White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

picture from allrecipes.com

We had this for lunch today.

YUM!

It goes against all of my normal recipes since it takes some prep time, quite a few ingredients, dirties a couple different pots, and is SO not low in the calories.  But IT IS GOOD!

Chicken Pastina

1 cup of pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 cup chicken breast (cubed)
1/2 c diced onion
1 garlic clove
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c parmesan
1 T Butter

Preheat oven to 400
-salt water & cook pasta for five minutes & drain.
-In saute pain, add the olive oil and cook the chicken for three minutes on medium
-add the onions & garlic to the saute pan and cook for another five mintues
-add chicken mixture to the pasta along with the tomatoes, cheese, parsley, salt & pepper, and stir well.
-put in 8x8 glass dish
-mix bread crumbs, parmesan and cheese and sprinkle over the top of pasta.

Bake 30 minutes.

Baked Orzo

I love orzo pasta, and it is generally really kid friendly. This is a versatile dish where I can usually throw in whatever "extras" I have on-hand in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 and butter a 9x13 glass baking dish.

-Bring 4 cups of chicken broth to boil, add 1 pound of orzo & cook 7 minutes over medium high.
-Set aside Orzo (it should not be quite al dente because it will continue to cook in the oven)
-In a skillet saute 1 chopped onion, some mushrooms (sliced), 1 cup of Marsala wine (you can substitute chicken broth, but trust me the Marsala tastes better). After the onions are translucent and the mushrooms nicely cooked combine skillet mixture with orzo.
-Add to the orzo: 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese (fontina is also excellent), some frozen peas, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
-pour into baking dish and top with: 1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan, 1/2 cups of bead crumbs & 1 teaspoon of Thyme

Bake 25 minutes

Chicken Primavera Pasta

So we all know that I am a girl that loves food and that I love an easy great tasting meal that appears you were a slave to the kitchen when in reality, well lets just keep that our little secret!  Kraft Philadelphia has a new product called Cooking Cream and it is amazing, I mean AMAZING!  So here is my take on the recipe that we tried last night and wow!
(If you want the original recipe go and pick up an Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme at your local store as it's on the back)

1 box of Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
1/2 bag of Match Stick Carrots
1 Red Pepper sliced thinly
2 Chicken Boobs sliced/chopped (I prefer mine thinly sliced across the grain)
2 containers of Philadelphia Cooking Creme in Italian Cheese and Herb

Directions:

Pull out a pot to cook your noodles according to the package directions.  While your pasta is cooking grab your wok add a little veggie oil and cook your chicken when the chicken is done add all of your veggies at once and stir until cooked/ heated thoroughly.  By then your pasta should be cooked drain those and add them to the mixture in the wok and add the Cooking Creme.  Stir until well combined and serve!  Seriously it was that easy and super yummy!  I can't wait to try all of the other Cooking Creme's!

Chili Mac

Do you know how sometimes things just look good and you have no rhyme or reason as to why?

Well the other day I was food blog surfing and came across a recipe for chili mac.

Umm... sounds kind of hamburger helper doesn't it? I don't know, maybe it's this baby inside me, but I knew, with every fiber of my being that I HAD TO HAVE chili mac.
I don't understand.

But you know what, strange as it sounds, this was the most satisfying meal I have had all week.
I set out to follow a recipe, and 2 steps in I realized I didn't have a single one of the spices required. That never happens to me... it must have been fate I suppose because I just had to wing it. And the end result was something easy (like might even be easier than hamburger helper itself. I don't know though, I don't think I've ever made hamburger helper) and super delicious that everyone of my children LOVED. (Especially the one currently residing inside me)

So, if you're adventurous enough to try something so humble, give this a go.

Chili Mac: (image and inspiration from here)
Serves 6-8

1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 lb ground beef
I onion, minced
1/2 chili packet - roughly 2 TBS (we used McCormick I believe, it was what was in our pantry)
1/2 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs brown sugar
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 cup frozen corn

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute ground beef, onion, chili packet, and salt in oil until the hamburger is no longer pink. If necessary, drain off any excess fat. Add brown sugar and garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds) Stir in tomato sauce, water, and macaroni. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the macaroni is tender 12-20 minutes.
Stir in the cheese and corn. Remove from heat. The left over heat from the chili mac should be enough to warm the corn and melt the cheese.
Sit down and enjoy.

Ginger Lime Stir Fry

My cousin Jandee posted the link to this recipe on her blog as part of a menu post. As soon as I saw it I knew it had to go on our list. Let me tell you, I looked forward to this meal all week. It did not disappoint! Actually, I loved it so much that I called 3 different people in between bites just to tell them how delicious it was. (yes, I may be that lame.) This will be added to our "regulars" list. Which is huge because we try so many new recipes most, regardless of how delicious, never make it to the "regulars" list. But this one will.

