Dietitians Dish – April 4, 2022
Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
Weeknight Dinners Made Easy Takeout and fast food may save time, but ultimately, they can hit a budget hard. Planning more simple meals at home and doing so based upon what’s on sale is a great way to keep your budget on track.
Home-cooked meals don’t need to be elaborate to be nourishing. If you have specific health concerns, you can tweak the ingredients in a recipe to help manage those concerns. When it comes to takeout or fast food, changing the ingredients used isn’t an easy option. With meatballs on sale, plan this Tetrazzini recipe into your menuthis week! Serve with a side of veggies (fresh or frozen) or salad. Don’t forget the fruit! If you want to avoid using canned soup, there are simple ways to make your own.
Condensed Cream Soup
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Use immediately or refrigerate 3-5 days.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in 3 tablespoons of flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Use immediately or refrigerate 3-5 days.
Meatball Tetrazzini
- 1 bag (12 oz.) egg noodles
- 2 cans (10.5 oz.) reduced sodium cream of mushroom condensed soup
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 2 tsps. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 12 oz. meatballs
- 1-1/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 ; spray 8-1/2 x 11-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prepare 1 (12-ounce) bag egg noodles as label directs, cooking 2 minutes less than directed; drain and return to saucepot.
- Add 2 (10.5-ounce) cans reduced sodium cream of mushroom condensed soup to large skillet.
- Whisk chicken stock, parsley and garlic powder into skillet; heat to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking until combined.
- Stir meatballs into skillet; reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat; stir in egg noodles.
- Stir 3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend into skillet; spread noodle mixture in prepared dish. Sprinkle noodle mixture with 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend; bake 18 minutes or until edges are golden brown and bubbly. Makes about 8 cups.