11. Chicken Parm with Spinach
In this recipe, we serve our chicken parm with garlicky spinach in place of pasta: It not only cuts calories and boosts nutrition dramatically, but it also adds a punch that pairs perfectly with the saucy chicken.
Despite the fact that it’s the size of a Frisbee, fried in oil, and covered in cheese, the biggest problem with chicken parmesan remains the pile of pasta upon which it invariably is served. That’s why, in this recipe, we serve our chicken parm with garlicky spinach in place of pasta: It not only cuts calories and boosts nutrition dramatically, but it also adds a punch that pairs perfectly with the saucy chicken. We coat the bird in Japanese-style bread crumbs (which crisp up better than the standard variety) and then bake it until golden brown, a move that saves you the hassle (and the unwanted fat) of frying at home.
NUTRITION: 340 calories, 9 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 540 mg sodium
SERVES 4
YOU’LL NEED
1 extra-large egg
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each), pounded to uniform 1⁄3-inch thickness
1 1⁄2 cups tomato sauce (make your own, or buy a jar), heated
1⁄2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Garlic-lemon spinach
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Crack the egg into a shallow dish and beat.
- In a separate shallow dish (a pie pan works nicely), combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, olive oil, Italian seasoning, and a few generous pinches of salt and black pepper.
- Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip into the egg, then into the bread crumbs, using your fingers to press the crumbs into the chicken.
- Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet or roasting pan and place in the oven on the middle rack.
- Bake for about 12 minutes, until the chicken is firm to the touch and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and set the oven to broil.
- Cover each breast with a good ladle of tomato sauce and a handful of mozzarella. Return to the middle rack of the oven and broil for about 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Serve the chicken over the spinach with extra tomato sauce, if you like.
12. Grilled Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Sandwich
In this healthier buffalo chicken sandwich recipe, we stay true to the flavors people love by basting the chicken in hot sauce and butter after grilling, topping with a yogurt-based blue cheese sauce—but manage to do what no one else out there has done yet: make Buffalo chicken into a healthy meal.
Given the rate of chicken wing consumption in this country, clearly hot sauce-slathered chicken and blue cheese is a winning combination for most American palates. Problem is, the majority of take-out restaurants deliver wings with more fat than flavor, and now chains such as Chili’s, Ruby Tuesday, and Buffalo Wild Wings are using the high-in-calorie combinations of sugar and sauce to fatten up their sandwiches, too. In this healthier buffalo chicken sandwich recipe, we stay true to the flavors people love by basting the chicken in hot sauce and butter after grilling, topping with a yogurt-based blue cheese sauce—but manage to do what no one else out there has done yet: make Buffalo chicken into a healthy meal. Try the same technique with grilled shrimp, and serve with or without the bread, depending on your preference.
NUTRITION: 387 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated), 912 mg sodium
SERVES 4
YOU’LL NEED
1⁄4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1⁄2 cup Greek-style yogurt
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
4 chicken breasts (6 oz each)
1⁄2 Tbsp chili powder
1 red onion, sliced
3 Tbsp favorite hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot works best here.)
2 Tbsp butter, melted in the microwave for 20 seconds
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
4 sesame buns, toasted
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Preheat a grill or grill pan. While it’s heating, combine the blue cheese, yogurt, and lemon juice, plus a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine, and set aside.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and the chili powder.
- Add the chicken to the hot grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes the first side, then flip.
- Add the onions to the perimeter of the grill (if using a grill pan, you’ll need to wait until you remove the chicken to grill the onions).
- Cook the chicken until firm and springy to the touch, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove, along with the grilled onions.
- Combine the hot sauce and butter and brush all over the chicken after removing from the grill.
- Place one large leaf of romaine on the base of each bun.
- Top with a chicken breast, the blue cheese sauce, grilled onions, and then the top half of the bun.