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!

Alice Springs Chicken

Marinade:
1 cup dijon mustard
1 cup honey
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp lemon juice

Chicken:
2 chicken breasts
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
paprika
6 slices bacon, cooked
2 cups shredded cheese (I prefer sharp cheddar, but pick your favorite)
2 tsp parsley (I leave this out)

Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Pour about half over the chicken and marinate about 2 hours. Chill remaining marinade until later.

Preheat oven to 375. Heat oil in a pan. Sear chicken 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. In another small skillet, saute mushrooms in butter.

Brush each seared chicken breast with reserved marinade. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Stack 2 pieces of bacon, crosswise, on each chicken breast. Spoon mushrooms over each breast and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve remaining marinade on the side.

Chicken Gyros

From Proceed With Caution

For Tzatki sauce:
32 oz yogurt (Greek yogurt works best)
1 hothouse/seedless cucumber
3-5 cloves garlic
1-2 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
lemon juice
olive oil

For Gyros:
approx 1 lb of chicken
4 cloves garlic, smashed
juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp yogurt (again, Greek yogurt works best)
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
sliced tomato
diced red onion
4 pitas

To make sauce:
Peel, seed and dice cucumber. Mix together yogurt, cucumber, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice. Salt to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

To make gyros:
Whisk together garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, yogurt and oregano. Add chicken and rub marinade in. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat a pan. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook and the slice into strips.

Meanwhile, heat pitas (directions should be on the bag). Top pita with chicken, tzatki, tomatoes and onions.

Comments: I love gyros. Greek/Meditterranean food is probably my favorite. I've always been so scared to try gyros. For good reason, I've realized. The tzatki, which is the KEY to a good gyro, is hard to get right. Mine had a little too much vinegar in it. They were still good, but not like some of my favorite restaurants.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

3-4 chicken breasts

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 can rotel

1 onion, chopped
tablespoon of cumin

12 oz. package spaghetti

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
half block of velvetta, cubed

butter

Preheat oven to 350

Cook your chicken and spaghetti to your liking. Saute onion in butter.

Mix together cream of mushroom, sauted onion, cumin, chicken, and velveeta cubes.

Drain spaghetti and place in a prepared casserole dish. Pour soup mixture on top. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Cook at 350 for 25 minutes.

When removed from oven stir together and serve.

Comments: I love chicken spaghetti. It could be one of my favorite dishes. I like it so much it was served at my wedding. I've tried many, many chicken spaghetti recipes. This is the conglomeration of my two favorites. It comes from my friend, Meredith, and my Mother-in-law. I love how cheesy and creamy combining the two recipes have made it. J and C both love this recipe just as much as I do. I like to use the Hot Rotel to add a little spice. Other veggies could always be added to up the nutritional value.

Easy Posole Skillet

From Pampered Chef Season's Best Spring/Summer 2005

4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp masa harina (all purpose flour can be substitued)
1 can hominy (white or golden), drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups shredded chihuahua cheese (I substituted mexican blend)

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove, drain drippings (reserve 1 tbsp in skillet). Crumble bacon and set aside.

Place bell pepper, jalapenos, onion and garlic into skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and masa harina (flour) and cook 1 minute while stirring. Add hominy, chicken, and zucchini. Cook for 3 minutes until mixture is slightly thickened, stir occassionally.

Reduce heat to low, stir in half the cheese. Top with bacon, cilantro and remaining cheese. Cover and cook 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Comments: As I got into making this I started becoming very skeptical of how it was going to taste. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. It is perfect for summer. All the veggies tasted like summer to me. There are some hard to find ingredients. Masa Harina is a finely ground cornmeal. My grocery has a GREAT latin foods section and I couldn't even find it. Same with the chihuahue cheese. I think those would have to be found at a specialty grocer. I think the substitues worked just as well though. I also tagged this as vegetarian because I think you could take away the bacon and chicken and not miss any of the flavor. If you don't like hominy (why would you not, though?!?) I think corn would also be a good substitute.

