Dinner tonight! Philly cheesesteak lettuce cups

Philly cheesesteak for less than 200 calories? You bet! Lisa Lillien -- a.k.a. “Hungry Girl” -- came up with this wonderfully simple, low-cal adaptation, which can be found in her book “Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories.” Lillien wrote, “We’re kicking unwanted calories and carbs to the curb here by serving up our cheesesteak in lettuce cups instead of on a giant doughy roll. Who’s smart? WE ARE!” The recipe was featured with a profile Food writer Rene Lynch did on Lillien in 2009.

For more quick-fix dinner ideas, check out our video recipe gallery. Food editor Russ Parsons and Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter show you how to fix a dozen dishes in an hour or less.

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Philly cheesesteak lettuce cups
Total time: 20 minutes

Servings: 1

3 ounces raw lean beefsteak fillet

Nonstick spray

1/3 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup thinly sliced onions

1 slice fat-free American cheese

2 leaves romaine, butter or green leaf lettuce

1. Slice the fillet crosswise into thin strips about one-eighth inch thick. Set aside. Tip: Freezing the beef slightly will make it easier to cut.

2. Spray a medium pan with nonstick spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat to a small bowl and set aside.

3. Re-spritz the pan with nonstick spray. Cook the fillet strips over medium-high heat until browned on each side, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side.

4. Break the cheese slice into small strips, place on top of the meat -- still in the pan -- and continue to cook until the cheese has melted slightly, less than 1 minute.

5. Remove from heat and mix the cheesy beef strips in with the mushrooms and onions. Serve in the lettuce “cups.”

Each serving: 174 calories; 24 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 5 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 40 mg. cholesterol; 307 mg. sodium.