Making Weight Watchers protein balls checks a couple of boxes on my meal prep and planning list. I can whip these up as a healthy snack for my family of busy people, a midday no bake energy balls Weight Watchers snack for me, or a quick breakfast on the go.

These are family friendly no bake protein bites for Weight Watchers. They’re protein bites but they eat like a little cookie, they are just the perfect amount of sweet and chewy. The whole family enjoys these. I usually prep a batch on a Sunday night and then I have some for everyone to enjoy all week long.

This recipe is full of healthy ingredients and is so easy to customize–You can incorporate your family’s favorite add-ins like flax seed, chia seeds, raisins, cranberries–just make sure to re-calculate the points for your snack.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we write our recipes with all readers in mind. We know that our readers have a variety of skill levels in the kitchen, and we are mindful in how we can support all of you.

In each recipe post, you’ll find detailed instructions, helpful tips and tricks, healthy eating plan points, and nutrition information. If you are ready for a simplified recipe, simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print Weight Watchers Protein Balls recipe.

Ingredients in Weight Watchers Protein Balls:

Making these no bake cookies is easier than you think! You’ll need just a few wholesome ingredients that I’ll list below. You can find the exact amounts of each in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Oatmeal: The combination of oats and chocolate chips just taste good. It’s the perfect combination for our no baking protein balls. We like using old fashioned rolled quick oatmeal for this recipe. Steel cut oats would be a bit too dense for this recipe. Just a reminder, you DO NOT cook the oats ahead of time.
• Mini chocolate chips: The chocolate chips give a little boost of chocolate without having to make any major WW point decisions.
• Coconut flakes: Unsweetened is what you need.
• Peanut butter: We love making this healthy no bake snack with peanut butter. However, you are more than welcome to use a peanut butter replacement instead.
• Honey: This ingredient helps the balls stay together. It also adds just a little bit of sweetness.
• Vanilla

Here are some things that you can consider adding to your recipe to make these delicious Weight Watchers “cookies” even more flavorful, and packed with nutrition!

• Protein Powder: Some people love adding powdered peanut butter protein to treats. We haven’t tried the powdered peanut butter protein flavor before, but I bet it’d be delicious!
• Other chips: Dark chocolate chips would be delicious in this recipe.
• Almond Butter or other nut butter:
• Extra Coconut:
• Chia Seeds: Such a powerhouse for all things nutritious. Adding these to your protein balls just make sense. I like to add chia seeds because they are high in fiber.
• Flax Seeds: Flax Seeds help improve digestive health. If you don’t have actual seeds on hand, ground flaxseed would also be perfect for this recipe.

How to make Weight Watchers Protein Balls:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, chocolate chips, and coconut.
2. Add the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. Mix well until evenly combined. I prefer using a stand mixer with this recipe because it seems to make the balls easier to roll out and stick together.
3. Chill mixture in the refrigerator for an hour, then roll out balls about an inch in diameter. Be sure to add your extra peanut butter and/or honey in small amounts. I usually just set aside a 1/2 cup total so I know I have more liquid ingredients if needed to make the batter more or less sticky.
4. Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

Recipe Tips:

• We really should call these energy bites, or no bake energy balls. These peanut butter protein bites give me just the perfect amount of an energy boost to get through a long day of work and working out. My son totally refers to this recipe as his favorite peanut butter energy balls. I like to leave out the little fact that they are indeed Weight Watchers energy balls, and healthy for him!
• Depending on your peanut butter, the mixture might be a little dry or a little moist. Just add a little more peanut butter, honey, or oats to the mix–depending on what you need. I’ve found that thinner peanut butter like the Kirkland Organic Creamy that we buy from Costco works best because it’s so thin.
• If you are using a nut butter of your choice you might want to make sure it is room temperature. If the nut butter is too stiff, it will be tough to mix.
• I think that using mini chocolate chips helps these granola bites stick together better than using the regular chocolate chips–especially if you’re going to make 40 balls out of one batch. If you are using the larger chips you can always give them a quick run in the food processor to make them into smaller chunks.
• Swap out your add-ins, but don’t forget to re-calculate your Weight Watchers points for any changes you make to these energy bites. Old fashioned oats work best but you can use the quick oats if that is what you have on hand.
• If you can’t make balls and are over trying to make it work, take a peek at this post to see how we form and cut our granola bars–you can easily make bars instead. Honestly the protein ball recipes can be made into any shape and you will still have the same benefits without spending 30 minutes fighting with the batter. Sometimes it just doesn’t come together properly so matter how much you try. This really is a great recipe and the perfect snack, regardless of the shape it ends up.

What are the Weight Watchers Points for this recipe?

With the ingredients as listed in the card below (without any extra peanut butter or honey to make the batter stiffer / stickier) this recipe makes 40 balls that are about 1 inch in diameter. Each one is 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points.

The points for the new 2022/2023 points plan is 5

It’s a nice little sweet treat that I can feel good about. There are wholesome ingredients, the points are low enough that I don’t have to make a “sacrifice” to enjoy these protein bites, and fat is coming from a healthy source that I know is balance with protein.

Weight Watchers Desserts:

You can enjoy dessert recipes without going crazy trying to save up points and use your weeklies. I like when I can work dessert recipes into my meal plan without having to try too hard and after you try these…you will too!

• Weight Watchers Ice Cream Recipe
• Instant Pot Cupcakes
• Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

Delicious Weight Watcher recipes

• Starbucks Red Pepper Egg Bites Recipe
• Healthy Starbucks Egg Bites Recipe
• Crack Chicken and Rice Casserole

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Weight Watchers Protein Balls with Peanut Butter

These Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Protein Bites are a healthy Weight Watchers snack idea! We love making these no bake cookies to replace cookie cravings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword oatmeal, protein balls, protein bites, Weight Watchers

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill & Roll 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 40 Pieces

Calories 64kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Parchment Paper
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

• 2 cups oats quick oats
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup coconut flakes unsweetened
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mix together the oats, chocolate chips, and coconut.  2 cups oats, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 2/3 cup coconut flakes
• Add the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. Mix well until evenly combined. I prefer to use my stand mixer or a hand mixer for this–stirring by hand never seems to incorporate all of the ingredients well enough for me. 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/3 cup honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Chill mixture in the refrigerator for an hour, then roll out balls about an inch in diameter. Keeping the mixture in the fridge before rolling helps them to roll easier. 
• Store in an airtight container–I prefer the these in the refrigerator! 

Video

Notes

• Sometimes I use a bit more peanut butter and honey to help the balls stick together. I add about 1/4 cup peanut butter and 1/8 cup honey to what’s listed above. You could also form the balls into bars instead – I explain how to do this easily in my Healthy Granola Bar post.
• With the ingredients as listed (without any extra peanut butter or honey to make the batter stiffer / stickier) this recipe makes 40 balls that are about 1 inch in diameter. Each one is 3 Blue Plan Points | 3 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points. assuming you make 40 small balls per batch. 2022/2023 Points: 5

 

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Weight Watchers Protein Balls appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

While I love making these for parties – they make a great appetizer – I also like making them for snacks throughout the week. When I meal prep, I like to have some high protein options like hard boiled eggs and these Boneless Buffalo Chicken Wings on hand.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we write recipes so that anyone can make them – whether you’re brand new to the kitchen or have been cooking for years.

In this article you’ll find ingredient information, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, and WW point info. If you’d like to get right to the boneless wing recipe, scroll down to the printable recipe at the bottom of this article that includes ingredients and amounts, basic cooking instructions, nutrition information, and links to what you’ll need to make this recipe.

Ingredients in these Buffalo Chicken Wings:

• Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breast works great for this recipe. If you prefer dark meat, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you use the thighs, you’ll want to recalculate your WW points.
• Franks Hot Sauce: Be sure and grab the original recipe hot sauce. The buffalo wing sauce has a significant amount of extra ingredients that don’t work well with a clean eating lifestyle. Frank’s Hot Sauce is salt, peppers, and vinegar. This is all you need. You won’t miss the extra stuff in the buffalo sauce, I promise!
• Cayenne Pepper I use dried cayenne pepper. This is how you’ll adjust the heat spice in your recipe. Skip it if you’d like mild flavor, use half the amount if you’d like medium flavor.
• Butter: Unsalted butter, if you have it. If the recipe needs salt when it’s cooked, you can add some to each serving.
• Salt & Pepper: to taste

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Prep your chicken: Slice your chicken into bite-sized strips.
2. Set up your pot: Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the butter to the pot.
3. Add your ingredients: Once the butter has melted, place chicken in the pot, then add cayenne pepper (optional), salt, and pepper to taste. Coat each piece of chicken so it’s seasoned evenly. Add ½ cup hot sauce and stir the chicken so that it’s coated. Adding the hot sauce will count as your liquid that you need to pressure cook.
4. Pressure cook: Close and lock the lid to your Instant Pot and turn the steam valve to sealing. Using the manual or pressure cook setting, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
5. Release the pressure: Once the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. You can remove chicken from the pot and drizzle the remaining hot sauce on top and eat now, or skip ahead to the next step to add some more texture to your wings.
6. Add the rest of the hot sauce: Using tongs, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Brush the chicken with the additional ¼ cup of hot sauce.
7. Broil: Place the baking sheet into the oven and broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. This will help to thicken the sauce. Let the chicken cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

• I like to use partially frozen chicken breast meat because it’s easier to cut.
• If using completely frozen chicken, place the frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, along with ½ cup of water, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 16 minutes, then cube and continue with the recipe.
• If using fully thawed chicken, reduce your cook time to 7 minutes.
• If you’re short on time you can skip broiling and just toss the chicken with the remaining wings sauce, but I highly recommend broiling.
• These boneless buffalo wings go great with a side of celery sticks, carrot sticks, and blue cheese crumbles, blue cheese dressing, or goat cheese.
• Need some ranch dressing? You can make a simple ranch dip using a container of plain Greek yogurt and homemade ranch seasoning: 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp parsley and 1/2 tsp dill. (Need a visual? Here’s my Ranch Dressing Mix)
• Leftover chicken can be store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 2 months.

