Italian-ish night

This recipe is for a casserole-type dish, somewhat reminiscent of lasagna but with a sour cream and onion twist.

2T butter
1 1/2 lb ground beef
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 chopped scallions
1 tsp sugar
2 8oz cans of tomato sauce
1 8oz pkg spiral pasta
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 can french fried onions

1.Cook pasta according to package directions
2.Brown the meat with garlic. Add salt, pepper, sugar, tomato sauce, and butter
3. Mix cream cheese and sour cream and add scallions.
4. Layer in casserole dish: 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cheese mixture, 1/3 sauce mixture. Repeat
5. Top with grated cheese and french fried onion rings.
6. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

This dish is extremely high in fat- between the meat, cream cheese, sour cream, grated cheese, butter and french fried onions, you probably wouldn't be able to afford to eat another gram of fat all day long! To make matters worse, the fat found in meat and cheese is the saturated kind which will wreak havoc on your cholesterol levels.

Let's talk about meat for a sec. Those of you who know me, know that I am not a fan. Not because I am an animal rights activist. In fact, I am all for eating things that are beneath me on the food chain. However, the overconsumption of meat in the western diet has led to some really unfortunate farming practices. Our demand for meat far exceeds the amount that could be produced by raising cattle on grass fields where they can graze freely and get exercise, producing leaner, healthier beef with a more balanced profile of fatty acids. Instead, they must be raised cooped up in pens, eating grain (which their bodies are not meant to do) and living in less-than-clean conditions. They are then fed antibiotics to keep from getting sick and hormones in order to mature more quickly and thus, be ready to slaughter more quickly. We are only beginning to discover what this does to our health, not to mention our environment.

I do not tell anyone not to eat meat. I just advise that if you be aware of what and how much you are eating. If you can, buy free range and grass fed meat. I used bison meat in this recipe, which is super lean and usually grass fed. If you can't or don't want to buy different meats, then just be cognizant of your portion sizes. Most people need about 5-6 ounces (the size of two decks of cards) of meat or other protein foods per day. How often do you see a 12 oz steak on a restaurant menu? Yikes. Cut down a bit and your health and the environment will thank you.

Okay, off the soapbox now. As I said, I used bison in this recipe. I also cut the amount down to 1 lb and used a 1/2 pound diced mushrooms to fill in for the rest. Mushrooms have a meaty-type flavor, and they add fiber and potassium to this dish. You really could use any type of vegetable that usually goes well in italian dishes- onion, bell pepper, zucchini, etc. Up the tomato sauce a bit- I used 2 15oz cans because I like things quite saucy. Cut out the salt (canned tomato sauce comes with plenty) and the butter and sugar (no purpose, really). Be sure to brown the meat separately, drain off all the fat/blot with paper towels and THEN add the vegetables and garlic. Otherwise, your vegetables will act like little sponges, soaking up all that grease. Nice.

Now, for the cheese layer. Besides the aforementioned saturated fat, the cream cheese and sour cream do not contribute much nutritionally. Unlike many dairy products, they don't even contain all that much calcium or protein. Buy reduced fat versions, then cut down the amount and substitute one of my favorite stealth ingredients for creamy dishes: silken tofu. Really. Don't be afraid, it takes on the flavor of the sour cream and cream cheese and it's a good source of protein and UNsaturated fat.

Change the pasta to whole grain. That's a no-brainer. As for the topping, I don't believe the 1/2 cup of cheese and french fried onions on top are really necessary; this dish already has many flavors going on as it is. I just used 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. (if you REALLY want something crunchy on top, I recommend Lay's baked Parmesan and Tuscan herb chips)

Anita's Stew, contributed by Jennifer M:


1 lb ground bison
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp pepper
8oz chopped mushrooms
1 bunch chopped scallions
2 15oz cans of tomato sauce
1 8oz pkg whole wheat spiral pasta
1 12oz pkg silken firm tofu
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
4oz reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crushed baked Parmesan and Tuscan herb potato chips, if desired


1.Cook pasta according to package directions
2.Brown the meat. Drain and blot with paper towel. Add pepper, garlic, mushrooms, tomato sauce. Simmer until mushrooms are tender.
3. Mix cream cheese, tofu, and sour cream with hand mixer or food processor. Add scallions.
4. Layer in casserole dish: 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cheese mixture, 1/3 sauce mixture. Repeat
5. Top with grated cheese and crushed chips if using.
6. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes


Serve with a big green salad. Thanks for the contribution, Jennifer, and good luck with the weight-loss challenge :)