Cheesy Chicken and Rice

I really should look into a photography class. I just point and shoot and hope for the best. As you can see this is an ooey gooey cheesy ricey yummy dinner that really didn't pose well for the camera. This meal was great just the way it was but I thought it would have been fabulous with the addition of bacon or for a Mexican flair some cilantro and salsa. You really could add what you wanted to this and it would taste great. I found this recipe on Cassie Craves. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite sites. I have a few other recipes to share that I snagged from her. I'm sure I will snag several more. The best part is you cook this in your crock pot. Easy week night meal.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice
adapted from Cassie Craves

6, 1 cup servings, 9 WW points per serving

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2 to 3 boneless chicken breasts
2 to 3 tablespoons light butter
1 medium onion, diced
1, 10.5 oz can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 cup fat free sour cream
2/3 cup Weight Watchers shredded Mexican cheese or reduced fat shredded cheese
1, 15 0z can whole kernel corn, drained
1, 8 oz box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to the package directions

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top each breast with a tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with onion. In a bowl mix together the cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours. A few minutes before serving stir in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Foil Packets

I had planned on making this meal on Wednesday but it got pushed to Thursday. Wednesday just ended up being a really weird day. I normally work late on Wednesdays but it was that time of year again where all of us LCPL employees had to get together at the unGodly hour of 8am for a staff meeting. So I rolled out of bed around 7:20ish, thankfully the meeting was at the Lake Station library only 5 minutes away. The meeting was for an hour. I came home crawled back in bed for about an hour or so and had to be at the doctor at 11:15. I got some not so great news at the doctor's office but since this is a food blog I won't mention it. I'm trying not to worry about this news because nothing is confirmed yet. I have to go to a specialist and maybe have a test done. After the doctor's visit I went to lunch with my Aunt Faye which I do every Wednesday. I look forward to my Wednesday lunches with Aunt Faye. We aren't phone people so this way we get to see and talk to each other regularly. I got home around 2 and then I took another nap until 4:30 when I had to get up and get ready to be at work by 5. Once again I'm grateful that I live only 5/10 minutes from work. I just didn't give myself time to get this meal ready for Will to put in the oven that day. He had leftover soup to eat so he didn't go hungry. I ended up making this the next day.

This was really yummy and so easy to put together. I made a few substitutions and everything turned out great. I made only enough for two. The recipe called for fresh broccoli, I used frozen. It called for cooked bacon, I used raw. I added the cheese and ranch towards the end of the cooking process. Everything cooked up fine and like I said it tasted great. I think the cheese and ranch really put this over the top. I will be making this again.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Foil Packets
from Cassie Craves

2 servings, 12 WW points per serving

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2 chicken breasts, thawed
2 slices turkey bacon
1 cup chicken flavored stuffing
1/2 cup water
2 cups broccoli florets, frozen
2/3 cup low fat cheese (I used WW Mexican Shredded Cheese)
2 T low fat Ranch dressing

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

Rip out two big pieces of foil and lay flat on the counter. Top each piece of foil with a chicken breast. Take one slice of bacon and cut it up into pieces and sprinkle it onto a piece of chicken. Repeat with the other slice of bacon. In a bowl mix together the stuffing and water. Place 1/2 cup of the stuffing onto one of the chicken breasts. Place the remaining stuffing onto the other chicken breast. Place 1 cup of the broccoli florets onto one of the foil packets. Place the remaining broccoli onto the other foil packets. Take one foil packet and bring up the sides to seal. Repeat with the remaining foil packet. Place both on a cookie sheet and cook for 30 minutes. Take out of the oven. Carefully open the packets and sprinkle each with 1/3 cup cheese and drizzle with 1 tablespoon ranch dressing. Reseal packets and place back in oven for 10 minutes. Once done enjoy the cheesy goodness!

Chicken Lo Mein

This doesn't really taste anything like the lo mein from a Chinese restaurant but I thought it was quite tasty. I don't think it was Will's favorite meal but he said it was all right. This was a very easy meal since it was cooked in the crock pot and to finish it up all you have to do is cook the pasta. I added water but next time I won't since the chicken was frozen and that added water. I think it would have been even better if the sauce would have been a little bit thicker.




