Hidden Veggie Baked Mac and Cheese

I made this mac and cheese for my family for dinner and everyone really liked it! Not a single person noticed there was a little boost of butternut squash in there!

I added chicken and broccoli to mine to round it out, but it is yummy solo. Use one yellow to measure a serving. The 21 Day Fix containers used with just the mac and cheese are: 1 yellow and 1 blue. If you serve it with broccoli and chicken it would add 1 red and 1 green.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni, dry (or 4 cups cooked)
• 2 eggs
• 10 oz bag frozen butternut squash
• 1 cup almond milk
• ½ tea salt
• 3 cups sharp cheddar (yes, sharp!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan.
2. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain.
3. Thaw butternut squash in the microwave. 
4. In a blender, combine eggs, butternut squash, milk, and salt until smooth.
5. Put half of the cooked macaroni in the bottom of the 9x13 pan.
6. Cover with 1 ½ cups of cheese.
7. Put the other half of macaroni on top of the cheese.
8. Cover with the rest of the cheese.
9. Top with the milk mix.
10. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

21 Day Fix Lasagna Roll Ups

This recipe comes from erinrosefitness.com. I have modified it slightly. It makes a very filling dinner and is great for leftovers! 

For the Fixers: 1 serving is 2 rolls ups and equals 1 yellow, 1 green, 1 red, and 1 blue.

Ingredients: 

• 8 sheets of whole grain lasagna
• 15 oz tub of Ricotta cheese
• 1 1/3 cup mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tea salt
• 4 cups frozen, chopped spinach and/or kale (in a bag, not a box)
• 1 regular jar (24-32 oz) of low or no sugar marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay on wax paper.
3. In a medium bowl, blend Ricotta, egg, salt, and mozzarella until well mixed.
4. Mix in spinach and/or kale.
5. Spread 1/4 cup of marinara on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
6. Spread spinach mixture evenly over 8 lasagna sheets.
7. Roll up lasagna sheets and put into 9x13 pan.
8. Dump the rest of the marinara sauce over the rolls.
9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Colorful Vegetable Fajitas

This recipe comes from AllRecipes. Instead of using red onion, I caramelized some onions (my favorite part of the dish!). I also added homemade fajita seasoning. Next time, I would also slice my veggies and then cut them in half so they don't overwhelm the tortilla. You can serve on tortillas with cheese, sour cream, and guacamole (or whatever your like) or make it into a fajita bowl sans tortillas. It would also be good with black beans added.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 1 yellow squash, halved and sliced into strips
• ½ cup salsa
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon fajita seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large skillet, melt butter and heat olive oil together.
2. Add sliced onion and sautee until caramelized.
3. Remove onions from pan and keep warm.
4. Add peppers to pan and stir. Cover and reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in squash, salsa, cumin, and salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Black Bean Mango Quinoa Salad

This comes from a blog called Kim's Healthy Eats. I did not use jalapeno, which the original recipe called for. I made this so that I'd have some black beans to eat to help with my 3rd trimester charley horses (black beans actually have more potassium per serving than a banana). It turned out really well! I used frozen mango that I had thawed (it thaws super well and doesn't get mushy like most frozen fruits) because that's what I had on hand. I'd maybe add a bit more mango next time though, because I like the sweet addition to the mix. It also makes a lot, so be prepared to share!

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
• 2 cups water
• 1 mango, diced
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan bring water and quinoa to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl, mix quinoa, mango, onion, red pepper, and black beans.
4. In a small bowl or a jar with a lid, mix olive oil, vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
5. Mix well with a whisk or shake jar well.
6. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture and stir well. 
7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve.

Quinoa Burgers

This recipe comes from a blog called Eating Well, Living Thin. These turned out well. I made a few minor changes from the original recipe. I upped the salt, cut the sugar, and used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose.

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed dry (about 1-2, depending on size)
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 2 green onions, white and green parts
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
• Olive oil for frying

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, quinoa, and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 18-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed and the seeds are tender. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, cheeses, zucchini, eggs, flour, green onions, and spices.
4. Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium-low heat. 
5. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, drop mixture into pan and lightly flatten to about ½ inch thick.
6. Cook until golden-brown, about 4 or 5 minutes, on each side.