Easy Chicken Alfredo

Anyone who knows me, will know that fettuccine alfredo is my favorite all time meal.  There isn't anything better than a good alfredo.  I got this one from our grad school cookbook as well, and it's an easy one, but doesn't go easy on the calories, so beware.  But if you are gonna splurge, go for this one, it's great!!

3 cloves minced garlic
8oz of cream cheese
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup butter
1/2-1 cup milk
3/4 C Parmesan
2 chicken breasts
1 pkg fettuccine

Cook fettuccine as directed on package.  Slice chicken breasts into thin strips.  Add a small amount of olive oil, onion powder and garlic to a skillet, heat until garlic starts to brown and is aromatic.  Then add chicken to skillet and brown.  Once chicken is brown add butter and cream cheese.  Once they are melted and mixed together, add milk and heat through.  Once the sauce is creamy add the Parmesan cheese, adding more milk if sauce becomes too thick.    Serve over pasta, adding broccoli or other vegetables if desired.

Skillet Chicken Parmigiana

This recipe comes from a dear friend of mine Erica.  It is in a cookbook that I got while we were going to Grad School.  It is a super easy recipe, and it's really yummy!  It's a fast one for those nights you aren't sure what to cook.  Give it a try, and the clean up is pretty quick from this as well.  Enjoy!

1/4 C. olive oil
1 C chopped onions
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2  C. Italian bread crumbs
1/3 C. Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

in a 3 qt sauce pan, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Saute onions and garlic in oil stirring occasionally.  Stir in tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper.  Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer covered.  Between sheets of waxed paper pound chicken breasts to 1/4" thickness.  In a shallow dish mix bred crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip chicken into egg, then oat with bread crumb mixture.  In a 12 inch skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat.  Cook chicken in oil 10-15 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink in the center.  Pour tomatoes sauce around the chicken in skillet.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over chicken, cover and heat until melted.  Serve over pasta.

Parmesan & Garlic Linguini

I ran across this awesome blog when I discovered the Lemon Crinkle Cookies I posted a few days ago and this recipe immediately caught my eye because of how easy it seemed and how simple it was. Last night I needed a quick fix for dinner and so I whipped up this amazing dish. It was definitely fast and easy, I sliced some chicken and cooked it up and tossed it in with the pasta. The best way to describe how good it was is to say my BIL was scraping the bottom of the pan once the dish was long gone to get "a little more". It was so easy, and yet it was so rich and amazing in flavor. I added quite a bit more garlic than is called for since we are big garlic lovers, but otherwise it is perfect the way it is. I hope you enjoy this simple but amazing meal.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound linguine pasta
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 clove garlic, finely minced {I used a microplane}
lots of salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid from pasta
3/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano {use the real stuff!}
fresh parsley, for garnish {optional}

Directions:
Bring large pot of water up to boil. Sprinkle in a generous amount of salt and stir in pasta. Cook linguine until al dente and drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Place linguine back into hot pot and stir in butter, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and cheese until butter and cheese start to melt and create a sauce. Pour in some pasta water to get the sauce to the consistency you want. {I only used about 3 tablespoons.} Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Pour onto serving platter and top with fresh parsley and more grated cheese.

Chicken Carbonara

This is my neighbors recipe. We have eaten it several times in their home and they've brought it to us a couple times after surgery. (They're great neighbors & know it is my hubbies favorite.) It is delicious!

1/2 lb. thickly sliced bacon
1 small onion
1 lb linguini
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 grilled Chicken breasts

Grill two chicken breasts and slice thinly. Dice bacon and cook until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Saute onion for 5 minutes in 2 tablespoons bacon drippings. Cook linguini according to aladente package directions. While pasta is cooking , beet eggs well in a small bowl. Drain pasta and toss with beaten eggs, onions, bacon, salt, pepper, parsley and parmesan. Top with grilled chicken.

