by Lisa Stephens

Created on: May 09, 2009

As a mother of very active boys, I have always been on the lookout for healthy meals that are quick and easy to fix. The following are two of my all-time favorite recipes for low -fat chicken pot pie.

I originally found this first recipe in Cooking Light magazine a few years back. It is a low fat and tasteful delight, especially on a chilly evening. What makes this recipe so unique from other low fat chicken pies is the light and flaky puff pastry crust. Per serving: 388 calories, Fat 13 grams (2g saturated, mono 3g, poly 7g) carbohydrate 45.7g, cholesterol 34 mg.

Low-fat Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

3 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1 cup baking potato, cut in 1/2 inch dice and peeled. Same for the next veggies

1 cup sweet potato

1 cup celery root (celeriac)

1 cup parsnip, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 (10 ounce) package white pearl onions, frozen

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

2/3 cup flour, divided

1 1/2 cups nonfat milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Non stick cooking spray

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Bring broth to a boil in a large dutch oven. Add peas and next 5 ingredients and heat through. Add pearl onions. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 6 minutes.

Add chicken. Cook 5 minutes or until done.

Remove chicken and veggies from broth with slotted spoon and set in a large bowl.

Increase heat to medium. Spoon flour lightly into measuring cup, level with knife. Place all but 1 tablespoon of flour into a medium bowl, gradually add milk whisking until well blended.

Add milk mixture to the broth, cook for 5 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently.

Stir in chicken and veggies, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.

Spoon mixture into an 11 x 7 baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon of flour on to work surface, roll dough into a 13x9 rectangle. Place dough over the chicken mixture, pressing to seal at the edges of the dish. Cut slits in dough for steam to escape, and coat dough lightly with cooking spray.

Place on a foil lined baking dish (to make clean up easy if there is a bubble over). Bake at 400 degrees for 16 minutes or until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly. Let set for a couple of minutes to cool. Enjoy.

This next recipe works great for left-over chicken. It is quick and easy to prepare, for those nights you need to get dinner on the table in a hurry. It takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare. I first discovered this recipe online. I tried it and the whole family loved it.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (white meat)

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 10.75-ounce can 98% fat-free, reduced-sodium condensed mushroom soup

1 cup reduced fat all-purpose baking mix

1/2 cup fat free milk

1 egg

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chicken, frozen vegetables and undiluted soup in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Whisk baking mix, milk and egg together until blended. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serves 4

Per Serving: Calories 280, Calories from Fat 52, Total Fat 5.9g (sat 1.7g) Cholesterol 89mg, Sodium 793mg, Carbohydrate 36.1g, Fiber 3.8g, Protein 21g

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