Word Association

Let’s play a little word association. When I say CASSEROLE, what do you say?

Nothing says comfort food like the word casserole. For so many of us it, the style of dish was ever-present in our dinner hour as we were growing up. In many cases, it was both a one dish meal and a way to use already cooked meats and in others a good way to bring in an occasional “exotic” ingredient into a comfortable setting.

I don’t make a lot of casseroles myself. I generally prefer the stove top to the oven (it just seems more participatory on my part), but sometimes it just seems right to do.

This recipe has all the hallmarks of my notion of a casserole: chicken, creamy sauce, a few veggies, cheese and some breading. While not a one dish meal, it was pretty easy to put together.

Nothing really exotic here. I used pre-cooked chicken strips.

Cook up the milk and flour.

Mix together the creamy ingredients.

All mixed together.

The amount of breadcrumbs was way too much. You may want to cut it by 30%.

Makeover Hot Chicken Salad Recipe

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Makes: 6

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup seasoned salad croutons
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped and toasted
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon reduced-fat butter, melted
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a small saucepan, whisk flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat;cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, onion and salt until smooth. Whisk in the milk mixture. Stir in the chicken, celery, water chestnuts, croutons and almonds.

Spoon into a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Combine bread crumbs and butter; stir in cheese. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Info:

Nutritional Facts 3/4 cup equals 323 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 78 mg cholesterol, 592 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 29 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2-1/2 fat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable.

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Makeover-Hot-Chicken-Salad