Hungry Girl Chicken Pot Pie

January 4, 2012 By

I think I may have mentioned at least one hundred times how much I love Hungry Girl’s recipes. When my sister and I were roommates we pretty much lived off of her first cookbook. And now she has three cookbooks and her own show on The Food Network! Crazy!

I make this recipe a lot. It is SO easy and seriously delicious. It only serves four so if you have a big family you will have to adjust the ingredients. Okay, I’ll shut up now. Here ya go!

HG’s Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast; cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3 cups C&W Ultimate Petite Mixed Vegetables (or any other frozen mixed vegetables)
  • 1 can (10.75 oz.) Campbell’s Condensed Soup, 98% Fat Free Cream of Celery
  • 3 servings Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls (unprepared)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute chicken pieces for several minutes in a pan spritzed with nonstick cooking spray, until chicken is light brown/cooked but still tender; set aside. Heat frozen veggies in microwave according to package. Mix chicken, vegetables and soup together and put in a 9" round baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place dish in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly (stir about halfway through).

While dish is cooking, unroll 3 crescent rolls. Combine pieces together with hands to make one large ball of dough. With a rolling pin, roll dough out into a circle to cover top of dish. Add dough to the top of the dish and cook for an additional 15 – 20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serves 4.

HGChickenPotPie

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Broccoli & Quinoa Casserole

December 14, 2011 By

If you’re new here Wednesdays = recipe sharing around these parts. I originally had a Christmas cookie recipe I was going to share today, but I made this casserole last night and it was so amazeballs that I just had to share it with you ASAP. I loved it so much that I kept going back and taking bites before I stuck the leftovers in the fridge. I had to seriously stop myself.

It is THAT good. I think it would be a great side dish at Christmas/Christmas Eve dinner because it’s so similar to a traditional broccoli-rice casserole, but it’s made with quinoa! Less carbs and more protein! YES! I actually added chicken to my casserole for even more protein, but the original recipe doesn’t call for it.

BROCCOLI-QUINOA CASSEROLE

Ingredients

  • 1 can condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup, low sodium
  • 1/3 cup reduced fat mayo
  • 2 tablespoons skim milk
  • 1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar)
  • 1/2 tsp Splenda
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • dash of ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups cooked broccoli
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Cook your quinoa and broccoli according to the packaging (yes I use frozen broccoli).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in) casserole dish – or individual ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.

Spoon mixture into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden.  Makes 8 generous 1/2-cup servings.

OMGSOEFFINGGOOD!!!

broccoliquinoacasserole

Looks similar to the Mexican Lasagna. TOTALLY different.

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Low Carb Mexican Lasagna

December 7, 2011 By

It’s Wednesday again! So what are you making for dinner tonight? I made this South Beach Diet (Phase 2) meal a couple nights ago and boy is it yummy! Plus, you will have plenty of leftovers. Well enough of my blabbing… on to the recipe.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 1lb extra lean ground beef or turkey
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1.5 cups low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 1 jar (4oz) chopped green chile peppers
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2.5 cups salsa
  • 4 whole wheat tortillas (6” in diameter), halved
  • 1.25 cup (5oz) shredded, reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheeses

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Coat a 13”x9” baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium heat. Add the ground beef or turkey and cook, turning several times, for 5 minutes or until no longer pink.
  • Remove the ground beef or turkey to a medium bowl. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel. Coat the skillet with cooking spray. Place over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add to the ground beef or turkey in the bowl.
  • In another medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, sour cream, peppers, cilantro (if using), cumin, and salt.
  • Spread 1 cup of salsa across the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange half of the tortillas evenly over the salsa. Spread half of the cheese over the tortillas. Top with half of the ground beef or turkey mixture. Top with 1 cup of the remaining salsa and 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat the layering sequence with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and ground beef or turkey.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Loosely cover with foil if the cheese browns too quickly.

Makes 8 servings – 250 calories per serving

mexican lasagna

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Tortellini with Butternut Squash and Fontina

November 30, 2011 By

Heeeyyy! So, it’s Wednesday again, which means I have another recipe for you. Yay! This time I made a recipe I found in Real Simple’s October issue. I love this magazine! October was “A Month of Easy Dinners.” There was even a shopping list included!  <3

Here’s the original recipe, however I crossed out the mushrooms because I don’t like mushrooms, therefore I didn’t use them. Blargh.

