So I’m having a crisis. It is October, BUT, it’s still 80 degrees outside! Therefore, we can have our juicy chilled watermelon salad at the same time as our soups, chilis, and chowders. This bright, fresh watermelon feta mint salad is the perfect side dish or appetizer. It is so easy, but so satisfying!
Ingredients
12 cups cubed watermelon (1/2 inch-1 inch cubes), chilled
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
1 cup mint leaves, chopped
3 limes, juiced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl.
Garnish with additional feta and mint.
Serve chilled as an appetizer or side dish!
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 3 points per serving (12 servings total). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.
With tomorrow being October, soup season is in the air (though I never stopped making it)! This decadent soup is perfect for a cozy night in, and in the Instant Pot, it can’t be any easier!
Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Melt the tbsp of butter and add in onions. After a minute, add in carrots and celery.
After you have sautéed for about 4 minutes, add in thyme, garlic powder, parsley flakes, ground sage, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir it together with veggies.
Add in chicken broth and chicken thighs.
Take biscuit dough out of the package and cut in quarters. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and a little ground sage for flavoring.
Place quartered biscuit dough on top of chicken thighs in the Instant Pot.
Close and lock the Instant Pot. Set the valve to “sealing.”
Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. After pressure builds and cooking time has completed, allow to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes (timer should read LO:15). Then, do a quick release of the pressure.
Break up biscuits that may have stuck together. Remove chicken thighs and shred. Return shredded chicken back to soup.
Serves six!
Before cooking! Ready to place biscuits on top.Raw dough placed on top! Ready to seal the Instant Pot for cooking.Set timer for 5 minutes, high pressure.After cooking is done, let pressure naturally release for 15 minutes. Instant Pot should look like this! Then, quick release the remaining pressure.Break up biscuits, shred chicken, and serve!
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 10 points per serving (6 servings total). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.
Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Melt the tbsp of butter and add in onions. After a minute, add in carrots and celery.
After you have sautéed for about 4 minutes, add in thyme, garlic powder, parsley flakes, ground sage, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir it together with veggies.
Add in chicken broth and chicken thighs.
Take biscuit dough out of the package and cut in quarters. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and a little ground sage for flavoring.
Place quartered biscuit dough on top of chicken thighs in the Instant Pot.
Close and lock the Instant Pot. Set the valve to “sealing.”
Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. After pressure builds and cooking time has completed, allow to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes (timer should read LO:15). Then, do a quick release of the pressure.
Break up biscuits that may have stuck together. Remove chicken thighs and shred. Return shredded chicken back to soup.
One of my absolute favorite classic Italian-American dishes is chicken parm. The one thing I hate about it is pan frying the chicken and having all that greasy mess in my house and in my food. Enter the air fryer! This air fried recipe is delicious, crispy, and flavorful!
Prepare three shallow bowls. Fill one bowl with the flour, one with the egg beaten with a little water to thin it out, and one with the breadcrumbs mixed with the parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
Pat each piece of chicken dry. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour. Shake off excess. Then, dip in the egg. Finally, coat evenly with the breadcrumb mixture.
Set your air fryer to 375 degrees F. Spray the basket lightly with olive oil spray. Place chicken in air fryer in an even layer (you will most likely have to work in batches). Lightly spray the top of the chicken with the olive oil spray.
Cook for 8-10 minutes on one side until chicken starts to look crispy and browned. Then, flip chicken in air fryer using tongs.
Cook for an additional 5 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Spoon tomato/marinara sauce onto cooked chicken in the air fryer. Then, layer with shredded cheese.
Cook in the air fryer for an additional 2 minutes, or until melted to your liking!
Serve with pasta or your favorite veggie!
Ready to coat the chicken! Note: I added a little salt and pepper to my egg bowl… I just love salt and pepper!
Coated and ready for the air fryer
Once the chicken is air fried and crispy, add the sauce and shredded cheese.
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 5 points per serving (6 servings total). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.
Prepare three shallow bowls. Fill one bowl with the flour, one with the egg beaten with a little water to thin it out, and one with the breadcrumbs mixed with the parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.
Pat each piece of chicken dry. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour. Shake off excess. Then, dip in the egg. Finally, coat evenly with the breadcrumb mixture.
Set your air fryer to 375 degrees F. Spray the basket lightly with olive oil spray. Place chicken in air fryer in an even layer (you will most likely have to work in batches). Lightly spray the top of the chicken with the olive oil spray.
Cook for 8-10 minutes on one side until chicken starts to look crispy and browned. Then, flip chicken in air fryer using tongs.
Cook for an additional 5 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Spoon tomato/marinara sauce onto cooked chicken in the air fryer. Then, layer with shredded cheese.