Homeade Mac and Cheese

This was my first attempt ever at making Mac and Cheese that was not out of a box. My kids thought they had died and gone to heaven. Now every time it's mac and cheese for lunch again they ask if I am making "the good stuff'." Thanks Kristie for the recipe.

1 (16 oz) pkg. elbow-roni pasta
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 c. shredded cheddar
2 c. mozzarella
1/4 c. bread crumbs

Boil pasta and drain. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Add seasonings to flour mixture then slowly add milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, sauce will thicken. Combine cheeses and set aside one cup of cheese mixture. In a large bowl combine pasta, sauce and cheese mixture together just until combined. Transfer to 9x13 pan. Top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Dena brought a delicious pasta salad to work a few weeks ago so I made it to take to a family gathering. ( I added grapes to her recipe since the dressing is sweet and I had them on hand) My hubby and kids taste tested in small bowls and asked for more. I told them they'd have to wait for the party. Enjoy!

1 16 oz. Package Bow Tie Pasta
2 cups cooked diced chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
1 1/2 cups broccoli cut in bite size pieces
1 cucumber peeled and diced in bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups purple grapes halved
1 jar Briannas Poppy Seed Dressing (with the peach on the front)

Stir all ingredients together and serve. It makes a good sized salad.

Chicken Parmigiano Alfredo

A friend at work told me about one of her families favorite recipes so I adapted it and made it for my hubby and kiddos to try out in the crockpot one night last week while I was at work. They called me at work and told me it was one of their favorites, ever!

1 lb chicken cooked and shredded or cut into bit size pieces

1 package linguine noodles cooked

1 jar marinara

1 jar Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella

I started by grilling chicken tenders on my george foreman while boiling the noodles. Cut up chicken and drain noodles. Spray crockpot with cooking spray they add half the noodles, chicken and sauces to crockpot and sprinkle with half of the Parmesan cheese on top. Make one more layer with the other half of ingredients and cover with Mozzarella. Cook on low until cheese is melted and pasta is warmed through.

Baked Manicotti

I got this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe, and let me tell you that this simplifies making manicotti. I love manicotti and it's definately much easier than stuffing the shells.

Tomato Sauce
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried basil

Cheese Filling and Pasta
3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (I use the Barilla brand - apparently they are supposed to be the most similar to homemade pasta and I love them, both in this and in lasagna)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan chese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

To assemble, pour 1 inch boiling water into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, then add noodles one at a time. Let noodles soak until pliable, about 5 minutes, separating noodles with tip of sharp knife to prevent sticking. Remove noodles from water and place in single layer on clean kitchen towels; discard water in baking dish and dry baking dish.

Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using soupspoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each noodle (with short side facing you), leaving top quarter of noodle exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in each row, allowing all 16 to fit in the dish). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Garden Squash ravioli

I got this from the Taste of Home website when looking for ways to use my squash and Zucchini. I love the ragu sauce with the chunks of zucchini in it, and this was a great way to add more and to create my own. Love it! You could use the sauce over any pasta you like!

• 1 package (24 ounces) frozen miniature cheese ravioli
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cans (one 15 ounces, one 8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, cook ravioli according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a 1-1/2-qt. microwave-safe dish, combine the squash, zucchini, tomato sauce and seasonings. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain ravioli; top with sauce. Yield: 6 servings.

Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta

I have to admit I am in love with the BHG website, there are so many quick meal recipes on there that I have never tried, and this one is amazing! I love Thai food, and I love peanut sauce, you could make this with any of your favorite veggies that you have on hand and it would be delicious!

8 oz. thin spaghetti
1 bunch broccolini, cut in 2-inch lengths
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut in bite-size strips
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup bottled peanut sauce
Crushed red pepper (optional)

1. In large pot cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccolini and sweet pepper during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain. Return to pot and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, halve chicken breasts horizontally. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In extra large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes each side, or until no longer pink (170 degrees F). Transfer to cutting board. Slice chicken; add to pasta and vegetables. Heat through. Add peanut sauce. Pass crushed red pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Ravioli Plus

Ingredients
1 (1 pound bag) mini frozen ravioli
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup asparagus tips, steamed

2 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons basil
Grated Parmesan
1 cup jarred tomato sauce
Directions
Cook ravioli according to package instructions.

