Cheesy Tomato Chicken Pasta

This recipe is one of those comfy recipes that make you feel like you could curl up by a fire and read a book.  Unfortunately it's 106 degrees outside, so I curled up in front of the fridge and sweat through my pajamas, kind of the same thing.  The good thing about this recipe is that it doesn't require any oven time and all of the ingredients are easy things you might have around your house already.

 

Cheesy Tomato Chicken Pasta

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (28 oz) can italian-style diced tomatoes

8 oz. rotini pasta

5 oz. fresh spinach, chopped

1 c. mozzarella cheese

In a large skiller cook the garlic until it becomes fragant, being careful not to burn, this should take a bout a minute.  Add the chicken and tomatoes (along with their juice) into the pan and bring to a boil.  Stir in the pasta and return to a boil.  Cook uncovered about ten minutes or until the shells have been cooked through, stirring occassionally.  Stir in the spinach and cook for about 5 minutes or until the spinach leaves are cooked.  Sprinkle the cheese on the top of the pasta and serve when melted.

-D

Baked Buffalo Chicken Strips

For some reason lately I've become kind of obsessed with Frank's Red Hot Sauce.  As in I put it on things like cheez-its, tortilla chips, and popcorn.  There's just something incredible about the flavor that I can't get enough of.  These baked buffalo chicken strips are really juicy on the inside from a great marinade and crispy and spicy on the outside, just what a hot wing should be, without the deep frying.  Just the thing to feed a hot sauce addiction.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Strips

adapted from Active Foodie

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast tenderloins

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. chili garlic sauce

2 tbl. Frank's Red Hot Sauce

1 c. buttermilk

1 tbl apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 c. panko crumbs

8 tbl. flour

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Cooking Spray

1/4 c. Frank's Red Hot Sauce

In a large bowl whisk together the salt, chili garlic sauce, Frank's Red Hot Sauce, buttermilk, and vinegar until combined.  Add the chicken and marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray a cooking rack (I used a cooling rack) with cooking spray.  (This way the chicken is up off the tray and will stay crispy on both sides, genius right?)

In a bowl combine the panko crumbs, flour, paprika, cayenne, and salt.  Dredge the chicken in the panko mixture and place on the wire rack.  Spray the chicken breasts with the cooking spray, liberally applying to all spots.  Cook for 10 minutes then turn chicken breasts over to other side, spray and continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until golden brown.  When the chicken strips are done brush them with the 1/4 c. hot sauce (I'm pretty sure we used more than a 1/4 c., apply to your own taste).  Serve with celery sticks and ranch.

-D

Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas

Lately I've been trying to avoid my oven at all costs and have been looking for recipes that don't require me to sweat in front of my stovetop... I mean stand in front of my stove.  This recipe has minimal ingredients and can be ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for a week night.  I used a prepared tortellini that wasn't frozen so it only took about 9 minutes to boil, perfect timing to get the sauce ready in a skillet. 

Tortellini with Prosciutto and Peas

Adapted from Food.com

12 oz. cheese tortellini

1/4 c. water, reserved from pasta

2 tbl butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 lb prosciutto, sliced into thin strips

1 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

1 c. frozen peas, thawed

Begin by cooking the tortellini according to the instructions on the package, while boiling prepare the sauce.  Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the garlic for approximately 1 minute.  Add the prosciutto and cook for approximately two minutes more, just to get some flavor.  Add the heavy cream and simmer until the sauce is thickened and reduced by half, between 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, drain the tortellini when fully cooked, remembering to save the 1/4 c. of water.  Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan, peas, and reserved water from pasta.  Toss the pasta in the sauce and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

-D

Creamy Italian Chicken & Orzo

This recipe is kind of feels like cheating.  Maybe something that Sandra Lee from the Food Network would crank out.  Honestly, that couldn't bother me one bit.  This recipe is very simple, perfect for a weeknight preparation, and doesn't have tons of crazy ingredients.  I had walked by the cream cheese section and wondered what in the world the new Philadelphia cooking cremes were, and apparently they are little tubs of deliciousness. 

Creamy Italian Chicken & Orzo
Adapted from Roberson Recipes


1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 c. diced tomatoes
1 tub Philadelphia Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme
2 c. hot cooked orzo pasta (It only takes a little over a cup uncooked to make 2 cups cooked)

In a skillet cook the chicken breast and the zucchini until the chicken is cooked through.  Add the cooking creme and the diced tomatoes and let heat through for about 2-3 minutes.  Serve over the cooked orzo pasta, sprinkle with some parmesan cheese to serve.

-D

Pizza Rolls

Remember those glorious days of college when you could eat those pizza rolls and cheetos and not gain a single ounce????  I miss those days....  This is a grown up version of those frozen pizza rolls. The bread is soft and fluffy and the inside is full of cheese and pepperoni, delicious.  These would be great for a party as finger foods with a side of spaghetti sauce or as a late night snack with a movie, either way make sure you try these.

