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Chunky Chicken Chili
Z2-Soup,ZS-Zola to Go,Z2-Poultry,ZSpecialties,Z2-Entrees
We made this during a snow storm, the taste took off the chill of the day.
Famous Burger Meatloaf
Z2-Beef,ZS-Dieter Favorites,Z2-Entrees,ZSpecialties
This is a “Whopper” of a meatloaf, designed to taste like the famous burger. I hope you enjoy.
Easy Enchiladas
This dish comes together in a flash. If you are doing beef enchiladas, I recommend red sauce. If you are doing chicken, I recommend you go wild and use a green sauce.
Salmon Casserole
With this recipe, I’ve included about 25% of the pasta that would be in most similar recipes. That’s a big secret. Just cut it back. You won’t miss it. This casserole focuses on the veggies, the protein and the sauce.
Chicken Mamou
One of my favorite Cajun meals is chicken mamou. Mamou in Creole is basically grandma. So this is “grandma('s) chicken.”
Apple Crisp
There’s something about the potential of smelling apples baking with cinnamon and nutmeg that conjures up fond memories of my mother in the kitchen.
Chicken Alfredo with “Almost Noodles”
This dish comes together in a flash! You can also make it with steak or even seafood. When I get a hankering for pasta, I crave Chicken Alfredo. This one did it for me!
Taco Casserole
This is a throw it together FAST meal for any weeknight. It is not a spicy dish but you can if you wish, add hot sauce at the table for a little extra zing.
Turkey or Chicken Meatloaf
For a change of pace you can try a unique meatloaf. This one comes with an optional extra sauce in case you want to really ramp up the flavor.
Lockdown Chili (Z2 Version)
ZSpecialties,ZS-Dieter Favorites,ZS-Zola to Go,Z2-Beef
What better time to have a spicy chili than when I am in lockdown, practicing social distancing.
Baked Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce
If we had a gourmet comfort food category this recipe would be the first one. Its easy to make, very satisfying, and tastes delicious. A great meal for a rainy day.
Butternut Squash Casserole
Z3-Sides,Z3-Vegetarian,Z3-Entrees
Serve this at your next family event instead of potatoes and you’ll save 30% of the carbs.
Can be a vegetarian entrée or a side dish. SUPER Yummy because as the squash bakes it becomes sweet.
Beef Bourguignon
Z3-Beef,Z3-Entrees,Z3-Soups & Stews
This is a remake of Beef Bourguignon. Who can resist this traditional French dish? So lush-tasting. It just about melts in your mouth.
Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
When you get into the second portion of ZReboot you can start to experiment with a little more carbohydrates. Try this at week 4 – 6 of ZReboot and see how you do.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
ZS-Holiday,Z3-Appetizers & Snacks,ZSpecialties,ZS-5 Ingredients or Less
In addition to being crunchy, satisfying and delicious, pumpkin seeds are a nutritious snack. You can buy shelled pumpkin seeds in the grocery store (also know as pepitas), but when pumpkin season rolls around, you can buy a fresh pumpkin, scrape out the seeds, and toast the whole seeds yourself. YUM!
Shrimp Cocktail Chowder
Talk about easy to make. This soup is done in a flash. If you’re like me you’ll make a triple batch. You can freeze the portions and just add shrimp bits when you go to serve it.
Sunday Chicken
Pierre Franey was a cooking hero of mine. He was the original “60 Minute Gourmet.” I adapted this recipe from one of his and turned it into a wonderful diet meal.
Zola Lasagna
What makes this Zola lasagna is a reasonable amount of pasta. Most lasagna recipes run at least 3 or 4 layers of noodles. This one has 2. And I promise, you won’t miss the other two layers.
Creamed Orzo with Leeks and Parmesan
Z3.5-Sides,ZSpecialties,Z3.5-Entrees,Z3.5-Vegetarian,ZS-Holiday
Orzo is a wonderful, tiny pasta. This is the most requested side dish recipe I get from dinner guests–but watch your portion size. Enjoy!
Hot Brown Open-faced Sandwich
This is fast to make and is a wonderful comfort food addition to your recipes.
Italian Sausage Zucchini Casserole (with Pasta)
Z3.5-Pork,ZS-Zola to Go,Z3.5-Entrees,ZSpecialties
This dish is Italian comfort food. I curl up on sofa with a bowl of this and watch a movie. You can go totally low-carb with this one and make it without the pasta. Tastes just as good. This also makes a great casserole addition to a pot luck party.
Mexican Avocado Soup with Chicken or Turkey
Z3-Poultry,ZS-Holiday,Z3-Soups & Stews,ZSpecialties,Z3-Entrees
I love this soup. You can make this with leftover turkey and have a colorful way to use your extras.
Braised Red Cabbage
For all you cabbage lovers out there, this recipe is a ZReduction take on a German classic. While you can whip this dish up in about 30 minutes, red cabbage tastes sweeter the longer you cook it -- so if you are on ZReduction and like your cabbage a little sweeter, cook it low and slow until the flavors mellow and meld to your liking.
Beef and Vegetable Soup
Tastes very much like the traditional version but this one doesn’t include higher carbohydrate vegetables like carrots and potatoes. Still quite delightful, though. Brings back memories of grandma.
Vegetable Soup
As the weather gets colder and the nights get longer this makes a wonderful soup. Or if you get a cold while on Plan Z this might be just the ticket!
