Chicken pot pie is one of those amazing comfort foods that I would eat all the time if it wasn't so fattening. I found a good super easy low fat way to make it at home. Reducing from a top and bottom crust to just one top crust and omitting the potatoes, really reduced the calories and did not change the flavor at all. I also used 98% fat free cream of chicken soup as well. The kids loved it. The whole pie was devoured in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients:

1 package of Perdue short cuts carved chicken breast strips (original roasted)
1 10 oz package of mixed frozen vegetables
1 can of condensed 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 refrigerated pie crust
salt and pepper

Preparation:

Season vegetables lightly with salt and pepper and microwave for 3-4 minutes. Pull chicken strips into shreds or small chunks and place in a medium sized bowl. Add vegetables and the can of condensed soup to chicken. Mix to combine. Pour into pie plate or small casserole dish. Place pie crust on top and crimp the edges to seal the pie crust to the top of the pie plate or casserole dish. Place on a cookie sheet in a preheated 400 degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown (place foil over the edges for the second half of the baking time to prevent burning).

Linked to Everyday Mom's Meals
Read More »

   

My kids.....probably like most kids LOVE mac and cheese.  It took awhile but I finally found the perfect recipe.  This one comes out smooth and creamy everytime.  It's a slight adaptation of Ina Garten's Mac and Cheese with tomatoes. 

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

Vegetable oil

1 pound elbow macaroni

4 cups of milk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

16 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese (4 cups)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups flavored panko bread crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.  Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan but don't boil it. Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a large (4-quart) pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or two more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a baking dish.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the panko bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top of mac and cheese.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Read More »

I am a big fan of the one dish dinner. I hate having a hundred pots and pans to clean. I like fast dinners during the week because I don't have a lot of time to cook since I work late three nights a week. I am constantly on the search a good casserole recipe. Unfortunately, they are always so fattening. I decided to make up a healthier version of a rich recipe and it came out awesome.

Ingredients:

6 whole wheat flour tortillas
1 lb lean ground turkey
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup water
1 can of enchilada sauce
2 plum tomatoes chopped
1 cup of frozen corn
1 8oz package of shredded low fat cheese cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)

Preparation:

Brown turkey meat (drain fat if needed) add 1/2 of the taco seasoning packet and 1/4 cup of water. Add corn and chopped tomatoes. Cook through. In a 9x13 casserole dish pour a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom. Cover sauce layer with two tortillas. Add 1/2 the meat mixture, 1/3 of the cheese and another thin layer of sauce. Top with two more tortillas and repeat. After placing the last two tortillas on top, pour sauce to cover (you might not need the entire rest of the can). Place in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then top with the remaining cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Read More »