Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Here are 3 words that if they are used to describe any recipe, I'm pretty much willing to eat it: 1. Creamy 2. Pasta 3. Chicken

All three of those words describe this recipe that I made tonight and it was AWESOME! (Imagine me singing the word "awesome" in a semi-opera style voice cause that's what was going on in my head as I typed it.) :)

Here's the recipe and just a bit of info: It calls for grilling the chicken and since I didn't have the time (nor the desire) to grill outside, I used my Foreman Grill and it worked great.

Creamy Grilled Chicken Picata

Chicken Marinade
Juice of 1 lemon (3Tbsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil or oregano
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pasta and Sauce
1 lb. box Penne Pasta (I used about 3/4ths of the box)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup half and half
1-2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbps capers (optional-I left these out)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients and mix well. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and pour marinade over chicken. Marinate at least 2 hours minimum and up to 24 hours max in the refrigerator. When ready, grill until done. Allow chicken to rest for a few minutes and then slice into strips to serve over pasta.

While chicken is grilling, cook pasta according to directions (10-12 minutes). Reserve 1/2-1 cup of pasta water and drain. In skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Whisk in garlic and lemon juice. Pour in half and half and whisk until hot. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Add the parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted. Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Toss in pasta. (Add more pasta water if noodles soak up too much of the sauce.)

Slice chicken and stir into sauce. Sprinkle with more parmesan if desired.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

My friend, Sarah (who you can find right HERE) posted this recipe last week and I just knew I had to make it! This morning I made up my menu for the week and put this down for tonight's meal. It was wonderful! Maddie even told me that it was better than Olive Garden, which made me feel pretty good. I left out the sun-dried tomatoes only because I looked all over the store and couldn't find them. A couple tips - I brought my sauce up to a very low boil, then turned it to a simmer and then added my noodles. The sauce will thicken once you add your noodles. DON'T rinse the linguine after they are cooked. The starches from the pasta will thicken your sauce. Another tip is to save your pasta water so that if it the noodles start to absorb too much of your sauce, you can add a ladle of pasta water and it will make it nice and creamy again. Enjoy! Thanks, Sarah, for posting the recipe - it's a winner! Oh and be on the lookout next month - Sarah has graciously offered to do a giveaway of some adorable fall/winter themed kitchen towels! I've already seen a preview of what she's making and they are adorable! So stay tuned!!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small strips)
8 ounces linguini (cooked all dente)
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons butter
1 green onion (thinly sliced)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Cut chicken into small strips, place in a bowl and toss in Cajun seasoning.

Melt butter in skillet and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink and juices run clear. Approx. 7-8 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, green onions, tomatoes, and seasonings. Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.

Toss with cooked noodles and stir to combine.

Sprinkle in parmesan cheese and serve! (I used this kind - not the kind in the green can.)

It was so quick, easy and thumbs up all around!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

(Hey Deb - I finally made this!)

My sister emailed me this recipe over a month ago and I never got around to making it until last week. It was really simple (like ready in 20 minutes, simple) and very flavorful. The recipe calls for frozen cheese Tortellini, but she and I both used the frozen beef Ravioli and it was so good. You could use any of the frozen filled pastas that you prefer - the sauce is what makes is so flavorful. My husband just happens to think that if there's not meat somewhere in the meal, that it doesn't count as a meal. :) So, we went with the beef ravs. Serve it with your favorite pasta sides!

Thanks, Deb, for a great recipe and one that I can whip up quickly on a busy night!

Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce

1 pkg. (16 oz.) cheese tortellini-fresh or frozen
1 small onion, chopped
2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, Undrained
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 Cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini (or pasta of your choice) according to pkg. directions. In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and saute 1 min. longer. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and saute over medium heat until liquid is absorbed-about 4-5 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. Drain pasta; toss with sauce and sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Here's a picture of my meal once it was done and all mixed together!

