Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Light King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This lightened version of one of our most popular recipes is almost identical to the original version, but made with reduced-fat cheeses and low-fat canned soups.

For an easy, satisfying, and healthy chicken casserole dinner, check out this lightened up version of one of our most popular chicken dishes of all time.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts
• 1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 (10-ounce) can fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 (8-ounce) block reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded 

Preparation

1. Sauté onion and bell pepper in a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients; remove from heat.
3. Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third tortilla pieces in bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with one-third chicken mixture and one-third cheese. Repeat layers twice.
4. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.
5. Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Note:

Serve with a veggie-loaded salad and vinaigrette. For added Southwest flavor, whisk a few dashes of hot sauce into the dressing.

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Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini

The Cooking Light version of this classic dish is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken. The thin pasta soaks up the sauce, forming a casserole that you can cut with a fork. To make it easier to toss the pasta and sauce, break the vermicelli in half before cooking.

This classic dish, created and named for 19th-century opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken or turkey. The thin pasta soaks up the sauce, forming a casserole that you can cut with a fork. To make it easier to toss the pasta and sauce, break the vermicelli in half before cooking.

Yield: 2 casseroles, 6 servings each (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup finely chopped onion 
• 2/3 cup finely chopped celery 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 (14.5-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
• 2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese 
• 7 cups hot cooked vermicelli (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 (1-ounce) slice white bread 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Melt butter in large stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, pepper, salt, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry; cook 1 minute.
3. Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add flour to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will be thick) with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
4. Add 1 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese and cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until cream cheese melts. Add the pasta and chicken, and stir until blended. Divide the pasta mixture between 2 (8-inch-square) baking dishes coated with cooking spray.
5. Place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.
6. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove casserole from oven; let stand 15 minutes.
7. To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cool completely in refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.
8. To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Thaw casserole completely in refrigerator (about 24 hours). Preheat oven to 350º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover casserole with reserved foil; bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 1 hour or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes.

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Cheesy Chicken Taco Casserole

Cheesy Chicken Taco Casserole

What's not to love about a 6-ingredient Tex-Mex one-dish meal? To save time, you can chop or shred rotisserie chicken instead of browning the chicken in the skillet.

This easy, 6-ingredient chicken taco casserole makes a great choice for your family's Mexican night.

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (24 oz.) jar pasta sauce 
• 9 (5-inch) corn tortillas
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack (8 oz.)
• 1 small tomato, sliced 

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a small skillet and add cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, turning once or twice, until opaque and firm, about 10 minutes. Remove, let cool and cut into small pieces or shred. You should have about 3 cups cut-up chicken.
2. Spread one-third of sauce over bottom of a 7-by-11-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 tortillas, slightly overlapping, on top. Sprinkle one-third of chicken and cilantro over tortillas. Top with a third of cheese. Make two more layers of sauce, tortillas, chicken, cilantro and cheese. Arrange tomato on final layer of cheese. Cover with foil and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook until top is lightly browned, 10 minutes more

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Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Start with on-hand pantry items such as spaghetti, frozen chopped onion, frozen chopped chicken, bottled garlic, and canned tomatoes to whip up an easy weeknight dinner that's sure to satisfy.

You can cover and refrigerate the casserole overnight, and sprinkle with cheese before baking. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

• 9 ounces uncooked spaghetti 
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup frozen chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, divided 
• 3 cups frozen chopped cooked chicken, thawed

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
3. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese, cooked spaghetti, and chicken. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake at 350º for 15 minutes.

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Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Use economical chicken thighs in this creamy enchilada casserole featuring salsa verde, corn, and pickled jalapeño.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)

Total: 1 Hour, 5 Minutes

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups chopped onion, divided 
• 6 garlic cloves, minced and divided 
• 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth 
• 2/3 cup salsa verde
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño pepper
• 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. 2. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) to chicken; toss to combine.
3. 3. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 garlic cloves; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to chicken mixture; stir to combine.
4. 4. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, remaining 3 garlic cloves, broth, salsa, 1/4 cup water, and jalapeño in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour mixture into a blender; add 2 tablespoons cilantro. Process until smooth.
5. 5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas from pan; repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters.
6. 6. Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 12 tortilla quarters over salsa mixture. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Pour remaining salsa mixture over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with remaining cilantro

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