Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Chicken Pot Pie Soup adapted from Skinnytaste
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pt • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 169.2 • Fat: 1.2 g • Protein: 18.5 g • Carb: 21.2 g • Fiber: 2.3 g

Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1 bowl (1-1/2 cups) • Old Points: 5 pt • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 253.8 • Fat: 1.8 g • Protein: 27.7 g • Carb: 31.9 g • Fiber: 3.4 g    1

1/4 cup flour (to make gluten-free use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead)
2 cups water
4 cups fat free milk
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1/2 medium chopped onion
8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms
2 chicken bouillons
fresh ground pepper
pinch of thyme
10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small
16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
salt



Directions:  Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Modifications:
-I used whole wheat flour.
-I did not use the celery.
-I added 1/4 cup chicken broth.
-I added 3-4 lasagna pieces cut up.

Here's what you'll need:

Cook the chicken.

Wash off the mushrooms with a damp towel and slice.

 Dice up potatoes.

Dice up the onion.

Once the chicken is cooked through, cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Mix the flour and 1/4 cup of cold water. 

Bring water and milk to a slow boil.

I took 3-4 lasagna pieces and cut them up to add, as well. (Optional)

Add the onions, mushrooms, frozen veggies, and seasonings to the milk/water.  Simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Add the potatoes, pasta (if you are using), and chicken.

Add the flour mixture.  Simmer for another 2-3 minutes to thicken.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:
What a perfect, easy meal for a cool Fall day.  If you stick to the original recipe, 1 cup of this soup=6 points on the new Weight Watchers system.  Since I added 1/4 cup of chicken stock and some pasta, I'm sure it is another point.

I'm really happy that I added the pasta to this dish and actually wish I would have added more.  The pasta simulated the pie shell topping that is on a traditional pot pie and added an extra bit of comfort.

I used chicken breast tenderloins that I boiled but this dish can be made even easier by using a rotisserie chicken.

Scott had a good point when he said that it almost reminded him of a potato soup, like this one.

 
Hope you enjoy!
April

Slow Cooked Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Slow Cooked Buffalo Chicken Wraps adapted from Debbi Does Dinner

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce
3/4 cup ranch dressing, light
10 - 100 calorie whole wheat tortillas
Lettuce

Directions: Place chicken and salt in the crock pot.  Cover and cook for 6 - 7 hours on low.  Remove chicken and empty crock pot of water. Shred the chicken and add back to the slow cooker.  Mix ranch and buffalo wing sauce in a small bowl.  Add the sauce to the chicken and stir.  Serve on tortillas with lettuce.

Modifications:
-I added a block of cream cheese

Here's what you'll need:

Put the salted chicken breasts in the crockpot and cook for a few hours (picture above).  Once finished, drain the water out of the crockpot and shred the chicken.

 Put the shredded chicken back into the crockpot.

Warm the cream cheese for about 45 seconds and add the Ranch dressing to it.  Then add the Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce.

Add to the chicken.

 Our Thoughts:
 I was horrible at getting pics for this dish.  It was the first game of the NLCS and my brain was so scattered waiting for the Cardinals to come on!

Anyway, I ended up adding about 1 cup of Ranch dressing and a cup of Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce.  I also added the whole block of cream cheese.  All of these ingredients, though, can be added or deleted to your taste.

I served them on whole wheat tortillas with shredded lettuce and cheese that each person could add and the rest of the Ranch dressing they could drizzle.

We love anything buffalo or hot wing style so we loved these wraps.  They were spicy but the cool, shredded iceberg lettuce took some of that bite away.

I will definitely be making these again for another gathering!

Hope you enjoy!
April  

Turkey Suizas Casserole

Turkey Suizas Casserole adapted from Everyday Magazine
2 poblano chile peppers
3 Tbsp EVOO
8 tomatillos, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp honey or agave
1 lime, juiced
1-1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2lbs chopped or pulled cooked turkey
1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
1 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
12 corn or 8 flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:  Char the poblanos over burners or under a hot broiler until blackened all over.  Place in a bowl, cover and let sit until cool enough to handle.  Peel, seed and chop.

Preheat the broiler.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 3 turns of the pan.  Add the tomatillos, onion, garlic and bay leaf; season with salt, pepper, the cilantro and cumin.  Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Discard the bay leaf.  Add the tomatillo mixture, poblanos, honey and lime juice to a food processor and puree.

In the same skillet, heat the chicken stock over high heat.  Stir in the turkey to reheat, then stir in the tomatillo sauce.

In a medium casserole, layer in half of the turkey mixture and dot with the crema.  Top with half of each of the cheeses and half of the tortillas.  Spread the rest of the turkey on top and layer with the remaining tortillas and then cheese.  Broil until cheese is melted.

Modifications:
-I used chicken breast.  Cut it into strips and browned it.
-I used sour cream instead of crema.

Here's what you'll need:

I cut up the turkey breast.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the poblano peppers on the burner to blacken.  (The pepper will start to pop and sizzle). 

Once the peppers blacken, put them in a bowl and cover them until they cool off.  About 10 minutes or so.

Chop up the tomatillos, cilantro, and garlic.

Chop up an onion.

Cook the tomatillos, onion, and garlic until softened.

Add the cilantro.

While the tomatillos are cooking, de-seed and chop up the peppers.

Put the peppers, tomatillos, onion, garlic, and cilantro into a food processor to puree.

Brown the turkey in a pan.  Once the turkey is cooked add the tomatillo puree.

Add some chicken broth.

Put half of the mixture into a baking dish.  Add the sour cream and the cheese.

Lay tortillas on top.  Keep layering.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Here is our revised version.

Our Thoughts:
This dish had so much flavor and we loved it. 

This was my first experience cooking with tomatillos and if you haven't had them before they taste a little like a green apple and they are delicious.

After having made this dish the way the recipe called for it, we quickly realized that it was too runny so we ended up taking tortillas and rolling the mixture in the tortilla.  This made it much easier to eat.

I want to revisit this recipe with the following changes:
 1. I would probably use ground turkey or may even a rotissierie chicken.  The cut up turkey breast cubes were too large.
 2. I would make this dish up until it was time to put into a baking dish.  I think at this point I would then put it into a crockpot and just let it simmer.
 3. I would let everyone serve themselves.  Great for a football party.

You could also make this hotter by adding a jalapeno in with the peppers.

Hope you enjoy!
April