Creamy Southwest Chicken Alfredo

This one has become a family favorite!

Creamy Southwest Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

·         3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

·         1 Tbsp taco seasoning

·         1 Tbsp olive oil

·         1 Tbsp butter

·         1 cup heavy cream

·         ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese

·         1 can mild Rotel (reserve 2 Tbsp for garnish)

·         8 oz Penne Pasta cooked

·         2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (garnish)

Directions:

Pat chicken dry with paper towel.  Sprinkle with the taco seasoning on all sides.  Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat.  Add the seasoned chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add butter to the pan chicken was cooked in.  Melt over medium heat.  Slowly add cream, whisking continually for about 2 min to incorporate all the seasoning and browned bits left behind from cooking  chicken. Add cheese and Rotel and continue to stir until thickened and cheese is melted.  

Stir in cooked pasta.  Remove from heat and top with chicken sliced into strips.  Top with cilantro and reserved Rotel.

Spicy Italian Meatball soup

I love soup, every kind of soup.  However my husband doesn't like soup.  He says they aren't filling enough. I have been wanting to find one he would be willing to tolerate so I made this one because it sounded and looked delicious and then crossed my fingers.  He ended up loving it!  It was so delicious!!!!



Ingredients Meatballs:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 c dehydrated onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions Meatballs:
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Shape into 1in meatballs.  Place on prepared baking sheet.
Broil for 7-10 min or until the meatballs become brown and fragrant.  (they will finish cooking in soup)

Ingredients Soup:
Prepared Italian meatballs
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
5 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1 cup water
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 carrots, pealed and diced
2 cups small pasta (macaroni, diti, rotini, penne)
2 cups spinach

Directions Soup:
While meatballs are cooking, heat oil in large pot.  Saute onions and garlic until translucent.  Add broth, water, tomatoes and Italian seasoning.  Heat to boiling.  Gently add the meatballs, carrots, pasta and spinach.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through, carrots are tender and pasta is soft. 

Top with freshly shredded Parmesan cheese!  YUMMY

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Ingredients:

12 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 medium onion chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
3 oz cream cheese at room temp
1/4 cup taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded four cheese blend

1/2 cup crushed corn chips
4 medium green onions
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 350*  Spray 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook pasta as directed on package.  While pasta is cooking, cook ground beef and onion in skillet until beef is browned.  Drain.

Stir in chili powder, cream cheese and taco seasoning into beef.  Heat over medium low heat 2-3 min until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.   Remove from heat.

 Drain pasta shells.  Fill shells with beef mixture, using about 2 Tbsp for each shell.  Place filled shells in prepared pan.  Pour salsa over shells.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 min.  Remove pan from oven.  Sprinkle shells with cheese and corn chips.  Bake uncovered about 10 min longer or until cheese is melted.

Top with green onions and sour cream if desired.

Slowcooker Spaghetti Sauce

It's that time of year again when I get completely smothered in TOMATOES!!  I am the only one in my house that even likes them, which is just sad really.  They are sooo good! 

A couple of years ago, I decided to try to can spaghetti sauce with all my extra tomatoes.  (My first ever experience with canning.)  It worked out so good that I now plant extra tomatoes and onions just so I can do lots of sauce! My family really loves this recipe - but sometimes we mix it with a can of store-bought sauce, too.   

I love the fact that I made it myself (yay me!), it's great for storage - and it smells so good while it's cooking.

Ingredients:
2 TBS canola oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 green pepper, diced

4 cups chopped tomatoes (I blend mine so they aren't so chunky)
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 TBS parsley
1 TBS sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
Add oil to bottom of slowcooker or large saucepan.  Add onion, garlic and green pepper.  Saute until onion is transparent.

Add chopped tomatoes, paste and spices, stir until combined.

Cook on low about 4 hrs.

Serve, or pour into jars to can.  (You can also freeze this recipe, just make sure to leave room at the top of the jar for expansion.)


Serves: 8

note:  I usually double the recipe, and have 2 slowcookers going at once.  Usually I get about 3 quart-size jars full from a double batch.

Baked Ziti

This is one of my family's staple pasta dishes.  Everyone loves it (there's no meat), and it's really fast and easy to make.  So when I made this for dinner the other night, I started wondering if I had this recipe on the blog.  Nope.  Well, here it is now!  Yay! :)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. dried Ziti (I think I actually used Penne)
15 oz. tub of Ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 large can spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 350F.

