Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

·         6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes

·         kosher salt and black pepper

·         1 pound penne rigate (I used a 14.5 oz box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne Rigate)

·         1 teaspoon olive oil

·         2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally (I used some leftover cooked chicken)

·         1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

·         6 garlic cloves, finely minced

·         6 cups whole milk

·         10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (I used 8 oz of button mushrooms)

·         1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

·         1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces) (I used an italian blend that had provolone in it)

·         1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

1.       Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.

2.       While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.(Since I used left over chicken, I just cooked the mushrooms in the olive oil)

3.       In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot , melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

4.       Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.

5.       Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:

To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes (I only did 10 minutes)  or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Threw this together tonight. It was AWESOME! :)

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (1 per person)
1 block Cream cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Garlic Powder
Cajun Seasoning
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic & Herb Seasoning
KickinChicken Seasoning
Bacon

Thaw out chicken breasts.
Get cream cheese to room temp or put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Preheat oven to 375.
Fry about 1 slice of bacon per chicken breasts and crumble.

in large bowl (or KitchenAid) put in block of cream cheese.
Add in about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and about 3-4 dashes of each of the seasonings EXCEPT Kickin Chicken, and only 1 dash of cayenne. Add in bacon crumbles. Mix well and set aside.

Take each chicken breast and butterfly it. Cut about halfway through the thickest portion of the chicken and make a pocket. Slice from end to end without cutting the top or bottom or without cutting all the way through. Add about 2 tablespoons of the mixture (depending on the size of your breasts) to the pocket and fold it closed. Pinch the two sides together to create a seam and seal with toothpicks.

Sprinkle the outside of chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and kickin chicken seasoning. Place on a cookie sheet and put in the oven.

Bake about 25 minutes and then gently turn breasts over (they should sit on the toothpicks when turned so that your mixture doesn't fall out). Bake for about 10 more minutes, or until chicken is done and juices are clear. Remove from oven and remove toothpicks from each breast. Place one on each plate.

We served with steamed green beans, Parmesan noodles, and homemade biscuits.

My Chili Recipe

since I posted the other day that I was making my first batch of fall Chili in the crock pot, I got several requests for the recipe. Here it is:

CROCK POT:
combine:
1 lb ground beef (I put it in there frozen, not pre cooked)
1 large onion, diced small
2 small cans tomato paste
2 small cans of diced tomatoes (I put one in the food processor and made to juice)
      You can used canned tomatoes if you have them on hand!
2 cans kidney beans (I use one light and one dark) You can add more if you like a lot of beans

Seasonings:
about 3 or 4 tablespoons of Chili Powder (as usual, I just dump it in)
2 tablespoons of garlic salt
2 tbs pepper
2 tbs cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground mustard
a few dashes of Red Hot if you like it extra spicy

I don't measure my spices, I just add here and there, so you can season to taste. We like ours pretty hot, but you can omit the cayenne and Red Hot if you don't like it hot.

Cook in crock pot on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours, depending on your settings.
Serve with shredded cheese and crackers.

Chocolate Trifle

Cant WAIT to make this!!!


Instant Pudding
Angel Food cake- cubed
Heath chips- 1 package
Whipped Cream


Layer in glass bowl or trifle dish. EAT!

Breakfast Casserole

Stolen. 

2 lb browned sausage

12 eggs

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can mushrooms

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 pint sour cream

combine and pour into a 9 X 13 casserole, sprayed with pam, cover with bread crumbs. bake at 350* for 40-60 minutes until top is browned and eggs are "set"

Another stolen recipe I cant wait to try!! Actually low in fat!

1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp veg. oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts--optional (I usually dont use since the boys hate nuts.)

combine dry ingredient in a 3 qt microwave safe casserole. stir in milk, oil, vanilla, nuts.

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 and 3/4 cup hot water

sprinkle brown sugar and cocoa over top of batter. Pour hot water over top of cocoa and brown suger. DO NOT STIR! (It will look like you've ruined it but be patient.) Microwave uncovered at 50% power for 9 minutes. Rotate casserole 1/4 turn and microwave at 100% (high) until top is almost dry 5-7 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Pesto Pizza

So the other night I went to one of my favorite Thirty-One hostesses house for a party and she had made homemade pizza. I DEMANDED the recipe, so I face-lifted it from one of the guests at the party on her FB page. Here it is. it was DELISH!!!

Pesto

2 cups of basil                                                       ½ cup Parmesan

½ cup olive oil                                                         ½ tsp salt

1-2 cloves garlic

In food processor (or blender), puree garlic, and then add basil and oil, one third at a time.  When pureed, add cheese and salt, folding in by hand.  Serve with cooked pasta. You can also use 1 cup basil and 1 cup spinach. 

I sauteed the chicken in one Tbsp  olive oil and a couple of cloves of garlic in a cast iron skillet.  One breast was enough for one pizza.  Left over roasted chicken would also work.  I used about one third of the pesto on the pizza.  We will have pesto pasta in the next day or so.

  Right now when fresh basil is so easily obtained, I make as much pesto as I can and put it in the freezer.  I dont add the parmesan to freeze.  When we are ready to eat, I thaw the pesto, add the cheese and one ladle of pasta water to thin the pesto.  This recipe makes enough for 2 lbs of pasta. You can add pine nuts or walnuts but the boys didnt care for them when they were little and since I make pesto with my preKs, I often have a student with tree nut allergies, we are used to eating it without the nuts.