Lose It With Laura

for my seasonal pumpkin loving friends🎃😋

these are two of my absolute staples each fall season when I want a healthy pumpkin treat to go along with the cozy season! 🍂🤍

Million Dollar Soup 🥣
Ingredients
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 (11-oz.) pkg. chicken sausage, sliced
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper, divided
10 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
5 slices center cut bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small white onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white w**e
5 cups chicken stock
2 (15.5-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 lemon, zested
1 bunch dinosaur kale, ribs removed and roughly torn (about 2 cups)
Directions
Prepare oven and baking sheet:
Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Roast squash and sausage:
In a medium bowl, toss together squash, sausage, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 2 sprigs of thyme. Spread onto prepared baking sheet.
· Roast until squash is softened and sausage has begun to brown, 25 minutes.
· Cook bacon:
Meanwhile, add cut bacon to the bottom of a cold Dutch oven or large 4 quart soup pot. Heat to medium and cook bacon until crisp, 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
· Remove bacon from pan:
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving fat in pan.
· Cook garlic, onion, and celery:
Add butter to pot, swirling to combine. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
· Make roux:
Add flour to create a light roux, stirring constantly. When mixture has thickened, add white w**e, stir and cook for 1 minute.
· Add stock:
Add stock, remaining salt and pepper, thyme sprigs and beans. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
· Blend some of the soup mixture:
Remove 3 cups from mixture and transfer to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Blend until smooth and stir blended mixture back into soup pot. Return to a simmer. Stir in heavy cream and lemon zest.
· Stir in squash and kale:
Add cooked butternut squash mixture and torn kale to pot, and cook until kale is bright green and lightly wilted, 3-5 minutes.
· Garnish and serve:
Top individual servings with extra thyme leaves and bacon.🥓 😋

recipes to share 🫶🏼

loaded chicken fajita sweet potatoes 🍠
&
banana protein brownie bites 🍌

CREAMY FRENCH ONION CHICKEN & CABBAGE SKILLET

Creamy, cheesy, savory, and packed with all those French onion flavors. 🤤

Makes 4 servings

🛒 INGREDIENTS

🍗 1 lb 98% lean ground chicken
🧅 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
🥬 5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
🧄 2 garlic cloves, minced
🌿 ¾ tsp dried thyme
🧅 ½ tsp onion powder
🧂 ½ tsp kosher salt
⚫ ½ tsp black pepper
🫒 Olive oil cooking spray

CREAMY FRENCH ONION SAUCE

🥣 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
🥩 ¼ cup low-sodium beef broth
🥄 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
🟡 1 tsp Dijon mustard
🍇 ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
🧀 ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

FOR FINISHING

🧀 3 oz provolone
⚫ Freshly cracked black pepper
🌿 Fresh thyme, optional

👩‍🍳 HOW TO MAKE IT

1️⃣ Caramelize the onions. Spray a large oven-safe skillet with cooking spray and add the sliced onions. Cook over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft, golden, and caramelized. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

2️⃣ Cook the chicken. Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground chicken. Season with thyme, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking it apart, until browned and cooked through.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds.

3️⃣ Add the cabbage. Return the caramelized onions to the skillet and add the sliced cabbage.

Cover and cook for 3–4 minutes to help the cabbage soften. Uncover and continue cooking for another 4–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and most of the excess moisture has cooked off.

👉 tip- Letting that extra moisture cook off helps keep the finished sauce thick and creamy instead of watery.

4️⃣ Blend the sauce. Add the cottage cheese, beef broth, Worcestershire, Dijon, and balsamic vinegar to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.

5️⃣ Make it creamy. Reduce the skillet to LOW heat. Pour in the blended sauce and add the Parmesan.

Stir everything together and cook gently for 2–3 minutes, just until the sauce is warmed through and thickened.

Don’t let it boil once the cottage cheese sauce is added.

6️⃣ Add the provolone. Top evenly with the provolone and place under the broiler for 1–2 minutes, just until melted and bubbly. 🧀🔥

Finish with cracked black pepper and fresh thyme if desired.