This image is from here. Sorry, I'm just not a food photographer...

My favorite quote about this dinner came from my 4 year old son Cooper. When I sat the bowl down in front of him he said "Oh wow! Yum yummy!" Then after his first bite, "Mom, I love the spices on these noodles. And I love the broccoli. And I love the carrots. And I love the chicken. I love this because it has everything I love." and then a little later on he guestured to the bowl and said "Are we going to keep this?" I said yes, to which he responded "Oh good, because I want to eat this again and again." And there you have it.

I made a couple adjustments from the original recipe found here... my cooking process was just a little different.

This recipe serves our family of 5:

• 1 1/2 chicken breasts sliced on the diagonal as thin as possible
• 2 cups of chopped broccoli florets
• 1 cup sliced asparagus
• 1/2 cup carrots (cut in matchsticks)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Tbs oil
• 1/2 of a 16oz box of thin spaghetti
• ginger lime sauce:
  4 T. soy sauce
  2 T. brown sugar
  1 T. ginger, I used fresh
  2 large cloves garlic, minced
  1 tsp. white vinegar
  1 tsp. lime juice
  1/4 tsp. black pepper
  pinch red pepper flakes
  1 to 2 tsp. cornstarch for desired thickness
  2 T. water
  
  
  combine all ingredients in a glass bowl. cover and let sit in the fridge until ready to use. let sit overnight, if you can. will keep in fridge for 2 weeks.

Special Note: This recipe comes together rather fast, so it is best to prep all your chicken and vegetables before you begin cooking. Also, you can really use whatever veggies tickle your fancy. We found the asparagus, broccoli, and carrots combination to be absolutely PERFECT. But my family loves, loves broccoli and asparagus.

1. In a large skillet, heat your oil over medium-high heat. Also, start cooking your spaghetti. (When your pasta is done, drain it and set it aside)
2. Salt and pepper your chicken and then stir-fry in your hot oil. This won't take very long. Remove from heat as soon as the chicken is fully cooked.
3. Add your chopped vegetables to the same pan your chicken was in. Salt these for best flavor. Stir them around and saute until they change color. Your broccoli and asparagus will turn bright green. They won't be fully soft, more of a crisp tender. For us this took about 5-6 minutes.
4. While your veggies cook, put together your ginger lime sauce if you haven't already.
   
5. When your veggies are done add the pasta, chicken, and sauce to the pan. Stir well to coat and cook for just another minute or so. Then dig in... and show a little more restraint than I did.

Penne Rustica - Your Homebased Mom

It is a shame I have never posted this recipe. I make it all the time and it is my staple for when I need to take a meal to someone or am having a big "dinner party" because it makes a TON, plus, it's super DELICIOUS!
My mom found this recipe about a year ago on Your Homebased Mom (right here) and it has been a favorite ever since. Enjoy.
(Oh, one more thing, cut it in half. It still makes 2 9x13's. - it does freeze well, by the way.)

image from homebased mom as well

Ingredients:
12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor)
½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Directions:
Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream.Cook pasta according to directions. Cook bacon. Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.
Number Of Servings: Yields one 8×8 and two 9×13 casserole dishes.

Crockpot Lasagna

I love Lasagna, and I love my crockpot. I've been experimenting with different ways to prepare my favorite dishes in the crockpot and this is one that has proved a hit:

1 box lasagna noodles (the ones that want you to boil before assembling the lasanga)
1 lb of ground beef, or sausage (my favorite) or italian/spicy sausage, or turkey sausage (if you want to be weird & healthy)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I use the one I can each year, but you could use any grocery store variety)
1 regular package of fresh sliced mushrooms
1 can of black sliced olives
8 oz. of Ricotta cheese (if you are still using cottage cheese for lasagna, seriously stop. now. ricotta is so much better)
1 -2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Optional add ins: a chopped green pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning (I would recommend this if you are using ground beef or turkey sausage), a layer of pepperoni slices

Instructions:
1. Brown meat (add additional seasoning as desired)
2. Mix browned meat, sliced mushrooms, sliced olives (other desired chopped veggies --I'm excited to add Zucchini come summer!) with spaghetti sauce (reserving 2 T of sauce for bottom of crockpot)
3. Mix together ricotta cheese & mozzarella (reserving a small handful of mozzarella for the top)
4. In crock pot put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom, put down layer of noodles (you'll have to break them up a bit to fit), put a layer of meat/veggies/sauce mix, put a layer of cheese mixture, repeat, ending with just the plain mozzarella on top.
5. Cook on low for 4-5 hours

Lemon Pepper Orzo Risotto

This is a quick easy recipe that is marvelous comfort food!