Chicken Lo Mein
adapted from Get Crocked

8 (1 cup) servings, 3 WW points per serving w/o noodles
1 cup of whole wheat noodles is 4 WW points

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1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, frozen or thawed (if thawed cut into bite size pieces)
1 bottle (11.4 oz) Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce
5 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 medium onion, sliced
16 oz package fresh stir fry vegetables
1 small package mushrooms
1 T minced garlic
1 tsp ginger, fresh would be great but powder would be fine
1 box wheat noodles, cooked according to the package directions

In a crock pot place the chicken, onions, water chestnuts, stir fry vegetables, and mushrooms. In a bowl mix together the stir fry sauce, the garlic, and the ginger. Pour into the crock pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. If the chicken was frozen take out of the crock pot and cut up, place back in the crock pot. Serve over noodles.

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

I spend too much time looking at food blogs. I'll admit I stalk a few. I came across Emily Bites a couple of weeks ago and have already made two of her recipes. Both were really good and she also posts the WW points. I look forward to trying many more of her recipes.

You can't see it in the picture very well but there is a biscuit in the middle of those vegetables. The biscuits did bake up very brown and after 35 minutes the biscuits weren't quite done. I flipped each biscuit over and put it back in the oven for 5 more minutes. That did the trick. This was yummy comfort food without all the fat. I will be making this again.

When I calculated the points this was a point higher a serving than Emily Bites calculation. But I did change a few things in the recipe.

Chicken and Biscuit Casserole
adapted from Emily Bites

6 servings, 7 WW points per serving

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1 can 98% fat free Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can (12.5 oz) chunk chicken, drained
3/4 cup fat free sour cream, divided
1 package (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup Weight Watchers Mexican Shredded Cheese
1 cup Heart Smart Bisquick
3 T skim milk

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees

In a 8X8 pan mix together the cream of chicken soup, chunk chicken, 1/2 cup sour cream, mixed vegetables, and cheese until combined. In a bowl mix together the Bisquick, milk, and remaining 1/4 cup sour cream until dough becomes stiff. Drop 6 even mounds of biscuit dough on top of the chicken mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach

This is a terrible picture. I scarfed this down the night I made it without taking a picture and this was the leftovers. I'm pretty good now about having my camera on hand but every now and then my hunger gets the better of me. This was a very delightful meal. I served it with my garlic bread sticks but for a lighter fair serve with some veggies or a salad. I got this recipe from Gina's Skinny Taste. She has some wonderful food on her site and the great thing is she has WW points to go along with all of her food. I will be making this again.


Chicken Rollatini with Spinach
adapted from Gina's Skinny Taste

8 servings, 6 WW points per serving

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8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz. each
1/2 cup fiber one cereal, finely crushed
Seasonings like garlic, Italian seasoning, and onion powder.
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup egg beaters
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry of extra water
1 cup of fat free cottage cheese
8 slices reduced fat provolone cheese
1 cup spaghetti sauce

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray. In a bowl mix together the cottage cheese, spinach, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. In another bowl mix together the finely crushed fiber one cereal with seasonings of your choice and remaining Parmesan cheese. In another bowl pour in the egg beaters. Lay out the chicken cutlets. Divide the cottage cheese mixture evenly between the cutlets. Working with one cutlet at a time roll it up loosely, dip in egg, dip in breadcrumbs, and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Spray cutlets with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with sauce and cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

BBQ Chicken Calzones

I found this recipe on Life as a Lofthouse's blog. Holly has some really great recipes and so far all the ones I have tried have been yummy. Will even liked these though he told me he would have liked them better without the green stuff, meaning the cilantro. I love cilantro and all this time didn't realize that he really doesn't. I really liked the filling for this calzone all by itself. I think it would make a great BBQ chicken salad.




BBQ Chicken Calzones
adapted from Life as a Lofthouse

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10 servings, 4 WW points per serving

2 cans Country Style Biscuits (there are 10 biscuits in a can and they are smaller)
1 can Chunk Chicken, drained
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup Real Bacon Pieces like Oscar Meyer's
2/3 cup shredded Weight Watchers Mexican Cheese or low fat cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the chicken, BBQ sauce, onion, bacon, cheese, and cilantro together. Remove biscuit dough from cans. Take one dough piece and lay out on a clean surface. Roll out flat into a circle. Repeat with all dough circles.

