Lisa, LOL at the "hog slop" analogy of the KFC bowls. I always see the commercial and think that must be what dinner used to look like when I poured the scraps out.

Ugh. I was just at the gym and the tv news was reporting on the super-high calories in chain restaurant foods. One of the chains (can't remember which) manages to get 2100 calories into a broccoli and chicken pasta dish. I can't even imagine how that is possible. Does the sauce contain 2 sticks of butter per serving??? It doesn't even make sense.

Originally Posted by baffled111:
Ugh. I was just at the gym and the tv news was reporting on the super-high calories in chain restaurant foods. One of the chains (can't remember which) manages to get 2100 calories into a broccoli and chicken pasta dish. I can't even imagine how that is possible. Does the sauce contain 2 sticks of butter per serving??? It doesn't even make sense.

I wondered if anyone had gotten the recipe online anywhere. All I could find though was one for Ruby's Sonoran Chicken Pasta. You should see just what's in the Sonoran Cheese Sauce:

6 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup hot water
1 tbsp chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed
3/4 cup prepared salsa (medium hot)
1/2 cup sour cream

Originally Posted by almostheaven:
I wondered if anyone had gotten the recipe online anywhere. All I could find though was one for Ruby's Sonoran Chicken Pasta. You should see just what's in the Sonoran Cheese Sauce:

6 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup hot water
1 tbsp chicken stock
1 cup half-and-half
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Velveeta cheese, cubed
3/4 cup prepared salsa (medium hot)
1/2 cup sour cream

OMG, That much fat is almost unbelievable. I would never have guessed. You know the real trick to cooking well is to make things taste great without having to use all of that butter, cheese, and half and half. Anybody could make something taste good if fat and calories were absolutely not limited.

Originally Posted by jtammy:
OMG, That much fat is almost unbelievable. I would never have guessed. You know the real trick to cooking well is to make things taste great without having to use all of that butter, cheese, and half and half. Anybody could make something taste good if fat and calories were absolutely not limited.

Ain't that the truth! Thank god for herbs and spices!

Originally Posted by jtammy:
OMG, That much fat is almost unbelievable. I would never have guessed. You know the real trick to cooking well is to make things taste great without having to use all of that butter, cheese, and half and half. Anybody could make something taste good if fat and calories were absolutely not limited.

Not just that. I mean, I kinda allowed for butter and cheese, but sour cream? flour? sugar????? Like, is that 1/2 tsp. of sugar gonna make or break that recipe?

Originally Posted by almostheaven:
Not just that. I mean, I kinda allowed for butter and cheese, but sour cream? flour? sugar????? Like, is that 1/2 tsp. of sugar gonna make or break that recipe?

yeah but does the sugar really matter nutritionally either 8 calories out of well over 2000


966 (the official ruby tuesday calorie listing for the dist - from dietfacts)

Quite frankly I look at that recipe and i am having a hard time believing 966 for the dish including chicken and pasta

That recipe must be for more than one serving

Edit-- I ran just the highest calorie 8 ingredients and am already at 2100 calories...

Originally Posted by lilybelle:
I sure wouldn't have thought that chicken and brocolli pasta would be that much fat or calories. I've ordered that stuff before thinking it was a little healthy.

I know those new bowls at KFC with fried chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn ,and cheese sure look nasty to me. I saw the commercial the other day and mentioned I don't see how anyone could eat that. My 21 yr. old son popped up and said "OH, those things are great, I love em".

I have to admit, I do like them. And apparently they're very popular!
A good restaurant for dieting is Applebees. They have WW menu items.

I didn't want to fess up, but skinny DH loves those KFC things. And honestly, I've NEVER ONCE been tempted to eat even a bite of his (and I do usually want a bite of his junk food). LOL!

I don't get it! I love the Shrimp Portofino at Romano's Macaroni Grill. I just checked it out for nutrition, now keep in mind it has: Shrimp, spinach, pine nuts, lemon butter, mushrooms and angel hair (?) pasta in it...what's wrong with that? Well I'll tell you!! It has 1,130 calories ~ 720 from fat ~ 80 fat grams ~ 29 Saturated Fat grams ~ and I wanna know HOW?. Now I did bring some home for lunch the next day...but only because it was so good...otherwise I could've :ink: it down. It was a rather large helping...but...still.

Oh ICK, those KFC bowls look gross...I don't think I can ever eat at KFC again after watching the rat aerobics in Greenwich Village KFC-TacoBell a few nights ago.....

I'm off to search for a recipe on Veal Picatta, that I can modify.....but I just don't like wheat pasta.

marble - try barilla plus pasta - tastes just like regular pasta, but has extra protein and fiber and omega 3's

Gary...that's a whole lotta lemon buttah talking...

Originally Posted by :
but I just don't like wheat pasta.

Have you tried brown rice pasta? For me, it tastes more like the white pasta than the whole wheat does, and its still a whole grain. TJs has a brand that is made only of brown rice and water.

I MUST try this Barilla plus that ennay is talking about! You get such good ideas on 3FC!

Ya know, when I used to calorie count in my head (i.e. loosely adding in my head, making an "educated" guess but not really researching/measuring/checking labels..and of course loosing track if I was having a high day), I would always add up a clearly fattening restaurant meal fairly high, but I would always stop short at 1000, thinking (I truly remember thinking this to myself..) one meal just can't have more calories than that. Alas, how wrong we are sometimes! :)

Originally Posted by ennay:
marble - try barilla plus pasta - tastes just like regular pasta, but has extra protein and fiber and omega 3's

Gary...that's a whole lotta lemon buttah talking...

Originally Posted by mandalinn82:
Have you tried brown rice pasta? For me, it tastes more like the white pasta than the whole wheat does, and its still a whole grain. TJs has a brand that is made only of brown rice and water.

THANKS for the ideas kids! Angie and I have tried the wheat pasta thing several times...just not gettin' it!