One Skillet Chili Bake with Mexi Ranch Sauce

1 lb ground beef
1 can red kidney beans
1 can rotel
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 tbsp chili powder
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup water (if needed)

Brown beef in a large skillet and drain

Add beans, rotel, rice, and chili powder to beef. (Also add the water if needed, I did.)

Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Uncover and top with the cheese. Cook until it melts.

Serve over tostada shells. Drizzle Mexi Ranch sauce over top.

Mexi Ranch:

1 cup ranch
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin

Mix together

Comments: I've had this recipe in my file for a lone time and I was really looking for something easy for this week. This turned out so good. I messed up a little and used the hot Rotel I had for another recipe, rather than the regular Rotel. Hot Rotel isn't kidding around, so Miss C didn't get to test this one out. It was far too spicy for her. J, surprisingly, really enjoyed the heat. The Mexi-Ranch was a late addition because I thought it needed something to counteract the heat. It was a great addition. Again, another easy recipe that will definitely get added to the rotation.

Neopolitan Baked Ziti

From Rachael Ray

1 lb ziti
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
28 oz can whole plum tomatoes
4-5 basil leaves, torn
salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter
2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
nutmeg
mozzarella
1/4 parmigiano reggiano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cook pasta to just shy of al dente according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, start the red sauce: In a medium sized pot over medium-high heat place 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring every now and then until the onions start to get tender (about 3-4 minutes).

Add the tomatoes and smash them up into small pieces. Add the basil and season with some salt and pepper. Bring up to a bubble and simmer for 15 minutes.

To make white sauce: Heat medium sized sauce pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour, stir to combine and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the milk and add the bay leaf. Season with some salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a bubble, turn the heat down to low and gently simmer, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf.

Combine the cooked ziti with the red sauce in the pot the pasta was cooked in and then transfer into a prepared baking dish. Top with the white sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano over the top. Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Comments: I felt big time with three pots going on the stove at the same time. It sounds like a lot, and I was afraid I might get overwhelmed. It really wasn't as bad as I thought. So this obviously isn't the most simple recipe. And I'm not sure it was really worth the effort. I wasn't overly impressed with it. I expected more flavor with both a white and a red sauce. Maybe I wasn't heavy handed enough with the seasoning. I would like to give it another try because I feel like it should have been better than it was.

Chicken Azteca

From Favorite Family Recipes

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn (I used mexi corn)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 cup salsa
hot sauce *optional*
4 chicken breasts
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
Spanish rice, orzo, rice, whatever you would like

Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin and half of the salsa in the slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours

Remove chicken and cut into bite sized pieces. Return chicken to the crock pot and stir in cream cheese and remaining salsa. Cook on high until completely melted.

Spoon chicken and sauce over rice and sprinkle with cheese.


Comments: J was much more of a fan of this than I was. I served it over Spanish rice, and if I was to make it again I might just choose orzo or regular rice. I think it was a little too much with the Spanish rice. I also might add a little bit more cream cheese next time. I liked that element of it and would like to taste more of it. I tend to go pretty easy on judging crock pot meals just because I like to keep as many as possible in my repertoire.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

1 lb spiral pasta
1 lb ground beef
6 strips bacon, diced
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
barbecue sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

In the same skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towels. Discard drippings.

Drain pasta. Add to skillet. Add soup, beef and bacon. Mix together and heat through. Mix in desired amount of barbecue sauce (I use a whole bottle, we like it saucy). Sprinkle with cheese and cover until cheese melts.

Comments: This is an old favorite of ours. I have had this recipe for years. Its super quick. It reminds me of hamburger helper, but a homemade, slightly healthier version. Sometimes J and I like to reminisce about poor college days and how we ate way too much hamburger helper. One of my favorite things about the dish is there are so few ingredients.You can kind of throw it together super quick.

Chicken with Mustard Marscapone Sauce

From Milk & Honey

3-4 chicken breasts, chopped
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
8 oz marscapone cheese
2 tbsp dijon mustard
parsley

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Ad chicken and cook until just brown. Set aside.

Melt butter in pan and add onion to saute. Add mushrooms and garlic. Saute until juices evaporate. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in marscapone and mustard.

Return chicken to skillet and simmer until cooked through and everything is combined well. Stir in parsley.

Serve over orzo (or rice, whatever)

Comments: I was a little concerned about J liking this dish. I knew he would eat it because he basically will eat anything. But I always like to have him enjoy the things I cook. He isn't a fan of mustard, so I was afraid the dijon would be too much for him. He loved it though. C and I were fans also. The sauce was so flavorful. The marscapone made the whole dish. It wasn't super mustard-y. I wasn't a fan of all the time spent standing over a hot skillet, but it was worth it.

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Cassrole

From Bunny's Warm Oven

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup water
1 cup Thick and Chunky Salsa
3/4 cup uncooked long grain, white rice
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 can Mexicorn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 chicken breasts
Mexican blend cheese

stir together soup, water, salsa, rice, onion powder, corn and beans in a casserole dish.

Season the chicken (I used a southwestern rub) and place on top of rice-soup mixture.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until chicken is well cooked

Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt before serving

Comments: This was SOOOO good. I actually put off making this because I wasn't excited about it. I was afraid it was going to be bland and no fun. But there was great flavor. It was colorful (thats important to C). The best part though: SO SIMPLE. This will definitely be a dish we have in heavy rotation.

Cowboy Spaghetti

From Rachael Ray

1 lb spaghetti (I recommend angel hair for this one)
salt
1 tbsp olive oil
3 slices of bacon
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic
pepper
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tbsp worcestshire sauce (I went really heavy on the worcestshire)
1/2 cup beer
14 oz chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
sharp cheddar

Cook spaghetti to al dente.

Heat large skillet with olive oil and bacon. Cook until brown and crisp. Remove and allow to cool. Once cool, crumble the bacon.

Add beef to skillet and brown.

Once brown, add onions and garlic. Allow to soften. Season with salt and pepper. Add hot sauce and worcestshire. Allow to cook for a few minutes.

Add 1/2 cup of beer to de-glaze pan.

Cook 5-6 minutes and stir in tomatoes and sauce. Allow to simmer for flavors to combine.

Add sauce to spaghetti and mix together well.

Grate/Sprinkle with cheese (this is important!)

Comments: I was a little unsure about this at first. I prefer my pasta to be very saucy and J really, really likes his to be saucy. This was not. At all. I was afraid there wouldn't be much flavor. I forgot the cheese at first, and the pasta tasted pretty good. I don't often salt and pepper my food at the table, but I felt like this needed it.

Then I remembered the cheese. That changed everything. I didn't add a lot, just a sprinkle. But it totally added so much flavor.

I'm really looking forward to making this again so I can tweak it exactly to our tastes.

Menu Plan: Week of June 15th

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken with Mustard Marscarpone Sauce

Cowboy Spaghetti

Tequila Lime Chicken with TexMex ChicmiChop

From Sweetnicks

marinade:
1/2 cup tequila (USE A GOOD ONE!)
juice of 4 limes
1 tbsp hot sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 lb chicken
salt and pepper

ChimiChop:
Cilantro
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil

In a large bowl combine ingredients for marinade. Add chicken and marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge.

Shake excess marinade off and season chicken with salt and pepper. Grill or roast in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

While cooking, stir together ChimiChop ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on top of cooked chicken.

Comments: This was REALLY flavorful. Definitely make sure you use a tequila you would actually consider drinking, especially if you will be marinating overnight or for several hours. I made a mango salsa couscous to serve this on top of. The sweet of the mango really went well with the spice of the chimichop and the sour of the lime. This was really easy and I didn't even have to do most of the work since I made J throw the chicken on the grill. Next time I might roast it in the oven just to try the difference.