WW Points info for these Buffalo Chicken Wings:

1 Serving Weight Watchers Boneless Wings (Serving size is 1/4 of the recipe) counts as:

• 3 Blue Plan Points
• 6 Green Plan Points
• 3 Purple Plan Points
• 2023 Points: 3

Looking for more WW Buffalo chicken recipes?

• Weight Watchers Buffalo Chicken Dip This Buffalo Chicken Dip is made with blended cottage cheese and Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese, and shredded chicken. This recipe will satisfy your cravings while keeping you on track with daily points.
• Weight Watchers Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Using protein packed cottage cheese and Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream, this is a delicious and satisfying recipe!
• WW Recipe for Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups Craving buffalo but not quite in the mood for wings? This recipe for Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups is so good and easy to make. If you’d feeling a little lazy, you don’t even have to roll it up – the ingredients can go right on top and make the chicken breast delicious!
• Weight Watchers Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Not chicken – I get it. But if you’re in need of some veggies, you’re going to LOVE this Buffalo Cauliflower recipe!

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Weight Watchers Buffalo Chicken Wings (Boneless)

These spicy, buttery, Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings are the perfect healthy Weight Watchers recipe. They cook right in the Instant Pot, so they’re fast and cleanup is easy.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Weight Watchers Buffalo Chicken Wings

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Total Time 26 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 317kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Kitchen Knife
• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter unsalted
• 2 lbs chicken breasts partially defrosted, cut into strips (I've also used frozen chicken breasts, please see tips in the recipe post)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional, see recipe notes
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup hot sauce Frank’s original, NOT Buffalo
• 1/4 cup hot sauce Frank’s Original, separated, for coating

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to saute mode and add the butter. 2 tbsp butter
• Once the butter has melted, add in the chicken, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the chicken so that each piece is seasoned. Add ½ cup hot sauce and stir the chicken so that it’s coated. 2 lbs chicken breasts, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup hot sauce
• Close and lock the lid to your Instant Pot and turn the steam valve to sealing. Using the manual or pressure cook setting, cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
• Once the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. You can remove chicken and drizzle remaining hot sauce on top and eat now, or skip ahead to the next step.
• Using tongs, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
• Brush the chicken with the additional ¼ cup of hot sauce. 1/4 cup hot sauce
• Place the baking sheet and broil the chicken for 3 minutes on each side. This will help to thicken the sauce. Let the chicken cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips

• If using completely frozen chicken, place the frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, along with ½ cup of water, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 16 minutes, then cube and continue with the recipe.
• If using fully thawed chicken, reduce your cook time to 7 minutes.
• If you’re short on time you can skip broiling and just toss the chicken with the remaining wings sauce, but I highly recommend broiling.
• These boneless buffalo wings go great with a side of celery sticks, carrot sticks, and blue cheese crumbles, blue cheese dressing, or goat cheese.
• Need some ranch dressing? You can make a simple ranch dip using a container of plain Greek yogurt and homemade ranch seasoning: 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp parsley and 1/2 tsp dill. (Need a visual? Here’s my Ranch Dressing Mix)
• Leftover chicken can be store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 2 months.I like to use partially frozen chicken breast meat because it’s easier to cut.

Weight Watchers | 1 Serving (Recipe Serves 4) | 3 Blue Points | 3 Purple Points | 6 Green Points | 2022/2023 Points: 3

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5lb | Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 1503mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 506IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Weight Watchers Buffalo Chicken Wings (Boneless) appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Our flour-free Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with only five simple ingredients. Ingredients that you most likely always have on hand, and are ready to go in a sweet craving emergency.

Our baked cookies are easy to make, and will be your new go to recipe for banana oatmeal cookies. With no refined sugar, our recipe is naturally sweetened with bananas.

These easy banana oatmeal cookies can also be easily modified to be gluten-free by using gluten free oatmeal!

Pro tip: Double our easy banana oatmeal cookies recipe and thank me later. We love to keep a batch in the freezer ready to go when our craving strikes.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we write our recipes so all of our readers can be successful. In each recipe, we include detailed instructions, healthy eating plan points, tips and tricks, and nutritional information.

If you are a novice in the kitchen, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll support you along your cooking journey and help you be successful! If you are ready to start cooking without all of our helpful tips and tricks, simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

Ingredients

• Bananas: You’ll need a mashed bananas or two on hand that are ripe. We’ve used overripe bananas too, and they work great, also. The mashed banana will naturally sweeten the absolutely delicious oatmeal cookies. Don’t worry, the banana flavor isn’t overpowering in this recipe. You’ll enjoy a subtle banana flavor in our banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
• Oats: Quick oats or old fashioned rolled oats, it didn’t seem to matter which I used. You may also use gluten free oats in this cookie recipe if needed.
• Cinnamon: Anything with cinnamon will taste amazing. The cinnamon combined with the oats, mashed banana, and dark chocolate chips is perfection in a bite.
• Vanilla Extract: Yum. Vanilla flavor mixed with oats and chocolate chips. Swoon.
• Sea salt: In my opinion, all things delicious have a solid blend of sweet and salty.
• Dark chocolate chips: We love the flavor of dark chocolate chips with these banana oatmeal cookies. If you do choose to use a different type of chocolate chip, like semi sweet chocolate chips, please recalculate your healthy eating plan points.

How to Make Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies in the Oven

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mash the bananas with a fork. I tried to do them with my mixer, but they didn’t get as mushy as I wanted. The fork works well.
3. Add everything but the chocolate chips to the large mixing bowl and mix for 1 minute.
4. Add chocolate chips and stir by hand.
5. Drop large spoonfuls of unbaked cookie dough onto a prepared baking sheet, you should get about 8 cookies per batch.
6. Cook for 18-22 minutes. It’s not easy to tell when they’re done because they’re so dark. I poke them and see if they fall apart. If they start to come apart, give them a few more minutes.
7. Remove and cool completely and store in the fridge.

Recipe Tips

• Be sure to let the banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container if storing in the refrigerator. Our oatmeal banana cookies may also be stored in the freezer for a longer period of time.
• To thaw the cookies from the freezer, simply move the cookies to the refrigerator. We don’t recommend heating them in the microwave.
• Use ripe bananas for this recipe. You can identify ripe bananas as bananas that are yellow with brown spots on it. Overripe bananas tend to turn mostly brown. They will still work, but we’ve found the most success in using ripe bananas that just have a little bit of brown spots on the peel.
• Normally cookies turn a nice golden brown color when finished. Since these are darker in color, you won’t be able to use the golden brown coloring as a key to tell when finished. We use the poke test on this. If you poke them, and they start to fall apart put them back in the oven for a few minutes.
• This banana chocolate chip cookies call for dark chocolate chips. If you use semi sweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips in this recipe, you’ll need to recalculate your healthy eating plan points.
• This recipe could easily be modified into a gluten free recipe. Simply swap out the old fashioned oats for a gluten free variety of oats. They make plenty of brands of gluten free old fashioned oats, as well as gluten free quick oats available in grocery stores.
• We love that our banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are made with no refined sugar. You won’t find granulated sugar, or light brown sugar in this recipe. They are naturally sweetened with the mashed banana. These yummy cookies are perfectly sweet without the added sugar.
• Our healthy banana oatmeal cookies could be made without chocolate chips, and instead add raisins into the banana cookies. Both way of making our banana oatmeal cookies taste amazing.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix or Portion Fix

Counts as a yellow container treat swap. 2 cookies = one yellow container.

If you’re using raisins in these cookies, your swap will be 1/2 purple, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 teaspoon :)

Weight Watchers

Each serving counts as 3 2023 Plan Points | 3 Blue Points | 3 Green Points | 2 Purple Points each if you make 8 per batch. If you make them smaller you can adjust your points accordingly.

More Delicious Recipes

• Healthy Rice Pudding Recipe with Brown Rice
• Healthy Peanut Butter Granola Bars
• Dairy Free Chocolate Ice Cream
• Post Workout Snack | Apple Cookie Snacks
• 2B Mindset Dessert Recipes

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Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These healthier banana oatmeal cookies are the perfect healthy cookie! I think you could even have them for breakfast.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword 21 Day Fix, Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, healthy, healthy chocolate chip cookies, Weight Watchers

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 22 minutes minutes

Total Time 27 minutes minutes

Servings 8 cookies

Calories 98kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 2 bananas mashed, ripe
• 1 cup oats quick cook or rolled, it didn’t seem to matter which I used. Use gluten free oats if needed.
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325º.
• Mash the bananas with a fork. I tried to do them with my mixer, but they didn't get as mushy as I wanted. 2 bananas
• Add all of the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, to a mixing bowl and mix together for 1 minute. 1 cup oats , 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Add chocolate chips and stir by hand. (this will keep them from breaking). 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
• Using a spoon, place 8 cookie-sized portions onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Cook for 18-22 minutes. It's not easy to tell when they're done because they're so dark. I poke them and see if they fall apart. If they start to come apart, give them a few more minutes.
• When done,  cool and store in the fridge.

Video

Notes

• 21 Day Fix: This counts as a yellow container treat swap. 2 cookies = one yellow container.
• Weight Watchers Each serving counts as 3 2023 Plan Points | 3 Blue Points | 3 Green Points | 2 Purple Points each if you make 8 per batch. If you make them smaller you can adjust your points accordingly.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.6mg

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The post Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice Recipe is an easy and absolutely delicious weeknight meal. It’s one of my favorite gluten free recipes and it can be cooked in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or right on the stove top!

