Maple Butternut Squash with Crispy Pancetta

Weight Watchers Recipe


3PointsPlus Value
Prep time:  15 min
Cook time:  40 min
Serves: 8
Sweet, salty, and savory – a perfect holiday side dish. Serve it with roast chicken, pork or lamb.
Ingredients
      9 cup(s) uncooked butternut squash, cubed  
2 Tbsp olive oil  
2 tsp fresh thyme, leaves  
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt  
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground  
1 oz pancetta, finely chopped  
2 Tbsp maple syrup  
Instructions
Place 2 large rimmed nonstick baking sheets in oven. Preheat oven to 425ºF.

In a large bowl, combine squash, oil, thyme, salt and pepper; toss to combine.

Remove baking sheets from oven and carefully divide squash between sheets; spread into single layer. Roast squash, tossing about halfway through cooking, until tender inside but slightly browned and crisp on outside, about 40 minutes.

While squash is cooking, heat a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 3 1/2 to 4 minutes; remove from skillet and set aside.

Transfer squash to a serving platter or bowl and sprinkle with pancetta and maple syrup; toss to coat and serve immediately. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.
Notes
You'll need about a 4 pound whole squash for this recipe

Rais' the Roof PB&J Quesadilla
Entire recipe: 250 calories, 10.5g fat, 325mg sodium, 32.5g carbs, 11.5g fiber, 12g sugars, 8g protein -- PointsPlus® value 6*

OK, so there's no actual queso in this 'dilla, but you get the picture -- it's a gooey, hot, and crunchy tortilla-fest!

Ingredients:
One 6-inch high-fiber flour tortilla with 80 calories or less (like the kind by La Tortilla Factory or Mission)
1 tbsp. reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
2 tsp. low-sugar strawberry preserves
1 tbsp. raisins, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. chopped peanuts

Directions:
Lay tortilla flat, and spread with peanut butter. Top one half with preserves, avoiding the tortilla edges, and sprinkle with chopped raisins and peanuts. Fold the PB-only half over the other half, and press gently to seal.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Cook quesadilla until hot and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Slice into wedges and enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Peppermint Meringues
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 30 • Size: 3 cookies • Old Points: 0 pts • Points+: 1
Calories: 21 • Fat: 0 g • Carb: 5 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 0.5 g • Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 6 mg
Ingredients:
• 3 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 drop peppermint concentrate or 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
• Red gel-paste food coloring
Directions:
Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a
small open-star tip (such as Wilton M1). Set aside.
Place egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of
simmering water, and stir gently until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3
minutes.
Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high speed
until stiff peaks form. Mix in peppermint concentrate.
Using a new small paintbrush, paint 2 or 3 stripes of red food coloring inside the pastry bag. Fill
bag with 1 to 2 cups meringue. Pipe small (3/4-inch-high) star shapes onto prepared baking sheets.
Refill bag as necessary, adding food coloring each time.
Bake cookies until crisp but not brown, about 1 hour 40 minutes. Shut the oven off and leave in
the oven for 30 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks then place in a sealed
container.
Makes 90 - 100 small cookies.
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Make sure you are drinking enough water. Many times we will overeat because we are thirsty.

Cinnamon-Oat Whole Wheat Pancakes

Weight Watchers Recipe

Ratings (0)
7PointsPlus Value
Prep time:  10 min
Cook time:  24 min
Serves: 6
Oatmeal and whole wheat flour give these nutty pancakes a fiber boost. Enjoy them plain or topped with fresh fruit.
Ingredients
1 cup(s) uncooked old fashioned oats  
1 cup(s) whole wheat flour  
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour  
1 tsp baking soda  
1 tsp ground cinnamon  
1/2 tsp table salt  
2 cup(s) buttermilk  
      2 large egg(s)  
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar, dark variety  
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted  
1 tsp vanilla extract  
3 spray(s) cooking spray  
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, both flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients; fold to just combine.

Coat a large nonstick griddle or pan with cooking spray; heat over medium to medium-high heat. Spoon batter into pan using 1/3-cup batter for each pancake; cook until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place pancakes on a baking tray in a warm oven (to keep hot); repeat with remaining ingredients (being careful not to spray cooking spray into an open flame). Yields 2 pancakes per serving.
Notes
These pancakes are dense. Thin the batter out with a little water, if desired.

Make these mini pancakes by using 2 tablespoons of batter at a time (will change portion size and PointsPlus value).

This weeks meeting topic = Your Holiday Action Plan