Cook pasta according to directions on package.  Place in large bowl. 

Mix in Ricotta cheese & half the Mozarella.  Stir until combined.

Grease 9x13 inch casserole dish.

Pour half the spaghetti sauce in bottom of pan.  Add pasta mixture and cover with remaining spaghetti sauce.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining Mozzarella.

Bake 20-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble on the edges.


Enjoy!

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

I have been wanting to make this recipe for awhile now, but the weather was too nice for soup.  Then yesterday it was cold and windy, so I thought I'd better hurry up and make it before I lose my chance!

This soup is really hearty, and spicy.  I put waaay too much pasta in it, but everyone liked it anyway, so it worked out. :)

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 - 1 onion, diced
1/2 - 1 cup celery, diced
1/2 - 1 cup matchstick carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney or white beans, drained
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup small pasta (I put at least 2 cups in!)
1-2 cups baby spinach, chopped (optional)
freshly grated parmesan cheese, garnish (optional)

Directions:
Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion, celery and carrots.  Saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent. 

Add sausage and cook until browned and crumbled.  Add garlic and chicken broth.  Pour tomatoes and their juices into the pot.  Drain the beans and add to soup along with the seasonings. 

Simmer partially covered for 1-2 hrs.  When almost ready to serve, bring soup to boil and add in the pasta.  Cook until noodles are soft.  Add more seasonings if necessary.  Add spinach if you want. (I didn't, and it was still excellent!)

Serve with parmesan cheese.

Broccoli Chicken Pasta

This was a really easy, and fairly healthy meal.  If you make it with whole wheat pasta it would be perfect! :)  We all really liked it.  I didn't want to cook the chicken, so we just got some rotisserie chicken already cooked and chopped it up.  Yay!  You could also use left over chicken - I usually cook a whole bunch of chicken breasts at one time, shred them and freeze or refrigerate for later.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 box (16 oz) Farfalle pasta, or any other pasta
4 cups broccoli florets
4 TBS olive oil
2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Salad Supreme, to taste (this adds flavor, otherwise it is pretty bland)

Directions:
Cook and chop chicken, set aside.  Cook pasta until almost done.  Drop broccoli into the water with the pasta and cook until broccoli is crisp tender.  (It only takes a couple minutes if you use fresh broccoli.)  Drain pasta and broccoli.

Toss all ingredients together, add salt and pepper and Salad Supreme, to taste.

Super fast and easy dinner!

Sausage, Tomato and Arugula Fettuccini

I tried this one last night.  It was so easy (it took 20 min) and turned out super yummy!

Ingredients:

1 (9 oz) pkg fettuccine
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 oz Italian sausage
2 tsp minced garlic
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups baby arugula leaves
2 oz Romano cheese, shaved

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package.  Drain and reserve 2/3 cup cooking liquid.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in large skillet.  Add sausage, cook until browned.  Add garlic, cook 30 seconds.  Stirring constantly.  Add tomatoes and pepper, cover and cook 2 minutes.  Mash tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up.  Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and cook 3 minutes.  Remove pan from heat.  Add pasta, reserved 2/3 cup cooking liquid and arugula, toss well.  Sprinkle with Romano cheese.



Creamy Chicken and Bacon Carbonara

This is my new favorite pasta recipe!! Usually I don't like the cream sauces, but this had such amazing flavor! The bacon is delicious and the red pepper flakes add a little spice. My family told me it could easily be ordered at any Italian restaurant. Soooo good!

It takes a little work unless you have already cooked bacon (like I happened to have) and some rotisserie chicken. Or you could just make some ahead of time and then just throw this recipe together - it's worth it, trust me.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/2 cup cream

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

fresh or dried parsley

1/2 lb bacon (I think we did like 1 cup chopped)

2 cups shredded or diced chicken

1 small onion

1 lb. pasta

sliced mushrooms (optional)

Directions:

Cook and shred chicken, fry and crumble bacon. Set aside.

Beat eggs, cream, parmesan, parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes with a fork together in a bowl.

Saute onion and mushrooms if you use them, until the onions are translucent and golden.

Cook and drain pasta & while still warm, add onions.

Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Don't have heat too high or you'll get scrambled eggs. :)

You can add a little more cream or water if the sauce is too thick.

Add in chicken and bacon and toss together.

