Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

lighter chicken & dumpling casserole

larrywcline-1309 avatar
Recipe by
Larry Cline
@larrywcline-1309
Midland, GA

I was looking for a recipe to make, to celebrate having lost 100 pounds as of today. I found one for a baked version of chicken & dumplings that sounded delicious, but also like it would put about half that weigh right back on me! So I decided to create a lighter variation. My version uses some healthier ingredients, and ramps up the flavor to make up for cutting out more than 80% of the original recipe's butter (you'll never miss it!) A 9x13-inch dish makes 8 generous servings of only 280 calories each (add another 25 calories for each cup of water you replaced with wine in step 2.)

yield 8 serving(s)
prep time 45 Min
cook time 1 Hr
method Bake

Ingredients For lighter chicken & dumpling casserole

  • 1/2 c
    chopped celery
  • 1/2 c
    chopped onion
  • 2 Tbsp
    butter
  • 2-1/2 c
    water (or mixture of water and dry white wine)
  • 2 tsp
    chicken bouillon
  • 2 lb
    boneless chicken breasts and/or thighs
  • 1-1/3 c
    baking mix
  • 1-1/3 c
    2% milk
  • 10 oz can
    cream of chicken soup (healthy version)
  • 1/2 c
    fat-free plain yogurt
  • 1 pkg
    chicken gravy mix (one cup size)
  • 1 tsp
    dried parsley
  • 3/4 tsp
    poultry seasining

How To Make lighter chicken & dumpling casserole

  • 1
    In a small skillet, saute the celery and onion in the butter until tender. Spread in the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • 2
    In a large pot, combine the chicken, water (or water and wine), and bouillon. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 30 minutes. Allow to cool, then remove the chicken and shred, spreading over the celery and onion layer. Save 1½ cups of the cooking liquid (if there's not that much left, add water or some wine as needed.)
  • 3
    In a bowl, stir together the milk and baking mix, and pour over the chicken. Using the same bowl, combine the soup, yogurt, gravy mix, herbs, and 1½ cups of reserved cooking liquid. Spoon over the milk / baking mix layer.
  • 4
    Bake uncovered at 375° until browned (about 45-50 minutes.) Remove from the oven and let rest for several minutes before serving. A small green salad makes a good side dish.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
ADVERTISEMENT