Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

·                     1 small onion, chopped

·                     1 carrot, chopped

·                     1 celery stalk, chopped

·                     2 cloves garlic, minced

·                     1 tbsp butter

·                     2 tbsp flour

·                     2 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

·                     1 cup fat free milk

·                     2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced small

·                     salt and fresh pepper

·                     4 cups (about 2 heads) broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces

·                     1-1/2 cups 2% shredded sharp cheddar

·                     2 slices 2% American cheese

·                     1 tbsp parmesan cheese

Chop onion, carrot, celery, garlic in a chopper or mini food processor.

In a large soup pot, melt butter.  Add chopped vegetables and sauté on low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add flour, salt and pepper to the pot and stir until smooth.

Add chicken broth, milk and potatoes and set heat to high until it comes to a boil, then cover and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Add broccoli florets, parmesan cheese, and stir well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered until broccoli is cooked, about 5 minutes. Add cheddar and American cheese, stir well and remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, quickly blend part of the soup for a quick second or two. If you don't have an immersion blender, remove about 1-2 cups of potatoes and broccoli, place it in your chopper, then add it back to the soup. This helps thicken it a bit.
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Found this at http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Creamy Baked Ziti

We ate green salad with this dish and it was really good. I think next time I'll throw in some chicken chunks or browned hamburger.
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4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked (I used whole wheat Penne pasta instead)

1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

6 oz. (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed

3/4 cup Sour Cream

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 

1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt. Remove from pan; drain. Meanwhile, add marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese to same pan; cook on medium heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Return pasta to pan; mix well.

LAYER half the pasta mixture in 13×9-inch baking dish; cover with layers of sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella and remaining pasta mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

Make Ahead: The pasta dish may be covered and refrigerated up to 8 hours before baking. Increase baking time to 30 to 35 min. or until heated through.