3 Guilty Pleasure Recipes Made Healthy

Bitter cold winters can make it incredibly difficult to stay on track with our New Year's resolutions. All you want to do is curl up with something yummy and watch Netflix. Nothing sounds better than a warm bowl of pasta covered in parmesan cheese or a cheesy pizza with all the delicious toppings. Who says you literally can’t have your cake and eat it, too? We’ve put together a list of some of our most favorite guilty pleasure foods and put a healthy spin on it.

Let’s dig in!

1. Shepherd's Pie

Is there anything more comforting than a piping hot plate of shepherd's pie? It’s covered in creamy potatoes and full of flavorful meat and veggies! This dish was invented to “stick to your ribs” but let’s see if we can lighten that up a bit without sacrificing it’s delicious flavor and pillowy potato clouds. This is where cauliflower mash comes into play. Better yet, Alexia makes ready to heat cauliflower mash to make enjoying this dish just that much easier.

Ingredients

• 2-3 cups prepared Alexia mashed cauliflower
• 1.5 lbs. Ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 onion, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 16 oz. mixed frozen vegetables
• Sprinkle of cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Brown the turkey with the onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper in an oven safe skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add tomato paste and worcestershire sauce. Turn off heat.
4. Add frozen vegetables on top.
5. Spread the mashed cauliflower on top of the vegetables.
6. Sprinkle lightly with cheddar cheese (optional).
7. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

2. Macaroni and Cheese

There are few things more decadent than a warm, creamy bowl of mac and cheese. The more traditional recipes are laden with butter, cream, and carb-filled pastas. As mac obsessed as we are, we had to find a way to enjoy this delicious dish without the guilt. Enter, Banza! A tasty chickpea pasta that has double the protein, four times the fiber, and nearly half the net carbs.

Ingredients

• 1 box Banza Elbows
• 1 4 ounce can low-fat evaporated milk
• 1 egg yolk
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pan.
2. Whisk the milk, egg yolk, salt and Dijon mustard together.
3. Add butter and milk mixture to pasta noodles.
4. Once butter melts, add in cheese.
5. Stir until cheese is melted.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Pizza

Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s cheesy, it’s crusty, it’s every so satisfying. We’ve found a way to enjoy homemade pizza without the guilt. Introducing, Simple Mills Pizza Dough Mix. This flavorful and crunchy crust is made from a blend of almond flour and ground flax. It’s gluten-free, vegan, and paleo friendly. You can add any array of sauces and toppings on it and it’s always delicious. Here’s one of our favorite ways to enjoy it!

Ingredients

• Simple Mills Pizza Dough (you will need olive oil, apple cider vinegar, water)
• 1 ½ cups pizza sauce
• 6 oz shredded mozzarella
• 6 oz turkey pepperoni
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Prepare pizza dough according to package instructions and spread on a well oiled baking sheet.
3. Prebake the crust for 10 minutes.
4. Spread a layer of pizza sauce on the crust.
5. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
6. Top with turkey pepperoni, thinly sliced onions and peppers.
7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly.