It’s March Madness! And I’m not talking basketball…

It’s mid-March in the Northeast and this is the time of year  when I begin to get cabin fever.  The winter months just seem to drag and the past few weeks have been driving me mad! Considering the 70 plus inches of snow we received in the past three months, I am welcoming the slightest of warm days.  Can someone say 40 degrees?

In order to break up, what is hopefully, the last month of winter, I want to have a few friends over to watch the NCAA Basketball Championship.  I’m not a big fan of college basketball nor do I pretend to know much about what really happens during March Madness.  All I know is that I am experiencing a little March Madness myself which can only be cured by great food and a fun friendly gathering! 

For my March Madness party, I will be serving the usual chips, salsa and something new, Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas.  Everyone I know is a big fan of Buffalo Chicken Dip and this recipe is a slight variation of the party favorite.  With Swanson Chicken now offering the larger sized canned chicken at a better value, this appetizer is affordable and easy to make.  I’m sure it will be a big hit!

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

From Campbell’s Kitchen

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

1 can (12.5 ounces)* Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

3 tablespoons Frank's® RedHot® Sauce

8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese  (about 6 ounces)

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing

Toss the chicken with the hot sauce to completely coat.

Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of the cheese on half of each tortilla. Top each with about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Brush the edges of the tortillas with water. Fold the tortillas over the filling and press the edges together to seal.

Brush the tortillas with the oil. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the quesadillas, two at a time, and cook until they're golden brown on both sides.

Cut the quesadillas in quarters and serve with dressing for dipping.

*Or 3 cans (4.5 ounces each)

Tip: You can also cook these quesadillas in a grill pan instead of the skillet.

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!

A ‘Better For You’ Commitment: AdDRESS Your Heart!

February is Heart Health Month and after the big game a few Sundays ago, I need a re-commitment to eating healthy. As you all may know, I work for Swanson Chicken, which carries the heart check mark  from the American Heart Association (AHA). Whenever you see this mark on products in the grocery store, grab it! Those products will have met the American Heart Association’s criteria for heart health. In addition, they have been controlled for sodium and contain a good source of a positive nutrient, such as Vitamin A. That is all good in my eyes!

As a part of the Campbell’s family, Swanson is committed to the fight against heart disease in women with the AdDress Your Heart initiative. Since 2006, Campbell Soup Company has teamed up with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement to help fight this disease. For more information and to learn about all the great products marked with the heart check mark, please visit http://www.goredwithcampbells.com.

Now, on to my re-commitment to eating healthy. As I mentioned above, Swanson Premium Canned Chicken is marked by the AHA as a heart healthy product. It’s 98% fat free with no preservatives and it’s fully cooked, all white chicken making any meal super easy! With that being said, my recipe pick of the week is the Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps. A popular version of this recipe was rank #2 on RecipeZaar’s Top 100 recipes of 2009. The below recipe is a bit different since we use Swanson canned chicken for a quick, easy and good for you lunch. Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
From Campbell’s Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Makes: 6





1 can (12.5 ounces)* Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
2 medium carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup diced red pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup reduced fat Asian-style sesame salad dressing
6 large Bibb or iceberg lettuce leaves

Stir the chicken, carrots, pepper, onions and dressing in a medium bowl.

Divide the chicken mixture among the lettuce leaves. Fold the lettuce leaves around the filling and serve immediately.

*Or 3 cans (4.5 ounces each)

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

I know I cannot speak for everyone when I say “it’s cold outside,” but I live outside Philadelphia where the winter months bring snow with chilly winds. This past week has been really cold and it reminded me that we are in the midst of winter in the Northeast. Only three more months until spring!

When it’s this cold, I really crave hot, comforting foods like soup and chili. I want to stick to my New Year’s resolution of eating healthy but when it’s cold outside, I want something that will stick to my ribs! Since next week is the Big Game and I will be surrounded by chips, dips and other yummy eats (see my last post about Buffalo Chicken Dip), I wanted to find a great, healthy recipe for a winter day. I found this in the Campbell’s Kitchen, and it’s one of the yummiest chili’s I have ever made. It was great because Swanson now offers larger cans of Premium White Chicken for the same price so the value and yummy factor made this recipe all the better! In fact, not only was it Sunday dinner, I also had it for lunch on Monday and Tuesday. Here is the recipe so all of you can enjoy a great chili without the guilt. Enjoy!

White Chicken Chili
From Campbell’s Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Serves: 5

Vegetable cooking spray
1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can (12.5 ounces)* Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
1 can (about 15 ounces) small white beans
1 medium red pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
1 can (about 4 ounces) chopped green chiles
Shredded Cheddar cheese


Spray a 2-quart saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1
minute. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until it's tender. Stir the cumin and chili powder in the saucepan.

Stir the chicken, beans, pepper, broth and chiles in the saucepan. Heat to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with the cheese and serve immediately.

*Or 3 cans (4.5 ounces each)

Nutritional Values per Serving: Calories 187, Total Fat 2g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 31mg, Sodium 620mg, Total Carbohydrate 25g, Dietary Fiber 6g, Protein 18g, Vitamin A 24%DV, Vitamin C 34%DV, Calcium 8%DV, Iron 19%DV

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!