2 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of Orzo pasta

Bring this to boil and simmer until there is only some excess liquid & pasta is still crunch. Turn off the heat and stir in:

Juice of one lemon
lemon zest
1 T pepper (don't be shy with this)
1/4 cup of half & half or cream
1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano (I use the good stuff, but in a pinch the green can will work too)
2 T of marscapone cheese (I often substitute sour cream or even cream cheese)
Fresh green chives chopped (optional)
2 T of butter

Put a lid on the pot and let it all melt together for a couple minutes, than stir well and serve!

Pasta Salad

This is our absolute favorite pasta salad recipe. Hope you love it.

Pasta Salad

1 ¾ cup farfalle pasta

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

½ cup chopped green onions

2 cups diced ham

1 ½ cups diced sharp Cheddar cheese

2 cups seedless green grapes, halved

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 ½ tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white sugar

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, black pepper, dill weed and salt. In a large bowl, combine pasta, grapes, ham, green onions and cheese. Toss with dressing. Cover, and chill overnight or for at least 6 hours.

Alfredo Sauce

This is another recipe I got from mmmcafe. I had almost given up on all homemade alfredo (with the exception of this, of course) until I decided to give this recipe the good old college try.
Wow. Was this yummy.

1/4 Cup butter
3/4 Cup flour
1 1/2 Cup 2% milk
1 1/2 Cups chicken broth
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Parsley Flakes
2 tsp. Oregano

Melt the butter on low heat. Add flour, milk and broth and cook until slightly thicken. Add Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup at a time. Heat until parmesan is melted, then add parsley flakes and oregano.
I like to pulse mine in my food processor. It's quicker and makes for a more velvety texture, and it's quicker...wait, did I already mention that? Maybe it's an important fact not to be forgotten...

Chili Pasta Bake (or Mexican Lasagna if you prefer)

I found this recipe on a can and adapted it to use only ingredients I keep on hand and make it my own. It was extra quick, easy & hearty & we enjoyed it, hope you do too!

Servings: 6 Hearty portions

10 oz. penne pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 T chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can tomato sauce (those little cans)
1 jar salsa (I used our homemade pint jar.......so that is about two cups worth if you are using it from a big bottle)
1 c diced green chilies, drained
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

**preheat oven to 350
1. Cook pasta & drain
2. Meanwhile brown meet, add onion
3. Once meat is cooked and excess liquid drained, add in chili powder, salsa, chilies & tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes.
4. Toss with pasta , spoon into 13 x9 pan and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
5.

Lo Mein

This has become a quick staple in our house. We just tried it last week...and we've already made it twice. And, if you're like me and can't ever seem to make the right amount of spaghetti noodles, this recipe is great for using up leftover noodles. Give it a try!

This is recipe is easy to adjust as none of the measurements are exact. I will type it up as I would make it; for a family of 4 eaters.

1 pork chop/steak/chicken breast very thinly sliced. (you pick whichever meat appeals to you, or all three.)

Meat marinade (you may skip this step if you like. If you are doing chicken...I recommend it)

2 Tbs soy sauce

1/4 cup white wine (I use chicken broth)

1/4 cup hoisin sauce (found in the Asian aisle of the grocery store)

1 clove minced garlic

Mix all together. Add meat and let marinade 30 minutes (or more)

Noodles:

Lo mein is traditionally done with some kind of Asian noodle. Well, they are expensive and hard to find here. I find spaghetti or angel hair works perfect.

Cook the desired amount of pasta for your family, following the directions on the box. Drain. (or you can use leftover, already cooked noodles.)

The following step may be omitted. It is not necessary, just adds texture/a little crunch: Heat a large skillet or wok to smoking. (start with a dry pan) Add 2 Tbs of oil and your noodles. Let fry on one side until a slight crust develops, then flip and repeat. Remove from pan.

Lo Mein Sauce:(once again, this recipe is for 4, adjust as needed)

3 Tbs soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tbs oyster sauce (the oyster sauce is VERY important. Find it in the Asian aisle of your grocery store. If you can't find it, the sauce can be made without it...it's still good. Just not the same.)

hot sauce (optional, it's best to use the Chinese one. Once again, found in the Asian food aisle)

Stir all ingredients together and set aside.

Ingredients:

Pick whichever veggies you prefer in whatever quantity you prefer. The following are our favorites

3 mushrooms, sliced

1 cup shredded cabbage (you could use a coleslaw mix, but I prefer mine shredded courser/bigger, so I do it "by hand")

1/4 cup julienned/matchstick carrots

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1 cup bamboo shoots/bean sprouts

1 cup snow peas, rough chopped (or sweet peas. We've used and liked both)

4 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion (if you aren't onion fans, you can leave this out. I don't, however, recommend leaving out the green onions)

other suggestions:

edamame

green and red peppers

water chestnuts

Instructions:

In your same skillet/wok you used for the noodles, add another 2 Tbs of oil and your meat. Cook until done. Add your chopped veggie and saute 3-4 minutes. Your veggies will be crisp tender.(Don't add your sweet peas until you add your noodles.) Add noodles and sauce. Stir until heated and serve.

