Easy and Creamy Italian Skillet Dinner

From Cooking During Stolen Moments

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
8 oz tomato sauce
15 oz diced tomatoes
16 oz ricotta
1/2 lb pasta, cooked
1 cup mozzarella

In a large skillet, cook ground beef with onions and green peppers. Season with salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Drain when browned.

Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in ricotta until combined. Add in pasta. Sprinkle with cheese and cover until cheese is melted.

Comments: This was fabulous to cook. I love one skillet dinners. J loved it because it had ricotta. C loved it, well she just loved it. I definitely plan on cooking this one again.

Zippy Carrots

2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp mustard
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups carrots (cut how ever you like)
1 tbsp parsley

Melt butter in a pan. Stir in brown sugar, mustard and salt. Add carrots and stir constantly until carrots are glazed and heated. Sprinkle with parsley.

Comments: These were delicious. C gobbled them up. I would recommend maybe using julienne carrots. I used slices and they didn't get to the consistency I would have preferred, but I was done cooking them.

Parmigiano Panko Herb Chicken

From Bell'alimento

4-6 Chicken breasts
Panko flakes
1.5 cups parmigiano reggiano
2 tbsp dried basil
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Pound out chicken to a 1/4" thickness.

Heat your oil on a large pan over medium-high heat.

Place panko in a dish along with parmigiano, salt, pepper, and basil. Cover chicken with panko mix. Fry until golden brown.

I served with Zippy Carrots

Comments: This was really simple and pretty good. I might bake it next time just for a healthier alternative.

Chicken with Brown Butter and Caper Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1.5 cups flour
4 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp capers
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 white wine

Pound out chicken breasts to a 1/4'' thickness. Heat oil in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cover both sides with flour.

Cook chicken until done (2-3 minutes per side). Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add butter to skillet. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Cook about 5 minutes until butter starts to brown.

Add capers, lemon juice, and wine. Cook another 3-5 minutes. Spoon this sauce over chicken to serve.

Comments: Again, another winning dish. I love the taste of capers. This combination of flavors is one of my favorites. J isn't a huge fan, but he did enjoy it. It was very rich tasting. My one complaint about this dish is that it didn't make much. I always like a dish to provide leftover and this one didn't. Next time I will just have to double up on the recipe.

Sesame and Garlic Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

From Stolen Moments Cooking

1/2 cup tahini (check in meditteranean foods section)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil (asian foods section)
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bag frozen California veggie mix (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots)
1 cup frozen peas
1 lb cooked soba noodles (I used regular spaghetti)
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

In a small bowl, combine tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Whisk until smooth.

Salt and pepper the chicken to taste. Cook in a large skillet with a tbsp of oil. Remove cooked chicken from skillet and add veggies (I actually used broccoli and peas and carrots. I left out the cauliflower because I don't care for it cooked. Choose veggies you like. Sugar snap peas would have been great. Baby corn, etc). Cook veggies about 10 minutes.

Once veggies are cooked add chicken back to skillet. Add cooked noodles and stir to combine.

Stir in sauce and mix well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds

Comments: This. Was. AMAZING. I love chinese food (Have you figured out yet that I like most food?). This tasted like some wonderful dish from some wonderful take out place. I was honestly impressed with myself. I was so sad when the leftovers were gone. I actually made this 2 weeks ago and I'm making it again this week. I've been craving it. I plan to add in a few more veggies this time. This is definitely a new favorite of mine.

Taco Bell Mexican Pizzas

From Stolen Moments Cooking

8 flour tortillas, small
oil
1/2 lb ground beef
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic
1 can refried beans
1/2 cup taco sauce
2 cups shredded cheese
1/4 diced tomatoes
1/4 cup green onions

Heat oil over medium-heat. Add tortillas one at a time and cook 20-30 seconds per side.

In a small saucepan, brown ground beef and drain. Stir in seasonings. Add 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Meanwhile, warm refried beans (this can be done on the stove, but the microwave is much easier).

Take 4 tortillas and spread beans on each. Evenly spread ground beef over refried beans. Top each with a second tortilla. Spoon an even amount of taco sauce over each. Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes (until cheese is melted). Sprinkle with tomatoes and green onions to serve.

Comments: Don't act like you don't like Taco Bell. Its greasy and sometimes a little sketchy, but sometimes it hits the spot. Mexican Pizzas from Taco Bell are J's favorite. These were pretty much the same exact thing with a little less grease and a lot less sketch. My tortillas didn't really match theirs, but again I blame all differences on my lack of grease. What I liked the best about this recipe is the seasonings I added to the meat. I'm not sure I will ever buy taco seasoning again. This had the perfect flavor and those are all things I keep on hand.

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti

From Cooking During Stolen Moments

1 lb spaghetti, fully cooked and drained
1 lb chicken breasts
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken stock
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup hot sauce (this is for a mild heat level)
1 cup ranch dressing (or bleu cheese if you prefer)

Season your chicken with salt and pepper. Place in skillet with chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover and cook 10-15 minutes (until chicken is done). Remove chicken and reserve a 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.

In a sauce pan combine the cream cheese, hot sauce, and reserved cooking liquid. Cook over meduim low heat until the cream cheese is completely melted (it took some major stirring for this to happen). While the sauce is cooking shred or cube the chicken.

Add dressing and chicken to sauce. Stir to combine. Toss with the cooked spaghetti.

Review: This was amazing. AND EASY! I told a few friends about it and I actually got mixed reviews about whether it sounded yummy or not. That made me nervous. I should have known that I shouldn't be. This really is a big favorite of mine now. C ate 2 platefuls!!!! I got 2 thumbs up from the whole family. I will definitely have this one in heavy rotation. This is not something I say often but I am actually looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!