CREAMY PASTA SALAD

I tried a new pasta salad recipe for Memorial Day, and was nervous that it wouldn't be good. It was delicious & everyone said they liked it better than the way we used to make it. Yay! This is the way I'm going to make it from now on. (Sorry for the bad pic - I forgot to take a picture of it and this is the leftovers 2 days later. hahaha)

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta, cooked
1-2 heads broccoli, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped (I didn't have any, so I skipped it)
1 can sliced olives
1 c shredded cheese (I used 1/2 c mozzarella, 1/2 c shredded parmesan - way good!)

Dressing:

2 envelopes dry Italian dressing mix
6 TBS apple cider vinegar
4 1/2 TBS water
1/2 c olive oil

1/2 c ranch dressing (This is the best part that brings it all together)

Directions:

Combine cooked pasta and vegetables in large bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over pasta & vegetables. Add ranch dressing and cheese. Fold together.

Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

CAJUN CHICKEN AND PASTA

I made this last night because I needed something I could make quick and didn't have time to marinate anything. It was delicious! The little kids just ate the pasta plain, but the rest of us ate it with the chicken. Either way - quick, easy and lots of flavor. :)

Boneless/skinless chicken breasts (I used 4)
Cajun seasoning
16 oz pasta (any kind)
1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil (3 TBS fresh)
1 tsp sugar
2/3 c cream
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle Cajun seasoning over chicken breasts and throw on the grill. You can rub it in, but sprinkling was fine, too.

Cook pasta, drain and keep warm.

Pour tomatoes into a small sauce pan and add basil and sugar. (If you are using fresh basil, stir in at the end.) I also blended my tomatoes up a little because we don't like big chunks. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.
Reduce heat and stir in cream. Heat through but DO NOT BOIL!

Toss with pasta and Parmesan cheese.

Serve with chicken and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

(My chicken was frozen when I started - I just put in a plastic bag in cold water for a couple minutes. Just enough so the seasoning would stick. I cooked my pasta and tomatoes at the same time while the chicken was on the grill, and I had dinner ready about 1/2 hour. Seriously.)

BAKED PENNE WITH CHICKEN, BROCCOLI & SMOKED MOZZARELLA

This was sooooo yummy! I was a little worried when I was making it at first. I didn't know how the flavors would all blend and come together. Everyone loved it - it tastes like something you would order at a restaraunt. I personally think the bread crumbs absolutely MAKE it!

Ingredients:
Topping:
3/4 c bread crumbs
2 TBS butter, melted

Filling:
1 bunch of broccoli florets(about 1 1/2 lbs), trimmed into 1-inch pieces (I just used a bag of frozen)
12 oz penne pasta
2 TBS olive oil
1 med onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tsp dried thyme (I didn't have any, so I left this out)
1/4 c flour
2 c chicken broth
1 c heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 oz smoked mozzarella, shredded (I just used plain - couldn't find smoked ANYWHERE)
8 oz jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped into pieces

Instructions:
In a small bowl combine bread crumbs and butter - set aside.

Preheat oven to 400*

In lg pot, bring water to boil. Stir in salt and broccoli. Cook broccoli for about 1 minute, until it is bright green. Quickly remove with slotted spoon to a plate. Return water to a boil and add pasta. Cook until a little less than how you would eat it normally.

Drain pasta and toss with 1 TBS oil. Leave in collander and set aside.

Wipe pot dry. Add remaining 1 TBS oil and return to medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and beginning to brown - about 5 min. Stir in garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and cream; bring to a simmer whisking often. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through - about 6-7 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella.

Add the cooked pasta and broccoli to the sauce; stir to combine.

Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake until casserole s bubbling and crumbs are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Serve immediately.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN CACCIATORE

This recipe is a staple in our house, pretty much anytime we want pasta. It's super easy & usually the only thing I need to buy is mushrooms.

6 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
1 (28 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
Green pepper, diced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 tsp minced garlic

(I pretty much just throw in enough peppers, mushrooms, & onions until it looks good - I don't even measure them)

Put chicken in crock pot (I put mine in frozen) Top with spaghetti sauce, vegetables & garlic.

Cover, cook on low until chicken is done. (I shred mine up, or you can leave them whole)
Serve with pasta.