In a medium saute pan over medium heat add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until onions release their natural sugar and become golden brown, about 20 minutes.
To the onions add, the tomatoes, asparagus, 1/2 the ravioli, 1/2 the chicken, salt, pepper and remaining olive oil and saute until all ingredients are heated through. Garnish with 1/2 the basil and some Parmesan cheese.
Saute remaining chicken with tomato sauce and remaining ravioli. Cook until sauce is hot and chicken

Shrimp Alfredo & Cheddar Bisquits

These are knock off's for Red Lobster and pretty darn good if I do say so myself.

Shrimp Alfredo
1/3 cup oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
2/3 cup clam juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1TBS. lemon juice
1/2 TBS parsley
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 pkg linguine pasta, cooked and drained

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; reduce heat to low. Simmer until garlic is tender.

Add shrimp in same skillet and cook over medium-low heat until opaque. Remove shrimp; reserve liquid in pan.

Add clam juice and bring to a boil.

Add vinegar and cook on medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly

Reduce heat to low and add cream, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until smooth. Cook until thickened.

Add shrimp and heat through. Add lemon juice, parsley, basil and oregano. Pour over pasta and serve.

Cheese Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Mix Bisquick, milk and cheese. Cook at 450 for 8-10 minutes. Pour butter mixed with garlic powder over top of biscuits.

Ravioli Lasagna

Thanks to Emily at Emily's Experiments for this one, how much easier can Lasagna get, though it is a little different than traditional lasagna, it's super easy to make and the kids love it! Yummy!

Frozen cheese ravioli
1 pound ground beef or turkey
frozen broccoli (it's what I had on hand, but you could, of course, use fresh)
one small onion
about 1 c sliced mushrooms
a sprinkle dried basil
s&p
a sprinkle paprika
3 cloves minced garlic
about 1/2 jar marinara sauce ( I added a little water to it so the ravioli would be nice and tender)
Italian blend cheese, or any cheese you want to sprinkle on.

Turn over onto 375. In a hot skillet cook the ground beef, then in another pan saute the onion, broccoli, mushrooms, garlic, paprika, basil, and s&p with a little olive oil. Let cook until onions are translucent, and broccoli is becoming tender. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a greased 8x8 pan. Place a single layer of ravioli over that and sprinkle half of the Meat & vegetables over that. Add a thin layer of cheese, and repeat the process. Add one more layer of ravioli and top with the rest of the sauce, a little more cheese, and some Parmesan and basil to finish it off. Top with foil ( I like to spray my foil with cooking spray so the delicious cheese doesn't stick.) and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. I like my cheese a little brown so I like to take of the foil stick it under the broiler for a minute or two after it's cooked.

Cheesy Lasagna Rolls

Thanks to My Sister's Cucina for this recipe, I made it the other night for Dinner when we had friends over and it was super easy, I am usually not a fan of messing with cooking lasagna noodles, in my regular recipe you put them in the pan hard and they come out soft, but this was super easy, and really good!

12 Lasagna noodles, cooked and cooled
1 jar spaghetti sauce, divided ( I used Bertolli Italian Sausage Garlic & Romano sauce)
Filling:
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided (1 1/2 cup for filling, 1/2 cup on top)

Pour half of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Mix together all ingredients for the filling. Lay noodles flat and spread filling mixture on noodles - shown below. Roll up like a sleeping bag and lay in pan. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Note: Do not over cook noodles. Follow directions on box of noodles.

Manicotti

Cook 1 Box of Manicotti noodles 1/2 way

Cook 1 pound Hamburger along with 1 medium onion in a skillet until browned and cooked thru.

