21 Day Fix Approved - Baked Ziti (PLUS hubby and kid approved)

Are you looking for that perfect comfort food dish - but without all the calories and fat?  Aren't we ALL?  What about something that you can prep before and stick in the oven on a busy week night?  Also, have left overs for cheap healthy lunches for days to come?  YES! PLEASE!

The best perk of ALL about this dish - my family LOVED it!  My hubby was skeptical - when he asked what was in it - I said meat, cheese, and sauce.  Of course, he's a major beef person so he asked, "What kind of meat?"  UGH, so I mumbled "turrrrrkey" under my breath.  He proceeded to eat it and actually said - he could eat that every NIGHT!  YES!  That's a WIN in my book!

I found this recipe on the internet and modified it to my tastes and the quantity I was looking for.  I wanted an entire 9" x 13" pan so we could have dinner and I could eat on it for a few days for an easy lunch at work - that left me satisfied.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 box Whole Grain Pasta
  
• 2 red containers - Part-Skin Ricotta Cheese
  
• 2 cans Organic Tomato Sauce - Compare for sodium content
  
• 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey
  
• 1 cup Italian Cheese - Shredded
  
• 1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
  
• 2 tsp Honey
  
• 2 tbsp each: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, and black Pepper

Directions:

If intended to eat right away, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the noodles until al-dente, drain when cooked.  While pasta is cooking, brown the ground turkey.  Drain the excess fat from turkey after cooking.  In a large bowl, combine ricotta, tomato sauce, honey, vinegar, seasonings, cooked ground turkey, and the drained noodles.  Stir until well combined.

Pour mixture into a 13" x 9" pan.  Sprinkle Italian cheese on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbly.

If you are saving it for a dinner in the near future - cover in foil and place in the refrigerator.  When ready to cook - preheat over to 350 - cook for 1 hour (or until bubbly) remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes to brown the cheese on top a little.

To apply to your 21 Day Fix meal plan - use your green container to measure the serving size.  Each serving will count as 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue.  This recipe should make 12 servings.

Enjoy!