It’s a cold and rainy day today (even though Christmas is a few days away and snow would be much more festive.)

What’s better to have for dinner than belly-warming, filling comfort food? That used to mean hidden hotdogs with mac and cheese.

*Sidenote: “Hidden Hotdogs” are clearly something no one else has ever heard of.  For those of you who did not grow up in my parent’s house, that refers to what you probably know as “pigs in a blanket”.  This is a constant correction in our house now when I refer to them as hidden hot dogs and my husband insists there is no such thing, in fact, they are called pigs in a blanket. 

But, these days cheese is not on the menu, so I’ve been forced to reevaluate comfort food options.  Hidden hotdogs are fantastic – but they generally require making at least 8 for only the 2 of us and are pretty fatty and calorie-packed.  One crescent roll has 110 calories, plus 150 for the average hot dog.  That puts the first delight at 260 calories.  And there is never a way that I can eat just one.  So already, before sides, dinner’s at 520 calories.

My second favorite comfort food is chicken packets. These gooey, warm treats are another “family recipe” (translation – from a cookbook we bought and used a lot) that consist of boiled chicken cut into square, mixed with cream cheese and chives, then wrapped in two crescent rolls, dipped in butter, rolled in bread crumbs and then baked.  Hello again, calories, but at least one is more than enough for that dinner.  Due to the size of our kitchen (we have 20 square inches of counterspace, total) I can’t personally make those, so they’re a 1-2x a year treat when my mom makes them.

So, that leads me to today’s answer to cold, dreary day.  Gooey, warm and unhealthy enough to fit the “comfort food” category, but not a diet-buster.  Voila’s Chicken & Vegetables in a Pot Pie Gravy skillet meal.

It’s meant to taste like a chicken pot pie and it hits the spot.  To prepare, we place the frozen meal in the skillet, add some water, and let it heat stirring occasionally.  It takes about 15 minutes total to prepare, so it’s perfect for nights we would be tempted to turn to eating out.  It’s so easy, even my husband can make it, and it always tastes fantastic.  At 2.5 servings per bag, and 290 calories per serving, we both enjoy a full dinner for under 375 calories.  It’s packed with vegetables and chicken, so it’s protein-filled. There are even biscuit crumbs to add at the end to make it really thick and yummy.

While frozen meals are never as healthy as making them from scratch, we’ve found this particular meal is exactly what we need a lot of nights after long days or long workouts.

Delicious, warm, filling all from a fast, easy-t0-make, affordable meal.