17. "White" Chicken Chili

So after going through all of the white chicken chili recipes on weightwatchers.com and not really being satisfied with any of them I decided to just create my own. Now this is probably not traditional white chicken chili but it was so so good! This was rich and hearty and just spicy enough to tingle your nose for only 7 points a serving! You will notice that some of the ingredients are doubles, that is because you are going to use them twice and I don't want to be confusing!

"White" Chicken Chili - 7 points per serving
Serves 6 (1 cup each)

16 oz Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, raw
15 oz canned great Northern beans, drained and rinced
2 medium onion(s)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
30 oz Del Monte Diced Tomatoes With Jalapenos, drained
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp Oregano leaves
1 1/2 tsp Oregano leaves (again)
2 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cup(s) Weight Watchers Reduced Fat Shredded Mexican-Style Cheese
14.5 oz fat-free chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
4 oz Diced Green Chilies

1. Set a frying pan or skillet to medium low heat. Once the pan is hot add your chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 1/2 tsp oregano leaves. Flip your chicken and let it get a nice sear, wait and do the second side, then finish pan frying in any way you like. When the chicken is done remove it from the pan, set it aside and let it cool. (I actually put mine in the fridge over night and made the chili the next day.)

2. Add vegetable oil to a large skillet or pot on medium low. Slice both onions thinly and add to heated pan. Add salt, pepper and minced garlic. Saute until the onions become a golden color.

3. Dice your cooked chicken into small cubes and add to pot. Add tomatoes, green chilis, beans, corn, chicken broth and the rest of your spices to the pot. Stir thoroughly.

5. Cover and simmer for 30 - 45 minutes until just before desired thickness.

6. Turn the stove off and add 2 cups of mexican cheese to the pot. Stir and serve immediately.

Enjoy! Perfect for a cold winter night!

16. Barbie Cups

Another one from the WW online message boards! I loved this one. It was so simple and tasty, and fast. I served it with a side of steamed corn.

Barbie Cups - 6 points per serving
Serves 8
Special Equipment: Muffin or Cupcake Pan

1 lb ground turkey
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese
1 can low fat refrigerated biscuits
Pam Spray

Preheat oven based on directions of biscuit can.
Brown ground turkey and drain.
Mix in BBQ sauce.
Spray muffin tins with Pam.
Smash each biscuit (I used a cutting board and just pressed them flat with my palm) and fit into muffin pans.
Spoon meat mixture into biscuits. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake as directed on biscuit cans.

Enjoy!

15. BBQ Meatballs

This recipe is also inspired by the WW message boards. I tweaked it a bit. It was originally an appetizer recipe with 2 meat balls per serving, but since my house loves meatballs so much I turned it into a main dish.

These were incredibly tasty and since I doubled the recipe (we had guests over) we had leftovers for lunches. These are great no matter what you serve them with and only 6 points for 10 meatballs. It is a nice serving size for any hungry girl or guy!

BBQ Meatballs - 6 points per serving
Serves 10 -11

3lbs lean ground turkey
1 large onion finely chopped
1/4th cups parsley chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp beef bouillon
2 medium cloves garlic chopped
2 cups uncooked quick oats
2 1/2 cups of your favorite BBQ Sauce
4 medium egg whites

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Combine all ingredients, except barbecue sauce, in a large-size bowl; mix well.

Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape meatball mixture into 112 (I know that sounds like so much, it took about 15 minutes) 1-inch balls; place on baking sheet.

Bake at 350ºF until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a chafing dish or crockpot to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat barbecue sauce over medium-high heat until hot. Pour sauce over cooked meatballs, toss gently and serve. Enjoy!

14. Oven "Fried" Apples

The inspiration for this dish came from the online Weight Watchers Message Boards. This was such a great idea! I have been craving fried apples, but fried apples are pretty high in points. These were tasty, but I would make a few changes. 1. I would peel the apples next time, I think the skin gives them a different texture. 2. I would use apple pie spice instead of pumpkin spice or I would just use cinnamon and nutmeg. 3. I would use a smaller baking dish. :)

These can be serves as a side dish, or over vanilla ice cream, or on top of a waffle in the morning! They are yummy and so versatile and only 2 points per serving!

Oven "Fried" Apples - 2 points per serving
Serves 6.

8 cups sliced apple (about 4 large apples)
1/4th cup maple flavored sugar free pancake syrup
4 tbsp light margarine
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (Its what I had!)
2 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350.

Arrange the apples in an 8-inch square pan. Sprinkle on the cinnamon, nutmeg, syrup and lemon juice. Toss or stir the apples to coat them evenly with the spices and syrup. Dot the top of the apples with margarine or butter. Bake for about 30 minutes.

If you prefer your apples to steam a little then cover the pan with tin foil before baking.

