A classic Southern dish gets a healthy makeover in this easy Skinny Rotisserie Chicken and Grits Casserole! The combination of chicken, cheese, and barbecue sauce makes this a family-friendly weeknight dinner -- and best of all, this low-calorie meal is ready for the oven in only 15 minutes!
You just can't beat the convenience of a rotisserie chicken that you bring home from the grocery store fully cooked and ready to go! This casserole takes advantage of any leftover or store-bought chicken to keep the prep time minimal.
What are Grits?
For those of you that are not familiar, grits is a coarsely ground cornmeal very similar to polenta.
It's made in the same way you'd make porridge or polenta by cooking it over a low/medium heat in a saucepan with liquid usually water or milk.
My Top Tip to Speed Things Up!
You can buy fast-cook grits in the supermarket that are much quicker to prepare.
Luckily this chicken and grits casserole doesn't require you to stand stirring a pot for 30-40 minutes.
5 minutes is all you need then it's mix with the other ingredients and poured into a casserole dish to be baked, simple!
Southern cooking tends to have a bad reputation as a heavy, calorie-laden cuisine that's not particularly friendly on the waistline. Well guess what, my friends?!
You can banish any notions of an unhealthy chicken and grits dinner, because this creamy, cheesy meal is about to knock your socks off!
How to Make Grits Casserole Healthy
I've made a few simple swaps with this recipe to make it skinny, filling and delicious.
When it comes to chicken broth stick to a fat-free and low sodium version. It's healthier and doesn't compromise flavor.
Also, by using low-fat cream cheese which creates a deliciously cheesy, creamy flavor and by using 1% low-fat milk the calories are reduced significantly.
Serving Suggestions
My whole family enjoys this dinner, thanks to the mild and familiar flavors. We like to garnish our cheese grits with barbecue sauce and sliced green onion for added zest, but that's totally optional.
If you have some picky palates in your home, the casserole is also delicious served as-is! It's simple, easy comfort food that's ready when you need it -- FAST!
Top Tips to Remember
- Use rotisserie chicken to speed things up or alternatively use up leftover chicken you have in your fridge.
- If you have raw chicken make sure to cook it first.
- Feel free to use low-fat cheddar to reduce calories.
- Make sure to use quick-cook grits for this recipe.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated until piping hot. As grits absorb liquid you will probably need to add a little extra liquid when reheating (stock, water or milk).
Looking for more healthy and family-friendly dinners? Try these favorites:
- 4-Ingredient Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Barbecue Chicken Ramen Noodle Bowls
- Sheet Pan Supper: Skinny Chicken Taco Fries
Skinny Rotisserie Chicken and Grits Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
- ¾ cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 2 ounces finely-grated Cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 ounces ⅓-less-fat cream cheese
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 ½ cups about 9 ounces diced rotisserie chicken
- ¼ cup barbecue sauce
- Sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 11-inch by 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine milk and broth in a medium heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Gradually add grits and salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk.
- Cook for 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in Cheddar, butter, and cream cheese until smooth.
- Stir in egg whites and chicken.
- Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes, or until set.
- Just before serving, drizzle with barbecue sauce and garnish with green onions.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken to speed things up or alternatively use up leftover chicken you have in your fridge.
- If you have raw chicken make sure to cook it first.
- Feel free to use low-fat cheddar to reduce calories.
- Make sure to use quick-cook grits for this recipe.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated until piping hot. As grits absorb liquid you will probably need to add a little extra liquid when reheating (stock, water or milk).
Nutrition
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
I love using rotisserie chicken when cooking! You just can't beat the flavor and ease of not having to cook the chicken. This casserole looks fantastic, Blair! I love the addition of grits and bbq sauce. What a creative combo!
Blair
Thanks, Gayle! I totally agree -- it's one of my favorite shortcuts! 🙂
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
Rotisserie chicken makes cooking so much easier! I love this skinny twist. Another must try from you!
Blair
Thanks so much, Megan! I'm all about the shortcuts!
Jen | Baked by an Introvert
Yummo, lady!! This is my kind of dinner. Skinny and easy. After baking all day, I do not want to slave over an evening meal. Love the use of rotisserie. And chicken and grits... classic!!
Blair
Thanks, Jen! I feel the same way -- after a busy day of blogging from the kitchen, my kids are lucky if they don't get cereal for dinner! Hah! 🙂
Ruwani
Wow !This casserole looks so good and I love creamy and cheesy goodness 🙂 Best thing is it's SKINNY !
Blair
Thanks, Ruwani! It's so cheesy -- total comfort food -- and you'd never guess that it's healthy by the way it tastes! 🙂
Emily
I love how cosy and comforting this is, yum!
Blair
Thanks, Emily!
Cathy
What are grits? I’m from Canada, is it like oatmeal?
Blair
Hi, Cathy! Grits are a popular dish in the South (often served for breakfast). They're made from boiled cornmeal, and are often combined with other seasonings and ingredients (like cheese!). 🙂
Beckie Manning
I made this tonight with what we had on hand during our corona virus quarantine. I had rotisserie chicken that i had earlier divided up into recipe portions and frozen. I decided to use one egg instead of the two whites to save using too many eggs .I had some cream cheese, but it had veggies in it. That added some great flavor. I didn’t have green onions, so we chopped up celery and put it on top. My husband used buffalo wing sauce—which was fitting with the celery, and I used the bbq sauce. It was really quite good!
Blair
Sounds great, Beckie! I'm so glad that you were able to make it work for you!
Sandy
I want to use up a package of grits I have but they’re not quick cooking. Can I adapt them?
Blair Lonergan
Yes, ma'am! Just adapt the cooking time on the stovetop according to your package instructions (the non-quick-cooking grits will just take longer). Then proceed with the rest of the instructions in the recipe.