Shorter days and sweater weather call for creamy casseroles and hearty meals that warm you from your head to your toes. Unfortunately, these decadent dishes often come with a high-calorie price tag that can derail your diet goals and ruin my Spring wardrobe. These eleven recipes are my go-to’s during the coldest days of winter and are all 7 Weight Watchers points or less. Get into your comfy clothes, turn on some Netflix, and savor every last bite of these fantastic dishes guilt-free.
Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Pasta Bake
The combination of chicken, broccoli, and pasta swimming in a satiny Alfredo sauce speaks to my soul, and at just 5 points per serving, I can enjoy it any time I want. Plus, it cooks in less than half an hour and takes fifteen minutes to prepare, meaning you can have a tasty, home-cooked dinner on the table in less than an hour. I use high-fiber pasta to keep me full for longer and light Alfredo sauce for all the taste without the fat. Bacon bits are the finishing touch and add some excellent textural interest.
Pull Apart Pizza Bread
This pull-apart pizza bread clocks in at 7 Weight Watchers points, or just 5 if you swap traditional pepperoni for the turkey kind and use light string cheese. Either way, it’s a diet win. Pre-packaged Pillsbury biscuits are a great shortcut ingredient, and when paired with pepperoni, shredded cheese sticks, and your choice of shredded cheese blend, make a doughy, meaty blend that’s the ideal post-work treat. I dip mine in marinara sauce to complete the pizza experience.
Creamy Potato and Cauliflower Cheesy Soup
If you’re like me, you know that nothing warms the bones quite like a creamy bowl of soup, and this one is only 4 Weight Watchers points per serving. With just fifteen minutes of prep work, the crock pot does the rest, transforming white potatoes, onions, broth, and chopped cauliflower into a delicious base you can easily puree. Add mozzarella and cream cheese, a splash of your milk of choice, and a touch of salt and pepper, and you will have a velvety soup that will brighten up even on the darkest February days.
Bacon Cheeseburger Lasagna Rolls
These 6-point rolls combine two of the top comfort foods, lasagna and bacon cheeseburger, into one divine mash-up, and you probably have everything you need to whip them on hand on hand. Extra-lean ground beef and reduced-fat cheddar cheese lend a classic taste without the unwanted calories; bacon adds a bit of crunch, and a combination of ketchup and pasta sauce gives the dish a nuanced tomato flavor that’s reminiscent of both your favorite cook-out cheeseburger and an inspired Italian dish.
Philly Style Roast Beef Squares
I love a good Philly cheesesteak, but most original versions are guaranteed to torpedo my diet goals. Fortunately, these Philly-style roast beef squares give me all of the taste I crave with just 5 Weight Watchers points per serving. Reduced-fat Pillsbury crescent rolls make up the flaky, buttery base of each roll, and when crowned with deli-sliced roast beef, light provolone cheese, and a combination of red onion and diced green pepper, they truly hit on all the right flavor points. Serve it with a creamy, garlicky sauce made of light mayo, minced garlic, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Pumpkin Squash Soup
Pumpkin is packed full of Vitamins A and C, making this dish as healthy as it is scrumptious and an excellent savory use for any of that post-Thanksgiving canned pumpkin you might have hanging around. Butternut squash is another nutrient powerhouse with anti-inflammatory properties that enhance the flavor. Plus, this soup is just 1 Weight Watchers point per serving. I like to use Granny Smith apples because they provide some freshness, tartness, and zing, warm cinnamon and nutmeg, and a touch of cayenne for heat. Coconut milk finishes it off and gives a vibrant tropical flavor to the final product.
World’s Easiest Instant Pot Cabbage Rolls
If you want to make homemade, flavorful food in a flash, an instant pot is your greatest weapon. These stick-to-your-ribs cabbage rolls are just 3 points per serving and only take forty-five minutes from start to finish. I love the Old World flavor and the tons of nutrients I get from the carrots, bell peppers, and cabbage rolls. Plus, thanks to a combination of lean ground beef and rice, they’ll keep you full for the long run.
Weight Watchers Chicken Pot Pie Bubble Up
This 5-point chicken pot pie bubble up comes together quickly with the help of Pillsbury biscuits, which provide the flaky, buttery topping. It’s got all of the flavors you crave from a traditional chicken pot pie, like tender pieces of chicken, carrots, onion, and broccoli, all in a creamy sauce that only tastes like it will set your diet back. The combination of low-fat cream of chicken soup and one percent milk gives it that satiny feeling without the excess calories. I love making this dish for my family on weekends for a lazy Sunday treat during the dark days of winter.
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
This warming soup uses a ton of shortcut ingredients and some smart swaps for a creamy treat that’s just 3 Weight Watchers points per serving. Fat-free ground chicken takes the place of traditional beef, and frozen hash browns stand in for conventional potatoes, saving you the extra time of peeling and scrubbing. It’s full of good-for-you veggies, too, like carrots and onions. Topped with crumbly bacon and a put of reduced-fat cheddar cheese, this soup invokes both a satiny bowl of goodness and your favorite pub burger.
Chicken Fajita Pasta Bake
I love making this chicken fajita pasta bake for my kids because it’s got a sneaky serving of vegetables in every bite but hits all the high notes for a comfort-food classic. At 5 Weight Watchers points per serving, I can enjoy it too and still fit into my skinny jeans. I like combining red and green bell peppers for visual interest and extra nutrients, high-fiber pasta to keep you full for hours, and pre-cooked chicken to cut back on cooking time. A sprinkle of the fajita seasoning of your choice, salsa, fat-free sour cream, and reduced-fat shredded cheese rounds it all off perfectly. Make sure that you save some cheese to sprinkle on top at the end; it browns up beautifully.
Biscuits N’ Gravy Bake
At 7 Weight Watchers points per serving, this biscuits and gravy bake is a bit of a splurge but nothing that can’t fit into your diet plan. It’s great for a weekend brunch on a cloudy, overcast winter day, and you only need a handful of ingredients to get it on the table in just over half an hour. Turkey breakfast sausage reduces calories but still gives you that rich, meaty taste and works perfectly with Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits. Use pre-packaged gravy mix, egg substitute, and reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese to round it all off, and you’ll have a meal that’s light years better than anything you get at the diner and lighter for you.
If winter is getting you down, these recipes will brighten your day with a bit of comfort food that won’t cost you your diet. Plus, they’re crowd-pleasers and some of the family favorites that my kids ask me to make again and again.
Love all your recipes