Quick Chicken Cacciatore

Recipe from What's for dinner

1 pkg breaded precooked chicken breast (6-8 patties)

1 small white or yellow onion
16 oz. box linguine
2 cans (14.5 oz) Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes
1 medium green bell pepper (optional)

Cut chicken patties and bell peppers into strips. Chop onion.

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain and

keep warm.  Meanwhile, heat skillet over medium heat.

Lightly spray with olive oil. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes

(stirring frequently). Add tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion.

 Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat to simmer for 8-10 minutes

or until vegetables are tender. Serve over hot linguine.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms

Recipe and photo from The Pioneer Woman

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces

3 cloves Garlic, Minced

1 package (10 Ounce) White Button Mushrooms, Sliced Thin

1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (OR Dry White Wine) 1 cup Half-and-half ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream

3 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Sliced

¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced

½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt To Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

1 pound Thin Spaghetti Or Angel Hair Pasta

Extra Parmesan, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until light brown but not crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not clean pan. Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Toss/stir around and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; increase heat to high if needed to help mushrooms begin to turn golden brown. Pour in chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat and pour in half and half and cream. Stir and allow to bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes. Add sliced green onions and parsley, then cook for one more minute. Finally, add Parmesan and stir, allowing cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Turn off heat. Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add half the sauce from the pan. Toss with tongs.

***Add 1/2 cup hot pasta water at this point if the pasta mixture is too thick and gunky. Toss and add more water until it reaches the consistency you need.***

Serve pasta in individual bowls, topping each helping with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley and extra Parmesan. Enjoy!

Lasagna Roll ups

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles
1 lb. Italian sausage or ground beef
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1/4 c. sour cream
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
thawed, drained and squeezed dry
2 c. Mozzarella cheese
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1/4 c. grated Parmesan


Brown meat and drain. Add pasta sauce.

Cook lasagna noodles according to the package directions.
Meanwhile combine cream cheese, sour cream, spinach,
Parmesan cheese, and 1 c. mozzarella cheese.
When noodles are done lay them out on parchment paper
and pat dry with a towel.
Scoop out approximately 1/3 c. spinach-cheese mixture and
spread onto noodles covering completely.

Roll up noodle, place seam side down in a pan which
you have spread a little sauce on bottom of.
Continue with rest of noodles. Pour sauce over the
roll-ups. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Tortellini

2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
2 chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. Italian herb seasoning
1 (19 oz.) package cheese filled tortellini
1 (7oz.) container reduced fat pesto
2 tomatoes, chopped
Garnish with parmesan cheese

Preheat grill. Sprinkle chicken and zucchini with
Italian seasoning. Grill zucchini and chicken. Grill
zucchini 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until tender.
Grill chicken until no longer pink. Meanwhile prepare
tortellini according to package. Chop chicken and zucchini.
Toss tortellini with pesto and add chicken, zucchini, and
tomatoes.

Zesty Penne

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked,
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 each green and red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile,
cook sausage in a large skillet on medium heat for
about 8 min. or until done. Add bell
peppers; cook and stir until crisp-tender. Stir in
spaghetti sauce. Cook until heated through. Add
cream cheese and cook until melted, stirring frequently.
Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture. Mix together
and top with Parmesan cheese.

(Printable Recipe)

Spinach & Sausage Stuffed Pasta Shells

This is such a yummy pasta dish. My family

loves it. Thanks Wendy for the recipe!

1 box of jumbo shells cooked until slightly al dente
(you still want it to be firm so you can stuff them
they will cook in the oven)
12-16 oz. of Italian sausage cooked and drained
15 oz. of ricotta cheese
12-16 oz. of frozen spinach
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tsp. of oregano
2 eggs -beaten
salt and pepper to taste
spaghetti sauce

Cook Italian sausage. Once cooked you can put in a food
processor and grind up so it is fine and not so chunky.
Add the rest of ingredients except spaghetti sauce.
Heat over over medium heat until everything is mixed together.
Then stuff the shells. Cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with a
thin layer of spaghetti sauce and place the stuffed shells in the pan.
Once you have filled all of the shells cover them with spaghetti sauce.
Cover with tin foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for
20 minutes. Remove foil and cover with 1 cup of mozzarella
cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

One Pan Cheesy Tortellini

1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed

1/2 pound ground beef
1 (16 ounce) jar marinara sauce
1 cup sliced fresh baby bella mushrooms

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated or fresh cheese tortellini
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large deep skillet. Drain. Add the marinara sauce, mushrooms, and tomatoes . Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tortellini, cover and simmer another 7-8 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove lid, sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cheese will be melted on top. Serve and enjoy!

