style soy crumbles, thawed if previously frozen
cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
½ cup canned tomato sauce
teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Never worked with Tofu Shirataki before? Turn to page 261 for helpful hints! |
DirectionsRinse and drain noodles well. Pat dry. Place noodles in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute.
Drain excess liquid from noodles and pat them until thoroughly dry. Cut noodles into spaghetti-length pieces. Set aside.
Heat chicken and soy crumbles, either in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray or in the microwave.
Combine noodles, chicken, crumbles, cheese, tomato sauce, and garlic powder, and mix well.
Microwave entire dish for 1 additional minute. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Enjoy your feast!
MAKES 1 SERVING
HG Tip:Sodium counters can save about 600mg of the stuff by using no-salt-added tomato sauce—just remember to season it up! |
PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 301 calories, 9g fat, 588mg sodium, 28g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 26g protein |
This Philly Cheesesteak is as good as (if not better than!) any you'd find ANYWHERE (including Philadelphia).
Ingredients3 ounces raw lean filet beefsteak
1 hot dog bun
1 slice fat-free American cheese
cup sliced onions
DirectionsSlice your filet into thin strips. (Freezing it slightly beforehand will make it easier to cut.)
Cook onions over medium-high heat in a pan spritzed with nonstick spray for about 5 minutes, until onion slices are slightly browned. Remove onions from the pan and set aside.
Spritz a little more nonstick spray into the pan (remove pan from heat before re-spraying) and cook filet strips over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, flipping them halfway through cooking.
Place cheese on top of meat (still in the pan) and continue to cook until cheese is slightly melted.
Meanwhile, warm or toast your bun. Place meat and cheese in the bun and then top with onions. Enjoy.
MAKES 1 SERVING
STEAK 101—Tips 'n Tricks! All steaks are NOT created equal. Know your beef . . .
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PER SERVING (2 tacos): 347 calories, 6.5g fat, 380mg sodium, 36g carbs, 6.5g fiber, 5g sugars, 36g protein |
This recipe was co-developed with Weight Watchers®.
Are you a taco-lover? You'll FREAK over these!!!
Ingredients2 small corn tortillas
4 ounces raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into strips
½ small onion, sliced
¼ large red bell pepper, sliced
avocado (2 small slices)
½ cup chopped iceberg lettuce
2 tablespoons shredded fat-free cheese (cheddar or Monterey Jack)
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
1 tablespoon salsa
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
Salt and black pepper, to taste
DirectionsSpray a pan with nonstick spray and set stove to medium heat. Cook onion slices in the pan for 2 minutes.
Add pepper slices to the pan and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes until veggies are a little crisp. Remove veggies from the pan and place them in a bowl.
Cook chicken strips in the pan until cooked throughout and then add them to the bowl with the onions and peppers.
Heat tortillas in the pan for 20 seconds on each side. Remove and plate tortillas.
Season the onions, peppers, and chicken to taste with salt and black pepper, and then place them evenly into the center of each tortilla.
Place one slice of avocado on each tortilla. Finish by topping with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. Roll 'em up and enjoy!
MAKES 1 SERVING
© 2008 Weight Watchers International, Inc. All rights reserved.
For a pic of this recipe, see the photo insert. Yay!
Spend 2 whole hours shoveling your way out of a snowstorm or
Leaner cuts include filet mignon and sirloin.