What’s For Dinner: Protein Enchilada Pasta

Simple changes to recipes you make can have a HUGE impact on the amount of calories along with the macro and micronutrient profile of the recipe. The original recipe link can be found at the end of this post.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound chicken breast 
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 box (14.4oz) Protein Pasta
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 28 ounces enchilada sauce, mild
  • 4 ounces non-fat Greek yogurt or light sour cream
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 
  • 6 green onions, chopped 
  • 1 ½ cups 2% Mexican blend shredded cheese

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Salt and pepper chicken. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray and cook chicken over medium hear until fully cooked(170deg temp). Remove chicken from skillet, let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized portions.
  • While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water with a dash of salt in it to a boil. Cook the pasta for about 5 minutes then strain and set aside. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven.
  • In the skillet, add the applesauce, flour, and enchilada sauce. Bring to a simmer, stirring until all ingredients are mixed and the enchilada sauce begins to thicken.
  • Reduce the heat to low. Add Greek yogurt or light sour cream.
  • Add the red pepper, green onions, and chicken to the sauce.  Stir until everything evenly coated.
  • Evenly layer pasta into a 9×13-inch glass baking dish. Pour the sauce with chicken and vegetables onto the pasta and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with the cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

NUTRITION

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts/Serving:

Calories: 395kcal Carbohydrates: 47.1g Protein: 34.4g Fat: 9.3g Saturated Fat: 3.1g Cholesterol: 57.2mg Sodium: 1002mg Potassium: 142.1mg Fiber: 7.1g Sugar: 6.3g Vitamin A: 15.7mcg Vitamin C: 0mcg Calcium: 8.6mg Iron: 0.8mg

*Nutrition facts calculated from third party source

Original Recipe: https://www.simplylakita.com/cheesy-chicken-enchilada-pasta/