Nashville reader Sue Tully remembers the culinary repertoire she shared with her seven college roommates back in the '70s as less than encyclopedic. "We didn't know much about cooking, but we all knew how to make this one particular chicken casserole. It was cheap, it was simple, and it was delicious," she says. "We absolutely subsisted on it." Fast-forward 15 years and 18 children later: "Some of us are married; some of us aren’t anymore," Tully says. "And we all eat differently." What remains the same is their love for the old undergraduate staple. Unfortunately, with its two cans of cream soups and a stick of butter, the roommate recipe now seems heavier than a Led Zeppelin tape. "Can you help me lighten this casserole?" Tully asks. Giving it our best college try, we trimmed the fat by more than half with just a few simple switches. To update the casserole, we added some cremini mushrooms to replace those little pieces of mushroom in the soup can. Does it pass? Now a college English professor, Tully gives it an A+.

Before | After

Calories per Serving
666 | 425

Fat
32.8g | 14.3g

Percent of total calories
44% | 30%

Sodium
2,115mg | 572mg