Chicken

Chicken Parmesan Soup

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My 16 year old son has proclaimed, “This is the best soup you have ever made!” and requests it often. It has been on repeat in our house; it combines all the familiar flavors of an Italian classic into a comforting, hearty soup. The best part is that it comes together quickly so you can have a delicious dinner for your family in no time.  ~Kathy

1/2 c. chopped yellow onion

1 T. minced garlic

1/4 c. chopped kale or spinach, optional

1 T. oil

1 T. butter

2 c. chicken broth

4 c. Tomato juice or V8

22 oz. jar marinara sauce (I use Rao’s)

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

12 oz. bag tortellini (I use dry Barilla spinach & cheese), cooked al dente

2 c. cooked, diced chicken (I use rotisserie)

2 T. heavy cream

shredded Parmesan cheese

garlic croutons

pinch of salt (plus some for pasta water)

pinch of black pepper 

In a large stockpot, over medium heat add oil, butter, onion, and kale/spinach, if using.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until onions are soft. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute. Add broth, tomato juice, and marinara; stir to combine. Increase heat to medium high.   Add Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer and continue for ten minutes, reducing heat if necessary. Meanwhile, in another pot bring salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions; then drain. Stir chicken into soup mixture; continue to simmer for 5 minutes and carefully add in drained pasta. Stir in heavy cream and remove from heat. Serve topped with shredded Parmesan cheese and croutons.

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Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad

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Summer is officially here and grilling season is in full swing.  None of us want to be spending time over a hot stove cooking meals… at least not here in Oklahoma, it’s getting HOT.  I love to prep this Chipotle Chicken Pasta Salad for barbecues or just to eat for lunch at home over the course of several days.  Much better than a sandwich and doesn’t heat up your house!  This is just as good without the chicken if you want more as a side-dish, but I love adding the chicken because then I can use it as a full meal on its own.  It’s one of my favorite summer meal-prep dishes.  Hope you enjoy it too.  Happy Summer!  ~Erin

½ c. light mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s)

½ c. whole milk

3 T. ranch dressing powdered mix (I use Hidden Valley)

2 T. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 ½ cups grilled chicken, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder; cooled and diced

6 slices cooked center-cut bacon, chopped

1 orange or red bell pepper, diced

½ of a red onion, diced

1 cored and seeded jalapeno, diced

1 c. sweet corn kernels (canned or frozen corn that’s been cooked and cooled)

1 c. loosely packed cilantro, measured and then finely chopped

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

8 oz. pasta (I use whole wheat macaroni), cooked according to directions, and rinsed in cool water

Optional recipe alteration:  Instead of using the first four ingredients to make your own dressing, you can substitute 1 c. Hidden Valley Chipotle Ranch dressing.  I do this a lot when I’m in a hurry.

In a blender, combine mayo, milk, ranch dressing mix, and chipotle peppers; blend until smooth and refrigerate dressing until ready to use.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, bacon, chopped veggies and cilantro, and pasta.  Add dressing and stir until well incorporated.  Chill before serving.  

This recipe makes about 9 cups of pasta salad.  Each cup is approximately 220 calories and about 5 WW points.

Quick & Easy Cashew Chicken

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This cashew chicken is, dare I say it, better than take-out.  Made with simple, easily-accessible ingredients and ready in minutes, it’s great for a weeknight or a special meal.  If you love cashews, like I do, you will love this easy take-out fake-out.  ~Erin

1 ½ lb. chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black pepper

3 T. cornstarch

2 Tablespoon olive or avocado oil

¼ c. low-sodium soy sauce

½ cup chicken broth or prepared bullion

4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tablespoons)

2 T. brown sugar, packed

2 T. hoisin sauce

1 tsp. Sesame oil

1 c. roasted, salted cashews

Green onions, sliced

Cooked rice for serving

Combine salt, pepper, and cornstarch in a gallon size baggie. Toss the chicken in the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil; set aside.

Add olive oil or avocado oil to a large, high sided nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides.  Do not overcook.  It will continue cooking when the sauce is added.

Add the sauce to the pan with the chicken.  Add the cashews.  Stir until the sauce is thickened.  This just takes a couple minutes.  

Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve over rice.

