I love easy meals to cook during the week. This creamy ranch chicken is definitely one of them!
I cooked this in the Instant Pot, but you could also do it in the slow cooker. I am so obsessed with my Instant Pot!
I use it all of the time in the winter. You can cook just about everything in it! I use it the most for chicken and soup dishes.
This creamy ranch chicken is my low fat/lower calorie version of a popular recipe on Pinterest – Crack Chicken.
The original version of this recipe is quite tasty, but high in fat and calories. I made a few simple changes to that recipe to make it more Weight Watchers friendly.
Instead of using regular cream cheese I used reduced fat cream cheese. That saved 13 points off the entire recipe, or 2 points per serving.
The original recipe calls for 1 cup of cheddar cheese, which is 34 Freestyle points. I used a 1/2 cup of reduced fat cheese instead for only 5 points. That saved a ton of points!
I used 4 slices of center cut bacon which was only 2 Freestyle points.
The ranch seasoning is 0 points so I didn’t have to cut back on that at all. It adds such a great flavor to the chicken.
There you have it! Just a few simple changes made this recipe 42 points lighter, or 7 points per serving lighter. My version of this recipe is only 5 Freestyle points per serving.
This creamy ranch chicken tastes great on its own, or you can serve it over pasta or rice. It’s up to you, just make sure you add any additional points.
Click here to track the points on your WW app.
If you’re looking for some zero point recipes, check out my post 20 Zero Point Recipes or my post 20 (More) Zero Point Recipes. Both are filled with delicious recipes that won’t cost you a single point! They’re perfect for days when you’re running low on points, or trying to save up points for a night out.
If you’re looking for dessert recipes you can visit 50 Weight Watchers Freestyle Desserts. It’s filled with delicious desserts perfect for Weight Watchers!
Yield: 6 Servings
Click here to track the points on your WW app.
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 oz. ranch seasoning (I used Hidden Valley)
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese (I used Mexican)
- 4 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
- green onions, chopped (optional)
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Add the chicken broth, chicken, cream cheese and ranch seasoning to the Instant Pot.
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Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock it. Make sure the lever is set to seal. Press the manual button and set the time for 15 minutes.
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Once the timer goes off let it naturally release for 5 minutes, then finish with a quick release.
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Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and shred it, then add it back to the pot.
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Add the 1/2 cup of cheese and bacon. Stir until blended and the cheese is melted. Top with green onions.
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Add the chicken broth, chicken, cream cheese and ranch seasoning to the slow cooker.
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Cook on low 4 hours.
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Remove the chicken and shred it, then add it back to the slow cooker.
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Add the 1/2 cup of cheese and bacon. Stir until blended and the cheese is melted. Top with green onions.
Kathy E.
January 2, 2019 at 7:21 pmI am an Instant Pot lover too! I have a beef stew in mine right now and that will serve us several meals! This Creamy Ranch Chicken sounds delightful and just perfect for a weeknight meal…thank you!
keepingonpoint
January 5, 2019 at 10:01 pmYou’re very welcome! I now prefer my Instant Pot over my slow cooker. So quick and easy. 🙂
Michelle
January 30, 2019 at 4:12 pmI thank you for this recipe, I am cooking it now. 2 questions thou, was your chicken frozen and how many servings is this 4?