Just another “all your food groups in one dish” week night meal. It’s great that my husband helps with dishes but every time I make a “real” dinner (as in, not eggs) he asks, “did you really need to use all these pots and pans?”. He then sometimes handles my dishes too aggressively and spills too much water on the floor. To avoid this, my weeknight dinners are almost always served in pasta bowls and cooked in two or less pans.
Are you a recipe follower or do you hate being told what to do and feel confident adding “a little of this, a little of that”? I’m naturally a recipe girl and when I’m worried about a dish coming out perfectly, I follow the directions to a “t”. When I cook dinner for my husband and I, however, there are no recipes. I get to experiment and he’s just grateful to be fed. If you are getting comfortable in the kitchen and venturing into culinary creativity, these skillet dinners are a great place to start. Experiment with different veggies, pasta shapes, types of meat, and even the cheese.
I adapted this recipe from Clean Eating and was intrigued by the sauce, mostly because I always have both ingredients in my fridge. My only disclaimer is that because there is less fat, the sauce isn’t as smooth as I hoped it’d be. The flavor, though, is fantastic. I loved this and served plenty to my daughter – toddler approved! Chock-full of protein and low enough in calories that you can enjoy a nice big bowl!
Healthy Skillet Chicken Tetrazzini
Serves 4-6
Adapted from Clean Eating
8 oz. whole wheat rotini or penne
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lg or 2 medium sized chicken breast, chopped
1 c. lowfat Greek yogurt
1 c. lowfat milk
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
8 oz mushrooms
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. scallions, chopped
1. Cook pasta in large pot till al dente (about a minute before the specified time), drain and set aside. Return pot to stove top (without heat)
2. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil to pan. Swirl to coat.
3. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until golden brown. Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, milk and cheese in a small bowl and set aside. Remove chicken to a small bowl nearby.
4. Add mushrooms and thyme and saute until softened and golden, 5-8 minutes. If mushrooms seem dry, spoon some of the boiling pasta water into the pan.Â
5. Add cherry tomatoes and cook several minutes longer or until softened.
6. Turn heat on under empty pasta pot (medium heat)Â and add back pasta, along with chicken and mushrooms/tomato mixture.
7. Add yogurt mixture, salt, pepper and scallions. Stir until combined and let cook until simmering. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
8. Serve, topped with more cheese if desired.
