Chicken and Artichoke Packet

After eating a cheeseburger on a donut bun I needed to get back to smarter eating. Not that I regret that sandwich for one second but the scale definitely reminded me that what happens in San Francisco does not stay in San Francisco. So I busted out one of my old favorites, a Weight Watchers cookbook I picked up at Goodwill.


This is another foil pack recipe, which I love because there is nothing to clean up after. I cut this recipe down to one serving. Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees and lets get started.


The ingredients are, beans, carrots, chicken, seasoning, artichoke and Italian dressing. The best thing about recipes like this is you can just take the basic idea and use whatever you want. I don't like fennel so I just used cabbage instead. I also had some white beans already in the fridge so I just used those. The only prep you need to do is to chop your veggies.


Literally all you have to do is lay down the chicken and pile the rest of the ingredients on top. The hardest part of this recipe is folding the packet.


Folded up tight and ready to cook. Put it in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. The best thing is there is nothing to clean up so you can use that half hour to read a book or sit outside and enjoy the summer weather because it will be gone too soon!


Cut a few holes in the foil when it is done to let some of the steam escape. Once the packet has cooled a bit get your chicken out and you are ready to eat.


This was so packed with flavor and only took a few minutes to prep. Eating smarter doesn't have to be expensive or difficult, and it doesn't have to be boring and bland. I will be going back to this cookbook more often for the rest of the Summer.

Have a great week!

Hungry Girl Fancy Fish Foil Packet

I am still loving the foil pack cooking method and several of you said you like to make fish this way. I gave it a try and it works perfectly, I can't wait to do more combos.


The recipe is again from Hungry Girl. Preheat your toaster oven or regular oven to 375 and grab some ingredients.


You don't need much for this meal, just some butter, parsley, garlic, salt, asparagus, a fish filet and some lemon.


Trim the woody ends off of your asparagus.


Slice up your lemon.


Mix the butter, parsley, garlic and salt in a bowl. I also added some paprika for flavor and a nice color enhancement.


Spray your foil with pam or grab a sheet of non-stick foil. Lay the asparagus out.


Top it with the fish.


Top the fish with the yummy butter mixture.


Cover with the lemon slices.


Fold up your foil packet and get it on a cookie sheet. Here is a quick youtube video I found of how to do the foil packets Click here for video. Put your packet in the oven for about 15 minutes for a thin piece of fish or about 20-25 for a thicker piece like the one I used.


Cut the foil packet to release the steam and then plate. This looks and tastes delicious with very little work and hardly any clean up.

I hope you all have a great week!

Hungry Girl Buffalo Chicken Portabella Pack

It is starting to get hot here in Arizona, this week we will have temperatures in the mid 90's. When it is hot here I hate turning on my oven so I start using my toaster oven more often. I have recently discovered Hungry Girl's foil pack recipes and they are perfect for making in the toaster oven. Another reason I like the Hungry Girl recipes is that most of them are for one or two servings. Today I am sharing a simple but super tasty foil pack using portabella mushrooms, one of my favorite foods.




Preheat your oven or toaster oven and grab your ingredients. You need some mushrooms, hot sauce, parmesan cheese, laughing cow cheese, some onion or shallot and some cooked chicken. You also need aluminum foil that is non stick or regular and some nonstick cooking spray.


Chop up your chicken.


Chop your mushroom stem and the shallot.


The recipe didn't say to do this but I scraped out the gills from the under side of the mushroom cap.


Mix together the chicken, laughing cow cheese, shallot and the mushroom stems.


Put the chicken mixture in the mushroom cap.


Top with the parmesan cheese.


Hungry Girl says to lay another piece of foil on top to make your pack, I just fold down the top.


Then I fold up the sides. Easy! Pop it in your pre-heated oven for about a half an hour. The only thing I don't like about this cooking method is you can't really smell your food cooking.


When it is done be careful of escaping steam, you can cut it with scissors to open easily and avoid steam burns.


I served this with some salad and it was delicious! The foil packs are a great idea for solo meals and there is hardly anything to clean up afterwards.

Do you cook in foil packs, if so what do you usually make?