PrairieHarpy's Ziti-less Chicken Ziti Bake


5 of 5 (2)
member ratings
Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 10
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 409.4
  • Total Fat: 22.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 216.0 mg
  • Sodium: 701.4 mg
  • Total Carbs: 7.0 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
  • Protein: 36.6 g

View full nutritional breakdown of PrairieHarpy's Ziti-less Chicken Ziti Bake calories by ingredient


Introduction

If DH wants pasta and you don't, this enables you to please him without having to pick the pasta out of yours. Still a little high in calories. Had some trouble finding the exact chicken and sauce brands I used. Look for an update. If DH wants pasta and you don't, this enables you to please him without having to pick the pasta out of yours. Still a little high in calories. Had some trouble finding the exact chicken and sauce brands I used. Look for an update.
Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients

    1 large portabella mushroom cap, diced
    1/2 cup onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 pound ground chicken
    26 oz jar Arrabbiata sauce
    1/2 c low fat, low sodium chicken broth
    1/2 teaspoon oregano
    1 c reduced fat shreeded 4-cheese italian (mozzarella probably fine here, but this was good!)
    1 c shredded parmesan
    cracked pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


In large skillet with a spritz or two of olive oil Pam, sautee the onions, mushrooms, and garlic over medium high heat until onions are soft and beginning to become translucent.


Add chicken and keep cooking until chicken is just done.


Stir in sauce, broth, and oregano. Reduce heat just a little and simer for 10 or 15 minutes.


Spoon half of the meat mixture into an 8 x 8 dish sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup of each kind of cheese. Add the remainder of the meat mixture. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of cheese. (You should have 1/2 c parm and 1/2 c italian.) Add fresh ground or cracked pepper on top of the cheese, to taste. Bake uncovered for 10 or 15 more minutes.

END OF RECIPE

----------------------------------------------

TIPS

Let it sit for a few minutes before you serve it, and the sauce will thicken a little more. Or, you can serve it right away and use the more liquidy edges to top pasta with... take the thicker center for yourself.


If people in the house want pasta, you can cook the pasta as directed while the meat dish is baking. Then, I just spooned a serving of pasta into a bowl and spooned meat mixture on top for them. I stored the pasta separate from the leftovers, and it reheated wonderfully the same way. Maybe even better. Make sure you get a nice whole grain or protein/fiber enriched pasta. I picked something that resembled ziti. If you only cook pasta to "al dente", it will have a much lower glycemic index. Healthier for the pasta eaters. (Still not low enough to suit me most of the time.)


Next time, I might sautee the first three ingredients in the chicken broth, then discard the broth and add a can of stewed tomatoes. Might be a little bit thicker, and stewed tomatoes are good. Add zucchini for more veggie.


PASTA is NOT in the nutritional info. (Good lawdy... can you imagine if it was???) I'm pretty sure the actual brands I picked pulled the counts a little lower than this. I'll be more careful to record them next time. We will be making it again. DH said it was "the best !#$%ing ziti he's ever had."

Number of Servings: 10

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user PRAIRIEHARPY.

Member Ratings For This Recipe


  • no profile photo


    How about using fat free cheeses instead of low fat and reducing the calorie content. Also you could use extra lean ground turkey breast instead of ground chicken which is actually unusually high in calories. Just a suggestion - 6/26/08

    Reply from PRAIRIEHARPY (2/22/09)
    Sounds good. I don't typically deprive myself of all fat in cheese when it effects the texture of a recipe, but I'm sure it would be good! I'm a low fat / part skim gal. :)



  • no profile photo

    Incredible!
    Sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it! - 6/25/08


  • no profile photo

    Incredible!
    As always, your recipes look great! - 6/25/08