Strawberry Shortcake

This used to be one of my Papa's favorite desserts. I'm not really a huge fan of the whole Angel Food cake thing (for the sugar value, I'd rather just have a Rice Krispie Treat instead), but this does make for a pretty tasty treat on a hot summer day. And for only 3+ WW points, why not? Enjoy!

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Servings: 1 shortcake

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 3+

Ingredients:

• 1 shortcake
• 2 TBSP Fat Free Whipped Cream
• 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

Directions:

1. Top shortcake with whipped cream and strawberries... enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins

Alright, I'm gonna be honest with y'all and say that these things were not nearly as delicious as the Cheesy Chicken Pastries I made last week. That being said, these things were pretty good (and surprisingly turned out better than I thought they would). You see, I tried using a specific recipe I found online, to which I discovered I was no Betty Crocker. In the end, I ended up throwing out that recipe and just decided it was time I got creative in the kitchen. This treat was the result. And boy was it a treat (once again served with my Berry Chicken Salad). And at only 2+ WW points per muffin who could go wrong? Enjoy!

CHICKEN POT PIE MUFFINS

Servings: 6-8

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: Only 2+/muffin!

Ingredients:

• 2/3 c All-Purpose Baking Mix (or Bisquick)
• 1/3 c Milk
• 2 T egg substitute
• 1/2 c WW Mexican Blend Cheese
• 1/2 c mixed vegetables
• 4 oz pulled chicken

Directions:

1. Combine all purpose baking mix, milk, and egg substitute in a bowl.
2. Spoon a small amount into each baking tin.
3. Layer chicken, cheese, and veggies in each tin and cover with remaining mixture.
4. Bake at 375° F for about 20-25 minutes (or until golden brown).
5. Enjoy!

Note: Baking cups were used in the picture to the right... should I repeat this recipe in the future, I would have simply sprayed the pan with Pam and poured mixture directly into the tins.

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Berry Chicken Salad

So I needed a filling, but low-WW-points side dish to go with my Cheesy Chicken Pastries (which were delicious by the way), and ended up just throwing together this nice little salad with the leftover chicken. Nothing too fancy, but just a reminder of a light side dish (other than plain veggies) that can always be paired with a meal. Enjoy!

BERRY CHICKEN SALAD

Servings: 1 bowl

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 1+ (for the chicken)

Ingredients:

• Fresh Express Salad Mixture (Iceberg/Romaine Lettuce, Carrots, Cabbage)
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup strawberries, chopped
• 1 oz pulled chicken, chopped
• Optional: nuts (to add more points if needed), other fruits, cheese, etc

Directions:

1. Top fresh salad with 1/2 cup of chopped strawberries, 1/2 tomato, and 1 oz pulled chicken.
2. Enjoy!

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Cheesy Chicken Pastries

The smell alone of this dish was fantastic... even my dog can attest to that. There's just something about that fantastic smell of buttery biscuits baking in the oven. Now I know this doesn't exactly fall under my "low carb" plan for either my mom or my body/blood type, but sometimes you just have to splurge and indulge yourself in something extra delicious just for the fun of it. And I went ahead and paired this meal with my Berry Chicken Salad (very simple, see picture below) so it wasn't too high in WW Points value, but still filling and satisfying. 

Let me put it this way... You know it's good when you start with only two rolls on your plate and just can't help yourself from going back for more (both my mom and I did... my dad was out of town, otherwise I'm positive he would have too). Enjoy!

CHEESY CHICKEN PASTRIES

Servings: 8 pastries

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 4+ per pastry

Ingredients:

• 8 Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls
• 4 TBSP Philadelphia 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese
• 8 oz shredded/pulled chicken

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Unwrap crescent rolls and place on a baking sheet.
3. Spread 1/2 TBSP cream cheese on each of the dough triangles and top with 1 oz of pulled chicken (see right).
4. Roll each crescent so that the point is facing up and roll the dough between your hands to make sure that the chicken/cheese is completely contained within the pastry (see image above).
5. Bake in the oven for about 11 minutes (make sure the bottoms of the rolls do not brown/burn).
6. Enjoy!

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Chicken Parmesan Roll-Ups with Stuffed Ricotta Spinach

Hello, yummy! This dish was not only great in nutritional value, but was also fairly low in WW Points+ and absolutely delicious as well. Seriously, pictures and words can't even begin to do this dish justice. It's basically a combination of classic Chicken Parmesan with my recipe for Cheesy Lasagna Roll-Ups. Definitely one of my favorite recipes that I have made since I have started cooking (and my family really enjoyed this one too)! You ABSOLUTELY have to try this one yourself (and you know I mean it when I give a rave review like this one)... Enjoy!

CHICKEN PARMESAN ROLL-UPS with STUFFED RICOTTA SPINACH

Servings: 4

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 3+ for one roll-up, 7+ for two roll-ups (assuming 2 oz of chicken per roll-up)

Note: Nutritional values below do not reflect chicken or spinach and are for two roll-ups (1/4 dish) (3+)

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken cutlets (about 2-3 oz each), pounded
• 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese
• 3 TBSP egg beaters (or egg whites)
• 2 oz frozen spinach (or to taste)
• 3 TBSP part skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup WW Italian blend cheese
• 1/2 cup Light Ragu sauce, no sugar added
• Optional: salt/pepper/Italian spices to taste

Directions:

1. Cook spinach according to package directions (if frozen) and place in the freezer to cool.
2. Take each cutlet and place between two pieces of tin foil and hammer chicken until flat.
3. In one bowl, combine 1/3 cup Panko and 1 TBSP Parmesan cheese.
4. In another bowl, pour 2 TBSP egg beaters (or egg whites).
5. In a third bowl, combine 1 TBSP Parmesan cheese, 1 TBSP egg beaters, 3 TBSP ricotta cheese, and 1/4 c WW Italian cheese.
6. Remove spinach from the freezer and remove all excess water using paper towels.
7. Add dried spinach to the third bowl of cheese/egg mixture.
8. Fill each chicken cutlet with a spoonful of the cheese/egg/spinach mixture and roll up.
9. Dip chicken in the bowl with plain egg and then roll in the Panko/cheese mixture.
10. Repeat steps 8-9 until all chicken has been filled and coated (see picture to the right).
11. Bake chicken for about 22 minutes at 360° F.
12. Remove chicken from the oven and top with one spoonful of sauce and WW Italian cheese (from the remaining 1/4 cup).
13. Allow chicken to cook for about 3-5 more minutes (or until cheese begins to melt).
14. Enjoy!

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Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chicken

Protein-packed sauce that makes a wonderful topping for melt-in-your-mouth chicken... Enjoy!

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH CHICKEN

Servings: 5

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 1+/oz of chicken, 2+ for 1/5 serving of sauce/mixture

Note: Nutritional values below are for 1/5 serving of sauce/mixture (chicken not included)

Ingredients:

• 2-5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (I used FAGE 0%)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Optional: 1/2 tsp seasoning salt, pepper to taste (see below)

Directions:

1. Combine Greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese, along with garlic powder.
2. Coat chicken throughly with mixture.
3. Bake at 375° F for about 45 minutes (watch to make sure chicken does not burn).
4. Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken Broccoli Divan

I'm going to keep this one short... Who doesn't love a good crockpot meal? Enjoy!

CROCKPOT CHICKEN BROCCOLI DIVAN

Servings: 6

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 3+ for 1/6 serving, 1+/oz of chicken = about 7+

Note: Nutritional values below are for 1/6 serving of sauce only (does not include chicken or broccoli)

Ingredients:

• 2-5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bag of frozen broccoli cuts
• 1 can of Healthy Request Cream of Chicken soup
• 3 TBSP mayonnaise
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 c WW Mexican blend (or cheddar) cheese

Directions:

1. Place chicken in the bottom of the crockpot and layer with 1/2 package of frozen cut broccoli (serve the rest later with dinner).
2. Combine soup, mayonnaise, and lemon juice in a separate bowl and add mixture to the crockpot.
3. Top with WW Mexican blend or cheddar cheese and cook in crockpot for about 4-5 hours on low.
4. Note: if cooking in the oven, bake for about 45 minutes or so on 350°F.
5. Enjoy!