Beefy Skillet Pasta... A Weight Watcher Friendly Lunch

Summer is all about time with my children!  I love to spend the days with them and explore our surroundings.  Today was no different.  We have however started having "unplugged" time.  For those of you with children who love technology, this might be an idea for you.  I make Pickles turn off the T.V., computer, iPod, and all other things that are electronic, and we play.  If we have a babysitter, it is unplugged the entire time.  She is not too happy about the "unplugged" time most days, but I am trying to make sure she can entertain herself if we have a power failure!

Today our "unplugged" time consisted of planting flowers, taking care of a friend's farm while she is away in Italy, and going to the swimming pool.  When we returned home from swimming, The Little Man was sleeping and Pickles was starving!  I knew that I needed a lunch that was filling and fast.  I am boycotting hot dogs and chicken nuggets for them, so it had to be kid friendly as well.

Earlier in the week, I picked up some thin sliced steak at the grocery store that was in the marked down bin.  I don't know about you, but this is my favorite spot in the store.  I can usually find some great deals, and I just bring them home and freeze them for a later use. This package of steak is intended for steak sandwiches, and cooks really fast.  Once I started cooking it, I noticed it had no fat.  Must be round steak, and it was sliced super thin.  It was in a vacuum package, and was a great quick fix item. The steak browned in less than 2 minutes!

Anyway, I seasoned it with garlic, salt and pepper and added water and whole wheat egg noodles.  I placed the lid on top and let the noodles cook.  In the meantime, I opened a packet of brown gravy mix and when the noodles were tender, I added it to the pan.  The gravy thickened and I stirred in some sour cream.  Pickles said this was awesome!  It literally took about 15 minutes from start to finish. It was almost like a stroganoff without the mushrooms.  The best part of this story is that if you are following Weight Watchers, it had a Points Plus value of 5!  Not too bad for a thrown together lunch in a jiffy!

Here is the recipe.




Our lunch creation!


Beefy Skillet Pasta
12 oz. Thin Sliced Steak
3 cups Whole Wheat Egg Noodles
3 cups water
1 package Pioneer Brown Gravy Mix
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup water
garlic powder

Brown steak in a large skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Remove from skillet and chop into bite sized pieces.  Return to pan and add 3 cups water and the noodles.  Cover and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until noodles are tender.  Add gravy mix to additional cup of water and whisk until smooth.  Add to pan, and mix well.  Continue cooking until gravy mix thickens.  Stir in sour cream and serve.  Make 5 servings with a Points Plus value of 5.

Until next time, keep adventuring and looking for joy in the small details of life!

Sarah