This recipe makes 6 – ¾ c. servings.  9-11 points per serving, not counting rice.  Click here for the WW points calculator.

https://cmx.weightwatchers.com/details/MEMBERRECIPE:62918d19d8d71c1b1ebc1c56

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Casserole

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I don’t know about you all but I am always looking for something new and different to feed my family for dinner. We love a variety of things at our house. We are eclectic eaters! One of the things we love are jalapeño poppers, so I decided to create a casserole out of one of our favorite flavors. This one is a hearty, flavorful casserole. If your family likes a little spicier, add an extra jalapeño. It’s certainly not the same old, same old boring casserole. You and your family will love it! ~Kathy

6 chicken breasts

2 T. butter, divided 

3 medium sized jalapeños, julienned, ribs and seeds removed

3 green onions, chopped

1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 T. milk

1 c. Philadelphia Chive and Onion Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

pepper & salt to taste

2 c. cheddar cheese, grated, divided

5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

 

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Dice chicken into 1” pieces. In large skillet, over medium-high heat, place 1T. butter. Brown chicken quickly in skillet, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Remove to plate. Sauté jalapeño and green onion in remaining 1 T. butter until crisp tender.

Place chicken in casserole dish, top with vegetables.

For sauce combine soup, milk, cream cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix in 1 c. of cheddar cheese. Spoon over chicken and vegetables. Top with crumbled bacon.

Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and top with remaining 1 c. of cheddar cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Tortellini with Sundried Tomatoes, Chicken & Sausage

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What’s the food that you can eat multiple times a week without getting tired of it?  I think for me it’s any type of pasta. I’m telling myself that this pasta dish is more healthy since it has some vegetables.  I’m not sure if that’s reality, but it’s one of my absolute favorite pasta dishes.  It has just enough spice to give the flavor an extra boost, but if spiciness isn’t your thing you can always omit the red pepper flakes.  Recipes with easy adaptations and adjustments are our favorite around here and we can’t wait to hear from you about how you love this one! ~Tracy

4 T. butter, cut into 1 T. pieces

1 T. sun dried tomato oil (from jar)

3 T. chopped sun dried tomatoes

4 oz. chopped baby bella mushrooms

2 T. minced garlic

¼ c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

½ tsp. paprika

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 ¼ c. milk (I use 1%)

1 cup chicken broth (can use prepared chicken bouillon)

½ c. shredded parmesan cheese (more for topping)

2 packages cheese tortellini (such as Louisa Four Cheese tortellini, 19 oz. bags)

1 cup shredded chicken (I use rotisserie)

½ c. cooked/crumbled pork sausage

2 c. fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

Cook your sausage, drain any excess grease and set aside.  Shred your rotisserie chicken while the sausage cooks and set it aside as well.

Begin cooking tortellini according to the package directions.  Leave the pasta slightly al dente as it will continue to cook when added to the other ingredients.

In a large skillet, melt 1 T. of butter and 1 T. of the sun dried tomato oil.  Sauté the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes.  Add in the sun dried tomatoes and continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes.   Add the minced garlic and heat through for another 30-45 seconds. Remove this mixture from the skillet and set it aside.  

Add the rest of the butter to the skillet and allow to melt.  Whisk in the flour until smooth.  Add all dried seasonings and mix together.  

Gradually add the chicken broth and milk until the mixture begins to thicken.  Slowly stir in the ½ c. parmesan cheese.

Add chicken and sausage to sauce.  Stir together and then add the cooked tortellini and the spinach, mushroom, tomato mixture.  Stir all together until well mixed and top with a generous helping of parmesan cheese.

WW Info:  This recipe makes approximately 10 cups at 13 points each on all three plans.

Chipotle Chicken Stew

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I absolutely love chipotle flavors with chicken, and this recipe was invented out of my wondering what it might be like if I could turn a chipotle chicken bowl into a stew. The fresh red onion and cilantro at the end really kick it up giving it an amazing fresh taste, but you could leave out the cilantro if that’s not your jam. I am so glad I followed my wacky whim to see how this would shape up, as it’s become a family favorite and is SO different from anything else. Super hearty and layered with flavor for days, you’re going to be glad you have leftovers – like most soups/stews, it just gets better each day, and if you don’t get to it all in time, it freezes well too. ~Robin

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped (pretty small pieces – about ¾ to 1 inch chunks) 

2 tsp. olive oil 

1 T. diced chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (I use a La Costeña)*

¾ tsp. chipotle chili powder 

½ tsp. cumin 

1 tsp. jarred, minced garlic 

1 1/2 tsp. salt (divided – 1 tsp. for cooking chicken, another ½ tsp. added to soup) 

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

½ white onion, diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 (11 oz.) can shoe peg corn 

32 oz. chicken broth

½ tsp. chicken bullion 

1/4-1/3 c. red onion depending on preference – I love the fresh kick of the red onion, so I use 1/3 

1 can original Rotel (can use mild if prefer less heat) 

2 c. cooked minute rice

½ – ¾ bunch cilantro (depending on how much you love it) 

juice of 2 limes (I usually just add a touch more to my bowl when I serve it up but see what works for you) 

½ tsp. garlic powder 

Instructions:

Add two teaspoons of olive oil to a large stock pot and heat to medium-high heat. Add chicken, minced garlic, chipotle peppers, onions, jalapeño, chipotle chili powder, cumin, & 1 tsp. salt.  

