Here’s a sneak peek at Sunday’s WTHR Health and Wellness Expo recipe!  Patients submitted their favorite recipes to be reviewed and revamped with healthy substitutions.  This Baked Ziti recipe will be featured at the Fresh Eats Stage.

Ziti Casserole

Ingredients

• butter
• 16oz ziti
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• ½ cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• salt and black pepper
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese

Healthier Ziti Casserole (Prepare this Recipe)

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 16oz 100% whole grain ziti
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 cup onion
• 2 cups bell peppers
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can no salt added diced tomatoes,
• black pepper (no salt)
• ¼ cups shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese

Here are a few other tips and substitutions.  Be sure to use extra virgin olive oil cooking spray and not canola or vegetable.  All the veggies would be healthier if they were used fresh rather than canned.  The cheese is much healthier if you grate it yourself from a brick as the pre-shredded cheeses often have extra preservatives added.  If you are gluten intolerant–you could substitute a gluten-free noodle.  If you are real adventurous, you could make your own ziti noodles using almond or coconut flour.  Try and by organic brands if possible.  And, of course, it’s best to get your ground turkey from a local farm.  We can’t all do these things as they are expensive and more time-consuming.  Remember any little change you make to be healthier counts!  Baby steps!

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Instead of greasing your pan with butter, coat a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. Coat large skillet with cooking spray instead of using olive oil.
4. Brown ground turkey. Add onion, bell peppers and mushrooms and sauté until tender.
5. Stir in spaghetti sauce, low-fat cream of mushroom soup and no salt added diced tomatoes. Stir until sauce is heated through. Add pepper to taste.
6. Spread pasta in baking dish. Spoon sauce over the pasta. Top with cheese.
7. Bake for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Top with parmesan cheese.

Recipe reviewed by Indiana University Health Registered Dietician, Julie Pike.