I love making this Healthy Cauliflower Rice for my family because it is an easy way to get all the veggies into your diet. My family loves it because they love fried rice, and this healthier version tastes just as good as typical fried rice.

Chicken cauliflower rice is a low carb, keto, healthy meal, and is so easy to adapt to your preferences!

Where’s the recipe?

We have readers of all different cooking abilities that visit My Crazy Good Life. Whether you are new in the kitchen or have been cooking your whole life, we want our recipes to be easy for you to follow.

Because of that, we write our posts with a lot of information. Below you will find ingredient info, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip past all of that, you can simply scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will find the easy to print Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe card.

Ingredients in Cauliflower Fried Rice

• Olive oil: I use olive oil in this fried rice recipe but coconut or avocado oil would work well too.
• Garlic: fresh minced garlic is so delicious in this cauliflower fried rice.
• Onion: choose your favorite variety! I usually use red or yellow onion in this healthy fried rice.
• Chicken thighs: cooked chicken is a great source of protein. I used chicken thighs in this fried rice recipe, but you can use chicken breast, or even omit the chicken entirely and add cubed tofu if you’d like.
• Bell peppers: bell peppers are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are especially high in vitamin C. Choose you favorite color variety of bells, they’re all healthy food.
• Zucchini: zucchini is a mild fruit (yes, fruit) that may offer several health benefits, ranging from improved digestion to a lower risk of heart disease.
• Cauliflower: for this cauliflower fried rice I use fresh cauliflower and cut it into florets. You can use frozen cauliflower or frozen cauliflower rice, but I would cook it separately and then add it at the end.
• Coconut aminos: coconut aminos are a great choice for replacing soy sauce if you have gluten, soy, sugar, or other food allergies found in soy sauce. If you can’t find coconut aminos you can use low sodium soy sauce, or tamari (which is another awesome soy sauce alternative) in this fried rice recipe.
• Lime juice: I love using lime juice in this recipe. It adds a fresh and bright taste that you’ll love!
• Eggs: not only do eggs add great taste and help hold fried rice together, they are also considered a complete source of high quality protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids.
• Green onions (optional): chopped green onions add a nice flavor and pop of color to your fried rice.

How to cook cauliflower rice in the Instant Pot

1. Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and press the sauté button to heat the oil.
2. Sauté onions and garlic in the Instant Pot for about 1 minute until they start to soften.
3. Add the chicken and let brown for 2-3 minutes.
4. Once the chicken has browned dump in the peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, coconut aminos, and lime juice.
5. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure using the “manual” or “pressure cook” button for 1 minute. Release the pressure by doing a quick release.
6. Open the lid. Use a fork and break apart the cauliflower into small pieces to make your riced cauliflower rice. If there is a lot of liquid from the cauliflower and zucchini drain some of the liquid. You’ll want to keep about 2 tbsp of liquid for added flavor.
7. Mix in the optional cheese until it is melted. Then push the cauliflower rice to the side and turn the Instant Pot back to sauté mode.
8. In a small bowl whisk the eggs then slowly pour the beaten eggs into the empty side of the Instant Pot to make your scrambled eggs. You can spray your pot with coconut or olive oil first if you need to.
9. Scramble the eggs and then mix together the eggs and cauliflower rice.
10. Serve cauliflower fried rice immediately and top with optional green onions, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How to cook cauliflower fried rice in the slow cooker

1. Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker except the cheese and eggs.
2. Cover with the lid and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked and the cauliflower is tender.
3. Remove the lid and, using a fork, break the cauliflower into pieces to make your cauliflower rice.
4. Mix in the cheese and allow it to melt.
5. In a skillet, cook the scrambled eggs and then mix them with the cauliflower rice in the slow cooker.
6. Serve cauliflower fried rice immediately and top with optional green onions.

Make this cauliflower fried rice on the stove top

1. Heat the oil in high heat in a large skillet.
2. In your hot pan, sauté the garlic and onions for 1-2 minutes until they start to soften.
3. Add the chicken, zucchini, and bell peppers. Let them sauté for 1-2 minutes.
4. Turn the stove to medium heat. Add the cauliflower, lime juice, and aminos to the skillet.
5. Cover the skillet and allow the cauliflower to cook for 10 minutes or until it is tender and broken easily with a fork.
6. Use a fork to break up the cauliflower to make your cauliflower rice.
7. Mix in the cheese until it is melted. Then push the cauliflower rice to the side.
8. In a small bowl whisk the eggs then slowly pour the whisked eggs into the empty side of the skillet to cook.
9. Scramble the eggs and then mix together the eggs and cauliflower fried rice. Serve fried rice immediately and top with optional chopped green onions.

Recipe tips

• Cutting a head of raw cauliflower can be intimidating. If you’d like some pointers on how to get your cauliflower ready to make cauliflower fried rice, you can find tips here.
• I love making this cauliflower fried rice for meal prep. Just cook as directed above and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.
• I don’t recommend freezing this because you will end up with mushy fried rice. If you are cooking for one and really feel like you won’t be able to use this up before it would go bad, I’d recommend cutting the recipe in half.
• If you choose to cut the recipe in half, just take half the amount of ingredients and cook as described for your chosen method. It’s not necessary to alter the cooking times, everything will come out just fine.
• One of the reasons I love this cauliflower fried rice is because it is so versatile! Sub fresh broccoli for the zucchini, or add in frozen peas. Craving the nutty aroma of toasted sesame oil? Splash a tiny bit of toasted sesame oil to your cauliflower fried rice when it’s done cooking. If you like a little heat, sprinkle on some red pepper flakes at the end.
• Don’t forget to adjust your containers or points if you make any changes to this cauliflower fried rice recipe.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice

Entire recipe: 8 green containers, 5 red containers, Optional 1 blue container if you add cheese.

Per serving: (makes 4 servings) 2 green containers, 1 1/4 red container, Negligible (optional) blue per serving

Weight Watchers

Each serving of this cauliflower fried rice is 4 2023 Plan Points | 4 Blue Plan Points | 5 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points when using skinless chicken thighs.

This cauliflower rice is a better option than regular fried rice. It’s a low point recipe for lunch, dinner, and for meal prepping. I didn’t factor in any of the optional ingredients so be sure you add those in if you are adding cheese.

If you are looking for ways to reduce the points you can always make this with boneless skinless chicken breasts, which will remove most of the points. Personally I use the thighs because it makes this cauliflower rice more flavorful.

Trim Healthy Mama

This would be a crossover recipe on THM and you would need to make the following substitutions:

• Coconut Aminos: use “Liquid Aminos” instead
• Olive oil: use MCT or coconut oil
• Use chicken breasts instead of thighs to bring down the fat content in the cauliflower rice. If it’s under 5 grams you can count this as an E!

Looking for more healthy Asian recipes like this fried rice?

• Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry Bowls with Coconut Rice These Teriyaki Tofu Stir Fry Bowls with Coconut Rice are a healthy and delicious meal that is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. This recipe is vegan and gluten free, and it is packed with protein and nutrients. 
• Instant Pot Orange Chicken Serve this healthy Orange Chicken with brown rice or cauliflower rice for a healthy complete meal. This Orange chicken has a sweet and savory sauce that you will love!
• Chicken Lo Mein This Healthy Chicken Lo Mein stir fry is an easy and healthy recipe to make in your Instant Pot or on the stove top.
• Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta I love making Chinese food at home, and this healthy Bang Bang Shrimp pasta is one of my favorite shrimp recipes to make.
• Healthy Drunken Noodles This Healthy Drunken Noodles recipe is an easy stir fry noodle dish that your entire family will love. It comes together fast and works great for a weeknight meal.

Print

Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice

This Cauliflower Fried Recipe is an easy and delicious weeknight meal! Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice is low carb and keto, healthy and so easy to adapt for your preferences!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword 21 Day Fix, cauliflower rice, healthy, Recipes, Weight Watchers

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 362kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Crockpot
• Enameled Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic minced
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 1 lb. chicken thighs chopped
• 1 cups bell pepper diced
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini diced
• 5 cups cauliflower cut into florets
• 3 tbsp coconut aminos or low sodium tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 eggs

Optional ingredients: Salt, Pepper, and Cheese

Instructions

Instant Pot:

• Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and press the sauté button to heat the oil.1 tsp olive oil
• Saute the garlic and onions in the Instant Pot for about 1 minute until they start to soften. 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 cup onion
• Add the chicken and let brown for 2-3 minutes.1 lb. chicken thighs
• Once the chicken has browned dump in the bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, coconut aminos, and lime juice. 1 cups bell pepper, 1 1/2 cups zucchini, 5 cups cauliflower, 3 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 tbsp lime juice
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure using the “manual” or “pressure cook” button for 1 minute. Release the pressure by doing a quick release.
• Open the lid. Use a fork to break apart the cauliflower into small pieces to make your “rice”. If there is a lot of liquid from the cauliflower and zucchini drain some of the liquid. You’ll want to keep about 2 tbsp of liquid for added flavor.
• Mix in the optional cheese until it is melted. Then push the cauliflower rice to the side and turn the Instant Pot back to sauté mode.
• In a small bowl whisk the eggs then slowly pour the eggs into the empty side of the Instant Pot to cook.You can spray your pot with coconut or olive oil first if you need to. 2 eggs
• Scramble the eggs and then mix together the eggs and cauliflower fried “rice.” Serve or pack for meal prep.