Rotisserie Chicken Spaghetti

This is SO good. Thanks Tiffany for this awesome recipe. My whole family loved it!

1 Rotisserie Chicken
1 1/2 lb. spaghetti
1-2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion
1 green bell pepper
1 cup mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of celery
3/4 block of Velveeta cheese

-Boil your pasta as directed on the package

-In the mean time, de-bone your chicken into bite sized pieces and dice or roughly chop, your vegetables, and cube your Velveeta.

-Drain your pasta and rinse with cold water to ensure it does not stick together. Return to stock pot and set aside.

-In a large frying pan or skillet, melt your butter over medium high and toss in your onion, mushroom and bell pepper. Saute until softened and opaque. Your kitchen will smell wonderful!

-Add in your soups, and cubed Velveeta cheese. Stir constantly until all melded together. Add in your chicken, stir.

-Pour the soup/sauce mixture over your noodle in the stock pot. Grab some tongs and mix it all up until it is all blended.

-Serve with some fresh french bread and enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

3/4 lb ground round (I just used ground beef)
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp rosemary
1 1/2 cups cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
16 oz bow tie pasta, cooked al dente

Saute ground round, onion, and garlic.  Add mushrooms; cook 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir in salt, pepper, and rosemary; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.  Add soup and heat.  Stir in sour cream; heat, but do not boil.  Arrange pasta around edges of a large platter; spoon stroganoff into center.

Thai Peanut Chicken Noodle Salad

Crystal, of Everyday Food Storage, contributed this recipe and photo to the Family Home Evening blog recently. It sounds easy, unique, and delicious!

1 C. Asian Sesame Dressing (I use Ken's Steakhouse light version)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

2 Tbsp. crunchy peanut butter

2 Tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 pkg. (1 lb.) thin spaghetti

4 green onions, sliced

1 cup chopped cilantro

Cook spaghetti as directed on package. Toss cooked chicken chunks with 1/4 c. Asian Sesame Dressing. Mix remaining dressing mixture, peanut butter, honey and crushed red pepper.Drain spaghetti. Add to chicken mixture with peanut butter mixture and all remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Serve warm or chill in fridge for 4 hours before serving.

To visit Crystal's blog to learn more about using food storage everyday in your own recipes, click HERE.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Bow Tie Pasta

I tried this the other day and the whole family loved it. Adjust the cayenne pepper to 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp if you don't want so much heat(I used 1/2 tsp and I thought it was pretty spicy! My husband thought it was perfect though). I also just used store bought pesto to save time and added chicken to make the meal more hearty. Its delicious!

4 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon minced pine nuts
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
1/8 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta


Make pesto: In a small mixing bowl, combine basil, pine nuts, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
In a small bowl, blanch sun dried tomatoes for 30 seconds in boiling water. Drain well, and slice tomatoes into small pieces.

In a large skillet over a medium heat, saute garlic in 1/8 cup olive oil. Simmer for 1 minute being very careful not to brown the garlic. Stir in the mushrooms and let them saute until tender. Add the pesto, salt, cayenne, and sun dried tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and let the mixture simmer.

Bring a large pot of salted water and pasta to a boil. Let pasta cook until al dente, drain well.
In a large mixing bowl, toss pasta and sauce until the pasta is well coated.

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com.

Photo courtesy of me:)

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

1 container (16 oz.) Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 large tomato, chopped

Heat oven to 400°F. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup

mozzarella, Parmesan and seasoning; spoon into shells.

