Comfort food without the guilt: Chicken Potpie

Chicken Potpie is one of my favorite comfort foods. What’s more satisfying on a cool day than hot creamy chicken inside a flaky crust? Nothing, unless you’re like me and want to watch what you eat. Suddenly this butter- and heavy-cream-laden dish doesn’t seem so comforting.

So instead of making a traditional recipe that’s loaded with fat, I use EatingWell’s healthier version of this dish to satisfy my comfort-food craving without the extra calories and fat. It’s comfort food without the guilt.

Here’s how we gave Chicken Potpie a healthy recipe makeover:

• Our Chicken Potpie recipe gets a great creamy texture from reduced-fat sour cream and is just as rich-tasting as the original that uses heavy cream.
• Our version is also bulked up with extra vegetables for a boost of fiber.
• The classic flaky crust is still flaky, but we use buttermilk and just a touch of butter to give it flavor and texture.

Chicken Potpie: This chicken potpie is studded with peas, mushrooms, carrots and onions and topped with tender whole-wheat biscuits. The savory sauce gets a rich taste from reduced-fat sour cream, but with less fat and calories. And it ends up just as delicious and comforting as you expect.

Find more delicious chicken recipes here.

Here are a couple more of my favorite comfort-food recipes made healthy:

Baked Mac & Cheese: Mac & cheese can be a true comfort on a gloomy day, and our healthy update takes advantage of extra-sharp Cheddar balanced with creamy low-fat cottage cheese and tucks a layer of spinach into the middle, which may help picky eaters down their vegetables. Whole-wheat pasta adds robust flavor and extra fiber.

Chicken-Fried Steak: Can you really make a chicken-fried steak that isn't loaded with saturated fat and salt? Absolutely. We skip the deep frying, but with rich country gravy as consolation, you won't miss it. Our pan-fried, crispy cube steak has less than one-third of the fat and about 80 percent less sodium.

TAGS: Hilary Meyer