15 Minute Chicken and Broccoli. (GF/DF)

All the flavors of the classic dish, but on the table in under 15 minutes!

This recipe is for all of you who are super busy but want a quick, easy meal on the table in 15 minutes at the end of the day.
Read: EVERYONE.
AmIright?!
I thought so.
So here’s the deal: with a tiny bit of alacrity, you definitely CAN have this recipe done in under 15 minutes start-to-finish.
Promise!

I’m slowly getting over my fear of making Asian-inspired dishes. This one was super simple and turned out really well, especially considering how quickly it all comes together. In order to get this done in 15 minutes or less, you’ll have to multi-task a little bit. But that’s okay, because you’re a kitchen rock star and can totally handle it.
Here’s how easy it is to do:
The chicken gets chopped up into bite sized pieces and cooks on medium-high heat. The higher heat will help it stay really moist and tender. Bonus: it also cooks faster! 5-6 minutes is probably all you’ll need to have it cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, you’ll whisk up your sauce.
Now, if you’re like me and want to have plenty of sauce to mix into the broccoli/rice, you’ll be happy to know I doubled the original amount.
There’s nothing worse than a dry dish, ya know? We can’t have any of that going on here.

Speaking of broccoli, you have some options as far as how you want to cook it:
#1) You can add it to the pan once the chicken is done cooking.
Pro: Same pan! No extra mess!
Con: It will take longer to cook and this will become a 20 minute dinner.
#2) You can steam them in a separate pot.
Pro: It can steam away while the chicken cooks. Yay multi-tasking!
Con: More clean up because of the extra pot.

Either way works, it just depends what your priority is: dinner on the table ASAP or as little clean up as possible.

For a complete meal, serve the chicken and broccoli over some rice (hello, 10-minute boil-in-bag rice!) and enjoy!

15 Minute Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1lb chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into cubes
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Broccoli florets

For the sauce:

• 6 Tbsp GF Tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos
• 4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 4 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp sesame oil

1). Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink.

2). While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Set aside.

3). If steaming broccoli in a separate pot, bring water to a boil and place in the steamer basket. Alternatively, you can add the broccoli to the pan with chicken and cover to cook for a few minutes.

4). Once the chicken is cooked through and the broccoli is crisp-tender, add the sauce mixture to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until it begins to thicken. Garnish with sesame seeds (optional), and serve over rice, if desired. Enjoy!

Servings: About 4. Recipe adapted from here.

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Easy Paleo Almond Chicken Tenders. (GF)

These chicken tenders are coated in almond meal and baked for a healthy take on traditional chicken fingers!

Ever want a no-fuss dinner that you know everyone will love?
All the time, right?
Add this one to your weekly rotation.
Oh yes, I said weekly.
If you know me well, you know I RARELY cook anything twice, but I’ve already made this dish numerous times because it’s such a crowd-pleaser.

I mean, everyone loves chicken tenders, right?
Exactly.

Thankfully, these are much more heart-healthy than what you’d order in a restaurant or buy at the store because they’re breaded in almond meal instead of flour, and they’re baked, not fried.

Let’s be honest, usually when something is baked, that’s code for “not-as-good-as-fried”, but this chicken turns out perfectly cooked and amazing. Plus, it’s so much easier than frying since you just stick the whole pan in the oven at once and you’re done!

Before baking, I dipped the chicken in a beaten egg and then in a spicy almond meal mixture. A lot of fun spices come together here like cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. There’s a bit of heat from the pepper but it’s not overpowering.

I used Trader Joe’s almond meal for the breading. Depending on what brand you use, you may have different results. 1 cup of almond meal is perfect for 2 pounds of chicken. Your chicken should be perfectly cooked in about 25 minutes, making this a great weeknight meal option your whole family (even picky eaters) will love!

Easy Paleo Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper (use 1/2 tsp if you don’t want it spicy)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• cooking spray

1). Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a pan with foil for easy clean-up if desired, and spray with cooking spray.

2). Cut the chicken breasts into long strips about 1-2″ wide.

3). In a small bowl, beat the egg lightly.

4). In a larger bowl, combine the almond meal with all of the spices.

5). Dip each piece of chicken in the egg, letting the excess run off. Then dip into the almond meal mixture, coating well. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with leftover chicken. Tip: don’t overcrowd the pan! For crispy chicken tenders, there has to be space between them for the air to circulate. 

6). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Enjoy!

Servings: about 8. Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 214 Carbs: 4g Fat: 11g Protein: 28g Fiber: 2g Points+: 6 Recipe adapted from here. Adapted recipe courtesy of Audrey’s Apron.

 

 

Chicken with Mustard and Prosciutto. (GF, DF)

An elegant French-inspired chicken dish easy enough to make on a weeknight, and show-stopping enough to serve to company!

See that?
That’s pure culinary enchantment, friends.  And a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner idea. Because French food is automatically romantic and inviting.

This is an adaptation on a French classic: tender chicken nestled into a savory mustard and herb sauce. With prosciutto. A very Italian ingredient. Sooo, this is really more of a French-Italian fusion dish, but the prosciutto is important–it’s salty character really brings out all the flavors of the dish. Don’t have proscuitto? No worries, use bacon or pancetta instead.

If you like the flavor of mustard, you will really enjoy this dish because it uses both a classic dijon and a grainy mustard. The chicken gets coated in it and it’s also used in the sauce. Don’t worry, it’s not overpowering at all, though!

Thyme is another main ingredient here. I don’t cook with thyme very often, mostly because I never have it on hand, and because the dried version is overbearing to my pallette. In this case, the fresh thyme blended beautifully in the sauce, so if you have any reservations about using thyme, leave those aside and try the recipe as-is. I think you’ll love it!

A few more important notes about this dish:

1. There are a few steps involved, but none of them are difficult, so don’t let the somewhat lengthy instructions below derail you from making this recipe. It’s a lot of “cook this in the pan, remove it, now add something else, remove it, now add it all back together”.
2. I used a mixture of both chicken breasts and boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you can use what you want.
3. You will need a skillet with a lid for this dish.
4. Cooking nerd here, but one of my favorite steps in this recipe is deglazing the pan! It allows you to get all of the flavor off the bottom of the pan and into the sauce.
5. If you can tolerate dairy, add 2 tablespoons at the end right before serving for a creamier sauce. Honestly, I didn’t miss it and don’t think it needed it, but I’ll leave it up to you!
6. This dish is best served HOT and fresh!

Chicken with Mustard and Prosciutto

Ingredients:

For the chicken “marinade”:

• 2 lbs chicken (I used breasts and boneless, skinless thighs)
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or sweet)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup diced prosciutto (or bacon, or pancetta)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
• 3/4 cup chicken broth (low-sodium)
• 2 Tbsp grainy mustard

1). In a large bowl, combine the chicken “marinade” ingredients well.  Add the chicken and coat evenly in the mixture. Set aside.

2). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced prosciutto, stirring frequently until it starts to crisp up and brown slightly. Remove from the skillet and put in an empty bowl.

3). In the same pan, add 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and stir until soft and translucent. Add the thyme and after a minute, remove from the skillet to the bowl with prosciutto.

4). To the same pan, add the other 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken for a few minutes until browned on one side, then flip and cook a few minutes more. Remove from the skillet onto an empty plate.

5). Time to deglaze the pan! Add the broth to the hot, empty pan and scrape all of the crispy brown bits off the bottom of the pan using a flat edged wooden spoon. Add the chicken, onions, and prosciutto back to the pan. Cover and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes. Be sure to turn the chicken a few times. Check to make sure it is cooked through before proceeding to step 6.

6). Remove the chicken from the pan to stir in the grainy mustard into the sauce. Add the chicken back to the pan, give it a few quick turns in the sauce, and serve!

Servings: 6. Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 246 Carbs: 2g Fat: 11g Protein: 38g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 1g Points+: 7 Recipe adapted from here. Adapted recipe courtesy of Audrey’s Apron.

Kung Pao Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

A gluten-free copycat of a restaurant favorite that’s full of bold flavor!

Even before I had to begin eating gluten-free, I always loved lettuce wraps. They’re light, crunchy, and (mostly) healthy. When I came across this recipe, I was hopeful it would be a successful Asian dish I could make at home. The verdict? Definitely a keeper.

I broke down and bought a new-to-me ingredient for this recipe: mirin. I did a lot of research trying to figure out a way to get around purchasing it, but none of the replacements were any more convenient. I used to shy away from cooking Asian dishes because of the long list of ingredients I didn’t have in my pantry. About a year and a half ago I broke down and finally bought some of those staples, and I’m so glad I did! Now I have a little corner in my pantry dedicated to those types of ingredients. They last quite a while, so if you’re wondering if you should invest in those specialty ingredients, do it!

