How to make Green Chile Cheeseburger

Green Chile Cheeseburger

320 calories, 11 g fat (4.5 g saturated), 420 mg sodium

As bad as fast-food burgers can be, they look like nutritional superstars when stacked next to sit-down restaurant burgers. The bulk of the burgers at Applebee's, Chili's, Ruby Tuesday, Outback, and T.G.I. Friday's weigh in at 1,000 calories or more—before the massive mound of French fries that invariably accompanies them. The key to keeping the calories down is finding a lean but tasty cut of beef (we love sirloin); using healthy, flavor-packed condiments (e.g., roasted chiles, not fried onion rings); and finding a small, fiber-rich bun to house the creation.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground sirloin or brisket
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 can (4 oz) roasted green chiles, drained and chopped
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 potato buns (preferably Martin's Potato Rolls)
• 4 thick slices tomato
• 4 medium slices red onion

Instructions

1. Heat a grill, stovetop grill pan, or cast-iron skillet. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Form 4 patties, being careful not to overwork the meat.
2. When the pan is hot, add the burgers. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side (until nicely charred), then flip and immediately top each with a tablespoon of chiles and a slice of Swiss. For medium-rare burgers, continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the patties are just firm. Remove the burgers and toast the buns on the hot grill or pan. Dress the bottom of the buns with the tomato and onion slices, then top each with a burger.

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How to make Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Sandwich

Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Sandwich

400 calories , 11 g fat (6 g saturated) , 640 mg sodium

Not even the relatively healthy genre of grilled chicken sandwiches is a safe bet when you seek sustenance away from home. That's because places like Outback go long on the oil and the dressing, gobbling up (in this case) half you day's saturated fat and sodium. Our sandwich is a spicy-sweet combination of teriyaki-glazed chicken, juicy grilled pineapple, and fiery jalapenos—a chicken sandwich to end all fatty chicken sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-6 oz each)
• Teriyaki sauce
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 4 pineapple slices (1/2" thick)
• 4 whole-wheat buns
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• Pickled Jalapenos

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken and enough teriyaki sauce to cover in a resealable plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
2. Heat a grill until hot (you shouldn't be able to hold your hand above the grates for more than 5 seconds). Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill; discard any remaining marinade. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side; flip and immediately add the cheese to each breast. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the chicken is lightly charred and firm to the touch. Remove and set aside.
3. While the chicken rests, add the pineapple and the buns to the grill. Cook the buns until they're lightly toasted and the pineapple until it's soft and caramelized, about 2 minutes per side. Top each bun with chicken, red onion, jalapeno slices, and pineapple. If you like, drizzle the chicken with a bit more teriyaki sauce.

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How to make Chinese Chicken Salad

Chinese Chicken Salad

380 calories , 21 g fat (3.5 saturated), 23 g carbohydrates

Chinese chicken salad is one of the world's ultimate fusion foods. It's an Eastern-inspired dish popularized by an Austrian chef (Wolfgang Puck) in Beverly Hills (at his restaurant Spago back in the 1980s). Whatever its disparate origins, it's undeniably one of the most popular—and ubiquitous—salads in America, sharing space on menus in four-star restaurants and Wendy's alike. Too bad most versions are nutritional disasters, bogged down by too much dressing and too many fried noodles. This lighter version is true to Wolfgang's original inspiration but with about a third of the calories.

Ingredients

• 1 head napa cabbage
• 1/2 head red cabbage
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken (freshly grilled or from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
• 1/3 cup Asian Vinaigrette (store-bought or use the calorie-cutting recipe in Cook This, Not That!)
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 cup canned mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Slice the cabbages in half lengthwise and remove the cores. Slice the cabbage into thin strips. Toss with the sugar in a large bowl.
2. If the chicken is cold, toss with a few tablespoons of vinaigrette and heat in a microwave at 50% power. Add to the cabbage, along with the cilantro, mandarins, almonds, and the remaining vinaigrette. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

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How to make Spicy Potato Skins

Spicy Potato Skins

310 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated), 490 mg sodium

In 1974, T.G.I. Friday's gave birth to the potato skin. That timeworn combination of potato, Cheddar, and bacon has since made its rounds across the menus of America, infiltrating nearly every pocket of this country with hypercaloric, frighteningly fatty facsimiles. We'll take this version—true to the original but with a few delicious twists—any day.

Ingredients

4 small russet potatoes Olive oil Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup 2% milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
4 scallions, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/2 Tbsp minced chipotle pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Pickled Jalapenos, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rub the potatoes with a bit of olive oil and lightly salt the skins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until tender.
Cut the potatoes in half and, when cool enough to handle, carefully scoop out the warm flesh into a bowl (leave a thin layer of potato intact around the skin to help prevent it from tearing). Add the milk, butter, cheese, and scallions and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the broiler. Carefully scoop the mashed potatoes into the hollowed-out potato halves. Top with a bit of extra cheese and place under the broiler until the tops are brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes.
Mix the chipotle with the sour cream and place a dollop on top of each cooked potato. Finish each with a bit of crumbled bacon and jalapenos

Meal Multiplier

Truth be told, while these potato skins are a vast improvement on the kind offered by Friday's and their ilk, you could make some improvements by folding any of dozens of different vegetables and healthy flavor additions into the formula outlined here. Simply replace the bacon, Cheddar, and sour cream with the following:
Steamed broccoli and Parmesan
Sundried tomatoes, chopped olives, artichoke hearts, and pesto
Caramelized onions and goat cheese

Chicken, asparagus, and roasted red peppers

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How to make Chicken Fingers with Chipotle-Honey

Chicken Fingers with Chipotle-Honey

250 calories , 1.5 g fat (0 g saturated) , 350 mg sodium

Whether shaped like nuggets, stars, crowns, or fingers, deep-fried chicken bites do a major disservice to one of the planet's best sources of protein. Let the restaurant coat it in one of their special sauces and you could be downing nearly a full day's worth of calories on a food designed for children. In fact, Chili's popular Crispers pack in more calories than a dozen Fresco Beef Tacos from Taco Bell and more sodium than 24 small bags of Lay's potato chips. Make the switch to this oven-fried version once a week and you'll shed 25 pounds (and cut out 210,080 milligrams of sodium) in a year.

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp chipotle pepper puree
• 1 Tbsp honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Place the crumbs on a plate and season those, too. Dip the chicken tenders into the egg, then toss in the crumbs, being sure to coat fully.
2. Place the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crumbs have browned and the chicken is firm.
3. Combine the mustard, chipotle, and honey in a large bowl. Toss the cooked chicken tenders in the mixture so they are all evenly coated with the spicy-sweet sauce.

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How to make Nachos with Chicken and Black Beans

Nachos with Chicken and Black Beans

330 calories, 12 g fat (6 g saturated), 500 mg sodium

We've never found a nacho worth recommending in the restaurant world. The sad truth is that the tortilla chips are rendered a helpless vessel for thousands of calories of cheese, sour cream, and oily ground beef. And besides, who wants to dig through soggy nacho detritus in search of a chip crisp enough to bring from plate to mouth? This version ensures that every chip is evenly covered with protein-packed chicken and fiber-rich beans, plus enough salsa and lime-spiked sour cream to keep your mouth watering.

Ingredients

• 6 oz tortilla chips (round chips are preferable)
• 1 can (16 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• Chopped cilantro Salsa (either fresh or your favorite bottled salsa)
• Pickled Jalapenos

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the chips in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spoon the beans evenly over the chips, then top with the cheese, chicken, and onion. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling. Remove.
2. Combine the lime juice, sour cream, and cilantro. Spoon over the nachos. Top with the salsa and jalapenos.

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