All of us have very busy lifestyles and often eat on the run and in our hurry we eat less healthy. We have included some healthy recipes for you to try at home. The recipes are healthy, easy to make and also are delicious.

Sausage Casserole
6 slices bread
2 pounds reduced fat sausage
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 cup grated reduced fat Swiss cheese
1 cup egg substitute
1 ½ cups skim milk
3/4 cup evaporated skimmed milk
dash of pepper
dash of nutmeg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 10" x 6" x 1 ½" casserole dish with cooking spray. Trim crust from bread and slice into thin strips. Place in bottom of casserole dish. Brown sausage. Drain excess fat. Add mustard to browned sausage, spoon evenly over bread. Sprinkle cheese over sausage. Combine milk, evaporated milk, pepper, nutmeg, and Worcestershire Sauce and pour over cheese and sausage. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 - 30 minutes or until done. (Casserole can be made the day before and refrigerate until time to bake).
Makes 6 servings.

Sausage Gravy

1/2 pound ground 60% fat-free pork-and-turkey sausage
1/4 cup reduced-calorie margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/4 cups skim milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning

*Brown sausage in a large nonstick skillet, stirring until it crumbles. Remove sausage from skillet, and drain on paper towels. Wipe pan drippings from skillet.
*Melt margarine in skillet; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in seasonings and sausage. Cook until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.
*Yield 3 cups

South of the Border Dip

½ lb ground beef (ground round)
1 can (15 ½ ounces) refried beans (no fat)
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce (no salt added)
1 pkg (1 ¼ ounce) taco seasoning
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ green pepper, finely chopped
½ tsp dried mustard
½ tsp chili powder

Sour Cream Topping
1 cup sour cream (low fat or non-fat)
2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese (reduced fat)
¼ tsp chili powder

Garnish
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese ( reduced fat)
Tortilla Chips

Brown beef and drain. Stir in rest of ingredients into the meat. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Spread mixture into an ungreased 9" pie plate. Combine topping ingredients; spread over beef mixture. Sprinkle with lettuce and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Yield: 3 - ½ cup servings
Note: to reduce the fat even more omit the meat.

Hot Kielbasa Dip

1 pkg (8 oz) light cream cheese
½ cup light sour cream
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tbsp mayonnaise, reduced fat
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
8 oz fully cooked reduced fat kielbasa or Polish sausage, finely chopped
½ cup slice green onions, divided
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Assorted crackers or raw vegetables

In a 1-1/2 qt. Microwave-safe bowl, heat cream cheese, uncovered on high for 1 minute. Stir in the sour cream, milk, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce. Add the kielbasa, ¼ cup onions and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Microwave, uncovered on high for 3-4 minutes or until heated thorough, stirring once. Sprinkle with remaining onion. Serve with crackers or vegetables. Yield: 3 cups

Oven Fried Chicken

2 (4oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 small (2 ½ oz each) skinless chicken drumsticks
1 ½ cups cornflakes, crushed
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
3 tbsp all purpose flour
½ tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp black pepper
1 egg white
1 tbsp water
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse chicken. Trim off any fat. Pat dry with paper towels. Mix together cornflake crumbs and parsley in shallow bowl. Combine flour and seasonings in resealable plastic bag. Whisk the egg white and water in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, one or two pieces at a time. Seal bag; shake until chicken is coated. Remove chicken from bag, shaking excess flour. Dip into egg white, coating on all sides. Roll in crumb mixture. Place in shallow baking pan. Repeat with remaining chicken. Lightly spray chicken pieces with cooking spray. Bake breasts 18-20 minutes, drumsticks 38-40 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

Suggestions: could use other seasonings such as Italian seasoning in place of poultry seasoning or any other blend desired. In place of regular nonstick spray, could use the butter flavored spray.

Pork Chops and Apples

6 thick pork chops, trimmed of excess fat
4 apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. margarine

Heat oven to 350 F. Brown trimmed pork chops on both sides in hot fat. Place sliced apples in greased baking dish. Blend sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle on apples. Dot with the margarine. Top apples with browned pork chops. Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours, or less depending on thickness of pork chops.
Serves 6 Calories: 378, Fat: 18 gm

Seasoned Black-Eyed Peas

1 pound black-eyed peas
1/2-1 teaspoon liquid hickory smoked flavoring
2 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bay leaf
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1, 6 ounce can tomato paste, no added salt
water
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wash the peas and let soak for 45 minutes. Drain. Pour in just enough fresh water to cover the peas; add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until tender, about 3 hours. Season to taste.

