Clear Pumpkin Pie

October 28, 2022 Amanda Plott

Let’s face it. Pumpkin pie can be a little boring. I saw this idea for a clear lemon meringue pie a while back and I started to wonder if you could do the same thing with a pumpkin pie. So, here we are giving it a shot! For the original lemon version, they used lemon extract - so what do we do to make up for that since pumpkin extract is fairly rare? Well, we use pumpkin pie extract and a dollop of pumpkin puree!

This pie uses a homemade crust too, which you could swap for a sore bought one to save time if you wanted but I promise the homemade crust is easy enough to make and only takes a few ingredients and a couple of minutes of hands on time…

No Bake Zombie Brain Cheesecake

October 13, 2022 Amanda Plott

Halloween dessert at it’s finest. This No Bake Zombie Brain Cheesecake will… take the cake! I used a plastic brain mold to make this no bake cheesecake extra spooky! With a little bit of green food coloring and some time chilling out, this dessert is perfect for Halloween vibes. I based this no bake cheesecake off of one that I made a while back, I just discarded the crust and formed it into a brain.

All in all this gooey green zombie brain is a great way to spook the kiddos and also get in good on the dessert! You can use cookies or sweet pita crisps to scoop up this cheesecake to enjoy. I also used some graham cracker crumbs around the dish to really get that cheesecake feel in there…

Skinny Pumpkin Crunch Cake

October 10, 2022 Amanda Plott

Ahh, pumpkin crunch cake. You know the one. The one that's super easy to make and graces almost any dessert table during Halloween and Thanksgiving. Usually pumpkin crunch cake is pretty straight forward as a 'dump-n-go' style of cake, but I've made a few simple swaps today to make this famous cake a little more guilt-free.

You know me, always trying to make some of the most complicated and indulgent recipes into something more wholesome. I believe strongly in that small changes to any recipe can leave you with a great end result that still tastes just as amazing and won't leave you feeling guilty at the end of it…

Mozzarella & Basil Stuffed Meatloaf

October 7, 2022 Amanda Plott

Meatloaf is one of those tried and true dinners that has withstood the test of time through the generations. I saw the idea for stuffed meatloaf a while back though and thought it would be pretty fun to play around with that idea. So. Enter this Mozzarella & Basil Stuffed Meatloaf. The original called for some ham to be among the things rolled up in the meatloaf, but I decided against it to save on not only the calories, but also the sodium!

This meatloaf itself starts off pretty standard with ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs and some veggies and seasonings, so it’s good stuff all the way around. After that you flatten out the meat and top it with cheese and fresh herb then roll it all up together to bake.

It’s lightened up with using a lean ground beef, and of course a fat free mozzarella. Other than that, it’s fairly straight forward. This will give you 8, count them 8, fairly big servings of meatloaf, and as you can see below, that loaf pan is pretty damn full! Another nifty thing? You can make this meatloaf ahead of time. I put mine together the night before and stored it in the fridge until I was ready to bake it for dinner the next day.

I served mine with what my kiddo is dubbing ‘space broccoli’ which is AKA romanesco that I roasted. I also topped mine off with just a little more marinara sauce for good measure.

Mozzarella & Basil Stuffed Meatloaf

Yield: 8

Author: The Skinny Fork (Amanda Plott)

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 45 M

A fairly traditional meatloaf that's rolled up and stuffed with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Delicious. Easy to make. And great for a weeknight dinner!

Ingredients

1 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped
1 Red Onion, Diced
2 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Lbs. Lean Ground Beef
3/4 C. Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs
1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Whole Large Eggs
2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Pepper
2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley
12 Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped
1 1/4 C. Shredded Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 C. Marinara Sauce + More for Garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly coat the inside of an 9x5" loaf pan with non-stick spray; set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the 1 Red Bell Pepper and 1 Red Onion over a medium-high heat until soft and tender.
Add in the 2 minced garlic and continue to cook until fragrant; set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, add in the 2 Lbs. Lean Ground Beef, 3/4 C. Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs, 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese, 2 Whole Large Eggs, 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste, 1 Tsp. Salt, 1/2 Tsp. Pepper, and 2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Parsley along with the pepper and onion mixture. Stir to combine until well mixed.
Set the meat mixture out onto some parchment paper and flatten it out into a rectangle shape, making sure the width is no larger than the loaf pan.
Top the meat with 12 Fresh Basil Leaves and 1 1/4 C. Shredded Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese.
Using the parchment paper and your hands, roll the meat up.
Transfer to the loaf pan and top with the 1/2 C. Marinara Sauce.
Place it in the oven to bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through.
Once done, remove from the oven, slice into 8 pieces, and enjoy right away with more marinara sauce if desired!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

271.41

Fat (grams)

8.94

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.89

Carbs (grams)

13.73

Fiber (grams)

2.35

Net carbs

11.36

Sugar (grams)

2.9

Protein (grams)

34.89

Sodium (milligrams)

781.73

Cholesterol (grams)

119.85

Nutritional Claims: Low Carb • Sugar Conscious • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free

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Skinny Classic Meatloaf

Instant Pot Meatloaf Bites

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Halloween Amaretti Cookies

September 28, 2022 Amanda Plott

I’ve taken Amaretti cookies and turned them into a lightened up version that also happens to be seasonal to Fall! They’re lightened up easily with a simple swap of half of the sugar for natural sweetener. I prefer to use a stevia or monk fruit sweetener. The important thing here is that the sweetener should measure cup-for-cup like sugar. Other than that, feel free to use whichever you prefer.

The only real thing I did here to make them ‘Halloween’ was the sprinkles that I used. So honestly, you could swap out sprinkles for other seasonal colors and themes to change these cookies up! These also call for cake batter extract, which can be tricky to find in some places. If you don’t have it and can’t find it, no big deal, just use some vanilla extract instead!…

Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake

September 19, 2022 Amanda Plott

Not all poke cakes are created equal! This Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake is basically taking a poke cake and mashing it together with the deliciousness that is pumpkin spice. It starts off with a boxed spice cake mix and adds even more spice to it a long with a TON of pumpkin. In fact, whipping up a cake mix or brownie mix with pumpkin puree is an old trick I’ve used before to lighten up a cake!

Once the cake is baked, it’s poked through and topped off with some sweetened condensed milk that seeps through and makes that cake sweet and full of richness. Then it’s all topped off with some whipped cream and even heath bits for added crunch texture!…