Cook minute rice according to directions on the box while your chicken is cooking. 

Once chicken is fully cooked (will no longer have any translucency or pinkness), add chicken broth, chicken bouillon, black beans, corn, Rotel, garlic powder, and salt if desired (may not need this salt if chicken broth isn’t low-sodium).  

Cook on medium heat, stirring often to avoid sticking, for about 10 minutes.  

Add cooked rice, red onion, cilantro, and fresh lime juice and continue to simmer for about 5 more minutes or until heated throughout and flavors have a chance to mingle a bit more.  

WW Info:  Makes 11 filling 1-cup servings at 3 points/serving on the green plan; 2 points/serving on blue and purple. 

*This recipe will not use more than a bit of the can; however, I freeze mine in ice trays so I can grab a serving size as needed for cooking later.  To do this, fill ice trays about ¾ of the way full with chopped peppers and sauce, then cover the top with plastic wrap.  Once the cubes are frozen after about 24 hours, I dump them into an airtight freezer-safe storage container. They can last up to six months in the freezer this way. Don’t worry if it’s a little messy; they don’t freeze quite as hard as other things, but they’ll stay good & fresh like this for the next time you need some chipotle in your life.     

Lemon Zucchini Pasta

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My sisters and I grew up with grandparents who had huge gardens!  They may not have been as big as my childhood memories make them seem,  but my sisters and I helped harvest more goodies than you can imagine. We learned to dig potatoes and peanuts, how to pick okra and how to shuck corn, and of course we learned how to snap beans.  I remember sitting outside in the summer and eating fresh watermelon (with salt, of course).  I think that’s one of the reasons that I’ve developed such a nostalgia about growing anything that I can manage, and I love using those things in my kitchen.  The fresh zucchini and basil in this dish are so summery tasting!  I wish I could say that I grew the dill.  Our Mammaw often had dill growing in her back flower beds, and it smelled better than any flower.  Good food is a source of such good memories – and this is definitely good food! ~Tracy 

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Zest from 1 lemon

½ c. finely chopped white or yellow onion

2 c. zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ tsp. salt

2 T. finely chopped capers

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 lb. spaghetti noodles

3 T. finely chopped fresh dill

3 T. finely chopped fresh basil

2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ c. fresh grated parmesan

½ c. crumbled feta cheese

1 c. reserved hot pasta water from spaghetti

Cook spaghetti in large pot, with salted water, according to package directions.

While spaghetti is cooking, heat olive oil in large, high-sided skillet. Saute onion and zucchini until zucchini begins to soften and onion begins to become translucent. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and capers, continuing to simmer on low for another minute or two.  

Add cooked and drained spaghetti to the pan with the zucchini. Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, and basil.  Toss the entire mixture with the spaghetti to combine. Add in ½ c. of the reserved pasta water and stir (you can gradually add a little at a time before serving if pasta appears too dry). Remove from heat and allow to sit for two to three minutes to begin the cooling process.  Then toss in both the parmesan and feta cheese.

Serve immediately with grilled chicken or enjoy as a tasty meatless pasta dish.

This recipe makes 8 servings at 9 points per serving on all three WW plans. 

Sunday Picnic Chicken Salad

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Many years ago, Barry worked at a certain chicken sandwich place — for three years in high school and all five years of college, in fact. When he started working there, he learned to make chicken salad from a VHS training video (nope, we are not spring chickens).

Many years later, he tried to make it from memory – he did not remember. 🙂 His creation was nothing like what they had – it was much better! While I tend to think of chicken salad as a summertime dish, my kids ask for it all year, and they don’t really have to twist my arm to get me to make it any time.

This is such an easy make & take recipe for a big gathering – or a small one. I am persnickety about my hot food being really hot, so when we picnic at the lake (which is one of our favorite family activities after work while we continue to social distance) this chicken salad is a frequent choice for us. I really love it served on a King’s Hawaiian Sweet Roll for a slider sized sandwich, but Barry prefers it on the King’s Hawaiian sandwich slices. Either way, it’s fantastic; I’m really glad he couldn’t remember the chicken joint’s recipe! ~Robin

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Trim any excess fat from the chicken, then cut into chunks to boil. Remove chicken from the water carefully once it’s cooked using tongs and place on a large cutting board (make sure it’s completely opaque in the center). Then finely chop the chicken and place in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Chill before serving.