Cook in the air fryer for an additional 2 minutes, or until melted to your liking!
One dish that I never get sick of is a classic meatball. Now, being on Weight Watchers, I try to find some variations of meatballs that use as many 0 point foods as possible so I can pack as much flavor in without the guilt. These delicious teriyaki chicken meatballs are perfect as an appetizer or as a main dish over rice or noodles. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 lb ground chicken breast
3 tbsp fresh minced ginger
3 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup minced scallions (save additional for garnish)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Canola oil spray
Salt to taste
Garlic ginger teriyaki marinade, or other Asian sauce of choice (store bought)
Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine ground chicken breast, ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, bread crumbs, and salt. Mix well with your hands or a hand mixer until well combined.
Spray a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil.
Form meat into 20-24 small meatballs and place on the baking sheet (If the mixture feels too wet, add some extra breadcrumbs, but this mixture may feel a bit more wet and sticky than a traditional meatball! No worries!).
Baked meatballs for 13-15 minutes, until browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Turn meatballs with 5 minutes of cooking time left to avoid burning on the bottoms.
Toss in a bowl with the garlic ginger teriyaki marinade and serve on their own for an appetizer or over rice or cauliflower rice!
Before cookingCooked and tossed in sauce
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 1 point per meatball with marinade. Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.
1/3 cup minced scallions (save additional for garnish)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Canola oil spray
Salt to taste
Garlic ginger teriyaki marinade, or other Asian sauce of choice (store bought)
Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine ground chicken breast, ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg, bread crumbs, and salt. Mix well with your hands or a hand mixer until well combined.
Spray a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil.
Form meat into 20-24 small meatballs and place on the baking sheet (If the mixture feels too wet, add some extra breadcrumbs, but this mixture may feel a bit more wet and sticky than a traditional meatball! No worries!).
Baked meatballs for 13-15 minutes, until browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Turn meatballs with 5 minutes of cooking time left to avoid burning on the bottoms.
Toss in a bowl with the garlic ginger teriyaki marinade and serve on their own for an appetizer or over rice or cauliflower rice!
50 calories per meatball. Note: Nutrition information may not be exact. Ingredients were estimated and entered using verywellfit.com’s Nutrition Calculator.
Hummus of choice ( I just used what I had, but TJ’s has a bunch of great options!)
Directions
Heat the gyro slices and the pitas in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Spread the hummus on the heated pita.
Place the gyro slices on the pita.
Spoon some cauliflower tabbouleh over the top.
Top with tzatziki sauce.
Serve! So simple and delicious.
Spread the hummus of choicePlace the heated gyro slices on the pitaSpoon on the tabboulehTop with tzatziki
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 10 points per pita with fixings. This recipe makes 4 servings total (I ended up using more meat than the serving size, oops!). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.
One of my favorite combination of flavors involves lemon, butter, olive oil, and garlic…but really, who wouldn’t like that? This Instant Pot chicken piccata recipe is a simple one pot meal that combines the functions of sautéing and pressure cooking to create the most delectable chicken and juices to pour over your favorite pasta, rice, or veggies.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut thin or in strips (I bought tenderloins)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 lemons
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small shallots, finely diced
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Pat chicken dry. If it is a thicker breast, butterfly it and slice it into thinner pieces. I used chicken breast tenderloins and they worked perfectly!
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour on a plate. Toss the seasoned chicken in the flour to coat.
Place your Instant Pot in “saute” mode. Melt the butter and pour the olive oil in the pot until hot. Brown the chicken in the oil and butter until golden/brown on the outside (will not be fully cooked through yet). About 2-3 minutes per side. Do this in batches, if necessary.
Remove chicken to a plate.
Quickly add shallots and garlic to the hot oil and butter. Stir around for about 30 seconds – 1 minute until fragrant–be very careful not to burn them!
Add chicken broth into the Instant Pot to deglaze (be sure to scrape off any stuck brown bits from the bottom of the pot during this step –this will prevent a “BURN” notice when pressure cooking).
Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and layer slices from the other lemon in the liquid.
Add chicken back into the pot and stir together.
Close your Instant Pot with the lid and set the top valve to “Sealing” mode. Set to High Pressure for 4 minutes (more time may be needed for a thicker piece of chicken).
Once 4 minutes has completed, allow for a natural pressure release for 5 minutes (don’t touch anything, pot will read LO:05).
Release the pressure carefully, add in the rinsed and drained capers, and serve over pasta, rice, or veggies!