In the center of a flattened dough circle, place 2 tablespoons of the BBQ chicken mixture. Take another dough circle and place over the top. Seal the edges by pressing them together. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. You will have 10 calzones total.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately!

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

So the week I made this dish was the week that Jessica and her family were coming into town and I think I was a little preoccupied. When I plated the finished product it was after I ate it that I realized I didn't take a picture. I made the plate look really pretty too. So the picture you see to the left is what I took to lunch. Also that week I made the Black Bean and Beef Chili and didn't get a picture of that either. That chili was awesome. So I'm wondering if I should post the recipe without the picture or if I should wait until I make it again. Because just thinking about it is making me want to make it.

I thought that these chimichangas were really good. Will didn't even have any. That night Will and I got into a fight over how he thinks all I make is Mexican food so he made himself a sandwich. I admit to making Mexican food at least once a week but it's not everyday like he claims. I also admit that this dish would have been way too spicy for him. So I was a little off my game at picture taking. The recipe calls for making your own tomatillo sauce using canned tomatillos but I couldn't find any so I used Salsa Verde and doctored it up. I thought it was fantastic, but spicy. So if you don't like spice you might want to steer clear.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas
from So Tasty, So Yummy

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2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies
¼ cup water

4 burrito (large) size tortillas
1 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese

Combine spices and cornstarch in a small bowl. Sprinkle the bottom of the crockpot with the spice mixture. Top with the chicken, Rotel and water. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks and cook for 30 minutes more.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet. Combine the shredded chicken with the cheese. Lay out the tortillas and top each with ¼ of the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortillas burrito style, placing them seam side down on the cookie sheet. Spray the top of the Chimichangas with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with queso or Deluxe Tomatillo sauce. Garnish with sour cream, tomato and cilantro.

Deluxe Tomatillo Sauce

1 can (28 ounces) tomatillos, drained (Or I used four 7 ounce cans of La Costena Salsa verde)
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ jalapeno, minced (I did not use)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 cup sour cream

In a saucepan, combine tomatillos, broth, cumin, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender. You can skip the puree step if using salsa Verde. Return to heat, stir in the sour cream and cook 3 minutes more until heated through.

Southwestern Chicken Drumsticks

Do you ever start to make a recipe and realize you don't have everything you need? That's what happened when I went to make this. The recipe called for butter, lime juice, and various spices. The lime juice I had was over a year old. So I improvised and pretty much changed everything about the original recipe except the butter and the chicken. I think it turned out pretty good.






Southwestern Chicken Drumsticks

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6 servings, 3 WW points per drumstick

6 drumsticks, thawed and skin removed
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup salsa
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt
pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the drumsticks in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a bowl melt the butter. Mix in the salsa, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and chili powder. Pour over the chicken. Bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. When you serve pour some sauce over the chicken.

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas

I love stuff that goes in a pita. I love souvlaki. The only thing that would have made this better would have been some feta. Reduced fat of course. I got this recipe from Dinner for a Year and Beyond's blog. She has great recipes. This is super simple and super good.

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas
from Dinners for a Year and Beyond

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4 servings, 9 WW points per servings

1 (6 ounce) container plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup shredded cucumber
1/4 cup lemon juice, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 pitas
sliced tomatoes
sliced red onion
reduced fat feta

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garlic salt. Set aside.

In a large resealable bag, combine the remaining lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and seal bag. Make sure the marinade covers all the chicken. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to overnight.

She grilled the chicken but I baked it in the oven. Pre-heat the oven to 35o degrees. Place in a baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. To serve, heat the pitas for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Cut the chicken up and distribute evenly between the four pitas. Top with tomato, onion, feta, and cucumber sauce.

Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich

This isn't the greatest picture. It doesn't convey the yumminess of this sandwich. I found this recipe on a blog I frequent called Dinners for a Year and Beyond. The author said it was like Subway's sandwich. I didn't think it tasted exactly the same but it was pretty good. So was the sweet onion sauce. I will be making this again. Don't be intimidated by the longish list of ingredients. You will be surprised by what you already have in your pantry and this comes together very fast. It's not hard to make at all. If your not a fan of the sweet onion sauce then you don't need make it because the sandwich without it is good.

Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich
adapted from Dinners for a Year and Beyond

4 servings w/o buns, 6 WW points per servings

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1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts , cut into thin strips

teriyaki marinade --
1/4 cup soy sauce reduced sodium
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon dried minced onions
1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon pepper

sweet onion sauce --
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon dried minced onions
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Splenda brown sugar blend
1/8 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper

In a large resealable bag, place the teriyaki marinade ingredients and the chicken. Let chicken marinate for about 1 hour. I didn't have time to let mine marinate and my chicken wasn't totally unthawed so I baked my chicken uncut in the marinade in the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees instead of grilling the chicken. The chicken turned out very flavorful and moist. Though next time I would like to grill it.

Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan over medium high heat, combine the sweet onion sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil while stirring to combine. Add 2 tablespoons of water and stir. Set aside.

To serve, slice rolls and top with chicken and desired toppings. Drizzle with the sweet onion sauce and enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pasta

I have to say that I'm proud of myself. I didn't make it all week without eating out but I made it the majority of the week. Will and I only ate out on Friday. That's because I was just too tired to cook after working. I have decided that I will cook Monday thru Thursday and on the weekend day that I don't work. I get to treat myself on the weekend day that I do work.

This is BBQ Chicken Pasta. I have to say it was very tasty. Will even enjoyed it saying that I could make it again. High praise coming from my hubby. I made this using Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. It gave this pasta a really good flavor. Using wheat pasta made it semi healthy.

BBQ Chicken Pasta
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

8 one cup servings, 6 WW points per serving

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1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 small red onion, diced
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 13oz box wheat penne pasta
2/3 cup Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and onions to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the water, chicken broth, penne and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed, the pasta is tender and the mixture is thick and syrupy. Stir in the barbecue sauce and sour cream. Once mixed, add in the reserved chicken, onions and shredded cheese. Stir to combine and cook until everything is heated through.

Serve immediately and garnish with additional red or green onions and shredded cheese.

Oven Fried Drumsticks

I have given myself a goal this week of cooking every day, Monday-Sunday. I haven't done that in a long time. Cooked everyday I mean. It's just to easy to go out to eat, especially when I'm tired after a day of work. But I'm tired of spending money every week on groceries and then spending about the same amount on eating out. It's getting way too expensive. Not to mention unhealthy. No matter how hard I try it's hard for me to pick healthy choices when I go out to eat. Really what's the fun in that. So I came up with a meal plan this week. Like I said my goal is to follow it.


Monday: Oven Fried Drumsticks
Tuesday/Wednesday: Zuppa Toscana Soup with Garlic Breadsticks
Thursday: Rio Rancho Tacos
Friday: BBQ Chicken Pasta (Recipe to Come)
Saturday: Turkey Sausages and Brats on the Grill
Sunday: Left Overs

These Oven Fried Drumsticks were so good. Will said they were awesome, which in Will speak means I got an A plus from him. Very flavorful and very moist. They had a nice crunch to them. I will definitely be making these again. I can have three for only 6 points. Score! I served these with mashed potatoes and we had a very nice meal.


Oven Fried Drumsticks
taken from Hungry Girl

Makes 3, 2 drumstick servings at 4 WW points per serving

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6 raw chicken drumsticks, skin removed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Fiber One Bran original cereal
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. oregano
1 1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup Egg Beaters

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Hungry Girl says to use a blender or food processor to grind the cereal into a bread crumb like consistency. I just put the cereal into a large zip lock bag and used a rolling pin. Once I had the cereal to the bread crumb consistency I added in the rest of the spices right into the bag. Set aside.

Place the Egg Beaters in a wide shallow bowl. Two at a time, coat the drumsticks in the Egg Beaters, gently shake to remove excess liquid and place in the bag with the crumbs. Seal and shake to coat. Transfer the drumsticks to the baking sheet and repeat with the other drumsticks. Bake for 20 minutes and then flip over and bake for 2o more minutes, until crispy and cooked through.