Enjoy!

13. Mini Faux Apple Pies

This recipe comes to us from Ashley, budding diet kitchen diva! Sorry that the picture isn't great, it was hard to get a good shot with the blast of cool whip white on top!

My household loves this idea too. I mean, who doesn't love apple pie?

My only issue with this recipe is that it isn't crispy enough for me, but we are working on a solution to that problem that doesn't involve a Fry Daddy... In the mean time enjoy!

Just a note: These were made using ramekins. Not everyone has these little baking dishes, so I think that if you secured the stop with tooth picks that it would still be fine in the oven, you could probably even use cooking twine. So do not fear!

Mini Faux Apple Pies - 4 Points per serving
Makes 1 serving
Special Equipment: Ramekin.

1 Whole Wheat Wrap (any brand, just be careful of the points)
1 1/2 small or 1 medium apple sliced
Pinch of Splenda
1 tsp Dark Brown Sugar
2 shakes of Cinnamon (To taste)
1 tsp smart balance 37% light spread margarine
2 short sprays of pam or similar.

Preheat the oven to 350.
Use one short spray of pam on the wrap, and press it down into the ramekin.
Mix the sliced apples with the splenda, brown sugar, cinnamon and margarine, then add to the ramekin. Close the top and use your 2nd short spray of pam to spray the top.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

12. Pumpkin Cake

FINALLY. I get to post this cake! I haven't wanted to yet because I wasn't sure of all of the details of the recipe until today. This is sooo goood! It's moist and full of flavor and only 6 points per slice including the icing! How amazing is that?

This recipe comes to us from Ashley, a fellow diet blogger and good friend.

Pumpkin Cake - 6 points per slice, including icing.
Serves 10.

One 15oz can Packed Pumpkin (pure, not pie mix)
One package Spice Cake Mix (Any brand we use Duncan Hines)
1/3 Cup Water

Bake for 35-40 min (or until you stick a knife in the middle and it comes out clean) on 350.

For the icing:

1 package low fat cream cheese
1 (regular size) container low fat cool whip
Splenda and Cinnamon to taste (I used one Tsp. Splenda and 4 'shakes' of the Cinnamon shaker)

Whip until smooth and well blended.

You can either now ice the cake or serve each slice with a dollop on top! Up to you!

Enjoy!

11. Chicken Tikka Masala "light"

Alrighty, another rockin' recipe! I got the frames for this one from the Halloween issue of Good Housekeeping. My mother makes this, in its full fatty goodness and I love it so much! It has to be one of my favorite dishes, but I'm sure with its full fat yogurt, and heavy whipping cream it makes a HUGE calorie bomb. Needless to say I was really excited to find this. I do not think it rises above its namesake, but dang it was so good! I did not add the extra salt. The only thing that I believe I will do differently next time is add some garam masala to the dish for an extra flavor punch. This one is a keeper! I served it with oven warmed whole wheat naan.

Chicken Tikka Masala - 8 points per serving
Makes 8 servings

27oz chicken breast
2 cups uncooked brown rice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion diced
3 tsp ground ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tbsp red curry paste
28-30oz diced tomatoes
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup for garnish, chopped (I didnt have any fresh so I used 1/4th of a cup dried)
1 cup light cream
2tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Prepare rice as label directs.

Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minute. Add onion and cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ginger, garlic, and curry paste; cook 3 minutes longer.

Add chicken, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and cook 2 minutes or until no longer pink on the outside, stirring occasionally. Add tomato; cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until chicken just loses its pink color throughout.

Uncover and stir in half-and-half and cilantro. Stir and recover. Simmer on low for 5 more minutes. Spoon rice into 8 shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and garnish with chopped cilantro.

10. Beef and Potato Nacho Casserole

I found this on the WW website, through the forums, and I haven't been able to track down the original. This was AMAZING. It had great flavor, a tiny bite, but not too much for kids, and makes 8 good sized servings! This is a winner! I have no leftovers! I am not posting the original because I tweaked it a bunch. Originally there was sugar, and onions, and no tomatoes, and no shredded cheese on top! I added those, and it brought the points per serving from 5 to just 6. We will live (with happy bellies!)!

Beef and Potato Nacho Casserole - 6 points per serving.
Makes 8 servings

16 oz 95% lean/5% fat raw ground beef
2 Tbsp Ortega Taco seasoning
8 oz canned tomato sauce
4 oz canned green chili peppers
16 oz canned kidney beans
11 oz canned condensed cheese soup
1/2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1 tsp Heinz Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp paprika
32 oz frozen potatoes o'brien, thawed ( I just used southern style chopped frozen potatoes)
11 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup(s) Kraft Shredded Three-cheese
1 pound(s) frozen pepper strips, thawed

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the taco seasoning, tomato sauce and water. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Add pepper strips, simmer for 1 more minute.
Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with (in this order) beans, tomatoes, green chilies and potatoes.
In large bowl, combine the soup, milk, and Worcestershire sauce, pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika.
Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour.
Uncover, add 1/2 cup shredded cheese to top and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

9. Gnocchi Florentine

I took this recipe from the September-October issue of Weight Watchers Magazine.

