If you love the cozy comfort of stuffed pasta but want something lighter, faster, and just a touch rebellious, meet air fried vegetarian stuffed pasta. Think cheesy, herby, saucy ravioli or manicotti pockets that get a golden, slightly crisp exterior without deep frying. The result is decadent-feeling pasta that’s genuinely kinder to your waistline and your stovetop. It’s the kind of dish that convinces you veggies can be seductive…
Read MoreBuffalo Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers
These Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Bell Peppers are where it’s at! They’re low carb and gluten free while being absolutely delicious and easy to make too. If you love buffalo chicken, then these are the stuffed peppers for you. I served mine with a side of celery and carrots with some light blue cheese dip, but it would also be good with some rice or even a side salad.
I lightened these peppers up by swapping in some greek yogurt and light blue cheese dressing in place of mayo and sour cream. I also used reduced fat cheeses and boneless skinless chicken breast that I cooked up in my instant pot and shredded myself. But, store bought or left over chicken will work too!…
Read MoreStuffed Buffalo Chicken
We are heading off tomorrow for a birthday trip to Vegas with the kiddo turning 13! I can hardly believe that I’ll have a teenager when I get home! With packing and planning for this trip I’ve been on easy mode when it comes to meals lately and this Stuffed Buffalo Chicken is one of those super easy dinners that you can throw together and have ready in no time.
I made this dish a little better-for-you by swapping in reduced fat alternatives to cheese and also using a salt-free ranch seasoning. I also stuck with boneless skinless chicken breast. Outside of that? This recipe is pretty simple with just a handful of ingredients…
Read MoreAir Fried Stuffed Mushrooms
These Air Fried Stuffed Mushrooms are really just another way to cook stuffed mushrooms. I’m just being honest here. It doesn’t change their taste at all, but it DOES change their texture. Usually when I bake my stuffed mushrooms they end up a little bit soggy on the bottom from cooking in their own water as it releasing in the cooking process. These, however, don’t end up that way!
It helped too to top these off with some grated parmesan which gave a little bit of a crunch factor to the tops of these stuffed mushrooms. They’re completely loaded with cheesy goodness too. Cream cheese, cheddar, and of course the parmesan. There’s even some bacon in there for extra yum…
Read MoreMozzarella & Basil Stuffed Meatloaf
Meatloaf is one of those tried and true dinners that has withstood the test of time through the generations. I saw the idea for stuffed meatloaf a while back though and thought it would be pretty fun to play around with that idea. So. Enter this Mozzarella & Basil Stuffed Meatloaf. The original called for some ham to be among the things rolled up in the meatloaf, but I decided against it to save on not only the calories, but also the sodium!
This meatloaf itself starts off pretty standard with ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs and some veggies and seasonings, so it’s good stuff all the way around. After that you flatten out the meat and top it with cheese and fresh herb then roll it all up together to bake.
It’s lightened up with using a lean ground beef, and of course a fat free mozzarella. Other than that, it’s fairly straight forward. This will give you 8, count them 8, fairly big servings of meatloaf, and as you can see below, that loaf pan is pretty damn full! Another nifty thing? You can make this meatloaf ahead of time. I put mine together the night before and stored it in the fridge until I was ready to bake it for dinner the next day.
I served mine with what my kiddo is dubbing ‘space broccoli’ which is AKA romanesco that I roasted. I also topped mine off with just a little more marinara sauce for good measure.

Mozzarella & Basil Stuffed Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped
- 1 Red Onion, Diced
- 2 Minced Garlic Cloves
- 2 Lbs. Lean Ground Beef
- 3/4 C. Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Whole Large Eggs
- 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp. Pepper
- 2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 12 Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped
- 1 1/4 C. Shredded Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/2 C. Marinara Sauce + More for Garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly coat the inside of an 9x5" loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the 1 Red Bell Pepper and 1 Red Onion over a medium-high heat until soft and tender.
- Add in the 2 minced garlic and continue to cook until fragrant; set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, add in the 2 Lbs. Lean Ground Beef, 3/4 C. Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs, 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese, 2 Whole Large Eggs, 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste, 1 Tsp. Salt, 1/2 Tsp. Pepper, and 2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley along with the pepper and onion mixture. Stir to combine until well mixed.
- Set the meat mixture out onto some parchment paper and flatten it out into a rectangle shape, making sure the width is no larger than the loaf pan.
- Top the meat with 12 Fresh Basil Leaves and 1 1/4 C. Shredded Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese.
- Using the parchment paper and your hands, roll the meat up.
- Transfer to the loaf pan and top with the 1/2 C. Marinara Sauce.
- Place it in the oven to bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through.
- Once done, remove from the oven, slice into 8 pieces, and enjoy right away with more marinara sauce if desired!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
271.41Fat (grams)
8.94Sat. Fat (grams)
3.89Carbs (grams)
13.73Fiber (grams)
2.35Net carbs
11.36Sugar (grams)
2.9Protein (grams)
34.89Sodium (milligrams)
781.73Cholesterol (grams)
119.85Nutritional Claims: Low Carb • Sugar Conscious • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free
Step-by-Step Photos:
Cookie Monster Cookies
Everything in moderation, right? These cookies are definitely a lot more decadent than I’m used sharing and enjoying, but I love a good big cookie. And I love anything cookie monster-esque. So, when I saw the original idea for these stuffed cookies, I just knew that I was going to have to do something similar and in a little bit more of a lightened up way, at least as much as I could manage anyway.
I did stuff my cookie monster cookies just a little bit differently and made a few sways to healthify them in my own way. These cookies start out with a from scratch blue chocolate chip cookie dough that is then stuffed with regular chocolate chip cookie dough AND an Oreo cookie…
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