By Ashley McIlwain

Autumn is my favorite season and time of the year. Leaves in bright hues delighting my eyes. Crisp air seducing my nostrils. Cool temperatures that beckon one to bundle and snuggle up. Hot chocolate and apple cider warming your belly and bones. Football calling for cheers and high fives. What’s not to love?

Just talking about it makes me bubble up with a childish giddiness I can barely contain. Unfortunately I don’t get to enjoy many of these autumn delights the way I used to simply because I moved from Central Pennsylvania to Southern California. Autumn here in So Cal is … well … not the same. So, to curb my homesickness, I like to take certain measures to bring fall to me.

My husband, though a native Californian (Bay Area), understands my obsession with this time of year and is more than gracious in accommodating my lets-make-it-feel-like-we’re-in-Pennsylvania activities. Besides gearing up with Penn State attire head to toe to cheer on the blue and white, we also like to elicit feelings of fall in the kitchen.

There are many recipes I make usually involving apples, butternut squash, cloves, and/or the crock pot. I wanted to share one in particular with you though that my husband, Steve, and I love this time of year. It’s healthy, yummy, and conjures up all the right autumn sensations. It’s from one of my most frequented cookbooks, Hungry Girl: 300 Under 300.

So grab your sweetheart, a scarf, and some apple cider. Turn on a football game. And get to cooking this creamy and dreamy dish. Then you can follow it up with a good snuggle with your special someone.

Dreamy Butternut Chicken Foil Pack

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup canned 98% fat-free cream of chicken condensed soup
  • ¼ cup fat-free sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 2 cups peeled and sliced butternut squash
  • 1 ½ cups chopped cauliflower
  • ¾ cup chopped onion
  • 8 ounces raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, combine condensed soup, sour cream, and garlic. Add squash, cauliflower, and onion, and stir to coat. Set aside.
  • Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet, and spray with nonstick spray. Lay veggie mixture on the foil sheet and set aside.
  • Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place it on top of the veggie mixture.
  • Place another large piece of foil on top. Fold together and seal all four edges of the two foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet.
  • Place baking sheet in the oven, and bake for about 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
  • Allow packet to cool for a few minutes, and then cut to release steam before opening it entirely. (Careful – steam will be hot.)
  • Mix well and serve it up! If you like, season with additional salt and black pepper.

Makes 2 servings. Per Serving (1/2 of recipe, about 2 cups): 292 calories, 3.25g fat, 575mg sodium, 35.5g carbs, 10g sugars, 32g protein

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

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