Crock Pot Whole Chicken

This is a whole chicken in a crock pot. It's kind of hard to tell. But it is oh so good. The chicken is moist and very flavorful. Pair it with mash potatoes and gravy and you have a really good meal.









Crock Pot Whole Chicken
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1 whole chicken small enough to fit in your crock pot, thawed with giblets removed
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 sheets of foil

Take each piece of foil and form it into a ball. Place the balls into the bottom of the crock pot. Mix the seasonings together. Feel free to add or subtract any seasoning you want to. Rub the seasoning under the skin and over the skin of the chicken. Place the chicken into the crock pot and place the lid on it. Turn it on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours or until cooked through. I let it cook all day while I'm at work. The house smells wonderful when I get home and the chicken is falling off the bone.

I'm Back with Cajun Chicken Sandwiches

Underneath the tomatoes is a chicken breast. I probably should have gotten a photo before I added the toppings but use your imagination. I love Cajun seasoning when it's not too spicy. When I make Cajun food myself I can control the heat. I have been having a great time grilling this summer.

Cajun Chicken Sandwiches
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2 chicken breasts
about 2 tablespoons Weber Grill Creations N'Orleans Cajun Seasoning or similar
2 slices Provolone Cheese
2 Rolls
Lettuce
Tomato
Ranch Dressing

Sprinkle about a tablespoon a piece of Cajun seasoning on each chicken breast. More if you like spicy. Grill each breast for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Add the cheese when almost done cooking. To assemble place a chicken breast on a roll and top with lettuce, tomato, and ranch dressing. This sandwich is good with onion as well.

Chicken Shish Kabob

Shish Kabob is so good especially on the grill. My cousin Kim makes amazing shish kabob. While mine was great I think hers might be better. I'm so happy grilling season is under way. I think everything tastes better on the grill.

Chicken Shish Kabob
a Lacey creation

Each chicken breast with marinade and veggies was 7 WW points. Points can vary depending on the size of the breast.

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2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic Seasoning, or any seasoning you want
Green Pepper, cut into chunks
Purple Onion, cut into chunks
Mushrooms would have been great if I would have remembered them or any other veggie that will hold up to the grill
Wooden Skewers, soaked in water for 15 to 30 minutes

The night before place the chicken breasts into a zip lock bag with the olive oil, lime juice, and seasoning. Mush around to get the seasoning all over the chicken.

Remove chicken from the marinade and discard remaining marinade. Cut up each chicken breast into medium size chunks. For Will's kabob I just did meat. I was able to fit his whole cut up chicken breast onto one skewer. He's not into veggies. For my kabobs I alternated chicken, green pepper, and onion. I was able to make two skewers with my chicken breast and veggies. I made a separate kabob with just veggies. Cook on the grill until the chicken is cooked through.


I made an easy side. I took a can of new potatoes and drained off the water. I took a can of corn and drained off the water. I took two pieces of foil and divided the potatoes and corn between the two foil pieces. I liberally sprayed them with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray or you can use real butter and sprinkled with garlic salt. I wrapped the foil packets up and threw them on the grill to cook while the kabobs did. Very good!

Chicken Capri Pasta

I found this recipe in the latest Kraft Foods magazine but you can find the recipe online as well. This recipe calls for the new Philadelphia cooking cremes. I thought it was pretty tasty but needed more sauce. Next time I will use two cooking cremes or add another block of cream cheese. Will didn't care for this meal but with more sauce I think it would have been really good.


Chicken Capri Pasta
adapted from Kraft Foods

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5 one cup servings, 5 WW points per serving w/o pasta
Pasta is 5 WW points per cup

2 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into strips
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1 tub Philadelphia Savory Garlic Cooking Creme (I would add another tub)
Cooked angel hair pasta (make how much you want to eat per serving)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

In a skillet lightly coated with cooking spray or olive oil cook the chicken until cooked through. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes or until broccoli is hot. Add the tub of cooking creme and cook for a few more minutes or until it is nice and hot. Serve over pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Pepper Jack Chicken Sandwiches

I am loving the Taste of Homes 2011 Comfort Food Diet Cookbook. This is the third recipe I have made out of it and I have loved all three. I have earmarked so many more. These are pretty versatile as well and so easy. If you don't like pepper jack use a different kind of cheese. The recipe calls to grill these but since the weather outside still hasn't decided to stay warm I baked them. They were very juicy and so good. They re-heat really well too. The WW points will very depending on how big the chicken breasts are and what type of bread you use. Mine were about 14 points a sandwich.

