Shrimp and Grits Casserole

Shrimp and Grits Casserole
from Cooking Light

Ingredients2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 (3-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 large egg whites
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, coarsely chopped
Cooking spray
Hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine milk and broth in a medium heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Gradually add grits and salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, butter, and cream cheese. Stir in parsley and next 4 ingredients (through shrimp). Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until set. Serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

My Most Requested Recipe

This divine dish was found in the Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cookbook. It has been an absolute staple when making dinner for friends and family or for special occasions. It is incredibly easy, yet impressive! It is important not to substitute the filet mignon for another type of meat. The filet is the perfect cut of beef with its tenderness and flavor. ENJOY!

Seared Beef Tenderloin with Blackberry-Merlot SauceFrom the Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade cooking made light cookbook

Ingredients:Olive oil cooking spray
4 4 oz. beef tenderloin steaks
½ tablespoon salt-free all purpose seasoning, McCormick
½ cup Merlot or other red wine
½ cup blackberry preserves
½ teaspoon crushed garlic
Fresh blackberries (optional)
Fresh chives, sliced (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.
2. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with all-purpose seasoning. Place steaks in skillet. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. Remove skillet from heat and transfer steaks to prepared baking sheet.
3. Roast steaks in preheated oven for 4 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F) or 6 minutes for medium (160 degrees F).
4. For sauce, return skillet to heat and de-glaze with half of the wine by scraping bits from bottom of skillet. Return to medium-high heat and add remaining wine, blackberry preserves, and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until mixture is reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce with steaks. Garnish with blackberries and chives (optional).

Crock-Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken

Crock-Pot Shredded BBQ Chicken
(Serves 12)

4 lbs split chicken breasts, boneless 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 large sweet onion, sliced ¼ Cup cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 tsp ground red pepper flakes
1 10 ¾ can condensed tomato soup ¼ cup water (add towards end of cooking)
¼ Cup brown sugar, packed

• Spray lining of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
• Layer 2/3 of onion slices and all slices of garlic at the bottom
• Layer the chicken breasts and top with additional onion slices
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken
• Lift the breasts to allow some sauce to escape to the bottom of the slow cooker
• Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours
• Shred chicken with two forks and remove onion slices
• Return chicken to slow cooker to reheat
• Serve on buns
• Goes great with cornbread or corn souffle

*Add more ketchup if you prefer a thicker sauce.