Pillsbury Biscuit Calzones

Is it just me, or does the end-of-the-year craziness have anyone else wishing for more hours in the day? I feel like I just posted my last recipe, when in reality it's been over 2 weeks! So I apologize again for the delay between posts. I'm hoping to be able to post more often in 2016!

Before I dive in to today's recipe, I just wanted to send a huge thank you to everyone who reads this blog and shares my recipes. This is still really new for me, and I appreciate any and all support. Lighter Bites has officially hit 250 likes on Facebook, and we are close to 100 followers on Instagram. In the grand scheme of things, that's not many people, but the support means the world to me. So thank you!

Now, the reason we're all here: FOOD. I mentioned in my last post that I love Pillsbury crescent rolls because they're so versatile - you can fill them with chocolate and make a dessert, or you can fill them with meat, cheese, etc and make a meal. I love filling them with ham and cheese or pepperoni and cheese and making mini healthy calzones.

I use Weight Watchers American cheese slices for the ham calzones and Weight Watchers mozzarella string cheese for the pepperoni calzones. Once these babies are baked and warm and gooey, you can't even notice that the cheese is low fat/low calorie.

These really are super easy to make. When I make these as a meal, I usually make four - I have two for dinner (one ham, one pepperoni) and put two in a tupperware for lunch the following day (they still taste good after being microwaved). The Pillsbury crescent rolls contains eight rolls, so if you don't think you'll use the remaining four soon, I suggest making eight calzones and refrigerating the ones you don't eat. Even in a Ziplock bag, the Pillsbury dough doesn't last very long in the fridge once it's been open. For this recipe, I made eight.

Anyway, on to this super easy, super fast recipe. All you have to do is separate the crescent rolls and lay them on a baking sheet sprayed with no-calorie cooking spray. Arrange the ham, pepperoni, and cheeses on the crescent rolls, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Carefully roll up the crescents so that all the meat and cheese is sealed inside. They don't have to look pretty - sealing everything in is the bigger priority here. If the filling sticks out a little bit, it's okay.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 9-12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two, then dig in!

INGREDIENTS

• 8 Pillsbury crescent rolls, reduced fat
• 4 slices reduced fat American cheese (I use Weight Watchers brand)
• 4 low-fat mozzarella string cheese sticks (I use Weight Watchers brand)
• 6 slices ham (I like to use honey ham)
• 20 slices turkey pepperoni
• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder (to taste)

Serving size: 2 calzones (1 pepperoni, 1 ham)

Weight Watchers SmartPoints value: 11

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking dish with no-calorie cooking spray.
2. Separate the crescent rolls along the pre-cut edges and lay out on the baking sheet. Top 4 of the rolls with 1 slice of American cheese each and 4 of the rolls with 1 string cheese each (you'll need to break the cheeses apart to get them to fit on the roll).
3. On the rolls with American cheese, top each with 1 1/2 slices of ham (you'll need to fold or tear the ham to get it to fit). On the rolls with string cheese, top each with 5 slices of turkey pepperoni. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder across the tops of all the rolls.
4. Carefully fold the rolls so that the cheese and meat are sealed inside. Pinch edges together to seal. In some cases you may not be able to completely seal in the filling - this is okay. As long as it's mostly sealed you'll be fine.
5. Make for 9-12 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Note: nutrition information is for one ham calzone and one pepperoni calzone.

Sweet and Cheesy Jalapeno Chicken Wontons

Sometimes you have an idea for a recipe in your head and it just doesn't work out. In your mind, the ingredients complement each other perfectly, but when you actually create it, the flavors don't mesh and you wind up with a mess on a plate. Sometimes recipe ideas just don't work out.

But sometimes they do.

One of my friends recently had a Tastefully Simple party. Have you ever been to one of those? I love their products (the beer bread is to DIE for). Most of their mixes and dips require just one or two additional ingredients (hence the "simple" in the name). Anyway, when I was flipping through the catalog I came across this Sweet Pepper Jalapeno Jam and had to buy it.

I've had sweet pepper jelly before. It's amazing with crackers and cream cheese. And in wontons.

After I bought the jelly, I was brainstorming ways to use it. I knew I wanted to pair it with cream cheese, but wasn't sure what else. Then it came to me. Chicken. And onions. And wanton wrappers. Boom.

This recipe is only a few ingredients, but it does involve a little more preparation than some of the other recipes I've posted. Not much more, though. It's definitely worth it.

I cook the chicken by poaching it. You need to shred it for this recipe, and I find it's easier to shred when it's poached. I didn't add any spices to the chicken, but you can.

Once it's shredded, add it to a bowl. Combine with the onions, jelly, and cream cheese.