I did not think I was going to like this. I do not like cooked spinach, and I had never eaten gnocchi before. I have to say I am incredibly impressed, I loved it. It was incredibly flavorful! It was also visibly pleasing with the greens and reds and the gnocchi looking so plump. I omitted the onions even though I like them because my room mate is sick and hates them, but I'm sure it would have been even better with!

Gnocchi Florentine - 7 pts per serving
Makes 4 servings (1 cups each w/ 1 tsp Parmesan)

1 17oz package fresh whole wheat gnocchi
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 lb extra lean ground beef (5% fat or less)
1 2/3 cups fat free marinara sauce
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 tsp black pepper
4 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions.
2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over med-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and seasoning. Cook stirring occasionally until the onion is slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the beef and brown, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, Stir in the marinara sauce, spinach and pepper and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time.
3. Drain the gnocchi, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the gnocchi and the reserved liquid to the spinach mixture stirring until blended. Cook uncovered until the gnocchi absorbs some of the sauce, about 2 minutes.

Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.

8. Triple Berry Smoothie

EDIT: Picture uploaded!
Okay, so my camera was dead. I don't have a picture yet! However, this was AMAZING and easy so when I make it again tomorrow I will take a picture and edit this for those of you interested. The color is deep and red, so rich and inviting and it tastes so good! If there is one fruit you dislike I imagine you could substitute any that you love! It is important that the fruit (except banana) be frozen so that you get that smoothie texture that everyone loves.

Triple Berry Smoothie - 3.5pts per serving
Serves 2
Special Equipment: Blender

1 cup FROZEN raspberries
1 cup FROZEN cherries
1 cup FROZEN blue berries
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp Splenda (OPTIONAL)

Add to a blender and blend until you get a consistency that you like. Pour into two glasses and enjoy!

Do this! You wont regret it!

7. Home Made Burgers

After this long, and regretful week (my grandfather passed very suddenly) of family get-togethers and trying so keep my self control I thought I deserved some comfort food. However, since I spent the week eating bad comfort food, I thought I'd try something a little better for me...

These are wonderful! They are moist and flavorful, and only 3 points per burger, or 4 points with a slice of yellow American cheese which is how they are pictured here. Serve on a whole wheat bun with all of the trimmings!

Home Made Burgers - 3 points per serving or 4 points with cheese.
Makes 12 burgers

2lbs 95% lean ground beef
6 oz cornbread stuffing, dry mix
2 egg whites
1/3 cup tomato ketchup
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp BBQ Seasoning, dry
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together in a large mixing bowl until well blended.
Shape into 12 even sized hamburger patties.
Cook over medium heat until the burger is cooked as well as you want.
Now you can add your slice of cheese (remember to add a point!).

Enjoy!

6. Crock Pot Chicken Curry

I love curry! Normally when I make this, I do it in a large pan or pot on the stove and in the last 15 minutes of simmering I add a 12oz can of coconut milk. The coconut milk adds a savory sweetness and thickens the curry up nicely. I didn't want to pack the points on so I used a coconut curry flavored chicken broth instead. If you use the 12oz can of coconut milk it will add 2pts per serving. This recipe serves 12 (good sized servings) so its great for lunches too!

Crock Pot Chicken Curry - 4 points per serving
Serves 12
Special Equipment: Crock Pot

4 whole uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 1/2 cups frozen pepper strips
28oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups diced onion
2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup rasins
4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp ground tumeric
1/2 tbsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground red pepper

Place all ingredients into crock pot, stir and put the lid on. Turn crock pot on low, and let cook for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

5. Chinese Pineapple Chicken

I didn't get a picture of this tonight until after the horde had started devouring it! It still looks yummy! This is another one I took from my week one Weight Watchers book. I made a mistake! I thought that I followed the directions to serve 6, but a re-read after dinner alerted me to the fact that it was to serve 4! Oh no! We will live, but there is a lesson in this! Pay attention to the directions! My 3rd grade math teacher would be twitching at me right now...

Chinese Pineapple Chicken - 5 points per serving
Serves 4/serves 6@ 4 points per serving

cooking spray
4 medium scallions, chopped
1 tbsp ginger root, fresh, chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 pound uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups canned pineapple tidbits, packed in juice
1/4 cup black bean sauce
2 cups cooked brown rice, kept warm (regular or instant)

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. Add scallions, ginger and garlic; cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned on all sides, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Add pineapple (with its juice) and black bean sauce to skillet; bring to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes (again, I let it go ten, stirring occasionally) more.

