You all know I LOVE Crock Pot Wednesdays!  I like that I can make the meal in the morning or early afternoon while T.J. is napping, take my time, and then enjoy the delicious aroma that engulfs our house the rest of the day.  Even better, after an evening of Indoor Golf League, we come home to a house that smells of a home cooked meal and all I have to do is serve it up.

This last month Crock Pot Wednesdays have been a little bit more of a challenge because we have been watching our calories and trying to keep all our suppers under 500 calories.  I still want to make a meal that we can look forward to and will satisfy us after waiting all evening to eat.  Sometimes its tempting to go with my classic comfort crock pot recipes that are packed with calories, but so far I’ve resisted the temptation…some day 🙂

One thing I’ve learned while focusing on making lower calorie meals is that if I don’t want to sacrifice flavor or quantity (I don’t want to feel like I’m starving myself) its important to include LOTS of veggies.  It’s amazing how many vegetables you can eat in one sitting without taking in many calories.  Cooked in the right flavors, veggies can be almost as good if not better than some calorie packed meats or pastas you may otherwise cook.  Lately, I’ve been on a big kick of substituting vegetables for pasta.  Not too long ago, Mike encouraged me to substitute broccoli in a favorite pasta dish I make that resulted in Cajun Chicken Broccoli – it was amazing and may be one of my new favorite dishes.

Last Wednesday I thought I’d take this same idea and use cauliflower instead.  I love Alfredo pasta dishes and I’ve been craving something different than chicken or fish.  These cravings resulted in a meal that will definitely be repeated again soon – Alfredo Steak Pasta.  At only 395 calories per serving, our plates had almost too much food to eat and the flavor was perfect!

Here is what you will need on your grocery list:

**This recipe makes enough to serve 2-4 people.  I say 2-4 because if you are having anything on the side, like a salad or bread, there is so much food that you would have plenty for 4 people.  We were able to get 2 servings out of it, but I have a big appetite.  I ate all of mine but Mike had some left 🙂

6 cups Cauliflower

1 (6 oz) package Tyson’s Grilled and Ready Seasoned Steak Strips

2 cups Fresh Mushrooms, sliced

1 cup Alfredo Sauce (I used Hy-Vee’s Light version that only had 35 calories per 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 tsp Oregano

Pour cauliflower into crock pot and spread evenly across bottom.

Pour seasoned steak evenly over cauliflower.  I love this stuff because it’s all ready to go and tastes delicious.  Of course, if you had time you could prepare your own steak and if you’re not worried about counting calories, you could add more.  I’m sure I’ll try doing that with this recipe some day!

Pour sliced mushrooms evenly into crock pot.

Top contents of crock pot with Alfredo sauce and oregano.

Top with cheese.

Cook on Low 4-5 hours. Serve and enjoy!

This meal was absolutely delicious!  You could do many variations of this recipe.  Substitute your favorite vegetable for the cauliflower, use a different type of meat, sauce, and/or cheese.  Have fun with it!  It’s a meal that is easy, delicious, and you won’t have to feel guilty about enjoying!