Recipe Makeover: Healthier Chicken Tetrazzini

By Sidney Fry MS, RD
January 14, 2014
Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower 
Up the veg, cut the cream, and drop 234 calories with our light version.
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Taking Back Tetrazzini

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower 
Tetrazzini is one of those dishes that practical cooks love: It makes delicious use of leftover chicken or turkey and is bound to please your crowd. The traditional dish is a cozy casserole for sure, but with a rich cast of characters—cream, butter, cheese, pasta—that packs 670 calories and a day's worth of sat fat into just one helping. The New Year calls for a new casserole. How about the same comfort-filled yum for just 435 calories?

Classic:
669 calories 
19.9 grams saturated fat
1,088 milligrams sodium

Makeover:
435 calories
4.9 grams saturated fat
573 milligrams sodium

 

 

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Tip #1: Evaporated Low-Fat Milk

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower 
This low-fat option replaces whipping cream and whole milk to save 145 calories and 9.2g sat fat per serving. Unsalted chicken stock and wine enrich the sauce with savory and acidic notes.

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Tip #2: Use Less Pasta, More Veggies

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower 
8 cups of fresh mushrooms, green peas, and onions sub in for 25% of the calorie-heavy pasta to add maximum flavor with minimum salt and fat, shaving another 82 calories per serving.
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Tip #3: Replace the Stick of Butter

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower 
Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1/3-less-fat cream cheese replace the traditional stick of butter and add a rich, creamy cheesiness to our light béchamel sauce—saving 68 calories and 6.2g sat fat per serving.
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By Sidney Fry MS, RD