Stuffed Shells

This afternoon I was asking the girls what they wanted for dinner and I mentioned tacos. They both kind of whined and said they just weren't in the mood, so then I threw out spaghetti (can you tell I was looking for something quick and easy??). No, not in the mood for that either. And then these came to my mind and I realized that I hadn't made them in a long, long time and they sounded great! And better than that, they are easy - which is just what I was looking for this evening. I couldn't find the jumbo shells at the store, so I used Manicotti noodles and it worked perfectly. All you need is a large noodle that you can stuff with this mixture and you are set! Once again, I have pictures to go along with the recipe - and once again they aren't professional, but you'll get the idea of how it should look and that's all that matters, right?! So, here you go - Stuffed Shells. Enjoy.

14-16 Jumbo Shells (Boiled and Drained) (I used 9 manicotti noodles)
1 Container Small Curd Cottage Cheese (You could also use Ricotta Cheese)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Italian Cheese Blend
1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Dried Parsley Flakes
Spaghetti Sauce (any flavor)
Mozzarella Cheese or Shredded Italian Cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix together cottage cheese, Parmesan, and Italian cheese blend with Italian seasoning and parsley flakes. Stir until combined. Spoon mixture into cooked jumbo shells or manicotti shells. Pour enough spaghetti sauce in 9x13 pan to cover the bottom. Layer filled shells on top of sauce. Pour additional spaghetti sauce on top and top with shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheeses are hot and bubbly. Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Shells stuffed and layered in pan


Sauce and cheese on top and ready for the oven! YUM!


Ready to eat!!

Easy Pasta Salad

I tried this recently at a girl's night and just had to have the recipe. I really love pasta salads. They are great as a side dish for nights you are grilling, as a take-along dish for potlucks, girl's nights, or just great all alone as a light lunch. This one is really simple but such a great combination of flavors. Thank you, Katie, for sharing this one with me!

Pasta Salad

1 lb. Box Spiral Pasta - Cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
1 Bottle Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Small Can Sliced Black Olives (I left these out as we don't care for olives)
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced in half
1 Package Monterey Jack Cheese Cubes
1 Package Mini Turkey Pepperonis

Once noodles are done and rinsed, pour all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Toss with dressing and chill until ready to serve. You could add a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan Cheese and mix that in as well! Enjoy!

Homemade Meatballs

I am a sucker for spaghetti and meatballs - I just love it! This is my mom's recipe and they are WAY better than those frozen meatballs you can buy at the grocery store and they take no time to mix up. I have also made these, then put them in some marinara sauce and let them simmer for an hour or so and they make some super good meatball subs! Top them with provolone cheese and/or parmesan and they are a great meal! Very versatile! :) Enjoy!

Meatballs

1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1 Cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Egg, Beaten
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and shape into balls. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until no longer pink. Add them to your sauce and let simmer until ready to serve.

Mom's Lasagna

Olive Garden has nothing on my momma! If you want a great lasagna recipe - give this one a try!

Lasagna

9 Lasagna Noodles
1 - 16 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
1 Small Can Tomato Paste
Small Jar Spaghetti Sauce (Prego is my fave!)
2 lbs. Hamburger
Large Onion - Chopped Finely
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Bay Leaf
1-2 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 Small Container Cottage Cheese (I use lowfat/small curd)
2-4 Cups Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Sauce:
Brown hamburger and onion and drain off fat. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, garlic, bay leaf, sugar and salt and pepper to pot. Stir well and let simmer for an hour. Remove and discard bay leaf once simmering time is over.

To make lasagna:
Cook lasagna noodles and set aside. Spray 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and layer in the following order 3 times:
Sauce / Noodles / Cottage Cheese / Parmesan Cheese / Mozzarella Cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Oh Pioneer Woman, How I love thee!

