WW Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Source: a Weight Watchers weekly handout.

Weight Watchers Points Plus values: 5 pts+ (serving size = 1 cup)

WW SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE

1 lb skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (I just used boneless/skinless chicken breasts instead, worked dandily)
1 cup fresh, frozen, or canned mushrooms, sliced (I don't like mushrooms so I didn't use these. I added a cut-up whole red pepper instead.)
1 cup fresh or frozen green peppers, sliced (I cut mine into fairly small pieces because I hate getting large chunks of anything; also, I didn't measure them, I just cut up the whole thing)
1 cup fresh or frozen onions, chopped (again, didn't measure... I used 1/2 an onion.)
1 medium garlic clove, minced (I prefer fresh ones. Also, for those of you that are unfamiliar, the PChef rep in me wants to remind you that a clove is 1 piece, not the entire bulb)
1 tbsp canned tomato paste (make sure you buy a tiny can. I thought I bought a little one and I had a ridiculous amount left so I put it in a little container and froze it. So if anyone around here needs some, holler at me. I don't know when I will use it again, probably the next time I make this.)
14.5 oz. can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (yeah, good luck finding this, I tried 3 stores... I went ahead and bought the diced and it was just fine.)
1/4 cup dry red wine (after consulting my cooking guru friend Molly, I went ahead and used a Merlot. Add 4 pts if you drink a glass of it while you're cooking this) :)
3/4 tsp dried oregano, crushed (I thought I had this, but turns out I had ground oregano, seemed to work ok)
3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper

Throw it all in the crock pot and stir it up a little bit. You're supposed to cook on high heat for 5-6 hours or low heat for 6-8 hours, but I got a later start on this than I wanted, so I actually only let mine go on high heat for 4 hours and it was done... it might vary on the size of your crockpot? I have kind of a smaller one.

This recipe makes about 4 servings but I would imagine you could double it easily enough if you wanted to.

Verdict: Not too shabby! I'll probably make this again.

Leftover quality: really good! I think the chicken actually managed to absorb more liquid while in the fridge, so that was a bonus.

The Easiest Casserole Ever

Source: modified from a Kraft recipe due to forgetfulness and missing ingredients.

As I was driving home from work, I realized I needed some food. I also remembered I had some chicken in my freezer. I had a vague memory of some sort of chicken-broccoli bake that I'd made ages ago, and so made a detour to the grocery store.

Turns out I remembered the stuffing and the correct "Cream of" soup... but I totally forgot the damn broccoli. The recipe also called for some Velveeta.

And I was too lazy to go back to the store.

So I improvised with what I already had, and it turned out decently okay.

EASY CHICKEN-STUFFING BAKE, BROCCOLI OPTIONAL, APPARENTLY

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 box of stuffing for chicken

1 can of cream of chicken soup

1 bag of frozen broccoli (unless you don't have any or forget. Then you can use a bag of frozen mixed veggies that you totally happened to have on hand!)

cheese - either a block of Velveeta or a bag of cheddary stuff

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Cut chicken into approximately 1" pieces. Mix the chicken, frozen veggies, and soup together and pour into a 9 x 13 pan. Mine looked really thin and I was skeptical that it was enough coverage to not burn to a crisp, but it totally worked, so trust me on this.

If you forget cheese, just sprinkle a crap-ton of the shredded cheddar cheese that you already have in your fridge. Trust me, it's there. Because everyone always has half of a bag of shredded cheese in their fridge. Don't ask me why.

If you get Velveeta "cheese product", you're supposed to cut 1" cubes and I think it was supposed to be mixed in with the original mixture.

Make the stuffing according to the directions on the box.

Put the stuffing on top of the chicken mix.

Bake for 30 minutes, or thereabouts until the chicken is completely cooked.

Bam. DONE.



Leftover quality: better be good, 'cause I've got a ton of it. ;)

Spaghetti-o Casserole

Source: I honestly have no idea. I think my mother found it somewhere, way back in the day.

Notes: This is stupidly easy.

SPAGHETTI-O CASSEROLE

1# hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can Spaghetti-o's
2 cans Vegetarian Vegetable soup (does that sound redundant to anyone else? Ha)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Brown hamburger & onion.

Mix well with cans of soup & Spaghetti-o's.



Pour into greased 8x10 pan.

Bake at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes, or until heated through.

Seriously. That's it.


Leftover quality: Very good, reheats well. It's easy to eat a lot of, though, so you might not have any leftovers, haha. We rarely did. ;)

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Source: Pampered Chef "It's Good For You" cookbook

Notes: This is probably my favorite recipe in the history of recipes. It is sooooo good and it's even good for you. It's also really easy to make, although there is a little bit of multitasking involved.

update: Weight Watchers Points Plus values: 6 pts+ (serving size: 1 1/3 cup)

My comments in italics.