In a bowl mix:
3 1/2 C. Small curd Cottage Cheese
1 1/2 C. mozzarella (Reserve some extra)
1/4 C. Fresh Parmesan
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp. Fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
Hamburger and Onion

Spoon 1/2 C. of the mixture into the manicotti shells, then place the shells into an 8x8 pan. Cover with a jar of Spaghetti sauce spread on top of shells and beneath the shells in the pan. Sprinkle with Mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

* Makes 2 8x8 pans or 1 9x13 pan. I usually cook one 8x8 and freeze 1 8x8 pan for another night.

CROCKPOT FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

This is the easiest recipe! Il ove that you can do it in the crockpot, it isn't the most gourmet tasting alfredo, but it works great for kids ans like I said is Super Easy, and isn't that what it's all about, especially when it's summer and you don't have to turn your oven on to cook it!

· 1 cube of butter

· 2 chicken breasts, cubed

· 1 envelope of “Good Seasons” Italian dry mix

Cook these ingredients in the crockpot for 3 hours. Then add:

· 8 oz. of cream cheese

· 1 can cream of chicken

· 1/2 can of water

Cook for 1 hour longer. Once everything is cooked, stir and let sit for 30-45 minutes so it can thicken. Serve over hot fettuccine noodles.

Baked Mac & Cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
8 ounces shredded American cheese (about 2 cups)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 Tblsp Butter
1 tsp bottled hot pepper sauce (I would add more next time)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 an onion diced very small (I used my food processor for this)
1/2 tsp garlic salt

1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease Desired pan (9x13 recommended)

2- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, sour cream, salt, mustard and pepper; temper in the eggs, cook, stirring frequently, until mixture boils and thickens.

3- Meanwhile, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

4- To the milk mixture add the Cheddar and American cheeses; stir until cheese melts. Combine macaroni and cheese sauce in a 2 quart baking dish; mix well.

5- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

Rachael asked me to post a tetrazzini recipe so here is the one we really like. I got this from a kraft magazine and we love it. The red pepper gives it a great kick.

Prep time: 25 min. Total time: 55 min.

1/2 lb spaghetti, uncooked
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4 oz cream cheese or neufchatel cheese(lower fat), cubed
1/4 c flour
14 oz chicken broth
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add chicken, peppers and mushrooms; cook and stir 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet; set aside.

Place cream cheese, flour and broth in skillet. Cook and stir with wire whisk until boiling. Reduce heat to medium low; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Drain pasta; return to saucepan. Add cream cheese mixture, chicken mixture and 2 T Parmesan cheese; mix well. Spoon into 2 qt round casserole dish; cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes. Top with mozzarella and remaining 1 T Parmesan cheese; continue baking, uncovered, 2 minutes or until mozzarella is melted.

Makes 6 - 1 cup servings, but I usually cook more of the pasta and use the whole cream cheese and bake it in a 9X13 pan so I have more leftovers.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

I made this tonight for dinner, and can I just say Yummy! It was very easy too. I just let the chicken marinade all day while I ran errands, and then it took me as long as it took the pasta to cook to do the rest, and when my husband ate it, he was hooked, as was my little boy. It makes quite a bit, so either do it for a meal with friends, or plan on having a lot of leftovers. It was fantastic!

16 oz. Farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt (I do a spoonful of crushed garlic)
1 Tbsp. pepper
1/2 c. butter
1 lb. bacon, crumbled (pre-cooked/crumbled bacon works)
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice


In the crock pot cool chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6-8 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (it just falls apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1 (32 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 c. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp pepper
Lasagna noodles (uncooked)
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, grated

Brown ground beef; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Put the 1/2 cup water in the empty spaghetti sauce jar, then add to meat and sauce.

In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg and pepper. Spread onto uncooked lasagna noodles. In baking dish, spoon 1/2 cup meat sauce, then alternately layer noodles with ricotta mixture, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, and meat sauce--forming 2 layers. Bake in 375 degree oven for 60 minutes. Top with parmesan cheese. Let sit for about 10 minutes.