**NOTE: I do not thicken the sauce because I like to pour it over pasta as a lemon/butter sauce. Feel free to thicken it with additional flour at the end!**
Season the chickenDredge in flourBrown in the butter/ olive oilRemove chicken / add shallots and garlic to the Instant PotDeglaze pot with chicken broth / add lemon juice and lemon slices … then mix chicken back in and pressure cook for 4 minutes!Ready to release the pressure and add the capers!That sauce, though…Serve and enjoy!
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 6 points per serving of chicken with sauce (add more for whatever you serve it with). This recipe makes 4 servings total. Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.
I do not thicken the sauce because I like to pour it over pasta as a lemon/butter sauce. Feel free to thicken it with additional flour at the end!
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut thin or in strips (I bought tenderloins)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 lemons
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small shallots, finely diced
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Pat chicken dry. If it is a thicker breast, butterfly it and slice it into thinner pieces. I used chicken breast tenderloins and they worked perfectly!
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour on a plate. Toss the seasoned chicken in the flour to coat.
Place your Instant Pot in “saute” mode. Melt the butter and pour the olive oil in the pot until hot. Brown the chicken in the oil and butter until golden/brown on the outside (will not be fully cooked through yet). About 2-3 minutes per side. Do this in batches, if necessary.
Remove chicken to a plate.
Quickly add shallots and garlic to the hot oil and butter. Stir around for about 30 seconds – 1 minute until fragrant–be very careful not to burn them!
Add chicken broth into the Instant Pot to deglaze (be sure to scrape off any stuck brown bits from the bottom of the pot during this step –this will prevent a “BURN” notice when pressure cooking).
Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and layer slices from the other lemon in the liquid.
Add chicken back into the pot and stir together.
Close your Instant Pot with the lid and set the top valve to “Sealing” mode. Set to High Pressure for 4 minutes (more time may be needed for a thicker piece of chicken).
Once 4 minutes has completed, allow for a natural pressure release for 5 minutes (don’t touch anything, pot will read LO:05).
Release the pressure carefully, add in the rinsed and drained capers, and serve over pasta, rice, or veggies!
One of my favorite summer activities is attending a great summertime barbecue. The grill, the sun, the sides…it all makes for the perfect day. Here is one of my all time favorite barbecue recipes, and the best part about it is…dump and go! No cooking required. This summer corn and black bean salsa is the perfect side dish or dip to bring along with you!
Ingredients
2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans corn, rinsed and drained
1 small container of grape tomatoes (or tomatoes of your choice), diced
1 small red onion, diced
1 avocado, cubed
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
Directions
Combine black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, and avocado in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.
Add in olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Toss to coat. Add more salt to taste if needed.
Serve as a side dish, as an appetizer dip with tortilla chips, or as a topping for grilled chicken or burgers!
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 2 points per serving (12 servings total). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.
Print a copy of this recipe for your recipe binder!
Some weekdays I get home from work and just don’t have it in me to prepare a meal. But, on those days I also realize that the amount of time it would take me to wait for a delivery meal, I could have a much healthier and easier option at my fingertips. That’s when these 15-minute chicken fajitas come into play! I buy precut fajita veggies, a simmer sauce, and stir fry chicken to make this meal SO easy and SO good! This semi-homemade meal will be sure to please everyone while giving you your night back!
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1.5 lbs chicken breast (I bought the stir fry cut chicken to make it easier!)
1 package of Frontera Fajita Skillet Sauce with chipotle + lime
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Cumin to taste
8 flour tortillas
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet. Cook fajita veggies (onion, peppers) in the oil until they start to get a golden color (about 3-5 minutes).
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin, to taste.
Remove the veggies from the skillet to rest on a plate. Add another 1 tbsp of oil. Add in chicken, in batches if needed. Cook through until fully browned and at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Remove chicken to a plate. Drain excess oil from the pan.
Pour fajita sauce into skillet until it starts to boil. Add the cooked chicken and veggies back into the skillet. Combine until well coated by the sauce. Let simmer for 2-5 minutes on low.
Serve with heated flour tortillas!
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 9 points per serving (2 tortillas with fajita filling per serving!) Only 3 points with no tortillas! Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app.
Print a copy of this recipe for your recipe binder!
1.5 lbs chicken breast (I bought the stir fry cut chicken to make it easier!)
1 package of Frontera Fajita Skillet Sauce with chipotle + lime
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Cumin to taste
8 flour tortillas
2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet. Cook fajita veggies (onion, peppers) in the oil until they start to get a golden color (about 3-5 minutes).
Season chicken with salt, pepper, and cumin, to taste.
Remove the veggies from the skillet to rest on a plate. Add another 1 tbsp of oil. Add in chicken, in batches if needed. Cook through until fully browned and at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Remove chicken to a plate. Drain excess oil from the pan.