WW Info: This makes 8 generous 2/3 c. servings. On purple or blue, it’s 3 points. On green, it’s 4. Remember to calculate your choice of bread separately.

Mexican Chicken Cornbread Bake

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I saw a meme the other day that compared cooking during this time of “social distancing” to an episode of Chopped.  That could not be more accurate.  When I schedule and pick up my grocery order, only half of what I ordered is actually in stock, so my pantry is a random assortment of ingredients.  I stand there and stare, trying to figure out what I can put together to make an actual meal.  If you are doing the same, I have a good, pantry-and-freezer-friendly Mexican dish for you.  I know you’re all missing Mexican food right now, so here ya go.  If you lucked out and got chips in your grocery order, that would be great with this too… a real Mexican feast!  ~Erin

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 4 large breasts or 5 medium):  I sprinkle the breasts with 1 tsp. each of chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and garlic powder; then bake or grill until fully cooked, let the meat rest/cool a few minutes and then chop.  Store in the fridge if made in advance.

1 (10 oz.) can Old El Paso red enchilada sauce, mild

1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies, mild

1 ½ c. yellow corn kernels

8 oz. (2 small cans) Hatch chopped green chiles

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. ground cumin

1 (8.5 oz) package dry Jiffy corn muffin mix (or other cornbread mix – I prefer a sweet cornbread mix)

1 egg

½ c. reduced-fat Mexican shredded cheese, divided

½ c. unsweetened cashew or almond milk (skim milk will work too)

2 T. chopped pickled jalapenos

Chips and salsa, optional – for serving

 

Cook and chop seasoned chicken (see notes on first ingredient); set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spray a deep casserole dish (slightly smaller than a 9X13) with nonstick spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together:  enchilada sauce, Ro-Tel, corn, green chiles, 1 tsp. chili powder, and ½ tsp. cumin.  Add 4 cups chopped chicken and stir to coat.  Spread evenly into casserole dish.

In a small bowl, stir together:  dry cornbread mix, milk, egg, chopped jalapenos, and half of the cheese (about ¼ c.).  Pour mixture evenly over the chicken mixture.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

WW Info:  This recipe makes 8 servings.  Green plan – 9 points per serving; Blue plan – 6 points per serving; Purple plan – 6 points per serving

Chicken Club Pasta Salad

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Sometimes things “hit me” at random times.   Like in the shower or while driving.   This recipe was born one day while I was driving to work and dreaming of warmer weather.   I made a few notes on my phone (thanks to talk-to-text) and ended up with this great spin-off of a deli classic. It has a great balance of fresh and crunchy mixed with the creamy dressing and avocado.  This are finally starting to warm up a little here in my neck of the woods, and I think this Chicken Club Pasta Salad will be one of the first things you’ll want to make as Spring finally arrives.  ~Kathy

2 c. cellentani (cork screw shaped) pasta, uncooked (whole wheat for lower point option noted in WW info.)

2 c. cooked, diced chicken breast

5 slices center cut bacon, cooked

4 T dill pickles, chopped fine

2 T purple onion, chopped fine

1/3 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered

2 c. chopped napa cabbage

1 avocado, diced

½  c. plus 1 T  light miracle whip

1 T mustard

2 to 3 T 1% milk

1/8 tsp salt

¼ tsp garlic powder

Dash of each of the following:  onion powder; black pepper; and paprika

Cook pasta in salted water, according to package directions.   Drain, rinse and set aside to allow to cool.

Once the noodles are completely cooled, transfer them to a large mixing bowl.  Add chicken, bacon, pickles and onion.  Toss to mix.  Add tomatoes and napa cabbage.  Toss gently to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together miracle whip, mustard, milk and seasonings.  Add more milk if needed.  It should be a slightly thick mixture.  Pour over the pasta mixture and stir to coat.

Add avocado and gently mix to coat, trying not to smash the diced avocado.

Allow to chill for one hour.  Serve alone or with your favorite crackers or toasted bread.

WW Info.:  Makes about 6 cups.  Each serving is 11 Points on the WW Blue Plan, 11 on Purple Plan, and 12 on Green Plan.  For a far smaller point tally, on purple, using whole wheat pasta drops it to just 4 points!