📊 MACROS PER SERVING

🔥 ~372 Calories
💪 ~50g Protein
🥬 ~19g Carbs
🥑 ~12g Fat
🌱 ~3.5g Fiber

Caramelized onions + creamy Parmesan sauce + melty provolone… French onion comfort food with a high-protein twist. 🧅🧀🤌

Something I hear ALL the time:

“Laura, what’s your secret?”

Well… here ya go. 👇🏼

💊 The consistency pill.

Walking.
Running.
Tracking my macros.
Lifting heavy.
Avoiding alcohol.
Getting enough sleep.
And most importantly… doing it over and over again.

“It’s not complicated… but it’s not easy.”

And if you’re waiting for the “perfect” time to start… this is your sign. Start messy. Start imperfect. Just start. You’ll be so thankful you did. 🤞🏼

Honey Garlic Shrimp, Sausage & Broccoli
Ingredients:
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
1 tablespoon olive oil
FULL RECIPE IN C.O.M.M.E.N.T........

A little photo dump of some of my recent good eats! 🍓🥑🥕🍇

Here’s to colorful plates, yummy meals, and making healthy choices that I can actually stick with! 🙌🏼

Creamy Butternut Squash & Sausage Bake

Creamy, cheesy, cozy, and packed with fall flavor. 🤤

🛒 Ingredients-

🥦 ROASTED VEGGIES

• 3 cups butternut squash, cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 3 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

🍗 CHICKEN + SAUSAGE

• 8 oz Italian chicken sausage
• 8 oz 98–99% lean ground chicken
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

🥣 CREAMY COTTAGE CHEESE SAUCE

• 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
• ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper

🧀 TOPPING

• ½ cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
• Fresh sage, optional

👩‍🍳 DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Add the butternut squash, cauliflower, and shallot. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Lightly spray with cooking spray and toss everything together.

Roast for 25–30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the squash is nearly tender and the veggies are browned around the edges.

To make the sauce. Add the cottage cheese, ¼ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic powder, and black pepper to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. If needed, add another tablespoon of broth at a time until it blends smoothly.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian chicken sausage and ground chicken. Cook, breaking everything into crumbles, until browned and completely cooked through.

Add the fresh sage, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.

Pour in ½ cup chicken broth, scraping up all those browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 2–3 minutes until most of the liquid has reduced.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool for 1–2 minutes. Stir in the blended cottage cheese sauce. Don’t boil the sauce after adding it.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Pour the creamy chicken and sausage mixture over the roasted vegetables and gently stir everything together.

Top with ½ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan.

Bake uncovered for 15–20 minutes, until hot and bubbling around the edges.

Broil for 1–3 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

Let rest for 5–10 minutes and finish with fresh sage if desired.

Approximate macros per serving:
330 Calories
35g Protein
20g Carbs
12g Fat
4g Fiber

Apple Pie Overnight Oats 🍏

30g oats
1 tbsp (10g) chia seeds
34g (or 1 scoop) vanilla protein powder
50g non fat vanilla Greek yogurt
1/3 cup no sugar added apple pie filling
1½ cup (120ml) unsweetened almond milk
Zero calorie sweetener to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine oats, protein powder, cinnamon, and chia seeds.

Next stir in yogurt & almond milk.
Mix well, this is when I mix in my zero calorie sweetener to taste (if desired)

Top with apple pie filling.

Cover with lid and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Makes 1 serving:
354 calories: 34protein 38carbs /8fat & 10g fiber

Respectfully… 🤍

There’s no special cure, magic trick, or secret formula. It’s diet and exercise. That’s it.

And if you have a lot of weight to lose, it’s going to take time.

Like people used to tell me, “You didn’t gain it overnight, and you’re not going to lose it overnight.” Be patient with yourself, stay consistent, keep showing up, and trust the process.

Time + consistency will take you WAY further than any quick fix ever could. 🫶🏼✨💪🏼