$2 CHINESE NOODLES

These were soooo good & you could literally have anything with them! A super great use for those Ramen noodles if you ask me. :)

Ingredients:
3 packs Ramen, chicken flavor
3 packs Ramen, beef flavor
2 TBS sesame oil
2 TBS olive oil
1 pkg frozen stir-fry veggies or chow mein medley
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, freshly grated (I didn't use this & it still tasted good)

Remove flavor packs from Ramen. Fill very large pot with water & bring to boil. Add noodles & cook until just softened. Drain.
Return pot to hot stove, add oils, garlic & ginger. Allow to cook for about 1 minute.
Add veggies & flavor packets.
Once veggies have fully thawed, add noodles back in & stir carefully until well coated.
Serve immediately.

Quick Fetteccine Cacciatore

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. fettuccine, uncooked

2 tsp. oil

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 cup each green pepper strips and sliced fresh mushrooms

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella-Parmesan Cheese Blend

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add peppers and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and dressing; simmer on medium-low heat 5 min. or until chicken is done.

Drain pasta. Toss with chicken mixture; top with cheese and basil.

Garden Fresh Farfalle Pasta & Chicken

This was so fast & easy. And a perfect meal to start off spring, it was light and fresh tasting! So yummy. My husband loved it and wanted me to add it to our regulars!

Ingredients:
3 cups Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) uncooked
1 cup baby carrots, diagonally sliced
1 cup frozen peas
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, but into thin strips
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade
1 Can (14 oz) chicken broth
1/4 cup finely shredded five cheese blend

Directions:
Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding carrots and peas to boiling water the last 3 min.

Meanwhile, cook and stir chicken in large nonstick skillet 3 to 4 min. or until no longer pink. Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm. Add onions and dressing to skillet; cook 5 min. or until onions are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Return chicken to skillet. Stir in broth. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta mixture. Add to skillet with basil; stir. Serve topped with cheese.

FIESTA RAVIOLI

Another hit at my house - YUM!
This was actually quite spicy, so if you don't like really spicy food, just use a mild salsa or enchilada sauce.

Ingredients:
1 pkg frozen beef ravioli (25 oz)
1 can enchilada sauce
1 jar salsa
2 c. shredded monterey/colby jack cheese
black olives

Cook ravioli according to directions on pkg. Meanwhile, in large skillet combine enchilada sauce & salsa.
Cook & stir over med heat until heated. Drain ravioli - add to sauce. Stir to coat.
Top with cheese & olives.
Cover & cook over low heat 3-4 min. or until cheese is melted.

PIZZA PASTA CASSEROLE

This is really quite good - I thought the pepperoni would be gross, but it's delicious! The best thing is, it makes 2 pans and you can freeze one for another night. :)

Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground beef
1 lg onion, chopped
2 jars(28 oz each) spaghetti sauce
1 pkg(16 oz) spiral pasta, cooked & drained
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz sliced pepperoni

Cook pasta & drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet,
cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta.

Transfer to 2 greased 9x13 baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese. Arrange pepperoni over top.
Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months.

Bake the second casserole, uncovered at 350* for 25-30 min or until heated through.

For frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350* 35-40 min.

Note:
Next time I will put more pepperoni throughout the casserole instead of just on top, because I wanted more in it. Also, I added more cheese on top after the pepperoni. (like pizza)

FIESTA CHICKEN PASTA SALAD

Okay, I know it's winter, but this salad was soooo good I had to post it. This dressing is super amazing,too!! :)
It's like a Mexican pasta salad and I am for sure bringing this to my sister-in-law's Cinco de Mayo party! YUMMO!

1 pkg of Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip mix
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. white vinegar

1 lb. cooked shredded/chopped chicken
1 box of garden rotini
1 can of black beans, drained/rinsed
1 can black olives, sliced
2-3 chopped roma tomatoes
frozen corn

Mix dressing mix, oil & vinegar in small bowl & set aside.
Combine chicken, pasta, beans, olives & tomatoes in lg. bowl.
Add dressing & corn about 20 min. before serving.

Note: I did not add all the ingredients it called for, I just added them to the pasta until it looked good. The corn thaws really fast, too.

Cheesy Chicken & Salsa Skillet

Sooo good! My kids loved it! Only takes as long as it takes to cook pasta!

Ingredients:

2 cups penne pasta, uncooked
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, but into bite size pieces
1 1/4 cups thick & chunky salsa
1 cup frozen corn, thawed (I used canned corn drained)
1 large green pepper cut into short thin strips
1 cup finely shredded 4 cheese mix

Directions:

Cook pasta

Heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 2 min. Stir in salsa, corn and peppers. Bring to boil. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Top with cheese. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 1 min or until cheese is melted.

serves 4