Chicken Pot Pie

Are you part of the millions of Americans trying to eat healthier in 2011?  I know I am!  This is a great recipe for comfort food but with way less calories than a typical restaurant version.  The recipe source has a ton of other recipe 'swaps' so be sure to look around for your favorites!

Recipe Source

Ingredients:

8 oz. raw boneless skinless chicken breast; cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables (I like the corn, peas, green beans mixture)
1 can (10.75 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Soup, 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken
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. I typically do 4, as 3 makes a very thin crust.
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.

Crescent Chicken

This recipe is SO delicious and simple. Here's the source.  This recipe seems pretty plain, but tastes awesome and is so quick to put together, especially if you have leftover rotisserie chicken or chicken from another recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1 cup shredded cheese, any type
1 can crescent rolls
1 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup

• Mix chicken and cheese in a medium bowl. You could add veggies here if you wanted to!
• Separate the crescents and lay them out on a pyrex sprayed with cooking spray
• Place about 1/3 cup of chicken/cheese mixture on the crescent.
• Stretch the dough until you can pinch it closed.
• Mix 1 cup of milk with the soup and pour it over your bundles.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

King Ranch Chicken

I'm surprised I haven't posted about this already - its one of our favorite chicken dishes! I just made it tonight with a little twist, so I'll tell you about two variations.

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can Rotel
1.5 cups chicken broth
12 tortillas, cut into quarters (pizza cutter works great for this!)
1/2 to 1 onion, chopped (amount to taste)
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1-2 cups shredded cheese (amount to taste)

To do:
-Mix soups, Rotel and chicken broth in large saucepan (a skillet might be too small, I use this piece and it works great).
-Add chicken and onion and cook for 10 minutes, covered.
-Spray a 9x13 or other baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
-Layer tortillas, 1/3 of soup mixture and 1/3 cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times.
-Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Please, no comments on our lack of vegetables. I'm pretty sure Rotel counts. :)

Tips:
-I sometimes use 2 cream of chicken soups rather than 1 mushroom/1 chicken. I had one batch of King Ranch turn out very mushroom-y which was not too good (but no prob if you like mushrooms!)
-Tonight, I substituted crushed tortilla chips for the tortillas, and barely noticed a difference.
-This reheats GREAT! Almost better than the first time, which, if you know me well, is a big claim for me to make. I'm usually anti-leftovers :)

Let me know if you try it and like it!

Cornbread Taco Casserole

This is by far my favorite recipe these days...it is so easy and so delicious.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 can cream corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 box cornbread mix
2/3 cup salsa
1 onion (optional)
1 cup water
1 can black beans
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix cream corn, cornbread mix and 1/2 cup water in small bowl.
Spread mixture into bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes and then remove.
Cook meat with onion, drain well.
Add 1/2 cup water and taco seasoning and simmer until water is absorbed.
Add salsa and black beans to meat and mix well.
Spoon meat mixture over cornbread evenly. Top with cheese.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

I've actually never made this with black beans because I don't really care for them, but I'm sure it would go very well with it. Hope you enjoy!

Smoky Chicken and Cheesy Potato Casserole

Recently, I got an email from Better Homes & Gardens with a bunch of casserole recipes. This is one of those - and its so easy! Here goes:

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8oz carton sour cream
6 oz smoked cheddar cheese, shredded (I used regular cheddar)
1 28oz package frozen loose-pack hash broens with onion and peppers, thawed (I used Simply Potatoes brand)
3 cups chopped chicken or turkey, cooked

To do:
-Lightly coat the inside of a 3 1/2-4 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
-In a bowl, mix all the ingredients then pour into the slow cooker.
-Cover and cook on low heat 5-6 hours. Makes 6 servings. (reheats great!)

I think this would be a great side dish if you omit the chicken, although it would be pretty substantial for a side.