Basil Pesto

Adapted from PaleoLeap

Ingredients:
2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
to taste salt and pepper

Notes / Directions:

Put basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add olive oil, parmesan, and lemon juice pulse gently just until combined. Remove from food processor and add salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or freeze left overs.

 

Lazy Mac 'N Cheese

Ingredients
1 box Mac 'N Cheese
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 chicken breast

Notes / Directions
Cook macaroni and frozen veggies according to packages.  Fry chicken in some oil on the stove.  Cut up into chunks.  Add it all together and enjoy!

Alplermagronen: "Swiss Mac'n Cheese"

Ingredients 
8 oz ditalini pasta
2 medium potatoes, cut into thin strips
3.5 oz parmesan cheese
3.5 oz gruyere cheese
bacon strips, crumbled (more the better)
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heaving whipping cream
to taste salt

Notes / Directions
Boil potatoes and pasta in salted water. Put a layer of the cooked and salted potatoes in an 8x8 pan. Sprinkle bacon and parmesan cheese on top. Spread on noodles and sprinkle more bacon and gruyere cheese.

Melt butter in a pan and saute onions and garlic until brown. In the same pan, bring milk and heavy cream to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook till thick and pour over macaroni.

Put into preheated oven at 250 degrees so that the cheese melts.

Fettuccine with Chicken and Herbed Veggies

Adapted from Pillsbury

Ingredients:
12 oz. fettuccine, cooked and drained
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 chicken breast, cubed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 zucchini, chopped
1 tomatoe, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 cup parmesan cheese shavings 

Notes / Directions:

Cook fettuccine according to package.  Cut up all the vegetables. Heat oil in a skillet and cook onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chicken, bell pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until chicken is browned. Stir in zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and oregano. Cook 5-6 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Place fettuccine on serving platter, spoon chicken mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Chicken Waldorf Pasta Salad

Ingredients
2 12.5 oz. cans of cubed chicken breasts, drained and shredded 
3 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits, drained (save juice to soak apples in)
1 apple (fuji), chopped and soaked in pineapple juice
2/3 cups celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups red and white grapes 
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cups craisins
crescent dinner rolls

Notes / Directions
In a large bowl combine all ingredients except for grapes, pecans, and craisins. Marinate mixture for several hours or overnight in refrigerator. Add grapes, pecans, and craisins just before serving. Serve in crescent dinner rolls.


Makes about 15 sandwiches.  (If you want to make it for a really large group like for a relief society activity,  3 times it.)



Other Options:
Serve over spinach
Add cooked and cooled bowtie noodles and have as pasta salad
Or add noodles and eat over spinach for a super pasta salad

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

I'm so excited because my mom flew in for the weekend so we are going to party!!  Literally.  We have some random girl's birthday party tomorrow.  But her being in town also means that I have to make something delicious and take a picture of it.  One, because I've gotta serve my best stuff to my guests, and two, because she can keep little hands from snatching up my projects as I try to photograph them.  So here's what we had for dinner.  Absolutely divine.  There are not any left overs, except for the extra pan that is in my freezer for a later occasion!

Adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced 
4-8 large basil leaves, chopped
1 15oz container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 cups), shredded
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (this was just enough. If you like it saucier, use more.)

Notes / Directions
Cook shells for two minutes less than the recommended time.  Carefully separate shells and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Grease two 9x13 baking dishes and spread spaghetti sauce on the bottom of each pan.

Cook chicken and chop up into small chunks.  I did this by chopping it up as I cooked it in a skillet.  Set chicken aside.

Mix together ricotta cheese, cream cheese, garlic, and egg till almost smooth.  I did this in my kitchen aid.  Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Stir together.  If using a kitchen aid, continue the rest of the process with a spoon.  Stir in chicken and onions.  Gently fold in basil and spinach.  Avoid stirring too much or the mixture will turn green from the spinach.  Spoon mixture into a gallon sized Ziploc bag and seal it shut.  Cut a 1/4-1/2 inch corner off and carefully pipe mixture into the shells.  Fill each 9x13 pan with filled shells.  Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Cover both dishes with foil.  Place one pan in the freezer and bake the other for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chicken Giardino

I love this dish.  It's quick and easy!  It only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, not to mention the delicious simplicity of it.  You can easily customize this for your own taste buds and nutritional needs.  If you don't like zucchini, use squash instead!  If you have left over spinach in the fridge, chop it up and add it.  Need to use up that broccoli before it goes bad?  Throw it in!  Add whatever veggies you want!

Ingredients  
1 cup bowtie pasta
1 pound chicken breast 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon ground italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese shavings

Notes / Directions
Bring  pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package.  In a large, non-stick skillet, add chicken and olive oil.  Salt and pepper the chicken heavily.  After about 3 minutes, add the onions and garlic.  When chicken is almost finished cooking, add red bell pepper and zucchini.  When chicken is done, add peas and tomatoes (don't seed the tomatoes, the juices add a delicious flavor to the dish) and heat through.  Stir in drained pasta and italian seasoning.  Sprinkle cheese on top.

* I use McCormick italian herb seasoning grinder.  I do have italian seasoning that you can just shake but it's just not as good!  The herbs taste more potent with the grinder and there's just a little bit of red pepper in there that is just delicious!  It adds the perfect amount of zing to the dish.

Tex-Mex Pasta

Ingredients
8 ounces penne pasta
1 pound italian turkey sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups cheese
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Notes / Directions
1 Cook penne as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.

2 Meanwhile, spray nonstick wok or 12-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until no longer pink and thoroughly cooked. Drain.

3 Add onion, bell pepper, zucchini, corn, salsa, tomatoes and oregano; mix well. Heat to boiling. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4 Reserve 1/2 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Add remaining 1 cup cheese and cilantro to mixture in wok; mix well. Add cooked penne; toss to mix. Spoon mixture onto serving platter. Garnish with reserved cheese and cilantro.