Stove Top:

• Heat the oil in high heat in a skillet. 1 tsp olive oil
• Sauté the garlic and onions for 1-2 minutes until they start to soften. 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 cup onion
• Add the chicken, zucchini, and bell peppers. Let them sauté for 1-2 minutes. 1 lb. chicken thighs , 1 1/2 cups zucchini, 1 cups bell pepper
• Turn the stove to medium heat. Add the cauliflower, lime juice, and coconut aminos to the skillet. Cover the skillet and allow the cauliflower to cook for 10-15 minutes or until it is tender and broken easily with a fork. 5 cups cauliflower, 1 tbsp lime juice, 3 tbsp coconut aminos
• Use a fork to break up the cauliflower to form your “rice”.
• Mix in the cheese until it is melted. Then push the cauliflower rice to the side.
• In a small bowl whisk the eggs then slowly pour the eggs into the empty side of the skillet to cook. 2 eggs
• Scramble the eggs and then mix together the eggs and cauliflower fried “rice.” Serve or pack for meal prep.

Slow Cooker:

• Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker except the cheese and eggs. 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 cup onion, 1 lb. chicken thighs , 1 cups bell pepper, 1 1/2 cups zucchini, 5 cups cauliflower
• Cover with the lid and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours, low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked and the cauliflower is tender.
• Remove the lid and break the cauliflower into pieces with a fork.
• Mix in the cheese and allow it to melt.
• In a skillet scramble the eggs then mix them into with the fried rice in the slow cooker. 2 eggs
• Serve or pack for meal prep.

Video

Notes

21 Day Fix: Entire recipe: 8G 5R Optional 1B | Per serving: (4 servings) 2G 1 1/4 R Negligible (optional) blue per serving | 

Weight Watchers: 4 2023 Plan Points | 4 Blue Plan Points | 5 Green Plan Points | 4 Purple Plan Points

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 417mg | Potassium: 866mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1467IU | Vitamin C: 119mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

With just the right amount of sweet, spicy, and creamy, this Instant Pot Chinese food recipe will be a hit with the whole family. Plus, this great recipe uses a lower calorie Greek yogurt instead of mayo, cream cheese, or heavy cream, so you can keep the dish creamy while making it healthier.

My family requests that I make my Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta often, as it is one of their favorite pasta recipes. I especially love this shrimp pasta dish for busy weeknights because it’s quick and easy to make, whether you cook it in the Instant Pot, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.

Where’s the Recipe?

Readers with all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen visit My Crazy Good Life for healthy and delicious recipes. To make sure you get great results, whether you just started cooking or have made this recipe before, I like to provide a ton of helpful information in my recipes.

However, if you’d like to skip over different variations for making this dish, as well as recipe tips and healthy eating plan information, please just scroll to the bottom of the post where you’ll find an easy-to-print version of this healthier Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta recipe!

Ingredients in Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

• Dry whole wheat spaghetti noodles: Whole wheat noodles are packed with 3x the fiber and also contain protein, iron, and zinc. You can use angel hair pasta instead of spaghetti if you like. Just note that angel hair pasta doesn’t boil as long as cooked spaghetti noodles.
• Raw FROZEN jumbo, peeled and deveined shrimp: You’ll want to make sure you use raw frozen shrimp because using raw unfrozen or pre-cooked shrimp will affect your cooking times. Definitely make sure to use deveined and peeled shrimp, too. Do not let the frozen shrimp thaw before cooking.
• Minced garlic: Use fresh minced garlic if you can, as it will give a great punch of flavor to this dish. If you’re out of fresh minced garlic, though, garlic powder will do in a pinch.
• Coconut oil: Coconut oil will add a fresh, tropical flavor to this creamy pasta dish. If you don’t have coconut oil, you can swap it for olive oil (but remember that this will change the nutritional counts).
• Honey: A little honey adds just a touch of sweetness to this delicious dish!
• Fresno Pepper: A Fresno pepper is a lot like a jalapeño, but is slightly spicier with smokey undertones. It can add wonderfully complex flavor to a dish. If you prefer, though, a jalapeño will work well in this dish, too! If you don’t want your pasta too spicy or don’t have any peppers on hand, chili powder or red pepper flakes will do, but they will slightly change the flavor of the meal.
• Lime juice: Fresh lime juice will perfectly complement the coconut oil in adding a tropical zing to your pasta.
• Black Pepper: Fresh ground black pepper contrasts so well with the sweetness of the honey.
• Rice vinegar: Look for unsweetened or unflavored rice vinegar to add a bit of tang to this dish.
• Plain 2% Greek yogurt: Instead of using mayo or cream cheese, this healthy version of Bang Bang Shrimp pasta substitutes plain Greek yogurt. Be sure to purchase the 2%.
• Sriracha sauce or other hot sauce: Sriracha sauce is easy to get at most grocery stores, but other hot sauces such as Thai sweet chili sauce will work well, too.
• Green onion: I like using green onions to bring a bit of color and crunch to this pasta dish.

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta in the Instant Pot

When calculating your total cooking time, don’t forget to allow a few minutes for your pressure cooker to come to pressure!

1. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt and heat up.
2. Next, add the garlic and Fresno peppers. Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and arrange in the Instant Pot. Pour the water over the noodles.
4. Toss in the frozen shrimp, salt, pepper, rice vinegar, honey, and lime on top of the noodles.
5. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing.
6. Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 3 minutes.
7. Release the pressure using a controlled quick release method. To do this use a utensil to open and close the pressure valve so that only a little pressure releases at a time. This will prevent liquid from sputtering out the top.
8. Slowly mix in the Greek yogurt, sriracha, and green onions. If you like your pasta less creamy, use less yogurt.
9. Serve while still hot.

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta in a Slow Cooker

1. In the slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except the Greek yogurt and green onions.
2. Add the lid to the slow cooker.
3. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours or high heat for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the lid and stir in the Greek yogurt and green onions.
5. Serve.

How to Make Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta on the Stove Top

1. Cook pasta until al dente in a large pot according to the directions on the box. Drain the cooked pasta and rinse in cool water.
2. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil (or olive oil) on medium-high heat.
3. Sauté the garlic and Fresno peppers. Add the shrimp, lime juice, salt and pepper to the skillet.
4. Mix it up and allow the spices to coat the shrimp, and then cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is defrosted.
5. Remove the lid. Mix the honey, rice vinegar, and Sriracha or other hot sauce in a small mixing bowl, and then add to the shrimp.
6. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
7. Turn off the heat. Add the hot pasta noodles to the pan with the shrimp. Mix in the Greek yogurt and green onions.
8. Garnish and serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• This delicious recipe has shrimp. We love to eat shrimp, however cooking shrimp can be a little tricky the first time, but you’ll quickly get the hang of it. You’ll be looking for the shrimp to turn pink and a little bit white instead of gray and translucent or “clear.” Uncooked shrimp is usually gray and translucent, so if you are still seeing that color they are not cooked enough. If your shrimp are bright white, you may have overcooked them.
• The internal temperature of shrimp when fully cooked is 120º, as measured by a meat thermometer. You’re looking for the shrimp to form a C shape when they’re finished cooking. If you see an O shape, they’re overcooked.
• The Fresno peppers make this a spicy dish! You can use peppers with less spice or omit the peppers entirely if you’d rather not have spice in this dish, and it won’t affect the cooking time or quality of the dish.
• If, on the other hand, you’d rather this pasta be a bit spicier, I’d recommend using a spicer pepper like serrano instead of Fresno peppers, and adding a teaspoon or two more of red pepper flakes for some serious spice. Do note that using red pepper flakes will modify the overall flavors of the original sauce ingredients.
• This pasta can be made gluten free by using brown rice noodles or zucchini noodles. Both have a much shorter cook time, as do zucchini noodles, so keep that in mind while you’re making this recipe. The sauce recipe will stay the same as it is gluten free already.
• This dish is not dairy free because of the Greek yogurt. You can substitute plain greek yogurt with a dairy free yogurt if you have one that you like, or add an extra bit of olive oil for a dairy free Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta that isn’t dry.

Healthy Eating Plans

Portion Fix & 21 Day Fix

Entire recipe: 6 yellow containers | 4 red containers | 1/2 green containers | 1 tsp | 12 sweetener teaspoons

Per serving: 1 yellow container | Just over 1/2 red container | negligible green container | negligible teaspoon | 2 sweetener teaspoons

2B Mindset

This makes a great lunch, you’ll need to add some extra veggies to make sure you hit your percentages for those.

Weight Watchers

9 2023 Points | 9 Blue Plan Points | 10 Green plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points per serving using sugar free syrup instead of honey, and fat free Greek yogurt.

More Healthy Recipes

• Spring Roll Salad
• Healthy Drunken Noodles
• Healthy Orange Chicken Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein
• Instant Pot Tofu Pad Thai

Print

Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

This Healthy Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta will satisfy your restaurant cravings without all of the calories you might find in Chinese takeout.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Calories 405kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 3 tsp garlic minced
• 1/4 cup Fresno peppers diced
• 13 oz whole wheat pasta spaghetti noodles, dry
• 4 cups water
• 1 lb shrimp jumbo, raw and FROZEN, peeled & deveined
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp vinegar rice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 lime juiced
• 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt plain, 2%
• 1 tbsp sriracha or other hot sauce
• 1/2 cup green onions

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Turn the Instant Pot to saute. Add the coconut oil and allow it to melt and heat up. 1 tsp coconut oil
• Next add the garlic and Fresno peppers. Saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant. 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers
• Break the spaghetti noodles in half and arrange in the Instant Pot. Pour the water over the noodles. 13 oz whole wheat pasta, 4 cups water
• Toss in the frozen shrimp, pepper, rice vinegar, honey, and lime on top of the noodles. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. 1 lb shrimp, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 lime
• Cook on high pressure using the manual setting for 3 minutes. Release the pressure using a controlled quick release method. To do this use a utensil to open and close the pressure valve so that only a little pressure releases at a time. This will prevent liquid from sputtering out the top.
• Mix in the Greek yogurt, sriracha, and green onions. Serve while still hot. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp sriracha , 1/2 cup green onions

Stove top:

• Cook the spaghetti noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse in cool water. 13 oz whole wheat pasta
• In a skillet heat to coconut oil on medium high heat. Saute the garlic and Fresno peppers. Add the shrimp, lime juice, and pepper to the skillet. Mix it up and then cover and let cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is defrosted. 1 tsp coconut oil, 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers, 1 lb shrimp, 1 lime, 1/4 tsp pepper
• Remove the lid. Mix in the honey, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and opaque. 1/4 cup honey, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sriracha
• Turn off the heat. Add the noodles to the pan with the shrimp. Mix in the Greek yogurt and green onions. Garnish and serve warm. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup green onions

Slow cooker:

• In the slow cooker insert combine all the ingredients except the Greek yogurt and green onions. 1 tsp coconut oil, 3 tsp garlic, 1/4 cup Fresno peppers, 13 oz whole wheat pasta, 4 cups water, 1 lb shrimp, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 lime, 1 tbsp sriracha
• Add the lid to the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 hours or high heat for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the lid and stir in the Greek yogurt and green onions. Serve. 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup green onions

Video

Notes

Serves 6

21 Day Fix counts for the entire recipe: 6 yellow containers, 4 red containers, 1 tsp, 12 sweetener teaspoons, 1/2G  green container.

Per serving: 1 yellow container, Just over 1/2 red container, negligible teaspoon, 2 sweetener teaspoons, negligible green container.

Weight Watchers: 9 2023 Points | 9 Blue Plan Points | 10 Green plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points per serving using sugar free syrup instead of honey, and fat free Greek yogurt.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 682mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 116IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3mg

SaveSave

The post Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

When the weather turns cool and fresh produce is harder to find I need to find ways to work veggies into my daily routine. Making a healthy Weight Watchers casserole is quick and easy, and it’s packed with all kinds of bright, colorful, delicious vegetables.

You can have both healthy and Weight Watchers friendly in one easy to make main course!

This healthy Weight Watchers casserole is great for those days when  you need something filling and delicious that is low in points. This casserole comes together quickly, with little prep work, and tons of flavor. We love that it is a one pan dinner.

My family loved the mixture of vegetables in this casserole. The great thing about this recipe is that everyone can serve themselves and choose more of their favorite vegetables.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we want all of our readers to be successful in the kitchen. We write our recipes with all readers in mind. Some of our readers are starting their healthy eating journey, while others are well on their way.

In each recipe, we included detailed instructions, recipe tips and tricks, WW Point information, and nutritional information. If you are ready for are a more simplified recipe, feel free to scroll down to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print Weight Watchers Chicken Sausage Vegetable Casserole recipe.

Ingredients in Weight Watchers Chicken Sausage Vegetable Casserole

• Mushrooms: Fresh mushrooms are a must for this recipe. I like to do a mixed blend of mushrooms, split between baby Bella and white mushrooms. You are welcome to mix the mushrooms too, or just choose your favorite type.
• Bell peppers: Bell peppers are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are especially high in vitamin C. All bell peppers offer a slightly different taste. We love using an orange and green pepper, but you are welcome to use whatever color peppers you prefer.
• Cauliflower: Purple cauliflower is perfect for this recipe. Usually we choose regular cauliflower for a side dish, but the purple cauliflower is delectable when baked.
• Onion: We prefer the flavor of yellow sweet onions, as they aren’t as overpowering as white onions.
• Zucchini: Zucchini is low in calories, but is full of fiber which helps us feel full longer. Not everyone enjoys zucchini, so if you prefer to pass on this hearty vegetable, feel free to omit it from your casserole.
• Potatoes: Mini purple yellow, and red. You can often find these tiny fingerling potatoes in a package at the grocery store.
• Chicken sausage: We love using chicken sausage as a lean meat option for this casserole. We prefer the chicken mixture with Italian and red pepper and garlic sausage flavors, however you are welcome to use what you can find at your grocery store.

How to Make Weight Watchers Chicken Sausage & Vegetable Casserole in the Oven

1. Preheat oven to 375º F.
2. Chop all of your veggies up small. Small is the key to even cooking, especially for the potatoes! Stir to mix up vegetables.
3. Spray olive oil in the bottom of your baking dish or casserole dish and add vegetable mixture. Place in the preheated oven to bake and set the timer to cook for 20 minutes.
4. Check your vegetable mixture after 20 minutes, and every 5 minutes after that until they’re done. I used a fork to see how soft the potatoes and cauliflower were before pulling them out of the oven.
5. For your sausage, you could add it to the baking dish if you’re cooking a smaller batch of vegetables. We were feeding four, so I decided to cook the sausage on the grill (which is our favorite, anyway).
6. When the chicken sausage was done, add it to the top of the baked vegetables.

Recipe Tips

• This main course dinner is very versatile. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand and place them in the casserole dish. I think broccoli or green beans would be delicious in this chicken vegetable casserole.
• This recipe doesn’t include a dairy products like cheese, sour cream, or skim milk. We kept this casserole dairy free and without a creamy sauce. If we added dairy or creamy sauces to this casserole, it would lower the health benefits and make the vegetables soggy after they bake. We love the simplicity of our chicken vegetable casserole.
• If you do have any casserole left overs, we recommend storing the remaining casserole portion in an airtight container in the refrigerator. These leftovers are best if you eat within 4-5 days.
• We cook our chicken sausage outside of the casserole dish, as we prefer to grill our meats (and this leaves more room for veggies in your pan!). You’re welcome to slice it up and stick it in the pan, or another pan if you’d like – whatever your preference is.
• This chicken sausage is the perfect blend for the chicken casserole, a little spicy, but not enough to overwhelm the natural flavors of the baked vegetables. If you don’t like chicken sausage, or if you have a lower point option available in your local grocery store, definitely take advantage of that.
• We feel this recipe has plenty of flavor without adding any additional seasonings to the casserole. However, if you prefer, you could lightly sprinkle garlic powder or salt before you cook the chicken and vegetable casserole.
• If you do modify the recipe, just note that you’ll need to recalculate your ww points. Our ww points are based on the serving suggestion, serving size, and ingredients found in the original recipe. They’re calculated using the exact products we use in the recipe, not nutrition values below.

Healthy Eating Plan Points

Weight Watchers Points

WW Points Per Serving

2 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 1 Purple Point per serving | 5 Points per serving on the 2023 plan, when using Simple Truth Italian Chicken Sausage Links

Looking for more delicious Weight Watchers chicken recipes?

• Weight Watchers Tuscan Chicken Pasta This Weight Watchers Tuscan Chicken Pasta is a delicious and easy chicken and pasta dish with creamy sauce.
• Weight Watchers Crack Chicken This Weight Watchers Crack Chicken can be eaten three different ways: make it into a delicious dip, use it as a salad topping, or add it to mini bell peppers for a creamy chicken and bacon snack.
• Weight Watchers Buffalo Chicken Wings These spicy, buttery, Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Wings are the perfect healthy Weight Watchers recipe. Leftovers are great for high protein snacks throughout the week.
• Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups These Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups are a delicious and filling dinner recipe that cooks right in the oven.

Print

Weight Watchers Chicken Sausage Vegetable Casserole

This Healthy Weight Watchers Casserole is perfect for working in those necessary veggies without sacrificing flavor! Low in points, it’s great for those days when you need a quick meal that won’t require a lot of points. Awesome for leftovers during the week as well. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Weight Watchers Casserole

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 340kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Kitchen Knife
• Baking Dish

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 cup mushrooms fresh
• 2 bell peppers I used one green and one orange
• 1/2 head cauliflower purple
• 1/2 onion
• 1 zucchini
• 5 mini potatoes red, purple, and yellow
• 5 links chicken sausage

Instructions

Instructions

• Chop all of your veggies up small. Small is the key to even cooking, especially for the potatoes!  1 cup mushrooms, 2 bell peppers , 1/2 head cauliflower, 1/2 onion, 1 zucchini, 5 mini potatoes
• Spray olive oil in the bottom of your baking dish and set your oven to 375*. 
• Check your veggies after 20 minutes, and every 5 minutes after that until they're done. I used a fork to see how soft the potatoes and cauliflower were before pulling them out of the oven.
• For your sausage, you could add it to the baking dish if you're cooking a smaller batch of vegetables.  5 links chicken sausage
• We were feeding four, so I cooked the sausage on the grill (which is our favorite, anyway). When the sausage was done, I added it to the top of the vegetables.

Notes

WW Points Per Serving

2 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 1 Purple Point per serving | 5 Points per serving on the 2023 plan, when using Simple Truth Italian Chicken Sausage Links

 

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 959mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2336IU | Vitamin C: 141mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Weight Watchers Chicken Sausage Vegetable Casserole appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Whether you are getting ready for game day, a party, or a family gathering, whip up this healthy chili recipe for your guests. Full of natural vitamins, fiber, and protein, this Weight Watchers sweet potato chili is low in smart points and made with minimally processed ingredients.

Chili is a great recipe for meal prep, and this hearty chili is no exception. Make a big batch of this and eat from it all week long, it tastes even better the next day.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we write recipes that anyone can follow. In this post you’ll find lots of helpful information including ingredient info, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, and WW point calculations.

If you feel comfortable cooking this recipe without peeking at all of that, you can scroll to the bottom of the page and find our easy to print recipe card for this delicious WW Turkey Chili.