Yield: 16, 1/2 cup servings, approximately 95 cal/serving

Louisiana Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans or 2. 9 ounce packages frozen
green beans, cooked
2 cups (l pound can) tomatoes, no added salt
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Cook green beans until tender.
Combine green beans, tomatoes, celery, green pepper and onion powder, and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings, approximately 20 cal/serving

Macaroni and Cheese

1, 7 ounce package macaroni and cheese (with the powdered cheese-sauce packet)
2 tablespoons skim milk
1/3 cup non-fat sour cream

Cook the noodles according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain, then add milk and sour cream instead of the butter or margarine called for on the package. Mix well to coat evenly.
Add contents of the cheese-sauce packet; mix well. Serve hot.

Yield: 3, 1 cup serving, approximately 283 cal/serving

Dream Pie

1 angel food cake, cut into pieces
1 small package sugar free strawberry jello mix
1 cup hot water
1 cup cold water
1 quart strawberries (fresh or frozen without sugar)
4 cups skim milk
2 small packages instant sugar free vanilla pudding
1 12-ounce container lite cool whip

Line bottom of 13" X 9" baking dish with cake pieces. Mix jello with hot water until dissolved, then add cold water. Pour liquid over cake pieces. Layer with strawberries. Mix milk with pudding packages, just until powder dissolved and then quickly pour over berries. Let stand for 5 minutes or until set. Spread cool whip over pudding and garnish with strawberries if desired.
Serving - 2" X 2" square

Cheesecake

2 (8 oz.) pkg. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 graham cracker crust

Mix all ingredients together, except for crust. Pour into graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Spread with 1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling. To reduce the calories even more use the lite pie filling as a topping. 8 servings

Peach Crisp

4 cups sliced peaches
2/3 to 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup margarine, softened

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8"x8"x2" square pan with cooking spray. Place peach slices in pan. Mix remaining ingredients thoroughly. Sprinkle over peaches. Bake 30 minutes or until peaches are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm. 6 servings

Almond Dip for Fresh Fruit (modifications)

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened (lite cream cheese)
½ cup fat-free sour cream (lite or non-fat sour cream)
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons skim milk
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Assorted fresh fruit

Mix cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Mix in sour cream thoroughly. Mix in sugar, milk and extract. Refrigerate. Serve with assorted fresh fruit.

Yield: 1-2/3 cups (26 Tablespoons) individual serving size 2 Tablespoons
99 calories & 7.7 grams fat (modified: 47 calories & 3.3 grams fat)

Hamburger/Sour Cream Casserole (modifications)
"A Man's Dish"

1 clove garlic (or powder equivalent)
1 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 pound hamburger, cooked, drained (extra lean meat; only ¾ pound)
6 scallions, chopped, including some of greens
3 ounce cream cheese (lite cream cheese)
1 cup sour cream (lite or non-fat sour cream)
1 (6-8 ounce) package wide egg noodles, cooked according to directions (use yolk-free noodles)
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated (lite or fat-free cheese, grated; only ¼ cup)

Add garlic, salt, pepper, sugar and tomato sauce to meat. Cook slowly for 20 minutes. Mix scallions into cream cheese and sour cream. Layer 1/3 of noodles in bottom of 1 ½- quart dish. Spread with 1/3 cheese mixture then 1/3 meat sauce. Repeat twice. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings
509 calories & 30grams fat (modified: 341 calories & 11 grams fat)

Extremely Rich Brownies (modifications)

¾ cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter, melted (1/2 cup applesauce, ½ cup margarine)
4 eggs (egg substitutes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts, optional (omit nuts altogether)

Add cocoa and sugar to butter and stir well. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour and salt until smooth. Add walnuts if desired. Pour mixture into greased 9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Yield: 16 brownies (very thick)
(use 2- 9" pans to get 32 brownies)
311 calories & 21 grams fat
(modified: 216calories & 7.5grams fat)

Recipes from GENERATIONS OF GOOD COOKING, Rivermont Presbyterian Church