Cincinnati Chili (EASY)
Z3.5-Beef,Z3.5-Soups & Stews,Z3-Beef,Z3-Soups & Stews
This is a famous chili that probably should not even be called a chili. It was invented by two brothers who emigrated from Europe in the 1920’s. Of course, they lived in Cincinnati. When finished this will look sort of like chili but it’s served on spaghetti. There are no beans and it’s not spicy. It’s flavorful for sure, but not “hot.” Don’t let the list of ingredients throw you off.
Turkey Fricassee
Z3-Poultry,ZSpecialties,ZS-Holiday,Z3-Entrees
I love to take the leftover turkey and transform it into something different. French comfort food. BIG YUM.
Cooked Cabbage Salad
ZS-Zola to Go,Z2-Beef,Z2-Salads,ZSpecialties,Z2-Entrees
This recipe is compliments of Dieter Rose. Rose loves cooked cabbage and this does the trick for her. You can take this to work cold and reheat in the microwave too.
Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Mushrooms
This dish can be made a day ahead and reheated.
Italian Sausage Tart
This meal is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. With a side salad it makes a nice brunch offering too!
Beef & Vegetable Stew
This stew will contain your meat and vegetable portion, serve with salad greens for a complete meal.
Potatoes Brabant (Zola Style)
I don’t eat potatoes very often but these are worth the splurge a few times a year. The yellow potatoes they are made from in my recipe are lower in carbohydrates than a Russet potato, so that’s a bonus, too.
Dieter Angela’s Ground Turkey “Meatzza” Crust
ZS-Dieter Favorites,Z3-Poultry,ZSpecialties,Z3-Pork
Angela says, "I love pizza, so I was looking for alternatives. I was disappointed to find cauliflower crust is not much lower in carbs than a traditional pizza crust. I came across that recipe for a meatzza crust and was pleasantly surprised. It satisfied my pizza craving, and I could have a slice of pizza without needing a fork! For those pizza cravings, here’s a recipe for a meatzza crust."
Cheeseburger Casserole
I found this recipe online. I didn’t have to do much to make it Zola. It tastes very much like a cheeseburger. The way to make it exciting though is to make sure you pile on the toppings that you like on your burger. You can feed the whole family with this and no one will miss the bun.
Turkey Meatball, Sweet Potato, and Kale Soup
Z3-Soups & Stews,Z3-Poultry,Z3-Entrees
With the winter months peeking over our shoulder this hearty soup will shake off the chill while the leaves are still falling. ZTeam coach Grace made this at home and enjoyed it so much she wanted to share it with the Plan Z community!
Sloppy Joes
You could call this the “adult version” of Sloppy Joes. It does have some ZIP to it. Don’t be intimidated by the length of the ingredients list. The recipe is worth it. And you probably have most of these ingredients in your pantry.
Butternut Squash Puree by Chef Josh
Z3.5-Vegetarian,ZSpecialties,ZS-5 Ingredients or Less,Z3.5-Sides,ZS-Holiday
Cooking does not have to be complicated. In this recipe Chef Josh shows us how to make a simple and delicious puree using butternut squash. Easy. Decadent. Delicious.
Chicken Chili Enchilada Casserole
This casserole tastes just like a zippy chicken enchilada without the major carbohydrate intake.
Shrimp and Mushroom Casserole
This is elegant comfort food. It’s sort of like the American version of the French dish called Coquille St. Jacque.
Roasted Butternut Squash, Egg and Cheese Casserole
This recipe is for all the vegetarians out there. Thank you dieter Nancy for this photo. For you non-vegetarians this makes a great side dish to go along with a grilled meat. We had this last night with grilled Andouille sausage and had a lovely meal.
Chicken Pot Pie Bake (for Turkey leftovers, too!)
ZS-Holiday,Z3-Poultry,ZSpecialties,ZS-Zola to Go,Z3-Entrees
The inside of this pie bake tastes just like Midwest comfort food. You won't even notice the potatoes are missing. It has just enough carrots to remind you how sweet they are. Same for the peas. The onion, celery and the mushrooms give it the depth of flavor you'll remember from childhood. The topping isn't your average pie crust. This one is low carb. So it's not like a biscuit either. I'm still trying to perfect low carb biscuits, so this is sort of a cross-breed.
Green Bean Casserole
ZS-Holiday,Z3-Vegetarian,ZSpecialties,Z3-Sides,ZS-Zola to Go
Just like the one your mom made, only healthier. Everyone loves the green bean casserole. Here I'll show you one one that doesn't take much longer to make and it’s real food, not processed!
Tomato Shrimp Chowder
Talk about easy to make. This dish is done in a flash. If you’re like me, you’ll make a triple batch of the tomato base. You can freeze the portions.
Seared and Baked Pork Chops
This is an easy preparation with a homey vibe, when you want comfort food this is a sure bet.
Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Bread
Everyone loves pumpkin, right? Well, how about a tea bread that’s made with pumpkin? Sort of like banana bread. Or even make it with sweet potato puree.
Chili with Beans
This is a simple chili. It’s a takeoff from an old Betty Crocker recipe. Can’t get much simpler than that!
Instant Pot Corned Beef
When you buy corned beef, there is a little packet of corned beef spices that accompanies the brisket. The secret is to use that and ADD your own corned beef spices to the mix -- after you toast them.
American Amatriciana
Amatriciana is an Italian dish. Simple and traditional. I am calling this American Amatriciana because the Italian version is made with guanciale or pancetta. I make mine with good ole’ American bacon. This is one of my husband’s favorite dishes. I hope you love it too.


















