Ok, back to this awesome recipe.

After the small pieces of chicken breast are coated in a mixture of corn starch and GF soy sauce, the go into a hot skillet until cooked. The cornstarch helps give the chicken an amazing texture when it cooks. The last step is to let the chicken and zucchini/garlic simmer in a perfectly sweet-and-spicy sauce, giving each bite tonsssss of flavor. We both thought it was pretty spicy (in a good way!), so be ready for it!

I used gluten-free soy sauce but you can use regular if that’s not an issue for you. If you aren’t a fan of lettuce wraps, you can also serve this over rice! Thanks to the quick stir-fry method, this came together really quickly, making it a great weeknight meal. I hope you’ll try it!

Kung Pao Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

• 1lb chicken breasts, chopped very small
• 3 Tablespoons GF tamari or soy sauce, divided
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tablespoons mirin
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Sriracha
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoons + 1 tsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 small zucchini, chopped small
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Lettuce leaves (I used butter lettuce but iceburg or baby romaine work well too)

1). In a large bowl, combine the chopped chicken breast with 1 Tablespoon soy sauce and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch. Make sure each piece is evenly coated.

2). Add the other 2 Tablespoons of GF tamari/soy sauce, mirin, sriracha, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and sesame oil together in a bowl.

3). In a small separate bowl, stir the water into the remaining Tablespoon of cornstarch, THEN stir into the soy sauce mixture (from step 2). Set aside for later.

4). Heat 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan (or wok, if you have one) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink. Remove from pan to a plate and set aside.

5). Add 1 tsp vegetable oil to the pan and add the zucchini. Stir fry until crisp tender. Add the minced garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

6). Add the chicken back to the pan along with the sauce from step 2. Let it simmer for a few minutes until it reduces slightly.

Servings: 5. Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 177  Carbs: 11g Fat: 7g Protein: 20g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 1g Points+: 5 Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats.

Baked Pesto Chicken.

Thinly sliced chicken breasts are baked with my lightened-up pesto, then topped with mozzarella cheese! Few ingredients, lots of flavor.

Last week I shared with you my homemade lightened-up, nut-free basil pesto. One of our favorite ways to use it is on top of chicken! Chicken breast alone doesn’t have much flavor, but the pesto takes care of that little problem. Top it with mozzarella or parmesan cheese and you have a delicious (and easy!) weeknight dinner. If your pesto is already made, you can certainly have this on the table within 30 minutes.

I served this with a kale chickpea salad (recipe coming soon!), but it is great with just about anything you can think of: pasta, roasted veggies, a big green salad, couscous–whatever you’ve got, it’ll probably work! Leftovers can be reheated as-is, transformed into a sandwich, or cut into bite sized pieces and added to a salad. Get creative!

This is arguably one of my husband’s favorite dishes, and I love it because it’s so simple to prepare! The lightened-up pesto tricks you into feeling like you’re really indulging, but you’re really not. It clocks in at just under 160 calories, only 6 grams of fat, and a whopping 27 grams of protein!

Baked Pesto Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts, about 1 lb
• 4 tsp lighter basil pesto
• 4 tbsp reduced fat mozzarella cheese (parmesan could work well too)
• salt and pepper

1). Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides before placing them in the baking dish.

2). Carefully spread about a teaspoon of the basil pesto on each chicken breast. Top with 1 tablespoon of mozzarella cheese and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Servings: 4. Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 159 Fat: 6g Carbs: 1g Protein: 27g Points+: 4

Recipe courtesy of Audrey’s Apron.

Crock Pot Greek Chicken (for pitas & salads!)

Like many of you southern readers, we’ve been snowed in the last couple days! Thankfully neither my husband nor I got stuck overnight in the horrendous traffic that ensued. Instead, we have thoroughly taken advantage of our snow days by building fires, baking these banana chocolate chip muffins, watching movies, and enjoying these easy Greek chicken pitas!

