“No Guilt” Chicken Ranch Naan Pizzas
It’s a new year, and that means new resolutions for healthier living for most of us. After all the decadent holiday treats, it’s a great time to make some healthier food choices. Now I’m not talking about eating strictly vegetarian or super healthy foods for a week, and then caving by indulging in a large pizza from your favorite neighborhood pizzeria. I’m talking about making small changes to your favorite dishes by cutting the fat and calories with simple ingredient swaps and adding in more healthy fruits and vegetables – without sacrificing taste.
Pasta and rice dishes are my family’s favorite go-to quick dinners. To make those dishes healthier, I swap the white pasta for whole wheat or vegetable pasta. Whole wheat pastas have the same cook time as regular pastas, and they taste great! I also avoid using cream in my sauces by swapping for Greek yogurt or low fat cream cheese to add creaminess without the fat to family favorites like Alfredo sauce.
For rice, we always use brown rice. You can cook it perfectly in your rice cooker,: just add 2 ½ cups water to 1 cup rice for perfect, easy and – most importantly - nutritious brown rice.
When it comes to burgers, one of my family’s favorite treats, we substitute ground beef with the leanest ground turkey available. Then we use whole wheat thin buns, and skip the bacon, mayonnaise and cheese in favor of lighter condiments like light ranch dressing or mustard. Then instead of fries or chips, I serve crunchy fresh vegetables (with a side of ranch to dip!).
For my personal favorite treat, pizza, I use several tricks to cut the fat and calories. Since portion control is one of the hardest things for me, I make individual pizzas on naan or pita bread instead of pizza crust. I also use much less cheese than traditional pizza recipes call for and pile-on healthy toppings like grilled chicken and fresh veggies, instead of fatty pepperoni.
For these naan pizzas, I added lots of flavor by spreading a small amount of ranch dressing on the bread as the sauce. Then I top the pizza with grilled chicken and mozzarella, (remember: you can always substitute for low-fat mozzarella and light ranch dressing, too!) and add on the fresh tomatoes. Bake the pizza in your oven until it’s golden brown and bubbly and the naan flatbread is crispy. Finally, after the pizza comes out, add a few finishing touches -- green onions and fresh parsley – and ENJOY!
Eclectic Recipes’ Chicken Ranch Naan Pizzas
Serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® dressing
½ cup diced green onions
1 cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups sliced grilled chicken breast
2 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley
4 pieces naan flatbread (garlic or whole wheat, around 4 ounces each)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Spread 2 tablespoons ranch dressing over each piece of naan bread. Add ½ cup sliced chicken breast to each pizza and sprinkle each with ¼ cup mozzarella cheese. Divide sliced tomatoes over each pizza.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until golden brown and cheese has melted. After pizzas are removed from oven, sprinkle with green onions and Italian parsley.
Check out more recipes from Angie on her blog EclecticRecipes.com!
