Sausage Stuffed Balsamic Mushrooms

When I say these mushrooms are stuffed, I don’t just mean with filling (though they are…it really gets heaped on there). I am also referring to the fact that these are positively jam-packed with flavor. I thought about naming these “TOTALLY EXTREME FLAVOR EXPLOSION MUSHROOMS” but I decided to dial it back and let you find out for yourselves. The filling is beyond decadent. It’s thick and creamy and cheesy and hearty and full of spices. The mushrooms have a bit of sweetness from the Balsamic vinegar and pre-roasting them gives them the perfect consistency. No soggy mushrooms here! I also love the way the Parmesan forms a nice crunch on top for added texture.

With the Super Bowl approaching, a lot of us are looking for tasty game-fuel recipes. Stuffed mushrooms are a staple of most appetizer spreads, but these are seriously a step up. With all these rich flavors no one will ever believe they’re only 47 calories each and only one Weight Watcher Point+ a piece!

Skinny Spinach & Artichoke Chicken

Oh my. This dish turns your favorite indulgent dip into a low carb, Weight Watchers-friendly, calorie conscious main course without sacrificing any of the rich, creamy, cheesy taste you love. The cream cheese makes the top layer thick and decadent and the briny artichokes and earthy spinach add great texture and flavor. The chicken cooks up perfectly and makes enough to serve to guests or to your family. On top of tasting positively sinful for only 232 calories and 6 Weight Watchers points+, this dish is extremely easy to prepare and requires very little prep time. This may just be your new go-to weeknight meal!

Enchilada "Cupcakes"

I want to start this post by thanking all of you who reached out to me this week after watching the most recent episode of Grey’s Anatomy. I didn’t see it, but evidently some of the characters were at a wedding where they had macaroni & cheese “cupcakes” (like these ones, perhaps?) and started discussing how every food should be made in cupcake form and wondering why it isn’t. The fact that several of you out there immediately thought something to the effect of “That’s already a thing! Emily Bites does it!” and reached out to tell me made my day/week/month. I love you guys! Since I’ve made everything from Spaghetti & Meatballs to Oatmeal to Tacos to Meatloaf to Spinach Dip and much more in individual, cupcake-sized servings, I agree that pretty much every savory dish can be “cupcake’d.” Click here to view all of my “muffin tin meals” or check out the category in my recipe index.

Okay, moving on. Sorry for the distraction. Let’s focus for a moment on these “cupcakes.” I absolutely love enchiladas. When you think about it, what’s not to love? I’ve wanted to use the flavors in a wonton cupcake for a while now and these were certainly worth the wait. You can customize them based on your own preferences as well. If you want them mild, leave out the chilies and use a mild enchilada sauce. If you like a little heat, go for a spicier sauce and toss in the chilies. The pepper jack cheese gives these a little bit of a kick on its own, but not enough to bother anyone who doesn’t like spicy food. I loved these. They have all the flavors I adore in enchiladas and built-in portion control. All for only 139 calories each!

*For more information or to convert this recipe to mini-muffin sized appetizers, visit the Wonton "Cupcakes" section of my FAQs!*

Caprese Dip

The NFL playoffs have arrived, the Super Bowl is approaching and the NHL is coming back for some sort of a weird half-season (better late than never, I suppose). To celebrate all the televised sports I’ll be watching this month I really wanted to post a gooey, cheesy dip recipe. I’ve wanted to do something with Caprese flavors for a while and I thought a dip would really showcase the fresh basil, juicy tomatoes and stringy Mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella on its own would be hard to dip into so I decided to mix in some cream cheese and yogurt to give it more of a dip consistency. I also threw in some garlic because who doesn’t love that? I thought the results were delicious and you get a whole ¼ cup for only 3 Weight Watchers Points+ or 134 calories. You can serve these with all sorts of dippers. I ate it with both celery sticks and toasted sandwich thin triangles (see below) but baguette slices, tortilla chips or other veggies would work great too. Whether you’re cheering on a team or just making snacks for a fun night in, this cheesy dip is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli

Toss out your takeout menus! This is the best tasting Chinese food I have ever made at home, not to mention the easiest. It even tastes better than any beef & broccoli I’ve ever eaten out of a white paperboard pail. The brown sugar and the garlic and the sesame oil and the soy sauce all mix together to make the most delectable sauce, and the beef and broccoli cooked to perfection in the slow cooker.

This recipe only takes 4 ½ hours total to cook, so it makes a great weekend recipe. If you work an 8+ hour day during the week like I do and can’t let this cook while you’re gone, you can also always cook it in the evening and refrigerate to serve the next day. My favorite part about using a slow cooker is just being able to toss the ingredients in and walk away, and this worked perfectly. I let the recipe start cooking a little after lunch time today, went to the gym, did some cleaning and errands, read for a while, got some other things done, and when it was dinner time, voila! It was already waiting.

Dark Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

Oh dark chocolate, how I love thee. You are practically perfect on your own, only to be improved upon by the addition of orange. The mix of bright and decadent, rich and light flavors is absolutely irresistible. This is one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations and for 114 calories per cupcake, I am excited to indulge guilt-free!

Diet soda and cake mix is such an easy way to get moist, fluffy, easy-to-make cupcakes that are easy on the waistline. I love topping them with a cream cheese frosting. I’ve come up with a few different flavors and twists on the idea, from Black Forest to Lemon-Lime to Peppermint-Iced Red Velvet. Each cupcake is only 3 Weight Watchers Points+ and no one ever knows they’re light. Have your cake and eat it too!