Tortellini with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, and Fontina

Ingredients

  • 1 Small Butternut Squash (2 Pounds), Peeled And Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
  • 1 pound Cremini Mushrooms, Stems Trimmed And Halved If Large
  • ¼ cups Fresh Sage Leaves, Torn
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Kosher Salt And Black Pepper
  • 1 pound Fresh Or Frozen Cheese Tortellini (I used whole wheat)
  • 2 ounces, weight Fontina, Grated, Plus More For Serving

 

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss the squash and mushrooms with the sage, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once and rotating pans halfway through, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the tortellini and return to the pot. Add the fontina, ¼ cup of the cooking water, and ½ teaspoon salt and stir gently until a light sauce forms (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Add the vegetables and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with additional fontina, garnish with a few sage leaves.

YUM YUM IN MY TUM TUM!

tortellini with butternut squash

There may or may not be some added parmesan on there.

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Chicken Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash

November 16, 2011 By

It’s What’s for ____ Wednesday?!  So, what’s for dinner? Chicken Pad Thai made with spaghetti squash instead of pasta! 

Because this is a healthier version of Pad Thai it obviously isn’t quite as delicious as the real thing, but I enjoyed it, as did my husband.  I love using spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta.  You get your veggies but keep the carbs low!

Chicken Pad Thai with Spaghetti Squash (adapted from Bonnie Appetite)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large spaghetti squash
  • 1 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas
  • 6 oz. cooked chicken breast, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • crushed red pepper flakes to taste ( I like A LOT!)

Garnishes:

  • 2 tbsp dry roasted peanuts, chopped
  • green onions (chopped)
  • cilantro
  • lime wedges

Directions:

Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. If you are having difficulty cutting it, try microwaving for a minute or two, whole. Scrape away the seeds. Place on foil covered cookie sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Roast on 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove, let sit 5 minutes and then "shred" the squash with a fork.

In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté garlic for 1 minute. Add the sugar snap peas and sauté over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar and crushed red pepper to skillet. Heat until smooth. Return sugar snap peas to the pan, as well as the spaghetti squash. Add in chicken, and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes or until sauce has coated all.

Divide among 2 plates/bowls and top with peanuts, cilantro, green onion, and lime wedge.

spaghetti squash chicken pad thai

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Roasted Wild Salmon and Asparagus with Double-Lemon Oil

October 26, 2011 By

It’s What’s for ____ Wednesday?!  So, what’s for dinner?  Another Kalyn’s Kitchen dish…yum!  I stock up on salmon from Sam’s Club (note: I NEVER buy fish from Southeast Asia because they are loaded with chemicals and pesticides – check your packaging!!)  So, I always have some fish in the freezer.  This dish has become a staple in our home.  I try to mix it up with different veggies… last night we had it with broccoli.

Enjoy!

Roasted Wild Salmon and Asparagus with Double-Lemon Oil
2 Servings

Ingredients:
- 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 T + 2 tsp. + 2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. fresh asparagus
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 wild salmon pieces, with skin

Preheat oven to 450F.  Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray or brush with olive oil.

Zest the lemon rind into a small bowl or custard cup.  (Kalyn uses all the zest, but I only like a little bit…)  Take your zested lemon and squeeze the juice into another bowl (watch out for those seeds!), then measure 1 Tbsp into the lemon zest. Whisk 1.5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil into the lemon zest-juice combo, then set aside.

Prepare your asparagus and toss 2 tsp olive oil plus salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste.

Spread out asparagus onto baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes.  While asparagus roasts, rub each piece of salmon on both sides with olive oil (about 1 tsp. per piece.)  Season salmon with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

After 5 minutes, push the asparagus over and place the salmon pieces on the baking sheet.  Put salmon and asparagus into oven and roast for about 10 minutes longer… if you find that your fish isn’t cooked through you can cook for longer or do what I did: microwave!  Your dish is done when the asparagus is starting to soften and salmon feels barely firm to the touch.  Drizzle desired amount of lemon oil over salmon and asparagus and serve.

