A few weeks ago I had a guest post from one of my best friends Lynnie with the Creamy Chicken Ranch recipe, well her twin Heather was feeling a little left out and she wanted to share a recipe she recently tried with you all. This one was a nice quick meal that is perfect for the busy Moms out there or just those wanting a quick meal to add to your rotation. For the vegetarians out there feel free to omit the chicken. Be sure and show her some love in the comments.
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I found a new website for recipes and meal planning. It is called KitchMe and creating a login was easy. It asked a few simple questions and provided the opportunity for me to filter recipes by a number of diets (low calorie, gluten free, low fat, etc.). It will ask for your location and then list supermarkets and grocery stores near you. After choosing your top three, it links coupons (the site is sponsored by coupons.com) to your recipes and shopping list. When you print out your shopping list, you get the option of printing out the coupons related to items you will need to purchase for the recipes. I also really like the weekly calendar at the top where you can drag recipes to plan out your week.
As a busy Mom, this is super helpful! The site isn’t perfect and seems to need some updating, but so far the glitches haven’t made me lose interest! So, as I chose a low fat filter, I got this chicken and cheese weight watchers recipe. It takes about an hour to prep and cook, but is SUPER easy. As a Mom to a 4 year old who only wants mac and cheese, I’m always looking for ways to add something more to her favorite meal and keep it within my diet plans. I added 2 TBSP of Tastefully Simple’s garlic and pepper shaker as I thought the recipe lacked flavor. I used Kraft fat free shredded cheddar cheese and for the macaroni I used Barilla Veggie Elbows.
Source
Now, we are getting protein and veggies with our mac and cheese! The elbows are made from carrots and squash so the color was a perfect “cheddar” and my daughter didn’t seem to notice. My only recommendation would be to partially cook the chicken before adding it to the casserole dish. I got nervous when I served as some of the pieces didn’t look done. I returned the casserole to the oven for an additional ten minutes. Cutting the chicken into smaller pieces might have fixed this problem too. Otherwise the dish was yummy and my daughter reports that it is “mmm, good!”
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked Veggie macaroni ~ 2 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast – cubed ~ 2 cups cream of mushroom soup, undiluted ~ 2 cups skim milk ~ 8 oz fat fat cheddar cheese ~ 2 TBSP of Tastefully Simple’s garlic and pepper shaker (OPTIONAL)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large casserole, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl until combined. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 35-45 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool 1-2 minutes and serve.
I will have to try that veggie pasta! Have been eating “clean” for a few weeks and feel better. I need to buy this veggetti thing that turns zucchini, etc into noodles. Pasta is so calorie-laden!!!
Nice recipe for busy moms with kids who love mac and cheese and chicken.
Enjoy your day!
love SMD’s MOMMA
Thank you! Yes, I got one of those for Christmas and I love it! Perfect for zucchini pasta!
Perfect for a week night. I love the veggie pastas.
I don’t really eat pasta so I love that she introduced it. Now I have to check it out myself.
YUM!!! I’ve never tried that veggie pasta, but now I really want to!
I don’t even eat pasta so I had no idea but I am going to check it out now.
Never heard of veggie pasta either! My boyfriend has the eating habits of a 4 year old, so I don’t think he’ll notice either 🙂
Haha! That is perfect! Just switch it out and see if he notices.
I make a similar casserole but I add in some peas, carrots, corn, and French’s Onions on top!
-Sharon
That sounds yummy too! Love the addition of the French Onions on top.
I foresee having the same problem when I have kids so good way to add some protein to their favorite mac and cheese. Looks delish for adults too! 😉
Yes, trying to get them to eat might be tough. Sneaky is best! 😉
This looks good and easy! Great recipe!
I love when it is easy, especially during a week day.
I’ve never seen the veggie pasta – now I wont feel as guilty haha!! Thanks for sharing!
Right?! Gotta get those veggies in any way you can!
Oh, this looks amazing!! It’s like grown up mac and cheese!
She did a good job and easy too!
veggie pasta?! I must try this!
Who knew! I need to try it too.
I’ve never heard of veggie pasta definitely checking that out 🙂
It is a perfect way to sneak in veggies and healthier too.
Minus the chicken – nummy in my tummy!
I added in the note about Vegetarians just for you! Smooches!
cheese and pasta….does it get any better??
It really doesn’t!! 😉
This looks so delish it’s making me hungry! I think I need to go eat now haha!
Haha! That is a very good thing.
Not gonna lie – this is my favorite kind of meal!!! Can’t wait to try this!!
It really is a great meal. Hope you like it!!
Thanks for all the comments! I was pleasantly surprised at the yummy veggie pasta. So glad to have introduced it in this recipe.
Thank you so much sis for sharing this recipe. The veggie pasta was a new one for me and I am excited to check it out!
Mac & Cheese is a classic, but I don’t know if I have ever had chicken with it. I think I’m going to need to try a version of this!!
A great way to add a little protein to a normally carb heavy meal.
My mouth is watering even though I JUST finished breakfast!
Thank you! Glad you liked it. 😉
I love that the pasta is made with veggies! I would love to try this!
I am much more likely to eat pasta if it is a veggie pasta.
Yum! Need to try this!
Thank you. Hope you do!
cheese and macaroni. Please!
Really can’t go wrong.
You and your recipes. Always amazing. Where did you learn to be creative and cook? Also, how was hiking?
Thank you. This was my friend Heather’s concoction. I had to teach myself a lot. I read a lot of books and just try to always add my own flair whenever I can. Hiking was great. I wanted to go again today but it was so windy.
this is something my fiancé would totally love! he’s a huge mac and cheese eater for sure.
He would love it then. Can’t go wrong.