Mix sauce and tomatoes; spoon half into 13x9-inch baking

dish. Add filled shells; top with remaining sauce. Cover.
Bake 25 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining

mozzarella; bake, uncovered, 2 min. or until melted.
Recipe and picture from Kraft Foods

Skillet Dinner

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 jar Pasta Sauce
2 cups water
8 ounces uncooked macaroni

Brown hamburger and onion in large skillet. Add remaining
ingredients, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Top with
grated cheese during last 5 minutes, if desired.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

1 pound ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 box no boil lasagna noodles,
gently broken in half
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup onion finely minced
12 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Grease inside of slow cooker with olive oil or cooking spray.
Combine beef, spaghetti sauce, spices and onion in a bowl
and mix well. Combine ricotta and mozzarella in a separate
bowl In slow cooker, layer beef, noodles, and cheese mixture.
Create several layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Creamy One-Pot Pasta

4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 jar (7 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, undrained
3 cans (14.5 oz each) chicken broth (5 1/4 cups)
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
1 head broccoli (2 cups small florets)
2 medium carrots, peeled
4 oz reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil (optional)

Thinly slice garlic using Paring Knife. Place garlic and 1 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes into (8-qt.) Stockpot.

Cook garlic over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat; add broth. Return to burner; increase heat to high.

Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally .

Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets; place Bowl. Cut carrots in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise on a bias.

Drain sun-dried tomatoes; pat dry with a paper towel. Slice tomatoes into thin strips. Add carrots and tomatoes to bowl.

Cut cream cheese into cubes. Add vegetables, cream cheese, salt and black pepper to Stockpot.

Stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serve immediately.

If desired, top with grated fresh Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil.

Source: The Pampered Chef

Pasta Lasagna

I tried this recipe from Allrecipes.com the other day. It was a delicious and easy variation of lasagna. I added a few sprinkles of Italian Seasoning between each layer for extra flavor.

1/2 pound penne pasta
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2 1/2 quart baking dish(or double recipe for a 13X9 pan). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown; drain. Stir in pasta sauce; remove from heat. In a bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and beaten egg. Stir until well combined. In the prepared dish layer half the pasta, half the sauce and half the cheese mixture. Repeat. Top with remaining mozzarella.

Bake in preheated oven 35 to 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Ravioli Lasagna

-1 package refrigerated four
cheese ravioli, prepared according
to package directions
-1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
-1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped
spinach, prepared according to package
directions
-2 eggs, lightly beaten
-1/3 cup milk
-2(15 ounce) marinara Sauce
-Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ricotta cheese, spinach,
eggs and milk in a bowl. In a 9x13 inch pan layer ravioli on
bottom of pan, top with marinara sauce, followed with ricotta
mixture. Repeat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with
foil. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Let
stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Pasta Primavera

This is a yummy light meal I made for dinner the other night. We loved it!

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
2 Tbsp. Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1-1/2 cups cut-up fresh asparagus (1-inch lengths)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchatel cheese, cubed
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. Add broth and Neufchatel cheese; cook 1 min. or until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan cheese; mix well. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add chicken and vegetable mixture; toss lightly. Cook 1 min. or until heated through. (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)

Recipe courtesy of Kraftfoods.com. Photo courtesy of me!

Alfredo Dip for Breadsticks

1/2 c. butter
2 c. heavy cream
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper

Melt butter over medium heat. Add the cream, garlic powder,
and pepper. Simmer of 10 to 12 minutes or until thick. Stir
in some Parmesan cheese and serve with breadsticks or you
could also serve with noodles.

Chicken Alfredo with Fettuccini Noodles

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com not too long ago and our family loves it. Its a variation of the usual alfredo sauce(with ricotta not usually being one of the key ingredients). So, this has a different flavor! Try it!

1 pound fettuccini pasta
1 1/2 cups butter, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
2 (16 ounce) containers whole milk ricotta cheese
1 pint heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccini and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear. In a large saucepan combine ricotta cheese, cream, salt, Parmesan cheese and remaining butter. Cook over medium heat until well combined, about 10 minutes. Stir in cooked fettuccini and chicken; cook until heated through.

To save time, I use the precooked chicken strips and just throw them in at the end.