Next comes the moderately time-consuming part: stuffing and sealing the wontons. Start by placing a wonton on a clean, dry surface (like a cutting board). Scoop about a 1/2 tbsp onto the center of the wonton - be careful not to scoop too much, or else it will be really tough to seal the wrapper.

Once the filling is on the wonton, fold it in half so it's triangle-shaped, with the filling sealed inside. Moisten your fingers (it helps to keep a small cup of water next to where you're working) and press down on the edges of the wrapper to seal them. You can cook them like this, or press the two bottom corners together to get that wonton shape (and moisten and press to seal) and cook that way.

Spray a baking sheet with no-calorie nonstick spray. Arrange the wontons on the sheet, spray the tops with nonstick spray, and bake at 400 degrees. After 5 minutes, flip the wontons and bake for another 4 minutes.

Enjoy! Serve warm, either plain or with sweet Asian chili sauce.

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded (about 4.5-5 oz)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
• 3 tbsp sweet pepper jelly (I use Tastefully Simple, but you can use any brand)
• 3 tbsp fat free cream cheese
• 20 wonton wrappers (I use the ones by Nasoya - check the produce or tofu section at the grocery store)

Serving size: 4 wontons

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 3

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the shredded chicken, onion, jelly, and cream cheese.
3. Lay a wonton wrapper on a clean, dry surface. Scoop 1/2 tbsp of the chicken mixture onto the center of the wrapper (be sure not to overfill, or else it will be difficult to seal). Fold the wrapper in half to seal the filling inside. 
4. Moisten the tips of your fingers and press the edges of the wrapper to seal. If you want to, you can then press and seal the two bottom corners together to give it a wonton shape (this isn't necessary, though - you can cook it in the triangle shape, too).
5. Repeat for the remaining wrappers.
6. Spray a baking sheet with no-calorie nonstick spray. Arrange the wontons on the baking sheet and spray the tops lightly with nonstick spray.
7. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven, flip, and bake for an additional 4 minutes.
8. Serve warm, either plain or with sweet Asian chili sauce.

Nutrition

Watermelon Feta Salad with Balsamic Glaze

I think I've found my go-to summer salad.

It's crisp and fresh and the ingredients work together in such an amazing way. It's also really easy and can be thrown together really quickly if you need something to serve for company or to bring to a BBQ.

I heard someone mention a watermelon feta salad last summer, and even though I was curious, I never actually made or tried the combination. Recently, I decided I needed to start doing something new for lunch - my daily lunches at the office were getting STALE - and since it finally feels like summer - and what says "summer" more than juicy watermelon? - I decided to revisit the watermelon feta combo. 

I looked online for inspiration and then created this salad with my own twist. Some people make their watermelon feta with oil. Some use oil and vinegar. Some use balsamic. Some added other ingredients; others kept it simple.

You start with your greens.

I've made this salad three times this week (when I fall in love with a new food or meal, I eat it almost exclusively and obsessively until I move on to the next thing. I have a problem). The first two times, I used baby arugula. Pictured in this recipe is baby spinach, since I ran out of arugula. Both combinations work, but I think if I had to choose I'd choose the arugula.

Then it's just three additional ingredients (watermelon, red onion, and feta cheese) before the dressing, and you're done. Simple!

Next comes the dressing. I went back and forth a few times with this. I didn't think I'd like the oil or oil/vinegar combo with the watermelon. Balsamic vinegar is always a good choice, but I felt like this salad needed something sweeter. That's why the balsamic glaze is perfect. It has the flavor of balsamic but it's much thicker and sweeter than the vinegar. It goes perfectly with this salad.

I wish I could explain why all these ingredients work together so well. I wish I could tell you why the sweetness of the watermelon tastes so good with the crunchy red onion. I wish I could explain how the feta adds a subtle but amazing flavor to the salad and how the balsamic glaze ties it all together in the most delicious way. I wish I could tell you why, but I can't. I don't know why all these ingredients work together. They just do. And you need to try it ASAP.

Summer is coming - and it deserves to be celebrated with this salad.

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 12 cups baby arugula (2 bags of salad mix)
• 4 cups watermelon, cubed
• 6-8 oz fat free feta cheese, crumbled
• 3/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 6 tbsp balsamic glaze

Serving size: 1/4 salad
Serves: 4
Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 5

Instructions

1. Rinse the arugula and place it in a large bowl. Add the watermelon, feta cheese, and red onion, and toss to combine.
2. Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the salad. Toss again to combine. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving, or refrigerate overnight and serve the following day.

Nutritional information

Four-Ingredient No-Bake Oreo Cream Pie

In my opinion, the Oreo is the best packaged cookie in existence. Which makes this simple, no-bake pie a pretty awesome dessert to make for summer.