To make the chicken, I threw it in the crock pot with chopped onion, garlic, and Greek seasoning. I made a homemade Greek seasoning blend and used only about 1/4 of it for this recipe, so I saved the rest for another use. (Tip: make sure to put it in a sealed container and label it with what type of seasoning it is and the date you made it!) After everything was cooked, I shredded the chicken in my kitchen aid mixer, but using 2 forks would work too. Here’s what it looked like after:

This made a quite a bit of chicken, so if you have a big family you can rest assured there will be enough for everyone. And probably leftovers. But that’s a good thing, right?! Because it does make more than a couple servings, one day I piled some chicken on a Greek salad while my husband enjoyed it in a pita. Instead of dressing I used tzatziki sauce. So much flavor! Here’s my recipe for fat-free tzatziki sauce if you’re interested in trying it. You could also switch things up by using hummus as well. Play around with it and see what you like best! Add olives, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, or any combination of those ingredients as you like.

If you do NOT own a crock pot (or if you’re low on time), you can also make this by mixing the chopped chicken/onions with 1 tbsp EVOO and the seasoning in a baking dish. Bake it for about 40 minutes at 350F, like the picture below! This recipe is really versatile!

Crock Pot Greek Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup Greek seasoning

For the Greek seasoning (this makes MUCH more than you need; only use about 1/4 cup of this!):

• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp onion pwder
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp parsley
• 2 tsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp thyme

1). Mix together the seasoning ingredients. Reserve a scant 1/4 cup of seasoning.

2). Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Layer chopped onions, garlic, and chicken. Sprinkle evenly with seasoning and add water. Set on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

3). Once chicken is cooked, remove the chicken/onions from crock pot and shred chicken using 2 forks or my kitchen aid mixer method. Add some of the cooking juices to keep chicken moist.

4). Serve on pitas or on a Greek salad with tzatziki sauce or hummus. Enjoy!

Serving size: 4 oz shredded chicken. Approximate Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 184 Carbs: 0g Fat: 3g Protein: 34g WWPoints+: 4

Recipes adapted from: http://www.heandsheeatclean.com/2013/06/clean-eat-recipe-make-your-own-greek.html 

Adapted recipe courtesy of Audreysapron.wordpress.com.

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

I haven’t posted a crock pot recipe in a while, and this one is perfect for the chilly temperatures we’re having! I love this recipe because it is easy, healthy, and filling (24g of protein per cup!). Plus, it makes enough to feed a small army–11 1-cup servings, to be exact. It would be a great freezer-friendly meal, too.

This chili is not too spicy, so feel free to add some extra cayenne pepper to kick it up a notch if you’d like. Personally, I thought it had just the right amount of spice, but you could even add an extra half can of green chiles, which is where the heat comes from in this recipe. My husband added light sour cream and cheese to his bowl, but I found it perfect as is. I love how cooking this all day resulted in incredibly tender chicken. It literally falls apart when you shred it!

Other than the one additional step of sauteing the onions and garlic together (which I don’t think you should skip!), this meal involves very little prep/clean up. Always an added bonus!

Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, raw
• 1 (16 ounce) can diced no salt added tomatoes, fire roasted or regular, OR 1 lbs. fresh, chopped
• 2 (16 ounce) cans Great Northern beans (or whatever you have on hand), low sodium and/or organic
• 1 (4 ounce) can fire roasted green chiles
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 ½ cups reduced sodium fat-free chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cooking spray

1). Heat the 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
2). Spray the crock pot with cooking spray. Place the tomatoes in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the chicken, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, beans, chiles, and cooked onion/garlic mixture. Stir to combine.
3). Cook for 6-8 hours on low (or 4-5 hours on high…but I like letting the flavors meld together longer so I suggest cooking on low!)
4). Taste and add additional salt, pepper, or other spices. Serve as is or with light sour cream/cheese (optional). Enjoy!

Servings: 11 1-cup servings. Nutritional Information per 1 cup: Calories: 191 Carbs: 14g Fat: 3g Protein: 24g Fiber: 4g WW Points+: 4

Recipe adapted from: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-slow-cooker-white-chicken-chili/

Chicken Rollatini Stuffed with Zucchini

Zucchini season is coming to an end, and I wanted to share with you one more zucchini-related recipe we enjoyed this summer. This is a thinly sliced chicken breast stuffed with a zucchini, garlic and parmesan mixture, then dipped in an olive oil and lemon mixture, breaded, and baked in the oven until golden brown. These are surprisingly filling!