GREEK LEMON CHICKEN SOUP

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (1 boneless, skinless breast should be enough. When cooking, I always use lemon-pepper seasoning - entirely optional)
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion (I use sweet yellow onions, though I don't imagine it matters. I usually end up using about 1/2 the onion)
1-2 lemons (if you get a big enough/juicy enough lemon, you should be okay with 1. I like using 2 just to make it a little more lemony. Tip: heavier lemons = more juice)
2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley (I tried using parsley flakes this past time - in which case you will want to use 2 tsp - it wasn't a huge difference but I think I will definitely go back to fresh parsley again in the future. It's a little bit more work, but I think the subtle taste difference is definitely worth it. Besides, it's cheap.)
1 garlic clove, pressed (I always use 2 - no such thing as too much garlic!)
1 can 98% fat-free reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
3 cans 100% fat free chicken broth
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup uncooked long grain white rice



1. Chop chicken, carrots, and onion using food chopper. (Seriously, if you don't have one of these, you need to get one. I would obviously recommend the Pampered Chef chopper but I think the infamous infomercial Slap Chop will get the job done as well. There is no other way to get this stuff chopped as finely as you need to, without probably losing a finger.)

2. Zest one lemon using a lemon zester/scorer to measure 1 tsp zest (approximately - just zest until you can zest no more - the more you can get, the more it will enhance the flavor). Finely snip zest using kitchen shears. Juice lemons to measure 1/4 cup juice (if you get a good lemon, it will give you 1/4 cup exactly. If you want to use a second lemon, go for it. I do.) Snip parsley using kitchen shears; set aside.

3. Spray 4qt stockpot with nonstick cooking spray (I just use Pam - for cooking, nto for baking. The baking version is a little more buttery for, obviously, baking). Heat on stovetop; add carrots, onion, and garlic pressed with garlic press. Cook and stir 2 minutes. (Be careful not to scorch - because, um, ew.)

4. Stir in chicken, soup, broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and stir parsley into soup just before serving.

Seriously, that's it! Prep time probably takes the longest, but it's totally worth it. I have gotten so many compliments on this soup I can't even tell you.

Leftover Quality: Fantastic! That's actually one of the reasons I make this, so I can have food for the next few days. It makes quite a bit, and it's really easy to double the recipe if you need more. Especially if, say, you're having friends over... otherwise, you might not have any left for yourself!

The soup does thicken up upon sitting, though, so that is (I assume) perfectly normal. The texture changes a little bit it still tastes amaaaazing.

Chicken Caesar Salad Pizza

Source: Pampered Chef "It's Good For You" cookbook

Notes: I have added some of my own commentary (it italics) below. This recipe is super easy and tasted soooo good. I used to love Perkins' Bread Bowl Chicken Caeser Salad (now it's just a salad in a dish, boo) and this reminds me a LOT of that, especially if you eat it warm!

The salad dressing mixture was awesome, too - I might keep a mental note of that just for mixing up my own salad dressing in the future (See Step 3 below). So good!

It's a little tricky to eat, but way delicious - you just kinda need a fork. :)


CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD PIZZA

1 pkg (10 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
3 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce (basically I chopped them into chunks/pieces in the 1-2-3" range, seemed to work okay - whatever seems reasonable for hunks of lettuce on an individual slice - you don't want them too big) (you're going to buy a bag, aren't you? LAME!)
2 cups diced cooked chicken (thereabouts - about 1, maybe 1 1/2 chicken breasts?) - (I seasoned mine with a parmesan-herb powder while cooking, but you probably don't have to)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I used one pepper - didn't measure)
1/3 cup pitted black olives, drained/sliced (I used one little can of pre-sliced olives)
1/4 cup (1oz) grated/shredded Parmesan cheese, divided (just buy it. It's easier.)
1/2 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing
1 garlic clove, pressed (LOVE LOVE LOVE using fresh garlic! There is no other way!)

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly sprinkle large round baking stone (prob a regular pizza pan would work too!) with flour and unroll pizza crust, shaping into an approximately 12" circle. Bake 12-14 minutes or until crust is light golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, slice lettuce; dice chicken and bell pepper. Slice olives (or just buy a can of pre-sliced ones, which is what I did. Works the same and is obviously way easier!). Place lettuce, chicken, pepper, and olives in a large bowl; set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine salad dressing, half Parmesan cheese (1/8 cup), and garlic pressed w/ garlic press. Mix well.

4. Spread 1/2 of the dressing mixture evenly over crust. Add remaining salad dressing mixture to lettuce mixture; toss to coat. Top crust with salad mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

(my cookbook touts this as being low fat, low cholesterol, and low calorie. Which would probably be true if I'd have used a light dressing, but, we all know those never taste quite as good, haha. Still, it's pretty good for you!)

Leftover Quality: Surprisingly good! I wasn't sure how it would hold up as leftovers because of the lettuce (leftover salads are usually full of fail), but when I ate it for lunch today, it was still really good. I would recommend heating up the leftovers a little bit - it doesn't need to be hot, but make it a little warm and it tastes exactly like it did when it was freshly made.