It's starting to get really warm out, and I don't know about you, but I absolutely hate having my oven on when it's hot outside. I like to keep my house cool as a break from the heat. Unfortunately, some of the best desserts are made in the oven (see: chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cupcakes, cake ... you get the idea).

But this? This pie is delicious and requires ABSOLUTELY NO BAKING. And it literally takes less than 5 minutes to make. It's perfect for when you want to make a delicious and impressive dessert but you don't have time (and don't want to put in a ton of effort).

Oh, and did I mention it's only four ingredients? (Just kidding, I know I did because it's in the recipe title, but I wanted to mention it again because it's a big selling point).

Pre-baked pie crust is one of the best inventions.

At my local Stop & Shop, they have regular graham cracker pie crusts, chocolate graham cracker pie crusts, and chocolate cookie pie crusts. Some stores have Oreo brand crusts, but mine didn't. No worries though - the chocolate cookie crust tastes exactly like an Oreo (and I saved money by buying store brand)!

In a medium bowl, combine Jell-O Oreo pudding mix with an entire 8-oz tub of Cool Whip Free. (Side note: Cool Whip Free + any flavor of pudding mix = DELICIOUS. I like the taste better than pudding prepared the traditional way, and it's MUCH quicker.If you wanted to, though, you could prepare the pudding with milk, let it set, and use that instead).

The inspiration for this recipe actually came from this pudding mix. I was shopping for pudding mix for last week's recipe and I saw this, and I immediately started brainstorming dessert ideas I could use it in. 

Once the pudding mix and the Cool Whip are combined, crumble four of the Oreo cookies into the bowl and mix.

Spread the mix into the pie crust, and then crumble the remaining three Oreos on top.

BAM. That's it. You're done. Eat it immediately, if you want to. You can refrigerate it, but it doesn't need it.

I made this last night and served it for two of my friends during our "The Bachelorette" premiere night. Yes, I love "The Bachelorette." Yes, I have my friends over for sushi, wine, and dessert when the new seasons start. Yes, it's amazing.

Anyway, I let them know that they were taste testing for the blog, and the reviews were positive so I figured I'd post it today in advance of Memorial Day weekend! If you need to bring a dessert to a BBQ, this could be it.

I hope you enjoy it! I'd love feedback if you make it. 

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 1 Oreo cookie pie crust
• 1 box Jell-O Oreo cookies and cream pudding mix
• 8 oz Cool Whip Free (one tub)
• 7 reduced fat Oreo cookies

Serving size: 1/8 of pie

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 7

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the Jell-O mix and the Cool Whip Free. Crumble four of the Oreo cookies into the bowl and mix to combine.
2. Spread the pudding mixture into the pie crust.
3. Crumble the remaining three Oreos over the top of the pie.

Nutritional Information

Pistachio Cups with Mini Chocolate Chips

Well hello again and Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers reading this blog. This week's recipe is one that I made a few weeks ago, didn't love, and tweaked slightly. Now I love it, and I brought a tray to my parents' house tonight for Mother's Day and they were a huge hit! (Side note: as a new food blogger, there's nothing more satisfying than hearing rave reviews from your family when they taste test your recipe. Really gives you the extra confidence to share it with your blog followers).

We're gonna keep it kind of simple this weekend. This recipe is so easy to prepare it only requires one picture. Also, instead of my usual step-by-step instructions with photos, I'm just going to list a few things I learned from tweaking this recipe. Trust me, it's all you'll need.

- The first time I made these, I baked the fillo shells for 5 minutes. YOU DON'T NEED TO FOR THIS RECIPE. I thought the flavor of the baked shells was too distinct - it almost overpowered the pistachio filling.

- I'm a HUGE fan of Cool Whip Free, but I found that Cool Whip Lite works better for this recipe. It's slightly creamier, which ends up working out better for this recipe. Since this is basically the main ingredient, flavor/texture plays a major part, and using Lite instead of Free doesn't significantly alter the nutritional information, so I recommend going for it.

- Same for the Jell O pudding mix. First time I made these I used fat free, sugar free mix - this time I used the regular mix. Again, it doesn't alter the nutrition significantly and it really gives the recipe a stronger flavor, so definitely go with the regular stuff if you ever make these.

So without further ado, here's the recipe! Hope you enjoy it. As always, feedback is appreciated!

Until next time!

Ingredients

• 30 Athens mini fillo shells
• 4 oz Cool Whip Lite whipped topping (1/2 container)
• 3/4 package Jell O pistachio pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 4 tbsp semi sweet mini chocolate chips

Serving size: 1 fillo shell

Weight Watchers PointsPlus value: 1

Instructions

1. Arrange the fillo shells on the serving tray of your choice.
2. In a small/medium bowl, combine the Cool Whip, Jello O mix, and almond extract. Distribute among the fillo shells.
3. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the shells. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutritional information