Poppyseed Chicken Casserole
 
 
Low-fat, THM:E
Author:
Serves: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
  • 3 cups cooked brown rice
  • 5 cups cooked cubed chicken breast
Sauce:
  • 1 cup homemade low-fat/fat-free Greek yogurt or fat-free sour cream (I do not recommend store-bought Greek yogurt because it will add a tang)
  • 4 oz. fresh mushrooms, chopped
  • ½ cup plain unsweetened almond milk
  • ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1 tsp. crushed garlic (I used Trader Joe's brand)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 tsp. dill weed
  • 2 tsp. chicken bouillon
  • ½ tsp. glucomannan
  • ½ T Worcestershire sauce
  • Dash of red pepper
Crumbs:
  • 1 T salted butter, melted
  • 2 tsp. poppy seeds
  • 2 T low-fat parmesan cheese (out of the green shake container)
  • ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats
  • 3 Light Rye Wasa Crackers, crumbled (you could probably substitute a few extra tablespoons of oats, or some Joseph's lavash bread crumbs)
Instructions
  1. Place the cooked rice in the bottom of a casserole dish (mine measured approx. 10½" x 8½" x 4").
  2. Blend together all the sauce ingredients except for the Greek yogurt/sour cream and chopped mushrooms until smooth. Mix together the blended mixture, Greek yogurt/sour cream, mushrooms, and chicken. Spread over rice.
  3. Stir the crumb ingredients together with a fork until combined. Spread over the top of the casserole.
  4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until warmed through. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven, no problem (cover with tinfoil).
Notes
I've served this with roasted butternut squash. Yum! I sliced the squash (I didn't even peel it) in half, scooped out the seeds, then cut the squash into strips lengthwise. Place on a greased cookie sheet, spray lightly with cooking spray of choice, then season. I used garlic salt, dill weed, black pepper, and parmesan cheese from the green shake container (it's low-fat). Bake with the casserole (it may need a little over 30 minutes to become tender).
The trace amounts of fat from the low-fat dairy and butter in this recipe stay well within THM:E guidelines (<5 g/serving).
Recipe by Briana Thomas at https://www.briana-thomas.com/poppy-seed-chicken-casserole/