30 Sucks!

So last Friday a co-worker of mine turned the big 3-0! Since she was celebrating her birthday on vacation, we didn't have a chance to celebrate in the office until she got back on Tuesday. I had seen an idea for milestone birthdays on Pinterest and the original post can be seen here so I thought it would be fun to try this idea out.

I ended up just remembering the gist of how the gift looked and created it my own way. I found a cute cup (at CVS for $2.49!) that had a Hawaiian feel, which was perfect because she had just returned from a meeting in Maui!  Instead of using floral foam, I just layered the lollipops to create the shape. In her card, to give her a hint, I said that this was a little something "in case 30 sucks" :) She really liked the gift and it was super simple to do and something different to give!

Lighter Chicken Spaghetti

So, I love cooking Paula Deen recipes...but I don't love all the fat and calories that usually come along with them. I normally try to lighten up the recipes as much as I can by using less butter, less fat milk, etc. This recipe was originally in Cooking with Paula Deen and the original recipe can be seen here.

I used extra virgin olive oil instead of butter to saute the onion and celery, 2% shredded cheese and cut out the sour cream all together (it saved calories yet didn't lose any of the delicious flavor!) I used low-sodium chicken broth and Healthy Request® soups to also cut down on calories.

Chicken Spaghetti (adapted from Cooking with Paula Deen)
Makes 10 to 12 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 (14-ounce) can low sodium chicken broth
1 (10.75-ounce) can Healthy Request® cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75-ounce) can Healthy Request® cream of chicken soup
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 teaspoon salt
31⁄2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded 2% Cheddar cheese
1 (16-ounce) package angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions
3⁄4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, broth, soups, tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, sour cream, and salt. Stir in chicken and cheese. Add pasta, tossing gently to coat. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.

The chicken spaghetti before adding the bread crumbs!

Melt butter in skillet used to saute vegetables. Add bread crumbs and mix well until slightly browned.

Sprinkle evenly over casserole. 

Before being put in the oven!

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately. 

Fresh out of the oven!

The final product- ready to eat!

Although this meal does take some prep work and a number of different steps, it does fill up a 13x9 dish pretty, leaving plenty for leftovers! I served this with a nice salad to get some veggies with the dish!

I've made this recipe both with the original ingredients and with the lighter ones and it is difficult to tell a difference using the lighter ingredients!

Bon Appétit!