Had I known about the Pioneer Woman's website a long time ago, my dinner making life would have been much easier. I have been feverishly searching her site since last weekend looking at as many recipes as I possibly can and have several that I'm going to try out. My sister tried this one in particular the other night and emailed me to tell me that it was a must make. Let's just say that she didn't lead me astray. This pasta tasted like it came from an Italian restaurant, not my little kitchen. You have to try it. I whipped it together in 30 minutes and although I did alter the recipe a little from the original (I used chicken instead of shrimp and chicken broth instead of wine), it was still great! If you want to try it in its original form, check out her website and search "Pasta a la Betsy". But, if you are looking for quick, easy, and kid friendly - go buy yourself a rotisserie chicken from Walmart or your grocery store (most found in the deli section), remove the skin from the white meat, cut in chunks and you are good to go! Hope you like it as much as we did. Thank you Pioneer Woman!

Pioneer Woman's Pasta a la Betsy (with a couple alterations)

2 Tbsp. Butter (not margarine)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
8 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Fresh Basil and Parsley (about 1 Tbsp. each, chopped)
Rotisserie Chicken - Skin and bones removed (I used white meat only and chopped into bite size pieces)
1 lb. Penne Pasta, Cooked to al dente

In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil. Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes or until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth and cook on medium for about 3-5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce well and then add whipping cream. Stir until well combined and turn to a simmer. While simmering, chop chicken and fresh herbs. Add chicken to sauce mixture and stir in basil and parsley. Drain penne well and stir into sauce. (I used a little less than a full lb. of the pasta so that it didn't drink up all my sauce as she recommends). Serve with a salad and garlic bread and enjoy!!

(Again, I altered this for our family. If you would prefer it with shrimp, please go to her website and search this recipe to make it as she recommends. I didn't have access to fresh shrimp and it wasn't as kid friendly as the chicken.)

Baked Spaghetti

This is a recipe that my mom has been making for a long time. When Mike was in college and would come home on the weekends to visit, my mom would make a 9x13 and send it home with him to eat on that next week. It makes a lot and goes far, so it's a great meal to make for company or if you have a busy week and need leftovers for another night. It's great reheated and is super simple to put together.

Baked Spaghetti

Preheat oven to 350

1/2 lb. Spaghetti Noodles

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan (the green can)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Jar Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 Small Onion, chopped fine

2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Cook spaghetti noodles. While those are cooking, brown hamburger and onion in a small amount of olive oil. Drain. In a bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Grease 9x13 pan with butter and layer in the following order:

Cooked noodles

Milk Mixture

Hambuger

Spaghetti Sauce

Mozzarella Cheese

Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice and serve. I always serve it with a side salad and garlic bread. Green beans also go well with it too if you want to add in another veggie for the kiddos!

Just For Fun

Like my banner states, I realize that I'm no Martha (Stewart, that is). I, like most stay at home moms, get stuck in this terrible rut of what I'm going to put on my menu and make for dinner each week. I thumb though countless recipe books, search the internet, talk to my mom, sister and friends trying to come up with something that is good, fairly quick to make and that my whole family will like. That can seem impossible at times. It dawned on me the other day that this whole blogging thing might be a great way to share some of my favorites with you and hopefully in turn, will receive some of your family favorites as well.

So, today, I am making my first ever post with a recipe I made tonight that I have made several times in the past few months and it's great every time! I found it online (thank you Giada), but I altered the recipe to work with my needs. (I am NOT making homemade marinara when I can grab a perfectly good jar at the store and save tons of time). So, here you go - simple, easy, yummy and healthy Chicken Parmesan. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Chicken Parmesan

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

3-4 Chicken Breasts (pounded out if they are super thick)

1 Jar Bertolli Tomato and Basil Marinara

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Each - Dried Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbsp. Butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine olive oil and dried herbs. Stir. Brush both sides of chicken with olive oil mixture. Using a large, oven proof skillet, add the chicken and cook over medium-high to high heat for about 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Pour marinara sauce over chicken and top each breast with cheeses and salt and pepper as desired. Put small pats of butter around skillet and on top of chicken. Put skillet in oven for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

While that is cooking, I boil some angel hair pasta and serve the chicken over the pasta. Add a salad and garlic bread and CHOW!

Because this isn't the traditional chicken parm (no breading), it's much lighter and healthier and it also cuts your preparation time down by a mile.

More to come! : )