Pepper Jack Chicken Sandwiches
adapted from the Taste of Home cookbook

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About 14 WW points per sandwich

2 chicken breasts
poultry seasoning
2 strips of turkey bacon
2 slices of pepper jack cheese, reduced fat if you can find it
lettuce
tomatoes
onion

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle the poultry seasoning on both sides of the chicken breasts. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the chicken on the pan. Top each chicken breast with a turkey bacon slice that has been torn in half. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. About 5 minutes before the chicken is done top each with a slice of cheese so it can get all nice and melty. Serve on a bun of your choice with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo if desired.

Vegetable Chicken Soup

I love, love, love my crock pot. I think I have mentioned my love before but it is worth mentioning again. What's not to love? You can throw all the food in the crock pot and it does the work for you. You come home to your house smelling delicious and to a delicious meal. I try to plan a crock pot meal once a week. I work late on Wednesdays and I like to try and feed my husband a home made meal so the crock pot is perfect for that. I found this recipe in one of my new Taste of Home cookbooks. This is out of the 2011 Taste of Home Quick Cooking Annual Recipes. I have a cookbook addiction. It doesn't help when the cookbooks are delivered to my house. This soup is so good. And it's full of veggies which are filling foods. I strayed a bit from the recipe. I didn't saute the veggies before putting them in the crock pot. I added some more veggies and put in pasta instead of barley. With the pasta the soup is 3 WW points per cup. Without it would be 2 WW points per cup.

Vegetable Chicken Soup
adapted from a Taste of Home recipe

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14 one cup servings, 3 WW points per serving

1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 chicken breasts
1 can (32 oz) chicken broth
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 cup small pasta
1 3/4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper

Place all the ingredients but the pasta in a crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours. At 5 1/2 hours take out the chicken and cut into pieces. Place back in the crock pot. Add the pasta. Cook for the remaining 1/2 hour. Serve with cheese and crackers if desired. Cheese and crackers will add additional points.

Chicken Tostadas

These tostadas are so easy to make and quite tasty. This is a 15 minute meal. Five minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook. Or a little longer depending on how brown you like your melted cheese. Great supper for a busy weeknight. It's not bad on points either.

Chicken Tostadas
a Lacey creation

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6 WW points per tostada

2 cans chunk chicken, drained
1 small can green enchilada sauce
6 corn tostadas
1 1/2 cups reduced fat Mexican cheese
lettuce, salsa, and sour cream for toppings

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl mix together the chunk chicken and the enchilada sauce. Place the corn tostadas on a baking sheet. Evenly distribute the chicken mixture onto the tostadas. Place 1/4 cup cheese on each tostada and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with lettuce, salsa, and sour cream if desired.

Szechuan Chicken

I really enjoy Asian food. Heck, I really enjoy most food period. I found this recipe on a food blog I enjoy, Life as a Lofthouse. She recommends using Yoshidas Original Gourmet Marinade Sauce but I couldn't find any at Walmart so I used La Choys original stir fry sauce. Next time I would like to try the other sauce if I can find it and I would recommend doubling the amount that you use. The sauce really gives this dish it's flavor. It was good but could have been better with more sauce.


Szechaun Chicken
adapted from Life as a Lofthouse

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10 one cup servings, 4 WW points per serving

2 chicken breasts, cut up into 1 inch pieces
1 cup La Choy original stir fry sauce
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 package frozen broccoli
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 lb spaghetti
olive oil

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. When it is almost cooked add the frozen broccoli to cook. Once cooked drain the pasta and broccoli.

Coat a skillet with olive oil. Saute the green pepper and onion until soft. When done remove from pan and set aside. In the same skillet cook the chicken until no longer pink. Once cooked through add the green peppers and onion, garlic, and sauce. Turn the heat down and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce is heated through. Add the sauce mixture to the pasta mixture and serve.