These rollatinis do require a few steps to make, but I promise it is worth the effort! Starting off with thinly sliced chicken breast is key, but you can always pound out a regular chicken breast if you must. In the past, I have made some chicken roll-up recipes that required toothpicks to keep the chicken together, and I am so glad that was not necessary this time! Each chicken breast stayed together perfectly. This unique recipe is a great way to sneak in zucchini for family/friends that typically do not love the vegetable. My husband falls into that category but he ate these zucchini stuffed chicken breasts with no complaints!

Hurry and make these before summer comes to an end!

Chicken Rollatini Stuffed with Zucchini

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (1 medium) zucchini, shredded
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Romano cheese (or parmesan)
• 3 oz part skim shredded mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper
• olive oil non-stick spray

1) Wash and dry cutlets, season with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

2) In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. When hot saute the garlic 1 minute, or until golden. Add zucchini, 1/4 cup Romano cheese, salt and pepper and saute about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. When cool, add mozzarella cheese and mix to combine.

3) Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 3 tbsp of zucchini-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.

4) Combine breadcrumbs and remaining 2 tbsp of Romano cheese in one bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper.

5) Dip chicken in lemon-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spraywith oil spray.

6) Bake 25 – 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serving size: 1 chicken rollatini. Nutritional information per serving: Calories: 171 Carbs: 7.9g Fat: 6.3g Protein: 20.3g Fiber: 0.9g Sugar: 1.3g 

WW PointsPlus: 4 

Recipe adapted from skinnytaste.com.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Taquitos are traditionally deep fried and quite heavy, but this baked version is equally delicious and very filling! I saw this recipe pop up on Pinterest and knew I had to try it. I already had perfectly shredded chicken in the fridge waiting to be used, and these were so fun to make. I think this recipe would be very family friendly as kids can pick these up easily and dive in!

My husband and I both agreed these were awesome. They actually reheated very well, which is good because I got 16 out of a batch! These could be a great lunch option for those of you who take lunch to work. They are portable and delicious. Not too spicy, not too creamy, not too crispy…you get the idea. Each one comes in around 144 calories 16g of protein to keep you full for a while!

These can be a main dish or even an appetizer! I think they would be cute cut in small bite-size pieces for a cinco de mayo or super bowl party. They can also be gluten free if you use a gluten free tortilla!

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
• 1/2 cup light cream cheese or sour cream
• 1/3 cup salsa
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp chopped green onions
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat colby jack or cheddar cheese
• 16 small flour (or corn) tortillas
• Salt
• Cooking spray

1) Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

2) If using cream cheese, warm in microwave until soft and easy to stir. Add salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir. Add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and mix until very well combined.

3) Place 2-3 tbsp of chicken mixture on the lower third of the tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch away from the edges and roll it up as tightly as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet.

4) Lay all the filled taquitos on the baking sheet, making sure they do not touch. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.

5) Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Serve plain or with salsa, sour cream, etc.

Makes 16 taquitos. Nutritional information per taquito: Calories: 144 Carbs: 16g Fat: 4g Protein: 16g Sugar: 1g FIber: 1g

WW PointsPlus: 4

Recipe adapted from: http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos.html 

Pesto Chicken Paninis

Last week I shared with you a no-fail, quick and easy way to make perfectly shredded chicken in your crock pot and stand mixer. This pesto chicken panini recipe is one of my husband’s absolute favorites and is a great way to use up any leftover chicken you have!

 

These are quick and easy to make, and if you use a gourmet bread it can make for beautiful presentation if you have friends over for lunch. Plus, if you are constantly eating a sandwich with deli meat, it is a nice alternative. I love how flavorful the pesto chicken mixture is, and the mozzarella melts beautifully!

Now, if you do not have a panini press, you can still make these sandwiches! There are some options. You can use the oven and bake these 400F for 10-15 minutes until golden. Or, you could heat up a skillet, place the sandwich on it once it is hot, and use a second heavy skillet to weigh down and press the sandwiches.

Honestly these are so simple I hesitate to even call it a “recipe”, but here’s how to make them!

Pesto Chicken Paninis

Ingredients for 1 panini:

• Bread of choice (hopefully whole wheat!)
• 1/3-1/2 cup leftover shredded chicken breast
• Reduced-fat pesto (store bought or homemade)
• Shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
• Shredded parmesan cheese

1). Preheat panini grill. In a small bowl, combine shredded chicken with about 2 tbsp of pesto (or to taste).

2). Slice bread in half. Place pesto chicken on one side and top with a sprinkle of mozzarella and parmesan.

3). Press until heated through and cheese is melted! Enjoy!