Pizza Rolls
from Annie's Eats

For the dough:

1/2 c. warm water (yeast is happy at no more than 110 degrees)
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 c. water
2 tbl. olive oil
4 c. bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Put the warm water into a medium sized bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top.  Let the yeast dissolve for about five minutes, it will form a frothy layer on the top of the water.  Add the rest of the water and oil.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment mix the flour and the salt together on low speed.  Add the liquid in a slow stream into the mixer bowl until the dough forms a shaggy ball.  Switch the attachment to the dough hook and continue to mix until the dough becomes smooth, about five minutes.  Put the dough into an oiled bowl and set in a warm place for about 2 hours to rise.  When the dough has doubled in size punch it down and divide into two pieces.  I froze half of it and then the other half I used for the pizza rolls.

For the pizza rolls:
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed
Sliced Pepperoni
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9 inch pie plate.  Take the dough and break it into about 20 pieces.  For each piece put a piece of cheese and then two pieces of pepperoni.  Wrap the dough around the pepperoni and seal the seams at the bottom.  Place the roll seam side down in the pie pan and continue with the remaining pieces.  (We found that if you put the cheese in first and the pepperoni on the bottom near the seam then the cheese doesn't melt out).

Brush the tops of all the rolls with olive oil and sprinkle the Italian Seasoning and parmesan cheese over the top.  Bake them for 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Creamy Sausage Pasta

Some days I am pretty sure my husband has some sort of Italian heritage hiding behind all the German.  Half of his favorite recipes contain pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese....lots of cheese.  This recipe delivers as a family favorite, using Italian sausage links in a creamy tomato sauce. 

Creamy Sausage Pasta
from food,com

1 tbl. olive oil
1/2 lb. Italian Sausage link, casings removed
1/4 tsp cushed dried red pepper flakes
1/4 c. diced onion
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
3/4 c. whipping cream
1/4 tsp. salt
6 oz pasta
1 1/2 tbl minced parsley
grated parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage and crushed red pepper and cook until no longer pink.  Add the onion and the garlic (could this smell any better???) and cook until the onion is tender and sausage is brown.  Add the tomatoes, cream, and salt and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 4-6 minutes.  Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, drain.  Combine the pasta and the sauce, sprinkle with parsley and parmesan.  (The directions on the website say that this can be made ahead of time, just stop after the mixture is thickened and before you cook the pasta.  When you're ready to cook, boil the pasta and simmer the sauce until thick).

Enjoy!
-D

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

These days my weekday meals only have to have two attributes: quick and easy.  This is mostly because after crunching numbers all day the last thing I want to do is cook for three hours and eat dinner shortly before going to bed.  This casserole definitely fits my criteria and tastes great.  There's a layer of cornbread mixed with creamed corn on the bottom then a layer of taco meat and beans all topped with delicious cheese.  Definitely go check out the blog I got the recipe from, she has some great healthy recipes and some great couponing tips!

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

 from Roberson Recipes

1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 box cornbread mix
2/3 c. salsa
1 c. water
1 can black beans
1 c. shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix cream corn, cornbread mix and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl.  Spread the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes.  (This is to get the cornbread cooked just a little but not all the way.  The pan will go back in the oven later in the recipe)

Brown the ground beef until no longer pink, drain well.  Add 1/2 cup of water and the taco seasoning and simmer until the water is absorbed.  Add the salsa and black beans to the meat and mix well.

Spoon the meat mixture over the cornbread and then top with the cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese bubbles.

-D

Creamy Cajun Pasta

My best friend Hayley has mentioned this recipe multiple times, and I can't believe it has taken this long for me to make it. Let me go over some of the ingredients so you can get an idea what's going on here. Butter, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes, what's not to love? This pasta dish isn't for someone on a diet (I feel like we say that a lot on this blog), but it is super easy and very tasty.

Creamy Cajun Pasta

adapted from food.com

Serves: 2

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 oz. linguine, cooked
2 tsp cajun seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's)
2 tbl butter
1 thinly diced green onion
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 tbl chopped sun-dried tomatoes (I used about 4 tomatoes and broke them into small pieces)
1/4 tsp salt*
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

*If you use a seasoning like Tony Chachere's make sure it see if there is already salt in the seasoning and salt to taste.

Just a word to the wise: Hayley mentioned that it is best to first cook the chicken and sauce before you begin to cook the pasta. This way the sauce and chicken have awhile to simmer and get thick before you pour it over the pasta, otherwise the sauce will be too thin.

Place the diced chicken breast pieces into a bowl along with the cajun seasonings. Toss to coat the pieces. In a large skillet melt the butter then add the chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add the green onion, whipping cream sun-dried tomatoes, salt, dried basil, black pepper, and garlic powder. Let simmer on low heat while the pasta is cooking.

Pour the chicken with sauce and parmesan cheese over linguine, toss before serving. Enjoy!

-D