Walking Nemo.

When I went to pick Xander up from speech class today, without my camera of course, I see him come walking down the hall with his teacher...and a dog. He was so excited to be holding "Nemo's" leash and walking him all by himself. I snapped a quick pic with my phone and then got to hear all about Xan's new friend, and how he wants to take Gangster for a walk. Love G, but a low key mellow old Black Lab he is not LOL, I don't think Xander will get much dog walking experience just yet.

I got a little start on my wish to organize our pantry...not bad for $5...but I need MOOOORRREEE :)

The kiddos are awfully excited for Christmas...and Santa. So excited that the girls spent all day switching off being Santa. Well a pimp limp version of Santa anyway LOL!

I'm a pasta girl. One of the hardest parts of this diet has been cutting me off from pasta. Until today...I feel like I should say "Skinny taste has an app for that" LOL. I give you Chicken and broccoli noodle casserole! Not only does it have noodles, but cheese too...and for a 1/6th serving it will only set you back 313 calories and 10 grams of fat...not too shabby.

 

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (or no-yolk)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast (I put a couple breasts into the crock pot for 4 hours and shredded them)
• 4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar 
• cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)

Directions:

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.

Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).

It was yummy!