Dear Reader-
Down 20+ lbs since September… sometimes I get in a bit of a rut when it comes to dinner time.
And, truth be told, that can be a bit detrimental (stress the mental part) to my overall success… so, tonight I tried something new and it was REALLY GOODe!
I just love no-where near authentic American style homemade enchiladas.
I love the combination of green sauce, sour cream, flour tortillas and cheese–glorious cheese… oh and the chicken too 😉
The problem is… one serving of the casserole is a whopping 528 calories and 24.3 grams of fat… gulp.
That doesn’t include sides or anything… and doesn’t go to mention the carbs… oh the carbs (see the recipe card for comparison below).
And while there is nothing wrong with indulging every once in a while in those homestyle foods– this season has way too many occasions to eat super yummy foods for me to be making a calorie laden meal on a boring Monday night in the middle of the biggest weight loss effort of my life.
SO… I decided to try and lighten it up a bit.
I started out with my chicken in a non-stick skillet with 1 T of oil and 1/2 t of really GOODe Chili Powder and a little salt.
The Chili Powder helps me add flavor while reducing fat.
I cooked that up until golden and juices were running clear and I sat it aside.
Then I grabbed the game-changer… 0% Fat Greek Yogurt… 1 Cup and substituted it for sour cream with GREAT success… shaving lots of fat and lots of calories… I was on a roll.
To that, I mixed in one small can of green enchilada sauce.
I spread 1/2 cup of the mixture into the bottom of my favorite casserole dish.
Next I cut the tortillas WAY down. First I used the small 8 inch flour tortillas… secondly instead of wrapping the chicken, I just made tortilla layers– using far less– only 3 tortillas per layer.
Now some may wonder why I don’t use whole grain tortillas.
Why?
Because I don’t really like them. I have used them. I have pretended to myself that I had to like them.
But in the end, nothing beats a good flour tortilla for this particular casserole for me.
But if you don’t mind the whole grain tortillas, go for it– it will add some much needed fiber to the dish. I opted for a side dish of beans instead.
Next up, another 1/2 of mixture spread over top.
Now spread your Chicken and one Roasted Red Bell Pepper over the top.
Again, the Red Pepper is there to add more flavor with less fat/carbs… and it does it’s job beautifully.
Dollop another 1/2 cup of mixture over the top.
Add another layer of shells…
Now the remainder of the sauce.
And 1/2 Cup 2% Sharp Cheddar Cheese sprinkled over the top before going into a 350 degree oven and baking for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly hot.
Spoon out into 6 servings and serve piping hot.
Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Enchiladas (Lite)
Ingredients
- 1 T Olive Oil
- 1.15 lbs Chicken Tenderloins- Cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 t Chili Powder
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 6 8 inch Flour Tortillas
- 1 small can Green Enchilada Sauce
- 1 Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt
- 1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper- chopped
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese 2%
Instructions
- Cook chicken in oil-- seasoned with chili powder, salt and pepper-- until golden and juices run clear.
- Mix yogurt and enchilada sauce and spread 1/2 cup of mixture in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
- Cut one tortilla in half and place it and 2 whole tortillas in the bottom of the pan to cover.
- Spread 1/2 cup mixture over top.
- Spread chicken over the top and sprinkle red pepper over chicken
- Dollop another 1/2 cup's worth of the mixture over the dish.
- Place another layer of shells on top as you did the bottom.
- Cover with remaining sauce and cheese.
- Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly-- 25-30 minutes.
Notes
Calories
247
Total Fat
6.6g
Sat. Fat
1.8g
Cholest.
50.4mg
Sodium
908.1mg
Carb.
19g
Fiber
1.5g
Sugars
5g
Protein
27.6g Heavy Version Comparison:
Calories
528
Total Fat
24.3g
Sat. Fat
10.8g
Cholest.
94.6mg
Sodium
1,464.3mg
Carb.
43.1g
Fiber
2.4g
Sugars
4.3g
Protein
35.2g
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