Back to Work and a Recipe

Hey y'all!

I'm officially back to work now, mixed feelings i must say :) I definitely miss the sleeping in and long mornings at the gym, but being the busy body that i am, i like having something to do every day. I am having to shift back to evening workouts, packing my lunch (and usually breakfast because I'm always running behind in the mornings), and getting used to sitting in traffic again. ughhhhhh. Thats all there is to it!

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I took Core and Total Conditioning (TC) last night which left me feeling pretty sore this morning. Core is an intense 30 minute class that focuses on all things core. It is a great class and always flies by. Total Conditioning is similar to P90x or Insanity from what i understand (I have never done either of them). The class hits every major muscle group and usually consists of three exercises that increase in intensity. The last exercise of each muscle group aims to get your heart rate to "Zone 4". Lifetime teaches many of their classes to target heart rates and instructors will often tell you what zone you need to be in according to your age and fitness level. Bottom line, TC is tough and usually leaves me sore, tired and in need of a rest day.

So when i got off this afternoon i headed home to make dinner. I had a craving for a dish my mom used to make, Chicken Divan. It is a super easy recipe, not too time consuming, and there is always leftovers...Bonus! I made a few "dietitian" modifications to it to make it a bit healthier.

Easy Chicken Divan

• 2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used low sodium, heart healthy version)
• 1 cup mayonnaise (I used 6 oz plain Chobani)
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar (I used 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice 
• 6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 2 heads fresh broccoli (I used a bag of frozen broccoli for time sake)
• Salt and pepper to taste (I used Montreal chicken seasoning)

Topping:

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp butter (I omitted this)
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese (Again used 1/2 cup 2% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese)

Directions:
Place chicken breasts in roasting pan, season according to your liking. Bake chicken breasts at 425 for 35 minutes (or until cooked through). Microwave broccoli in microwave safe bowl with small amount of water until tender crisp. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Spray 13 x 9 with cooking spray and layer the broccoli and then the chicken. In a separate bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, Greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice and shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly and spread on top of chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle bread crumbs and cheese on top and bake for 1 hour at 350.

Serve with rice, pasta, quinoa (or any grain of your choice). Can also serve with a green salad.
Enjoy!

Did you know....

If you swap  Greek yogurt (100 calories/6 oz) instead of Mayo (45 kcals/1 tbsp) you save 620 calories!