Nikki’s Notes:

I have experimented with the zest and a whole lemon is too much for me.  I like my lemon subtle.  This recipe is super easy and quick!

Update:  I found my photo!  I knew I took one :)  Fresh out of the oven and some broccoli mixed in!

roasted wild salmon

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Baked Pesto Chicken

October 19, 2011 By

It’s What’s for ____ Wednesday?!  So, what’s for dinner?  Yummy Baked Pesto Chicken.  I love Kalyn’s Kitchen and pretty much find almost every single one of my dinners on her website.  So go show her some love!!

Baked Pesto Chicken
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or a package of raw chicken tenders
- salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 2 oz. (1/2 cup) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. If you bought breasts than you can cut them up into tender-sized pieces.

Spray a 9″ x 12″  baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through.

Rmove the foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted.  After the cheese is melted switch your oven to broil for 5 more minutes, just long enough to get the cheese lightly browned.

Serve hot… maybe on a bed of rice?  Whatever you want!

Nikki’s Notes:

Use good pesto!  In the photo below I used Harris Teeter brand pesto and look how oily the corners of my dish are!  Also, I may or may not have measured my pesto…. so don’t go crazy. Too much pesto = garlic breath.  I still love this dish and make it a lot.  It’s SO easy.  And the chicken stays juicy. yum!

baked pesto chicken

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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

October 12, 2011 By

Today is the first day of “What’s for breakfast/lunch/dinner/dessert/snack? Wednesday.”  I love food!  Even more so, I love cooking & baking said food.  So I’ve decided to share recipes with you every Wednesday.  They will be recipes I have made or ones I want to make (there are lots of those!).

So, without further ado… What’s for Dinner? Wednesday!

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna (adapted from Skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 3 cups cooked roasted spaghetti squash
  • 1lb of lean ground turkey (cooked)
  • 1 cup part skim ricotta
  • 8 tsp parmesan cheese
  • 6 oz part skim shredded mozzarella

Directions:

See instructions on how to roast spaghetti squash here.

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a 7×11 inch glass casserole dish, ladle 1 cup quick marinara sauce on the bottom. Top with 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash and spread evenly. Then spread your 1lb cooked turkey on top of the spaghetti squash layer.  Top with 1/2 cup ricotta.

Sprinkle 4 teaspoons of grated parmesan cheese and 3 oz mozzarella.  If you are like me you ended up with a lot of extra roasted squash, so why not add another layer? yum!  Then, add the remaining sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges begin to bubble; uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Nikki’s Notes:

The measurements don’t have to be exact… I pretty much just layered everything and eyed it.  Extra cheese? YUM!  Also, watch your cooking time.  You really want that cheese to be browning and melted.  It took a few trips to the oven to get mine just right.  But I will tell you what, this lasagna was AWESOME!  (bonus: it’s low carb!) My husband was raving.  And we got 6-8 servings out of it!!

spaghetti sauce lasagna

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Gnocchi with Pumpkin Parmesan Sauce

September 26, 2011 By

Happy fall!!  Friday marked the first day of fall and I was craving something warm, unhealthy and delicious.  I often pop into my neighborhood Willams-Sonoma while out walking with Molly and recently saw a delicious pasta sauce: Pumpkin Parmesan… yuuummm.  But at $16 a jar I knew I could find a recipe online that was similar.  Was I right?  Oh yes! (Thanks Heidikins Cooks!)  And it hit the spot.  It was everything I thought it would be.  Obviously this is a once-in-awhile treat, but I promise you it’s worth every single calorie!  *I left out the mushrooms. blargh.

Gnocchi with Pumpkin Parmesan Sauce

Gnocchi with Pumpkin Parmesan Sauce
Sauce serves 4

Cook gnocchi/pasta until al dente, drain

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
5-6 mushrooms, diced
2 teaspoons salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced

Melt butter in saucepan, saute onion, garlic & mushroom until tender, add salt & pepper.  Add pumpkin, cream & chicken stock, bring to a boil.  Turn heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, add parmesan cheese and stir to melt.  Serve over gnocchi (or other pasta), garnish with parmesan and minced sage.

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