Creamy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

These are AMAZING!!! This is a brand new recipe to me, and I am really excited about it. It combines the flavor of buffalo wings with the dipping sauce! I made them for my parents using all of the low-fat ingredients, and they couldn't tell!  If you like buffalo wings give these a try! You can adjust the amount of buffalo sauce to increase the spiciness to your taste.

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup your favorite buffalo sauce (I used Texas Pete's Buffalo Wing Sauce)
1 cup fat free ranch dressing (I used Kraft Free Ranch)
4 oz (1/2 brick) light cream cheese

Directions:

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot.  Pour buffalo sauce and ranch dressing over top. Cube cream cheese and add to crock pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken and shred with a fork. While chicken is out of crock pot, whisk sauce to make sure cream cheese is mixed in.  Return chicken to crock pot and stir into sauce.  Serve on a one point hamburger or hot dog bun.

If you divide the meat into 10 servings, each serving is 4 weight watcher points.  Don't forget to add a point for the bun!

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

I love pot roast, but I've been avoiding it.  I used to always make my pot roast with a boneless chuck roast, but they are too high in fat.  I made this dish using an eye of round roast.  It's one of the leanest beef roasts you can get, and it was DELICIOUS!


Ingredients:
3lb eye of round roast (trimmed of visible fat)
desired amount of red potatoes with skin on (I used about 7 medium sized)
1 bag of baby carrots
1 package of mushrooms, washed (optional)
1 packet of dry brown gravy mix
1 packet of dry italian dressing mix
1/2 cup water
1 onion quartered


Directions:
Place roast in the bottom of crock pot. Mix gravy and dressing packets with water and pour over roast. Layer potatoes over roast and top with carrots and onion. Add mushrooms last.  Cook on low for 7-9 hours. 


The beef roast has a set point value of 5 points because it is a lean meat, or you can figure it at one point per ounce. Carrots are one point; potatoes are about 3 points for 3 or 4 of the medium sized red potatoes and mushrooms are zero points.

Bean and Rice Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 package of fat-free taco shells
1 1/2 cups rice (instant or regular)
1/2 can black beans drained and rinsed
2% shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, or mexican blend)
1 jar of enchilada sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare  rice according to package directions, but add 1 cup of salsa to the water before bringing to a boil.  Pour enough enchilada sauce into a baking dish to cover the bottom. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce into a shallow dish or plate.  Dip both sides of a taco shell into the enchilada sauce.  Add 1/8 cup rice, 1/8 cup of black beans and 1/8 cup of cheese to the shell.  Roll the taco shell tightly tucking in the ends. Add the enchilada to the baking dish. Continue to make desired amount of enchiladas and line them up in the baking dish.  Pour any remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until insides are hot and cheese is melted.  (for spicier enchiladas, add a sprinkle of canned green chili peppers to each enchilada)

Weight Watcher Points: 4 points for one enchilada

Turkey Meatball Subs

These are so easy and tasty.  And best of all....it's inexepensive! You can get everything you need at Aldi!

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen turkey meatballs
1 jar marinara sauce
1 green bell pepper cut into wide strips
6" sub rolls
2% mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Place meatballs and peppers in crock pot.  Pour marinara suace over top and stir.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  Add four meatballs and desired amount of peppers to a sub roll.  Top with 1/4 cup cheese. 

Weight Watcher Points:
4 meatballs - 3 points
Roll - 3 or 4 points depending on brand
Mozzarella Cheese - 2 points for 1/4 cup
Marinara is zero points unless you put more than 1/4 cup on your sandwich

Double Chocolate Muffins

I made these back when I first started Weight Watchers, and I had kind of forgotten about them.  Well, an intense chocolate craving this week reminded me! They are so simple and very tasty! You can't taste the pumpkin.  You really only taste chocolate.

Ingredients:

1 Box Double Chocolate Muffin Mix or Chocolate Cake Mix (both available at Aldi)
1 Can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix, just plain pumpkin)
1/2 cup water

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Batter will be thick.  Line cupcake trays with paper liners.  Fill 24 cups evenly with batter.  I used a cookie scoop and found the measurement to be about 1 1/4 scoops per cup. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes.

Each muffin is 2 weight watcher points.

Lightened-Up Buffalo Chicken Salad

One of my favorite meals out is a buffalo chicken salad from Granite City.  I've never been brave enough to look up the nutrition, but I know it's bad! My mother-in-law saw this recipe on "Cook Yourself Thin" and passed it along to me.  It was wonderful! In my opinion, the highlight was the creamy blue cheese dressing! Since starting weight watchers I've been sticking to vinaigrette dressings to save points, but this dressing is low in points and delicious! Next time I plan to add diced tomatoes and black olives to the salad!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons hot sauce (more if you like hot)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound chicken tenders
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs (I used regular bread crumbs)
 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
6 celery stalks, thinly sliced

Dressing Ingredients:
 1 ounce crumbled blue cheese (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons nonfat or low-fat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the hot sauce, vinegar, sugar and salt in a shallow dish until well blended. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

2. Put the bread crumbs shallow dish. Dredge each chicken tender in the bread crumbs, completely coating both sides. Transfer to the rack of a broiler pan or to a metal rack fitted over a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, turning once, until chicken is cooked through and crust is golden brown, about 12 minutes.

3. While the chicken is baking, stir together the cheese, yogurt, buttermilk and pepper. Toss with the lettuce and celery until well coated. Divide the dressed greens and chicken tenders among 4 serving plates and serve immediately.

This recipe serves 4 at 6 weight watchers points per serving.