Holly Clegg

Today’s guest post from Holly Clegg is chocked full of healthy Halloween recipe ideas for the whole family and some suggestions to get your kids cooking in the kitchen. Best of all her German Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars are only 2 Weight Watchers POINTS, while the rest of her recipes are 3 or 4 POINTS per servings. Great for moms trying to lose weight while feeding their families healthy food that they’ll love.

You can find more of Holly’s recipes on The Healthy Cooking Blog.

A Healthier Happy Halloween

Halloween is one of those holidays filled with fun, food, and friends. On October 31^st every year, neighborhoods seem to sparkle with that contagious Halloween spirit. While the kids are selecting their perfect costume, Halloween is a great time for effortless entertaining.

Get that spooky black and orange theme going with easy everyday healthy recipe choices. Even though this holiday focuses on the children, there are always adults around. A big pot of hearty Burger Soup brewing on the stove with mugs around to serve yourself makes an ideal meal for young and old on this come and go cool evening.

The kids will get a kick out of the fun Jack-O-Lantern Sandwiches and will be eager to create peanut butter sandwiches that evolve into Creepy Crawlers.

For a sweet snack, I love German Chocolate Squares – using orange food coloring for a spirited twist. Purchase miniature pumpkins, gourds, corn, and orange flowers to serve as a centerpiece and use black and orange colored paper napkins and plates insure a quick clean up. A pitcher of apple cider makes an easy drink!

Don’t let Halloween scare you when it comes to cooking for casual company!

Burger Soup

From New Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Cookbook

Years ago we made this for a house full of kids, and everyone raved about it—it’s a great way to get veggies into their diets.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (141/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• 4 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup sliced peeled carrots (in rings)
• 1 (11-ounce) can corn niblets, drained
• 1/3 cup rice, uncooked

Directions:

1. In large pot, cook meat, onion, and garlic until meat is done. Drain any excess liquid.
2. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and carrots. Bring to boil, lower heat, cook 10 minutes.
3. Add corn and rice, continue cooking over medium heat until rice is done and carrots are tender, 30 - 40 minutes. Add more water if too thick. Serve.

Nutritional information

Per serving: Calories 160, Protein (g) 14, Carbohydrate (g) 21, Fat (g) 3, Calories from Fat (%) 16, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Dietary Fiber (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 30, Sodium (mg) 482 Diabetic Exchanges: 1.5 very lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3

Jack-O-Lantern Sandwiches

From New Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Cookbook

Year-round this can be a grilled cheese “face” sandwich, and in the fall it becomes the ideal Halloween sandwich.

Makes 1 Jack-O’-Lantern Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 slices dark bread (pumpernickel or dark whole wheat)
• 1 slice reduced-fat American cheese

Directions:

• On one slice of bread, cut out a jack-o’-lantern face. Place slice of cheese on an uncut slice of bread.
• Broil or toast in oven until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, and top with cut slice of bread.

Nutritional information

Per serving: Calories 181, Protein (g) 10, Carbohydrate (g) 27, Fat (g) 5, Calories from Fat (%) 22, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Dietary Fiber (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 10, Sodium (mg) 683 Diabetic Exchanges: 1 lean meat, 2 starch

Weight Watchers POINTS = 3

Creepy Crawlers

From New Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Cookbook

Kids will have lots of fun making these sandwiches. They will even eat the carrot strip “legs.”

Makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bread
• 2 teaspoons peanut butter or enough to cover bread
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into 8 sticks
• 2 raisins

Directions:

1. To make a sandwich, cut circles out of 2 slices of bread with round cookie cutter or glass. Spread peanut butter on top of one circle.
2. Place 8 carrot sticks for “legs” on edge of circle, sticking out on both sides. Top with other circle of bread, and put two raisins on top for eyes.

Nutritional information per serving

Calories 217, Protein (g) 7, Carbohydrate (g) 32, Fat (g) 7, Calories from Fat (%) 29, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Dietary Fiber (g) 4, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 317 Diabetic Exchanges: 0.5 high-fat meat, 1.5 starch, 1.5 vegetable

Weight Watchers POINTS = 4

German Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars

From trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites

It’s like having two desserts in one with this simple to make bar cookie that combines German chocolate and cheesecake all in one bite.

Makes 48 squares

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25-ounce) box German chocolate cake mix
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 (16-ounce) box confectioners’ sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350°F.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, 1 egg, coconut, and butter.
3. Pat mixture into bottom of 13x 9x2-inch baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.
4. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, egg whites, and coconut and vanilla extracts until mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour over mixture in pan.
5. Bake 35–40 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Terrific Tidbit: For a festive Halloween twist, use red and yellow food coloring to make orange in the cream cheese mixture.

Nutritional information

Per serving: Calories 108, Calories from fat (%) 26, Fat (g) 3, Saturated Fat (g) 2, Cholesterol (mg) 11, Sodium (mg) 116, Carbohydrate (g) 19, Dietary Fiber (g) 0, Sugars (g) 15, Protein (g) 1, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Weight Watchers POINTS = 2

Recipes and pictures supplied by Holly Clegg and used with her permission.

Posted on October 25, 2010 in Recipes,Weight Watchers and tagged as healthy Halloween recipes, healthy recipes, Holly Clegg