Ingredients in this WW Sweet Potato Chili

• Ground turkey: Turkey is a great source of lean protein and for this recipe I buy extra lean ground turkey. If you’re not counting ww points, or have extra to spare, you can use ground beef. While both turkey and beef contain important vitamins and minerals, turkey contains higher amounts of some B vitamins needed for energy metabolism.
• Sweet potato: sweet potatoes are high in fiber and antioxidants, which protect your body from free radical damage and promote a healthy gut and brain.They’re also incredibly rich in beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A to support good vision and your immune system. These nutrient dense root vegetables are versatile and can be prepared in sweet or savory dishes. 
• Onion: Strong smelling onions like yellow and red contain contain flavonoids that can help fight inflammation. You can also use sweet onion if you prefer.
• Bell Pepper: orange, yellow, or red peppers work great in this recipe.
• Celery: Did you know celery is a member of the carrot family? The plant and its seeds provide an abundant source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
• Crushed tomatoes: Use crushed tomatoes to get the right consistency.
• Black beans:Black beans are a nutritional powerhouses, and provide lots of health benefits – including improved blood sugar control plus reduced risk of developing certain diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Buy low sodium, canned beans for this particular recipe.
• Fresh garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are are zero points ingredient and a great way to add flavor.
• Chicken stock: Buy low sodium chicken broth or stock.
• Cumin: Cumin adds a wonderful earthiness to chili.
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: This recipe calls for 2 chipotle peppers. If you don’t want spicy chili but still want the smokey flavor of chipotle, you can add just a bit of the adobo sauce.

How to make this Weight Watchers Sweet Potato Chili

1. First, brown ground turkey using the sauté function on your Instant Pot. Drain any grease after the turkey is done cooking.
2. Add in the garlic and onions, and then cook until softened.
3. Next, mix in cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir in chipotle peppers, black beans, crushed tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and chicken stock. Mix well until everything is combined.
4. Lock the lid into place and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes using the manual setting. Once the cooking times up, release the pressure using the quick release method.
5. Remove the lid and switch Instant Pot to saute. Add in your bell peppers and celery, and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the celery is cooked and soft.
6. Turn off the pressure cooker and you are ready to serve this healthy recipe!
7. Top with cheese, cilantro, avocado, sour cream or green onions. These topping are not included in your total point value, so be sure to check the WW website or app, and add in your extras. 

Recipe Tips

• The recipes on my site are designed and cooked in the 6 Quart Instant Pot, if you have a different size or style check out this post to learn how to adapt recipes so they come out perfect every time.
• If you want to cook this in a slow cooker, brown the meat in a skillet on the stove top first, and then add all of the ingredients to your crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 6-8 hours.
• The Instant Pot will function differently at higher altitudes. If you’re struggling with cook times or recipes not coming out properly, you can read more about high altitude Instant Pot cook time adjustments here.
• For a less spicy chili, add in just the adobo sauce and not any of the chipotle peppers.
• This chili is great for meal prep! It holds up very well in the fridge all week.
• Store this chili in an airtight container. I prefer to have a few individual serving size containers in the freezer and then pop it into the microwave for a quick and healthy meal prep lunch!
• You can easily modify this to be a vegetarian chili recipe. Leave out the ground turkey, add an additional can of beans for extra protein, and swap out the chicken stock for vegetable broth. Be sure to recalculate your freestyle smartpoints if you make any changes to this instant pot chili.

Weight Watchers Points

This Weight Watchers sweet potato chili is just 2 Points on the 2023 Plan | 2 Blue Plan Point | 5 Green Plan Points | 1 Purple Plan Points per serving.

More Easy Weight Watchers Recipes

• Weight Watchers Beef Enchiladas
• Weight Watchers Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Weight Watchers Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• WW Goulash – A Family Friendly Recipe
• Weight Watchers Swedish Meatballs

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Weight Watchers Sweet Potato Chili

There’s nothing better than a hearty bowl of chili. This Weight Watchers sweet potato chili is delicious, easy to make, and super low in points!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chili, healthy, instant pot, sweet potato, Sweet Potato Chili, Weight Watchers

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 292kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 can black beans drained
• 1/2 cup tomatoes crushed
• 1 medium sweet potato peeled and chopped
• 2 cups chicken stock low sodium
• 1 cup bell pepper
• 1 cup celery stalks chopped

Instructions

• Brown ground turkey on sauté function. When you are all done make sure to drain the grease. 1 lb ground turkey
• Add in the garlic and onions and cook until softened. 1 tbsp garlic, 1/2 onion
• Next, mix in cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir in chipotle peppers, black beans, crushed tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and chicken stock. Mix well until everything is combined.1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 chipotle peppers , 1 can black beans, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1 medium sweet potato, 2 cups chicken stock.
• Lock lid into place and turn pressure valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes using the manual setting. Once the time is up, release pressure using the quick release method.
• Remove the lid and switch Instant Pot to sauté. Add in your bell peppers and celery. Let simmer about 5 minutes until the celery is cooked and soft. 1 cup bell pepper, 1 cup celery stalks
• Turn off Instant Pot and you are ready to serve this tasty dish!
• Top with cheese, cilantro, and avocado.

Video

Notes

This Weight Watchers sweet potato chili is just 2 Points on the 2023 Plan | 2 Blue Plan Point | 5 Green Plan Points | 1 Purple Plan Points per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 994mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6636IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Weight Watchers Sweet Potato Chili appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is a delicious low carb chicken salad recipe and perfect for my dill pickle lovers. A similar and healthy Chick-Fil-A chicken salad alternative, you can enjoy the salty and creamy recipe as a dip, as a healthy chicken salad sandwich, or as a salad topping.

Where’s the Recipe?

My readers come from all levels of experience in the kitchen, and I receive a ton of questions about my recipes from new cooks.

To better serve all of my readers, I add a lot of helpful information in all of my posts. This includes: recipe tips, detailed cooking instructions, and diet information. Some of these may be useful to you and others may be some that you already know. 

If you’d like to skip over all of the extra information, please scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy to print recipe for this dill pickle version of the classic chicken salad recipe.

Ingredients in this Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad

• Chicken breast: chicken breast is low in calories, high in protein, and is rich in an array of important nutrients. I typically make my chicken for this recipe in the Instant Pot, but you can also use leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken. You’ll want to read this post about homemade rotisserie chicken vs store bought, but using rotisserie chicken allows you to skip cooking the chicken and just make the sauce and chop the pickles.
• Vinegar: white vinegar is what I use and adds a nice tart flavor to chicken salad recipes.
• Chopped dill pickles: I like to use 1/2 pickles and 1/2 cucumbers to cut the sodium down. I mix them together and allow them to sit in the pickle jar for a bit while I make the rest of the recipe. The dill pickle juice makes the cucumbers taste more like pickles.
• Plain Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is loaded with probiotics, and can promote gut health.  It is a wonderful replacement for mayonnaise or miracle whip in healthy recipes.
• Cottage cheese: Blended cottage cheese is taking over the healthy eating world. It’s a great substitute to clean up recipes, and the best part is that cottage cheese is high in protein, packed with nutrients, and low in calories. My method of blending cottage cheese and greek yogurt together gives you a creamy base but makes it so you truly cannot tell that you are eating either ingredient. 
• Parsley: using fresh parsley is a delicious way to brighten up this easy chicken salad recipe.
• Dill: I love using fresh dill for this recipe. 
• Chives: chives or green onions add tons of flavor to this recipe.
• Garlic: I love to use fresh garlic cloves, but garlic powder will work too.
• Black pepper

Instant Pot Directions

1. Add the chicken and vinegar to the Instant Pot insert.
2. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the chicken on high pressure using the manual or pressure cook setting for 10-12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
3. In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth. 
4. Remove the lid from the food processor or blender then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
5. Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
6. Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles (with cucumbers if you’ve chosen to use them) into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip.

How to make Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad on the Stove Top

1. Add the chicken and vinegar to a sauce pan.
2. Cover the sauce pan with a lid and cook the chicken on medium high heat for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth.
4. Remove the lid from the food processor or blender then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
5. Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
6. Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip.

How to make Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad in the Crock Pot

1. Add the chicken and vinegar to your slow cooker.
2. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook the chicken on high heat for 2-3 hour, low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. In a food processor or blend mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth.
4. Remove the lid from the food processor or blender then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
5. Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
6. Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip.

Recipe Tips

• This very tasty pickle chicken salad recipe can be eaten in so many ways. It’s delicious as a dip, stuffed into mini bell peppers, topped on a salad, or made into lettuce wraps or sandwiches. 
• If you have a small food processor or blender, don’t make yourself crazy by trying to fit the entire recipe in it. Mix it in small batches and transfer to a mixing bowl to get it all blended and chopped up.
• If you don’t have a food processor or blender to cut this recipe up, no worries! You can shred the chicken and mix the sauce in. It’ll be longer strands of chicken, but absolutely edible in any form (as a dip, etc) and still delicious.
• This is a great recipe for meal prep and can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-6 days.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix

For the entire recipe: 6 red containers, 1 green container. Per serving: 1 red container, 1/6 green container.  

Pickle fans rejoice! Pickles were added to the Ultimate Portion Fix in 2019. I know a lot of you love pickles and were bummed that they weren’t on the approved food list before.

I do (personally) caution you against using your green container for pickles. There is a huge difference between fresh cucumbers and cucumbers that have been brined in salt and vinegar and often sugar. As pickles are considered a green container on the 21 Day Fix now, I will still not use them more than once every few weeks at the most. Not sure what the Beachbody team is thinking about adding pickles to the list as a green, but they must have a good reason.

For this recipe, I like to use half dill pickles and half cucumbers. They sit together in a bowl together while I’m preparing the rest of the recipe. The taste is not compromised at all this way. It cuts the sodium of the pickles in half, too!

Weight Watchers

One serving of this recipe (about 3/4 cup) is 0 2023 Points, 1 Blue Plan Point, 2 Green Plan Points, and 1 Purple Plan Point when you use fat free Greek yogurt and lowfat cottage cheese.