I promise, although this looks like a lot, it is cake! After your first time you will be making this in your sleep.

Parmesan Fettucinne Alfredo

8 oz fettuccine, uncooked
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese
⅓ c heavy cream
3 Tbs butter melted
1 clove garlic minced
dash ground nutmeg or pepper

cook pasta according to directions, return to pan
stir in remaining ingredients.
Serve immediately
Sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Tam

Olive Garden's Alfredo Sauce

Well I finally figured out how to get that taste. Let the sauce simmer as long as you can! Please note the cream cheese is optional, we add it to aide in thickening the sauce. Olive Garden does not use cream cheese.

Ingredients:
1 pint of Heavy Cream
1 stick of butter
2 Tbsp. Cream Cheese
1/2 - 3/4 C. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. Garlic powder

Preparation: In a saucepan combine butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Simmer this until all is melted, and mixed well. Add the Parmesan cheese and Garlic powder. Simmer this for 15 - 20 minutes on low. You may wish to season with a little salt and pepper. I have done this with half and half, but we prefer the heavy cream. But I wouldn't try it with plain milk.

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Tam

Creamy Ranch Chicken

6 slices bacon
4 chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
2 T. flour
2 T. dry Ranch dressing mix
1-1/4 C milk
3 C. medium noodles
1 T shredded parmesan

Cut bacon into thin strips and cook. Drain, but save 2 T. drippings. Brown chicken in drippings. Add flour and ranch. Stir well. Stir in milk and cook until thickened and bubbly. Stir in bacon. Boil noodles. Serve chicken with noodles and sprinkle with parmesan.

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Mo

Cream Cheese Chicken (Crockpot)

This is one of my husbands favorites! We know it by a different name, but it is the same recipe. Apparently it is one of my Auntie Mo's as well because she e-mailed it to me recently and asked me to post it on the blog if I got time. My family loves this as well. It is very simple and delicious. It is also very fattening, just the way I like 'em!

1 pkg cream cheese
1 cube butter
1 pkg dry italian dressing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
4-6 chicken breasts
Rice or Pasta

In a crockpot combine butter, dressing mix, and soup. Add chicken and stir to coat. Bake on low for 4-6 hours. When chicken is done, remove it from the pot. Add cream cheese to the sauce. Add chicken back in. Serve over rice or pasta.

Chicken Marsala Pasta

CHICKEN MARSALA PASTA
3 boneless chicken breasts, cut in bite size pieces
2 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
¾ c. marsala cooking wine
1 c. whipping cream
1 can sliced olives
2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. chopped tomatoes
Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1 pkg. Linguine, cooked.
Cook chicken in olive oil till done. Cook onion, mushrooms, and garlic in a little olive oil till done. Combine with chicken. Add marsala and cook about 5 minutes. Add olives. Add whipping cream and cook down till it thickens a little. Add tomatoes and toss immediately with cooked linguine. Toss and top with parmesan.

Another Lasagna Recipe!

Ingredients:
Salt
1 package lasagna noodles
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 cans tomato soup (condensed, do NOT add water)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups cottage cheese (small curd)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Boil noodles according to package directions.

While noodles are boiling, brown beef in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, adding chopped onion, garlic and oregano to meat as it cooks. When meat has browned, drain off fat and then add tomato soup and apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven for 350 degrees F.

Spray a medium casserole dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Lay noodles lengthwise across bottom of casserole dish. Spread a layer of cottage cheese over top of noodles. Add a layer of meat mixture, then cover with mozzarella cheese and repeat for a total of 3 layers. Finish with a layer of cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Toasted Ravioli!

This is addicting!

Ingredients:
2 eggs
Splash of milk or half-and-half
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
12 large fresh spinach and cheese ravioli, about 3/4 pound (or whatever kind you like)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 roasted red peppers, drained
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Beat eggs and a splash of milk in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Combine bread crumbs with cheese and parsley in a second dish. Coat the fresh pasta in egg then bread crumbs. Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat in a skillet then toast the ravioli until deep golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

In a small sauce pot heat the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and the garlic and red pepper flakes over medium low heat. Grind the roasted peppers in the food processor and add to garlic after it sautes for a couple of minutes. Stir in tomatoes and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

When ready to serve, transfer sauce to a small bowl. Surround the sauce with toasted ravioli for dipping and serve.

Enjoy!