Serve over rice.

4. Mexican Meatloaf

I got this recipe right out of my Weight Watchers BOOK 1: Food Plan Basics. It was really very tasty, but the next time I make it I will probably omit the onion or dice it much, much smaller. I made a little extra because Ashley was eating with us, so mine came out to 7 servings, but was still a cool 3 points per serving. I am posting the original here.

Mexican Meatloaf - 3 Points per serving
6 servings
Special Equipment: Broiler pan or something similar.

cooking spray
1/2 pound(s) raw extra lean ground beef
1/2 pound(s) lean ground turkey, breast
2 large egg white(s)
2 oz cornbread stuffing dry mix, (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
4 oz canned green chili peppers, diced
8 oz canned enchilada sauce

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix beef, turkey, egg whites, stuffing mix, onion, chili powder, cumin, chilies and half of enchilada sauce together. Shape into an oval with your hands and place on prepared broiler pan.

Cook for 1 hour, top with remaining enchilada sauce and bake for 5 minutes (it looked like it needed more time so I gave it ten minutes here) more. Slice into 6 pieces and serve.

3. Southwest Baked Ziti

This recipe was taken from Recipe Goldmine. We loved it, and so I am re-posting it here for all to enjoy! I loved this even though I honestly abhor ricotta cheese. I would eat this again and again! I am posting it in its original form which added up to 5 points a serving, but we added some points and bulk (most of us over here have over 30 points a day right now, and I have 44!) by using another 4 oz of pasta, and upping the cheese and sauce a little. Molly used whole wheat rotini instead of ziti, and it was great! Ours came out to 8 points for a 6th of the pan, which you can see from the picture was very satisfying!

Southwest Baked Ziti - 5 points per serving
Serves 6
Special Equipment: Casserole Dish or baking pan.

8 ounces ziti pasta, uncooked
8 ounces tomato sauce, salt free or regular
8 ounces salsa, hot or mild
3/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 cup fat-free mozzarella cheese
11 ounces canned corn, drained
4 ounces green chile peppers, drained, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fat-free parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions, using the shorter amount of cooking time given. Drain.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine tomato sauce and salsa in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with half of the mozzarella cheese. Stir in half the sauce, along with the corn, chiles, oregano, and pepper. Add the cooked ziti and mix well. Spoon into prepared casserole. Spread remaining sauce over top of casserole, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and then Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake 15 more minutes.

2. Cup Fakes

When I got home tonight my wonderful Weight Watchers friend, Ashley (the one who gave me all of the info for the program) was in the kitchen...baking. Yes, baking. I know, I was frightened at first too. I felt like I was doing so well, and here was this person who I thought was supporting me standing in my kitchen like the enemy! She looked at my face, and said: "Eat one, they are worth 4 points each and I wanted cupcakes!"

Sweet relief! She made these using a premixed fat free muffin mix, and ...regular icing... You can use any fat free, low calorie muffin mix you want.

Cup Fakes - 4 points each
(1 box of muffin mix makes 11 servings, Ashley used 2 boxes, and made 22. )
Special Equipment: Muffin or Cupcake pan

1 box Krusteaz Fat Free Cranberry Orange Supreme Muffin Mix
1 can Duncan Hines Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Bake the muffins as directed on the box.
After they cool, top them with 1 tablespoon of icing each.

That's it! So easy and it really does kill a craving for cupcakes!

I know this isn't a very original recipe, but I know sometimes I get desperate and need something to get me over my hump. Sometimes, its a hug, and sometimes its a craving. Whatever helps you stay on track is what I feel (I know so early in my journey) you need to do.

Luck!

1. Taco Soup

I wish I had thought to create this blog before I emptied the crock pot into all of those little containers. You see I just started the Weight Watchers Flex Plan (First meeting this Sunday! WOOT) and I needed something that I could eat all week for lunches, on a low budget. So after scouting around the internet for ideas I came up with Taco Soup. I know there are tons of these out there, but I like to think mine is a little different...

Taco Soup - 3 points per cup
Makes 13 cups.
Special Equipment: Crock Pot

3 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 medium onion, diced
1 large can (28-30oz) diced tomatoes
1 can Mexican or spicy (I used tomatoes with diced jalapenos) tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 large can (28oz) vegetarian baked beans (I used Bush's)

Put everything in the Crock Pot in the order listed here.
Do NOT drain the tomatoes.
Do NOT rinse or drain beans.
DO NOT STIR.
Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. (I put it on at 3am, and didn't touch it until noon the next day)
Take chicken out and shred with two forks.
Put chicken back in, stir, and enjoy!