Pickles are very high in sodium and though they are 0 points on Weight Watchers, they can easily stall your weight loss or even cause weight gain while you’re trying to lose weight.

I calculated the points for this recipe online using the calculator provided on the Weight Watchers website.

Trim Healthy Mama

This is a THM-S recipe – if using full fat cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, dill pickles (not bread and butter type), and make sure that sugar hasn’t been added to the pickles. You’d be surprised where you find sugar!

More Healthy Dip Recipes

• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip I have to admit that this one is my favorite. I always have some made in the freezer, and I love having it for lunch and an easy snack.
• Healthy Crack Chicken Recipe Again, a super versatile recipe that can be made multiple ways. It can also be cooked in the Instant Pot, on the stove, or in a Crock Pot.
• Healthy Spinach Artichoke Dip This dip (actually, all of the ones in this list) uses cottage cheese and Greek yogurt to get the creaminess without the calories. This is another favorite!
• This easy and Healthy Elote Dip Recipe is a crowd pleasing side dish. If you love the flavors of Mexican Street Corn, you’ve got to give this Mexican Corn Dip recipe a try!
• Spicy Mexican Corn Dip I’d say that this hot Corn Dip is good, or easy, or popular–but seriously, it’s amazing. And it’s gotten a healthy makeover!

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Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad

This healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is a delicious low carb chicken salad recipe. A similar and healthy Chick-Fil-A chicken salad alternative, you can enjoy the salty and creamy recipe as a dip, on a sandwich, or as a salad topping.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Dill pickle chicken salad, healthy snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 135kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breast about 2 breasts
• 1/3 cup vinegar I use white
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt I prefer 2%
• 3/4 cup cottage cheese
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh chives chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/2 tbsp fresh dill chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 cup dill pickles chopped, please see note in post about using 1/2 pickles and 1/2 cucumbers

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions:

• Add the chicken and vinegar to the Instant Pot insert. 1 pound chicken breast, 1/3 cup vinegar
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Cook the chicken on high pressure using the manual or pressure cook setting for 10-12 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes before doing a quick release.
• In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth. 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp black pepper
• Remove the lid from the food processor or blender, then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
• Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
• Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip. 1 tbsp fresh chives, 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 cup dill pickles

Stove Top Directions:

• Add the chicken and vinegar to a sauce pan. 1 pound chicken breast, 1/3 cup vinegar
• Cover the sauce pan with a lid and cook the chicken on medium high temperature for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
• In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth. 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp black pepper
• Remove the lid from the food processor or blender, then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
• Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
• Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip. 1 tbsp fresh chives, 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 cup dill pickles

Slow Cooker Directions:

• Add the chicken and vinegar to your slow cooker. 1 pound chicken breast, 1/3 cup vinegar
• Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook the chicken on high heat for 2-3 hour, low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through.
• In a food processor or blender, mix together the Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, garlic, and pepper until smooth. 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp black pepper
• Remove the lid from the food processor or blender then add the chicken to the food processor. You may need to break the chicken breasts in half so that they fit.
• Use the food processor or blender to shred the chicken and mix it with the sauce. It will only take about 5-15 seconds to shred the chicken.
• Take off the lid and remove the blade. Fold the chives, dill, parsley, and dill pickles into the dip. Garnish and serve with sliced veggies to dip. 1 tbsp fresh chives, 1/2 tbsp fresh dill, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 cup dill pickles

Video

Notes

21 Day Fix container counts for the entire recipe: 6 red containers, 1 green container. Per serving: 1 red container, 1/6 green container.

Weight Watchers: One serving of this recipe (about 3/4 cup) is 0 2023 Points, 1 Blue Plan Point, 2 Green Plan Points, and 1 Purple Plan Point when you use fat free Greek yogurt and fat free cottage cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 423mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Healthy Dill Pickle Chicken Salad appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

This easy recipe has all the same flavors as the traditional Cheesy Crack Chicken Casserole, but lightened up so you can enjoy it without the guilt. This version is packed with protein and uses turkey bacon instead of regular bacon to reduce some of the fat and calories. 

You’ll be satisfied with this comfort food recipe, but enjoy the benefits of simple ingredients and less calories. 

Where’s the recipe?

My readers come from all levels of experience in the kitchen, and I receive a ton of questions about my recipes from new cooks.

To better serve all of my readers, I add a lot of helpful information in all of my posts. This includes: recipe tips, detailed cooking instructions, and diet information. Some of these may be useful to you and others may be some that you already know. 

If you’d like to skip over all of the extra information, please scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find this easy to print recipe for this Healthy Crack Chicken Casserole Recipe.

Ingredients in Crack Chicken Casserole with Rice

Recipe Tips

• For Pressure Cooker: Only use frozen chicken and dry, uncooked rice. This recipe will not work if you substitute with thawed chicken or minute rice because the ingredients won’t have enough cooking time. 
• You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. 
• This is a great meal prep recipe! It can be frozen in single servings and reheated in the microwave.
• Serve this recipe as is in a bowl, inside lettuce wraps, on a bed of cauliflower rice, or inside bell peppers.
• Store leftovers or meal prep meals in an airtight container or freezer bag in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

How to make this Casserole in the Instant Pot:

1. Lightly spray your pot insert with cooking spray olive oil and set to sauté. 
2. Place your bacon in a single layer. Fry on one side for 3-5 minutes. Flip your bacon and fry 3-5 more minutes, or until fully cooked and the edges have begun to curl. Transfer your bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease. Once your bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.
3. Clean pot out, if desired, and place your frozen chicken in the bottom of your pot.
4. Sprinkle the ingredients for the ranch seasoning mix on top of your chicken: garlic, onion powder, dried dill, parsley, and black pepper.
5. Push the frozen chicken breast to one side of your pot, and then add your brown rice to the other side.
6. Add the chicken broth (or 1 cup of water) on top of the brown rice. 
7. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve handle to Sealing. Set your cook time to 25 minutes on high pressure.
8. When the cook time is done, turn off your “keep warm” button if it’s on.
9. Allow the pressure to naturally release in the pot. This means don’t move the valve to Venting, just allow the pot to sit for 10-15 minutes and it will do the work itself. For this recipe, naturally releasing pressure allows the chicken to retain it’s tender texture and also allows the rice to “unstick” itself from the bottom of the pot. 
10. When the pressure valve drops, or after 15 minutes, remove the lid of your Instant pot.
11. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred using two forks (or shred chicken with a stand mixer). 
12. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir to combine chicken and rice.
13. Allow a few minutes for the contents of the pot to cool and add Greek yogurt, cheese, and cooked turkey bacon.
14. Stir well to combine all of the ingredients. Top with green onions and additional cheddar cheese, as desired. Serve warm.

How to make this Casserole on the Stovetop

1. You will need to defrost your chicken first to make this on the stovetop.
2. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat on the stove. Add diced chicken, garlic, onion powder, dill, parsley, and black pepper.
3. Add in 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring the broth to a boil and stir in your brown rice.
4. Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Let the chicken and rice simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
5. When the chicken is cooked (internal temperature reaches 165°F), shred with two forks or using a stand mixer.
6. Remove the skillet from the heat. While the chicken and rice are still hot, mix in the cheese, bacon, and Greek yogurt. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
7. If you’d like to brown the top of your casserole, preheat the oven to 400º and let it brown in a casserole dish for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

How to make this Creamy Chicken Casserole in the Crock Pot

1. You will need to thaw your chicken first to make this in a slow cooker.
2. Add the chicken, garlic, onion powder, pepper, dill, and parsley to your slow cooker insert.
3. Pour the brown rice next to the chicken, and then cover with 1 1/2 cup chicken broth.
4. Cover your slow cooker and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours until your rice and chicken are cooked.
5. Remove the lid, break apart the chicken using two forks or a stand mixer. Then, mix in the cheese, bacon, and Greek yogurt.
6. Let your casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers: Each 1 ¼ cup serving (using fat free yogurt and fat free cheddar cheese) of this Weight Watchers recipe has 8 Blue Plan Points | 11 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points | 8 Points on the 2023 Plan.

21 Day Fix: For this 21 Day Fix casserole, the entire recipe is counted as: 9 Red Containers, 4 Yellow Containers, and 2 Blue Containers. Per 1 ¼ cup serving, count 2 ¼ Red Containers, 1 Yellow Container, and ½ Blue Container.

2B Mindset: This recipe counts as a protein and FFC. Fill your plate with 50% vegetables for a perfect lunch.

