Bacon, Ranch & Chicken Mac and Cheese

So my youngest son had a sleepover for the first time in months the other day.  These two kids get together maybe once a month right now but we and the other family don't really go out and about so that we don't have to worry about the virus so much and they maintain their distance fairly well when finally together.  They sit on separate couches to play their video games and they are outside a LOT shooting hoops or swimming, etc. 

I needed to find something that they would want to eat that I could as well while my husband worked overtime and wouldn't be home until midnight or so having already eaten so I scrapped my initial plan for a fancier meal that included veggies and sides and tried out this bacon, ranch and chicken mac and cheese recipe.  They liked it, as did I and I only wound up eating half of a serving for 249 calories!  A whole serving is about 2 cups for 497 calories and is actually A LOT!

Be honest, I have to feed teenage boys SOMETHING when they are hanging out together and they won't go anywhere near "diet-friendly" food.  As long as I know this is not something to make on the regular and it is a once in a while dish only, I'm good!  It is an easy option for these occasions and even serves as a good passing dish!

** I had made bacon for BLT sandwiches the previous day so did not have "drippings in the pan" in which to cook the chicken as this recipe says you should.  I just added a tsp of olive oil to my pan to fry up the chicken in a nonstick skillet.  (okay, so I also cheated and used 3 pieces of bacon total but added calories and adjusted my log! It was so worth it!)

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked elbow macaroni
1 slice applewood-smoked bacon
8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1-1/2 c fat-free milk
1/3 c condensed 45% reduced sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c (3 oz) shredded 6-cheese Italian blend cheese
12 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
Cooking spray
1/2 c (2 oz) shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions leaving out salt and fat.  Drain.

** (see my note above).  Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan.  Finely chop bacon; set aside.  Increase heat to medium-high.  Add chicken to drippings in pan and saute 6 minutes or until done.

Combine the milk and soup stirring with a whisk and set aside. 

Melt butter in a large saucepan (and I mean large! Large enough to hold this whole recipe!) and sprinkle in the flour whisking until thick and bubbly.  Now slowly whisk the soup and milk mixture into the butter-flour mixture in the sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Cook another two minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat and let stand until it cools down to about 155 degrees.

Add Italian cheese to the sauce pan stirring until the cheese melts.  Now stir in the pasta and the chicken and toss to coat. 

Preheat your broiler.

Spoon the contents of your sauce pan into a casserole dish that is coated with cooking spray first.  Sprinkle the top Colby Jack cheese shreds and the crumbled/chopped bacon pieces. 

Broil for about 3 minutes or until the cheese melts and to your broiled cheese doneness preference!

YIELDS:  4 servings
SERVING SIZE:  About 2 cups

Nutritional Information:  Calories 497, Fat 17 g (saturated 9.2 g, mono 4.7 g, poly 1.4 g), Protein 33.3 g, Carb 51.7 g, Fiber 2 g, Chol 74 mg, Iron 2.4 mg, Sodium 767 mg, Calcium 368 mg

Acini di Pepe Pasta Salad

This is one of my husband's favorite cold pasta salads and when dieting, you can fit it in for 371 calories per 1-1/2-cup sized serving!  You can go for half a serving at 3/4 cup for 186 calories as a side as well!

You can sub in any small pasta shapes if you can't find acini di pepe, such as tiny ditalini!

I am not sure why I couldn't get a more appetizing photo with my cell phone as it was nighttime when I needed to take the photo in some fluorescent lighting and the roma tomatoes weren't quite as picture-worthy red.

This requires a little more prep work than I would normally like, but again, if you do it all up front while your pasta is boiling, it will all be ready to assemble by the time the pasta is ready to drain!

This makes a good passing dish if you need to know your calories in advance too!  It has salami, cheese, and beans bringing in some protein so you aren't left feeling a little empty!

Ingredients:

6 oz uncooked acini di pepe pasta (about 1 cup)
2-1/4 c diced plum tomato
1/3 c capers, rinsed and drained
1/4 c finely chopped red onion
1/4 c sliced pickled banana peppers (few in calories so feel free to add a few more!), chop coarsely
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs cider vinegar
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp salt
2 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 (16-oz) can of navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 oz salami, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:

Get your pasta cooking according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking prep the remaining ingredients throwing all except the oil and vinegar into a bowl.  Once all ingredients are in the bowl mix up the oil and vinegar well and pour into bowl tossing to coat.  Add in the pasta and toss to coat again. That's it!  All done!  Garnish with some whole pepper rings for presentation!

Nutritional Information:  Calories 371, Fat 11.6 g (sat 4.7, poly 1.4 g, mono 5.3 g), protein 16.6 g, Carb 51.7 g, Fiber 6.3 g, Chol 21 mg, Iron 3.5 mg, Sodium 919 mg, Calcium 164 mg

Ham and Pea Orzo Salad for 4 Weight Watchers Points

This is one of my favorite dishes that happens to be a good passing dish to take along with you for gatherings.  Nobody even knows it's a Weight Watchers recipe. You can enjoy it warm or cold.

I buy a 32-ounce Jenny O turkey ham and cut it into 4 parts.  I individually freeze the three portions I am not currently using for use at a later time.


Ingredients:

1 cup orzo
2 cups fresh sugar snap peas (I use Frozen Baby Sweet Peas)
1/2 lb. lean ham cut into 1/2" chunks
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (I grate my own fresh)
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Boston lettuce leaves (I never use these and just eat it as a salad as is)

Directions:

Cook the orzo according to package directions adding in the sugar snap peas for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the ham, tomatoes, onion, parsley, cheese, vinegar, oil, and salt and toss to coat.  Sppon the mixture onto the lettuce leaves.

Yields: 6 servings
Serving Size:  About 8 ounces.

Points: 4 points

Nutritional Information:  204 calories, Total fat 6g, cholesterol 714 mg, sodium 24 g, total carbohydrate 24 g, fiber 3 g, 14g protein, 78 mg calcium