Pour fajita sauce into skillet until it starts to boil. Add the cooked chicken and veggies back into the skillet. Combine until well coated by the sauce. Let simmer for 2-5 minutes on low.
Even though the summer months are quickly approaching, a gloomy day always gets me in the mood for a hearty soup or stew. This Instant Pot Beef Stew was a perfect cozy touch to this rainy New Jersey night!
Ingredients
1.5 lbs stew meat, cubed
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
5 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup red cooking wine
1 packet McCormick Beef Stew seasoning
4 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
2 cups cubed gold potatoes
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
Directions
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a plate. Coat each piece of beef in the flour mixture.
Set the Instant Pot to “Saute” mode. Pour 3 tsp of vegetable oil in. Once hot, begin browning the beef, in batches. Be sure not to overcrowd the pot. Remove each batch of browned beef to a plate once it is sufficiently browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Add additional oil between batches if needed.
Remove all beef. Add in the vinegar, cooking wine, and beef broth. The pot will have a lot of brown bits stuck to it which need to be scraped up with a wooden spoon before pressure cooking (this will prevent the “BURN” notice). This is known as “deglazing.”
Once the pot is sufficiently deglazed and no more brown bits are stuck to the bottom, add the beef, seasoning pack, and bay leaves into the liquid. Cancel saute mode.
Set the Instant Pot to the Meat/Stew setting for 45 minutes. Flip your vent to “Sealing” mode before beginning the pressure cooking. It will take some time to build pressure before cooking time begins.
After 45 minutes completes, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes (it will read LO:10). After the natural pressure release is complete, flip the vent to “Venting” mode to quick release the rest of the pressure. Be sure to use a hand towel or spoon to avoid steam burn.
Stir beef mixture and add in vegetables.
Close the pot and set back to “Sealing” mode. Pressure cook on high for 9 minutes. Complete a 10 minute natural pressure release after 9 minutes cooking time is completed (should read LO:10 again).
Serve over egg noodles, rice, or on its own!
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 9 points per serving of beef stew (about 6 servings total). Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app (calculate points for whatever you add separately).
Print a copy of this recipe for your recipe binder!
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a plate. Coat each piece of beef in the flour mixture.
Set the Instant Pot to “Saute” mode. Pour 3 tsp of vegetable oil in. Once hot, begin browning the beef, in batches. Be sure not to overcrowd the pot. Remove each batch of browned beef to a plate once it is sufficiently browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Add additional oil between batches if needed.
Remove all beef. Add in the vinegar, cooking wine, and beef broth. The pot will have a lot of brown bits stuck to it which need to be scraped up with a wooden spoon before pressure cooking (this will prevent the “BURN” notice). This is known as “deglazing.”
Once the pot is sufficiently deglazed and no more brown bits are stuck to the bottom, add the beef, seasoning pack, and bay leaves into the liquid. Cancel saute mode.
Set the Instant Pot to the Meat/Stew setting for 45 minutes. Flip your vent to “Sealing” mode before beginning the pressure cooking. It will take some time to build pressure before cooking time begins.
After 45 minutes completes, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes (it will read LO:10). After the natural pressure release is complete, flip the vent to “Venting” mode to quick release the rest of the pressure. Be sure to use a hand towel or spoon to avoid steam burn.
Stir beef mixture and add in vegetables.
Close the pot and set back to “Sealing” mode. Pressure cook on high for 9 minutes. Complete a 10 minute natural pressure release after 9 minutes cooking time is completed (should read LO:10 again).
One of my go-to Instant Pot meals for meal prepping is this easy shredded salsa chicken. You can put them in rice bowls, flour/corn tortillas, or you can just eat it on its own with all the fixings!
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa of choice
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
Rice / guacamole / sour cream for creating the bowls
Directions
Place the chicken breasts in your Instant Pot. Cover with 1 cup water.
Close the lid of the pot and turn the valve to “Sealing.” Set on manual pressure for 9 minutes. Allow pressure to build and cook time to complete.
Once 9 minutes of cook time is completed, allow for 5 minutes of natural release before flipping the valve to “Venting.”
Remove the chicken and shred. Drain liquid from the pot.
Place shredded chicken back in the Instant Pot and place on “Saute” mode. Add in jar of salsa, taco seasoning, and drained and rinsed corn and beans.
Stir in until flavors are combined and corn softens to your liking.
Serve over rice, salad, tacos, etc! Top with guacamole, sour cream, cheese, etc.
Weight Watchers Freestyle SP: 1 point per serving of chicken. Points were calculated using the Recipe Builder on the WW app (calculate points for whatever you add separately).
Print a copy of this recipe for your recipe binder!
