*Photos to come soon!*
That Viral TikTok Chicken Cobbler, but Actually Healthy.
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Yeah, you heard that right. You're on a photographer's blog and you're reading about chicken cobbler. It's my favorite dish and one I make often as a weight loss meal. I love cooking and being from the south means I love to eat foods that bring me comfort. But I've lost 60 pounds this year, with a goal of losing 150 pounds in total, and I had to find a way to eat and still make things I like.
January 1st, 2024 I started seeing a doctor for weight loss and was assigned a dietitian. I learned a lot about volume eating and how to cut calories in places I never would've even considered. I also learned a lot about vegetables and fruits, where to sneak them in and how much we should be eating a day. So, I started taking meals I loved and finding ways to make them as low calorie as I could. One of those things was the viral TikTok Chicken Cobbler. It was my favorite things to eat pre weight loss year, and so it wasn't leaving my rotation, but it couldn't stay the same 1000 calorie per serving dish that I loved. So, I created a 300 ish calorie version. There's basically no added fat, and tbh it still tastes exactly the same.
Low Calorie Chicken Cobbler
- 3 chicken breasts, boiled in water on the stove with salt and pepper. (Boiling makes for the perfect shreddable chicken)
- 12 ounce bag of frozen peas and carrots
- 1/2 c of frozen corn (I just like corn, but you can omit this if it doesn't fit into your macro goals)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Crushed garlic, or garlic powder (optional)
- 1 box Red Lobster Cheddar Bay biscuit mix
- 2 cups Nonfat Fairlife milk (Protein Boost!)
- 2 cups fat free chicken stock (I use a bone broth concentrate)
- 10.5 ounce can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup (98% fat free cream of mushroom is fine, too)
Optional: Add frozen chopped spinach for some greens.
Step 1: Turn on the Heat!
Heat oven to 350°F and lightly oil your 9x12 baking dish with spray oil. I use avocado because it has a high heat tolerance, meaning it won't burn as easily.
Step 2: Layer the Chicken and Vegetables
Pour your veggies into your 9x12 glass baking dish. Add your chopped, or shredded chicken breast to the veggies and kind of stir it up. Season with salt and pepper, garlic if desired, and any other spices or herbs, like sage!
Step 3: Pour the Liquids
Mix together the milk and biscuit mix along with the seasoning packet that comes with Red Lobster Cheddar Bay mix in a bowl. Pour that milk-biscuit mix over the chicken and vegetables as a layer—do not mix together. Next, whisk together the chicken stock and cream of whatever soup you chose, then pour over the top as another layer. Do not mix that either.*
Personally, I like to do the cream of soup/chicken stock first and pour the biscuit mix over that. Then I lightly mix it just kind of stirring the biscuit mix the SLIGHTEST amount into the sauce. Try it both ways to see what you prefer.
*Add reduced fat shredded cheese in-between the layers for added flavor.
Step 4: Bake it, Rest it and Serve
Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes. It is going to look runny, but let it sit for at least 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken to a gravy consistency. Serve with cracked black pepper.
Servings: 6
Calories:
Nutrition
I always find it a little funny when people say, “Well, you still need to eat healthy!” after I mention that I shifted from focusing on "healthy meals" to eating for weight loss. The truth is, a lot of so-called healthy recipes out there are actually very calorie-dense. For years, I followed healthy eating habits, but they didn’t help me lose weight. In fact, they caused me to gain.
"Whole foods" are wonderful for nutrition, but they aren’t always lower calorie. Take nuts, for example — super nutritious, but extremely high in calories. That’s why I’ve started to be much more mindful about where my calories are coming from and how they align with my goals.
This recipe strikes a nice balance — it’s wholesome and can still fit into a weight loss plan. I always recommend running your own calorie analysis based on the exact ingredients you use (since labels and brands can vary quite a bit). I used the recipe calculator at Verywell.com and made a few adjustments:
- I couldn’t find precise info for the cheddar bay biscuit mix without the oil, so I used “dry biscuit mix” as a placeholder.
- I also wasn’t able to swap for Fairlife milk in this calculation, which would have added extra protein — so keep that in mind when calculating yours.
In the past, I’ve used Kodiak Pancake Mix, which is also a good option, though it tends to be a bit higher in calories.
At the end of the day, where your calories come from matters. This recipe leans more on carbs and protein, with less coming from fat. From what I understand, fat calories take more energy for the body to process and often get stored for later — which is something I like to be mindful of.
If you want to lower the carbs, half the biscuit mix.
Enjoy!
I'm not a chef, or a dietitian. I've just been cooking for myself and my family since I was 10 and my family is full of amazing cooks. I had to share this amazing recipe regardless. Have fun creating your own versions of this, and happy cooking!