Love this Crack Chicken Recipe? Here’s more like it:  

• Crack Chicken Pasta Salad
• Healthy Crack Chicken 
• Crack Chicken Soup
• Dairy Free Crack Chicken
• Instant Pot Crack Chicken

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Healthy Crack Chicken Casserole with Rice

This Healthy Crack Chicken Casserole with Rice can be made in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove. This simple recipe is a cheesy gluten free dinner recipe.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword 21 Day Fix Casserole, Crack Chicken and Rice Casserole

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 552kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Instant Pot 6 qt
• Sealing Rings
• Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

• 8 slices turkey bacon cooked and chopped
• 1.5 lbs frozen chicken breast (frozen for Instant Pot method because it takes extra time to cook the dry rice)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dill dried
• 1 tsp parsley dried
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup brown rice dry
• 1 cup chicken broth low sodium, 2 cups if cooking on the stove top
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt plain, 2%
• 2/3 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Instant Pot:

• Lightly spray your pot insert with cooking spray olive oil and set to sauté. 
• Place your bacon in a single layer. Fry on one side for 3-5 minutes. Flip your bacon and fry 3-5 more minutes, or until fully cooked and the edges have begun to curl. Transfer your bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease. Once your bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into small pieces.8 slices turkey bacon
• Clean pot out, if desired, and place your frozen chicken in the bottom of your pot. 1.5 lbs frozen chicken breast
• Sprinkle the ingredients for the ranch seasoning mix on top of your chicken: garlic, onion powder, dried dill, parsley, and black pepper. 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dill, 1 tsp parsley, 1/2 tsp pepper
• Push the frozen chicken breast to one side of your pot, and then add your brown rice to the other side. 1 cup brown rice
• Add the chicken broth (or 1 cup of water) on top of the brown rice. 1 cup chicken broth
• Close the lid and turn the pressure valve handle to Sealing. Set your cook time to 25 minutes on high pressure.
• When the cook time is done, turn off your "keep warm" button if it's on.
• Allow the pressure to naturally release in the pot.
• When the pressure valve drops, or after 15 minutes, remove the lid of your Instant pot.
• Remove the chicken from the pot and shred using two forks (or shred chicken with a stand mixer). 
• Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and stir to combine chicken and rice.
• Allow a few minutes for the contents of the pot to cool and add Greek yogurt, cheese, and cooked turkey bacon. 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, 2/3 cup cheddar cheese
• Stir well to combine all of the ingredients. Top with green onions and additional cheddar cheese, as desired. Serve warm.

Stove Top:

• You will need to defrost your chicken first to make this on the stovetop. 1.5 lbs frozen chicken breast
• Cook bacon according to package directions and chop into small pieces after it's cooled. 8 slices turkey bacon
• Heat a large skillet on high heat on the stove. Add the chicken, garlic, onion powder, dill, parsley, and black pepper. 1.5 lbs frozen chicken breast, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dill, 1 tsp parsley, 1/2 tsp pepper
• Add in 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring the broth to a boil and stir in your brown rice.
• Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Let the chicken and rice simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
• When the chicken is cooked (internal temperature reaches 165°F), shred with two forks or using a stand mixer.
• Remove the skillet from the heat. While the chicken and rice are still hot, mix in the cheese, bacon, and Greek yogurt. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. 2/3 cup cheddar cheese, 8 slices turkey bacon, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt

Slow cooker:

• You will need to thaw your chicken first to make this in a slow cooker.
• Cook bacon according to package directions and chop into small pieces after it's cooled. 8 slices turkey bacon
• Add the chicken, garlic, onion powder, pepper, dill, and parsley to your slow cooker insert. 1.5 lbs frozen chicken breast, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dill, 1 tsp parsley
• Pour the brown rice next to the chicken, and then cover with 1 1/2 cup chicken broth. 1 cup brown rice, 1 cup chicken broth
• Cover your slow cooker and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours until your rice and chicken are cooked.
• Remove the lid, break apart the chicken using two forks or a stand mixer. Then, mix in the cheese, bacon, and Greek yogurt. 2/3 cup cheddar cheese, 8 slices turkey bacon, 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• Let your casserole rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Serves 4 | Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup (3/4 cup meat and 1/2 cup rice)

Healthy Eating Plans 

Weight Watchers Points: Each 1 ¼ cup serving (using fat free yogurt and fat free cheddar cheese) this recipe has 8 Blue Plan Points 11 Green Plan Points | 3 Purple Plan Points | 2023 Points: 8

21 Day Fix: For the entire recipe of 21 Day Fix chicken and rice casserole: 9 Red Containers, 4 Yellow Containers, and 2 Blue Containers. (Per 1 ¼ cup serving) 2 ¼ Red Container, 1 Yellow Container, and ½ Blue Container. 

2B Mindset: This recipe counts as a protein and FFC. Fill your plate with 50% vegetables for a perfect lunch.

Recipe Tips 

• For Instant Pot cooking – Only use frozen chicken and dry, uncooked rice. This recipe will not work in the Instant Pot if you substitute with thawed chicken or minute rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 990mg | Potassium: 945mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Healthy Crack Chicken Casserole with Rice appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

When I’m looking for healthy snacks, the air fryer is my go-to appliance. Air frying is a great way to get that crispy crunch that I crave mid-afternoon, without the extra calories of an actual fried food. I love that you don’t need bread crumbs or all purpose flour to make an amazing recipe!

Eggplant is a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in a variety of ways. It can be roasted, fried, or even grilled. However, one of the healthiest ways to cook eggplant is in an air fryer. Air fryers use hot air to cook food, which results in a crispy exterior and a tender interior. This method of cooking also uses less oil than traditional frying, making it a healthier option.

This delicious recipe is my favorite way to prepare eggplant. It’s a Weight Watchers air fryer eggplant that also works for the 21 Day Fix or any other healthy eating plan.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we like to make sure that anyone can follow our recipes–whether this is your first time in the kitchen or you’re an experienced cook.

In this article you’ll find ingredient information, step-by-step instructions, plus nutrition facts and healthy eating plan calculations for the 21 Day Fix and Weight Watchers.

If you’d like to skip past that, simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to print delicious air fryer eggplant recipe card.

Ingredients for this Healthy Air Fryer Eggplant

• Eggplant: People typically think eggplant is a squash, but it’s actually a nightshade (similar to bell peppers and tomatoes). Eggplant is also a fruit! Eggplant is full of nutrients and antioxidants, and is a great addition to any healthy lifestyle.
• Avocado Oil: I prefer avocado oil for this recipe because it has a much lighter flavor than olive oil, but still has a multitude of health benefits. Avocado oil spray would work well here too.
• Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, and garlic powder are my go to. You can also add Italian seasoning, onion powder or any other favorites, if you’d like.

How to make Healthy Air Fryer Eggplant

1. First preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees f.
2. Next, slice eggplant into square pieces, and then add them to a large bowl.
3. Drizzle your eggplant with avocado oil or a spritz of avocado oil cooking spray. You only need a little oil for this recipe.
4. Top the eggplant with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add or omit seasonings to your taste preference.
5. Using a spoon or spatula, stir to coat your eggplant with the oil and seasonings.
6. Finally, add the seasoned diced eggplant to your preheated air fryer, and set your air fryer cook time for 25 minutes.
7. Shake your eggplant every 5 five minutes, during the cooking time, to promote even cooking.
8. You will know the eggplant is done when it is golden brown and soft.
9. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This is definitely one of those recipes that I enjoy more right after it’s been cooked.

Recipe Tips

• How should I slice my eggplant? For my air fryer, I have found that 1 inch square eggplant pieces yield the best results. You can use slices of eggplant and air fry in a single layer, but you will likely have to batch cook since only a couple of eggplant slices will fit in the bottom of the air fryer basket at once.The size and way you cut your eggplant completely depends on the size of your air fryer.
• You can adjust the seasonings to your preference.
• Top with Parmesan cheese and marinara sauce for a healthy air fryer eggplant Parmesan!
• This is my favorite side dish with burgers. The eggplant fries are a perfect healthy substitute for french fries since they are made with less oil.
• If you have a convection oven, you can use that for this recipe. Turn it to the Convection Bake or Convection Roast setting and enjoy oven roasted eggplant.
• Serve the eggplant with your favorite sauce or toppings, such as marinara sauce, pizza sauce, or curry sauce. Don’t forget to adjust your healthy eating plan points or containers if you make any changes.

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers healthy air fryer eggplant points were figured using the WW website and following the recipe exactly. Serving sizes will vary depending on the size of your eggplant–my eggplant filled about 2 cups after it was cut. All the ingredients, aside from avocado oil, are zero points.

Per serving (1 cup):

 2023 Points: 2 | Blue Plan Points: 2 | Green Plan Points: 2 | Purple Plan Points: 2

21 Day Fix /Ultimate Portion Fix

Portion sizes of this 21 Day Fix Healthy Air Fryer Eggplant will vary based on the size of your eggplant. My eggplant was about 2 cups.

For the entire recipe: 2 Green Containers, 1 1/2 Teaspoons.

Per Serving (1 cup): 1 Green Container, 3/4 Teaspoons.

More healthy air fryer recipes

• Air Fryer Artichokes with Dipping Sauce
• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups
• How to Air Fry Frozen Vegetables
• How to make Frozen Cauliflower in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Baked Apple Slices
• Healthy Bagel Recipe (in the air fryer!)

Print

Healthy Air Fryer Eggplant

This air-fried eggplant is a healthy side dish, made with simple ingredients that you are going to love!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer, eggplant

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Calories 123kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

• Ninja Foodi
• Kitchen Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant medium
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• ½ tsp black pepper ground
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your air fryer to 350º
• Cut your eggplant into 1 inch cubes. 1 eggplant
• Toss eggplant with avocado oil, pepper, salt, and garlic powder. 1 tbsp avocado oil ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp garlic powder
• Add the eggplant to your air fryer and set the time for 25 minutes.
• Shake your eggplant every 5 minutes.
• Eggplant is done when it is golden brown and soft.

Notes

• You can adjust seasonings to your preference.
• Top with Parmesan cheese and marinara for a healthy eggplant Parmesan.
• This is my favorite side dish with burgers. The eggplant is a perfect healthy substitute for fries.

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers: Points were figured using the WW website. Following the recipe exactly. Serving sizes will vary depending on the size of your eggplant. All the ingredients aside from avocado oil are zero points. Each 1 cup serving counts as 2023 Points: 2 |  Blue Plan Points: 2 | Green Plan Points: 2 | Purple Plan Points: 2

21 Day Fix/Ultimate Portion Fix: Portion sizes will vary based on the size of your eggplant, mine yielded about 2 cups of eggplant.

For the entire recipe: 2 Green Containers, 1 1/2 Teaspoons.

Per Serving (1 cup): 1 Green Container 3/4 Teaspoons.

Nutrition

Serving: 1c | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

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