By Di Bauer, CarbSmart Editor
Sometimes you just want to slap something together quickly, and this dinner menu fits the bill. This is a meal that will suit low carbers and non-low carbers alike, and has the added benefit of not only being quick and easy, but being attractive enough for company as well.
If you want to, you can even put this casserole together the night before, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it until it's time to fix dinner the next evening. It only bakes for 30 to 40 minutes, which gives you more than enough time to set the table, put together the salad, and steam the broccoli.
Here's this evening's menu:
- Turkey and Asparagus Roll-Up Casserole
- Spinach Salad with Fresh Strawberries
- Steamed Broccoli Spears with Butter
Here's the shopping list for the meal. You may very well already have some of these things on hand:
- 1 pound deli turkey, sliced medium-thick
- 1 package frozen asparagus spears
- 1 jar Ragu Double Cheddar sauce
- 1-2 Roma tomatoes or 4-6 cherry tomatoes
- dried parsley
- 1 bag fresh prewashed spinach
- 1 red onion
- 6-8 fresh strawberries
- 4 medium fresh mushrooms
- 1 bottle raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing or you can make your own from scratch
- 1 box frozen broccoli spears
- butter
- salt
- pepper
Here's the game plan:
The night before, take the frozen asparagus spears out of the freezer and put them in the refrigerator to thaw. If you forget (and I do about half the time), take them out of the freezer in the morning and leave them on the counter to thaw.
In the evening, preheat the oven while you construct the casserole. After the casserole is put together, slip it in the oven and bake it for 30 to 40 minutes. Set the table, then put together the salads and put them on the table.
Ten minutes before the casserole will be ready, steam the broccoli spears in the microwave. Drain and season with butter, salt, and pepper as desired.
Place the broccoli on the dinner plates, take the casserole out of the oven, divide it evenly amount the plates, and sit down for a well-deserved, relaxing meal.
And, finally, here's the recipes:
Turkey and Asparagus Roll Up Casserole
- 1 pounds deli turkey, sliced medium
- 1 package frozen asparagus spears, thawed and drained
- 1 jar Ragu Double Cheddar Sauce
- 1-2 Roma tomatoes or about 4 cherry tomatoes
- dried parsley
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you are constructing the casserole.
Take 2 asparagus spears and roll them up in 1 slice of the deli turkey. Place the turkey and asparagus roll in a baking dish, seam side down. Repeat the procedure with the remaining turkey and asparagus until both are all used up.
Pour one half of the Ragu Double Cheddar Sauce over the turkey and asparagus rolls, and use a spatula to smooth it out and distribute it evenly.
Slice the tomatoes thinly and place them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with a bit of dried parsley to add some additional color to the dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, or until everything is hot and bubbly.
Serve immediately with steamed broccoli spears and a nice, Spinach Salad with Strawberries.
Serves 4.
Notes: This recipe can easily be doubled. It reheats well, and can also be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and baked at the last minute.
Save the remaining Ragu Double Cheddar Sauce for another use.
Variations: You can substitute ham for the turkey. Or, to turn this into a company breakfast casserole, place sliced hard-boiled eggs on top in addition to the tomatoes.
Spinach Salad with Fresh Strawberries
- 1/2 package prewashed spinach, stems removed
- 8 strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 4 large fresh mushrooms
- bottled raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing
Remove the stems from the spinach and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Divide the torn spinach leaves evenly into 4 salad bowls. Distribute sliced strawberries and the red onion slices, and mushrooms evenly among the bowls.
Drizzle the bottled raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing over each salad to taste.
Serves 4.
Notes: Save the remaining fresh spinach for another use. Each bowl only needs a few of each of the strawberries, red onion slices, and mushrooms for color and interest, so you can adjust the grams of carbohydrates in the salad to suit your needs.
Variations: You can substitute canned mandarin oranges for the strawberries, which is especially helpful during the winter when strawberries are expensive.
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