Food Friday

I hate to be one of those people who talk about the weather. You know who I'm talking about--"Is it hot enough for ya?" when it's 98 degrees outside. Nevertheless, when I woke up this morning it was -6. I took out the garbage this morning and thought my face was going to freeze off in just the walk from the house to the curb. Unbelievable.

Anyway, I wanted to share a recipe I cooked for myself a couple of nights ago. Mr has been out of town since Tuesday morning so I've been on my own most of the week. I decided to try out this recipe while he was gone. I do that sometimes. One time when he was gone I tried out a recipe and it wasn't any good so that one won't make the light of day for him. This one, however, is a do-over. I got it off Kraft.com under the healthy recipes since I'm trying to cook and eat healthier. Mr and I both need the extra nutrition.

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti

1/2 lb. spaghetti, uncooked
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
2 cups spaghetti sauce
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK spaghetti as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 2 min. Add zucchini; cook an additional 2 min., stirring frequently. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Bring just to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Add Neufchatel cheese; cook 1 min. or until cheese is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally.

DRAIN spaghetti; place on serving plate. Top with the chicken mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

It's a very yummy dinner. I'm always reluctant to try "healthy" meals because they lack the flavor of calorie-dense foods, but this one is yummy. You could make it even lower calorie by using fat-free cream cheese. I usually don't like fat-free stuff because it has a weird flavor, namely, no flavor, but I think you could get away with it in this recipe because there's enough other flavors to enhance the dish. I would also add mushrooms since Mr and I love them. Anywhere I can sneak vegetables in, I do because I don't like to just sit and eat a bowlful of vegetables. Additionally, I used whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta. If you've never tried whole wheat pasta, it's definitely an acquired taste. The texture is denser than regular pasta. Once you get used to it, it's hard to go back to regular, but don't expect to love it the first time you try it. It's worth it, though, because it's so much healthier for you.

Here's a couple pictures of the dish.