This is one of our favourite less than 500 calorie meals. It’s perfect if you’re looking for 5:2 diet plan ideas or just fancy something lighter for dinner. The 500 calories fast days are obviously the hardest part of the diet. The point of the 5:2 diet is that you give your body 2 fast days and 5 days where you eat normally, albeit slightly healthier. The diet has become one of the nation’s favourite weight-loss options and the fast days needn’t be as scary as they sound.
This delicious chicken and mushroom casserole is packed with veg, so it can really help you and your family up your 5-a-day intake. You can use all different cuts of chicken in this recipe – try chicken breast meat, thighs or drumsticks. If you have any chicken and mushroom casserole leftovers, make sure you store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within 2 days and thoroughly reheat in the microwave or oven before serving again.
Being on a diet doesn’t mean missing out on your favourite treats. We’ve got lots of low calorie versions of classic meals including curry, stir-fries, sandwiches and more. And of course, we’d love to hear how you’re getting on with your 5:2 diet progress so feel free to comment below and let us know all about it.
500 Calories or Less: Chicken & Mushroom Casserole
This is delicious comfort food packed with veg, so it can really help you and your family up your 5-a-day intake.
Ingredients
- • 1kg chicken thighs, (boneless, skinless)
- • 100g streaky bacon, chopped
- • 25g soft butter, plus extra for the sauce
- • 2 red onions, chopped
- • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- • 250g mushrooms
- • 2 carrots, cut into chunks
- • 1 stick celery, cut into chunks
- • Bouquet garni (bay leaf, thyme, parsley stalks, black peppercorns)
- • 500ml chicken stock
- • 300ml white wine
- • 25g plain flour
- • 2tbsp double cream
- • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- • Olive oil
Instructions
In a large cast-iron casserole dish, heat a little olive oil and brown the chicken thighs all over, then transfer to a plate.
Next, cook the bacon and put on the plate with the chicken. Add a knob of butter to the oil in the casserole and add the garlic. Once fragrant, gently brown the onions and mushrooms, before adding the chicken and bacon back into the casserole.
Add the carrot, celery, bouquet garni, chicken stock and wine to the chicken and season. Cover and transfer to a preheated oven at 170ºC (325ºF, gas mark 3) for 40 minutes. If you prefer to use a slow cooker, at this point add everything to your slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
With a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and vegetables and place in a large dish. Keep warm.
Mix the flour and butter together to form a paste.
Bring the sauce in the casserole dish to the boil and add a small amount of the paste to it, whisking continuously until dissolved.
The mixture will begin to thicken, gradually. Add the rest of the paste a little at a time until you have reached the desired consistency.
Finally, stir in the double cream, then pour over the chicken and sprinkle with some chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- 390 Calories
Notes
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28 Comments
Emma Walton
January 19, 2019 at 12:47 pmI love mushrooms and this recipe looks and sounds delicious!
Charlotte Isobelle
January 19, 2019 at 8:12 pmit looks yummy! i might try and make it this week 😀
Rebecca Nisbet
January 23, 2019 at 10:06 amThis looks amazing will have to give this a go
cyril rowlands
January 24, 2019 at 9:31 pmFor 390 calories…..I’ll have 3
Yvonne Brownsea
February 28, 2019 at 1:28 amI really must give this a go!
toziesite
February 28, 2019 at 10:55 pmThis looked so tasty I had to try it and it’s photo doesn’t do it justice it’s fabulous and only 500 calories, definTely going to be a family favourite as it’s easy to follow recipe easy to do and so very tasty thank you id give it 5stars
Laura Chapman
March 16, 2019 at 5:03 pmThis looks and sounds delicious! I’m always looking for low calorie recipes.
Margaret Gallagher
March 24, 2019 at 3:29 pmSuper tasty – will enjoy making this
Sheena Batey
April 2, 2019 at 2:51 pmThis would be a useful everyday supper as well as being low calorie
Robert Price
April 27, 2019 at 3:30 amVery healthy
amy simpson
April 27, 2019 at 8:37 amA great looking healthy dish x
Jeanette Leighton
May 9, 2019 at 10:32 amLooks delicious nothing better than chicken and mushrooms yum
Glenn Hutton
May 9, 2019 at 11:01 amThis looks and sounds delicious… Not too difficult either which is right up my street!
lisas1981
May 12, 2019 at 10:22 pmfab taste, and great amount of cals
Laura Wheatley
May 20, 2019 at 4:32 pmlooks delicious, and healthy too! definitely one for the meal plan
Chloe Taylor
May 26, 2019 at 7:16 pmNow this looks amazing! Love chicken & mushroom – proper good family meal!
Anthea Holloway
June 9, 2019 at 6:05 pmWhat a super recipe – I shall make this for my husband as he is watching his calorie intake and he loves mushrooms!
toziesite
June 10, 2019 at 1:24 pmLove this recipe one of my all time favourites family love it healthy and easy to make
Heather Haigh
June 21, 2019 at 5:07 pmLovely flavours, and something we all will enjoy
Kate km
June 25, 2019 at 8:41 amLove this. Sounds tasty
Rebecca Whatmore
July 2, 2019 at 6:40 pmThis looks good – I will give it a go with Quorn instead of chicken.
Carole Nott
July 3, 2019 at 10:54 amThis looks like a delicious meal and excellent for calorie counters
Iris Waldburger
July 3, 2019 at 10:04 pmLooks delicious two of my favorite ingredients and even better low calories
sheridarby
August 18, 2019 at 7:01 pmThis looks so delicious