Chicken Florentine - Skinny Style

It's no secret that I love pasta bakes and Italian food! What I don't love are the calories and fats that come along with it... A few weeks ago, I got to thinking about one of my favorite dishes, Chicken Florentine, and ways to make it healthy. Here's what I came up with:

PS: This dish ROCKS! You're welcome ;)

Here's What You'll Need:

• 16 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (Low Fat & Low Sodium Canned Chicken Works too!)

• 6 oz. Frozen Spinach, Thawed - Be Sure to Squeeze the Spinach to Remove as Much Liquid as Possible.

• 2-3 Large Cloves of Garlic, Minced 

• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 Tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour

• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

• 1 14.5 oz. Can of Salt-Free & Low Fat Chicken Broth

• 1 Tsp. Nutmeg

• 2 Tsp Dried Oregano

• 1 Tbsp. Black Pepper

• 1 Tsp. Italian Seasoning

• 1 Cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

• 6 oz. Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

• 8oz. Whole Grain Pasta - Spirals are my Fave, but Bow Tie Pasta Works Great too!

 Here's What You'll Do:

• To begin, cube up your chicken breast into bite sized pieces (skip this step if you opted for canned chicken). Once cubed to perfection, cook the chicken in a skillet. While you’re doing that, cook your pasta according to the package instructions.

• In a separate bowl, you’ll combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and spinach. Mix everything up until a smooth consistency is achieved.

• In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add whole wheat flour to pot, and whisk for 30-seconds.

• After whisking, add in your chicken broth, and stir until thickened – usually between 2-3 minutes. Then, you can add in your lemon juice, garlic, and seasonings (nutmeg, pepper, Italian seasoning, and oregano). Bring mixture to a simmer.

• Remove from heat, then add the blended cheese mixture from step 2, as well as the cooked and cubed chicken, and boiled pasta.

• Stir everything to ensure the noodles and chicken are evenly coated.

• Transfer everything to a greased 9x13 casserole dish.

• Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

• Enjoy!!

Craving More?
Find more healthy recipes, workouts, and fun fitness tips on my Nutrish & Delish Pinterest board!

Pesto Ranch Chicken Breast

Crock Pot Love
Oh, how I love my crock pot! It's awesome for whipping up an easy dinner or creating my signature spiked apple cider - but that's a totally different topic that I won't get into right now. 

Pesto Ranch Chicken  Breast
On my menu plan for this week, I am making a deliciously tasty recipe that I found on Pinterest (of course!). The recipe is called "Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken Thighs," but, I am going to "healthify" it with a few simple substitutions. And you know what? Nobody will know the difference! ;)

How To Healthify
The original recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but I'm going to use boneless, skinless breasts instead. Even though you can easily trim the fat off of the thighs, breast meat is always a healthier option - plus, who wants to waste time trimming fat?! Not me! The recipe also calls for chicken broth. Of course, I'll swap out original broth with a low sodium, fat free version like Shelton's.

Here's What You'll Need

• 8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 6 oz. Jar of Pesto
• 1 16 oz. Package of Ranch Seasoning
• 1/2 Cup Shelton's Chicken Broth (or any fat free, low sodium broth)

Get Cookin'
I'm about to blow your mind with how easy this recipe is to prep, so brace yourself. All you're going to do is place everything (the chicken breasts, pesto, ranch seasoning, and broth) into the crock pot, give it a little stir to mix everything up, and place the lid on top. Voila; that's it! Cook it on high for 3-4 hours, or if you've got time to spare, cook it on low for 6-8 hours.

Pairing Suggestions
I plan on serving the chicken on a bed of whole wheat angel hair pasta with a homemade Greek yogurt Alfredo sauce, and one of my favorite sides of all time, Parmesan zucchini. Recipes for both of these delicious sides can be found on the My Favorite Recipes page above.

Follow Your Faves!
Follow my Nutrish & Delish board on Pinterest to stay connected to all of my healthy recipes and fitness tips! Happy Cooking :)