Leaner Version Of Chicken Reuben Offers Reduced Calories, Fat

Sometimes a recipe sounds tempting until you read the nutritional information.

That’s the case with the original recipe for a Baked Chicken Reuben casserole, which contained more than 31 grams of fat per serving. The dish is based on ingredients used to make a Reuben sandwich, including sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese - not exactly diet fare.

But with a few adjustments and substitutions, the recipe shed more than 22 grams of fat and 237 calories per serving. And while the revamped dish is still high in salt, it also dropped 472 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Lightening the dish required choosing smaller chicken breasts, using less sauerkraut, substituting fat-free Thousand Island salad dressing and switching to reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese.

When shopping for chicken breasts, look for the smallest ones you can find to save fat and calories. Breasts that are about the size of your palm weigh about 4 to 5 ounces, which is the recommended serving size. Big chicken breasts, about the size of the fingers and palm of your hand, can weigh as much as 8 ounces.

Using fat-free dressing doesn’t change the taste of the dish, but it saves fat and calories. Reduced-fat Swiss cheese also has less fat and sodium than regular cheese. Fat-free cheese isn’t recommended for this recipe because it doesn’t melt well and has a rubbery texture.

Lean and Tangy Chicken Reuben is still easy to make because it can be assembled in the morning, stored in the refrigerator during the day, and baked in the evening after work. You can assemble the casserole while the chicken is still frozen.

Lean and Tangy Chicken Reuben

4 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, about 5 ounces each

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 (14-ounce) cans sauerkraut, drained, rinsed under cold water and drained again

2 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese, halved

1 cup fat-free Thousand Island dressing

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly coat a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the chicken breasts in the pan, folding over the thin pointed ends if possible. Sprinkle with pepper.

Squeeze sauerkraut lightly to remove any excess water. Place drained sauerkraut over chicken, then place a half slice of cheese on top of each chicken piece. Pour the fat-free dressing over the cheese.

Cover with foil and bake 1 hour. If the chicken breasts are frozen when you place them in the oven, bake for 1 hours. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 392 calories, 8.8 grams fat (20 percent fat calories), 48 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrate, 121 milligrams cholesterol, 1,959 milligrams sodium.

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