Chicken Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake

http://tideandthyme.com/chicken-spinach-artichoke-pasta-bake/



Ingredients:

16 oz of rigatoni pasta
1 jar of Alfredo pasta sauce
3 cups cooked chicken, roughly chopped or shredded
1 package of frozen chopped spinach, drained (you may only want to use about half of the package)
1 14 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp black paper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside. 

Cook pasta according to directions (cook about 7 minutes).  Drain and return to pot. 

Add the sauce, chicken, spinach, artichokes, 1 tsp salt and pepper to the pasta. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper if necessary. 

Pour half of the pasta into the baking dish.  Top with half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Add the remaining pasta and top with the remaining cheese. 

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Take off the foil and return to oven.  Turn on the broiler for 3 minutes or so, until the cheese is browned and bubbly. 


Source: Tide and Thyme

Tuscan Pasta

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into small cubes
8 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and chopped
2 cups milk
2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more if needed
optional: fresh diced tomatoes and chopped basil

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package.  Drain and drizzle with olive oil and set aside. 

In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn.  Stir in the basil.  Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth.  It will look curled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy past.  Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. 

Over medium heat, add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated into the sauce.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt.  Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency.  

Serve over the noodles. 

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Tortellini tomato soup

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

3 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans vegetable broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or dried basil, be sure to check the conversion of fresh to dried)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 packages of frozen cheese tortellini

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the bay leaves. 

Add the tomatoes and broth.  Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper.  Simmer on low for 15 minutes

Remove the bay leaves.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup.  

Stir in the yogurt until well combined.  

Stir in the tortellini and cook on medium heat until cooked, about 7-8 minutes. 

Source: Two Peas and their Pod

Black Bean Tacos with Avocado Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 cup salsa

1 tsp cumin

corn tortillas

Your favorite taco toppings

Sauce:

1/2 ripe avocado

3/4 cup cilantro, stems removed

juice of 1 lime

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp honey

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

To make the sauce:

Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender or a food processor.  Blend until smooth.  You can add a bit of water if needed.  

To make the bean filling:

In a saucepan, combine beans, salsa and cumin.  Heat while stirring until heated through. Mash the beans slightly for a creamier filling. 

Assemble the tacos: 

Spoon the black bean mixture down the center of the tacos and top with the avocado sauce and your favorite toppings. 

Source: The Garden Grazer

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

1 pound 1% cottage cheese

2 large eggs

1 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded

1 pound ziti or rigatoni

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon sugar

pepper

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup milk

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubes in 1/4 inch cubes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º.  Lightly grease 9x13 pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, eggs and 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese. 

Cook pasta in a pot of salted water until it softens, but isn't cooked all the way (about 3 minutes short of the package directions) It will continue to cook in the oven. 

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and add garlic.  When garlic is fragrant, but not browned, stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, basil and oregano.  Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Take off heat and season with salt and pepper. 

Drain pasta and leave in colander.  Whisk together the cornstarch and milk.  Pour it into the empty pot on medium heat.  Bring the milk to a simmer and cook until thickened, whisking constantly (3-4 minutes)

Remove the pot from the heat and add the cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup or so of the simmered tomato sauce, and half of the mozzarella cubes. Stir to combine. 

Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat well with the saucy mixture. 

Transfer the pasta to the prepared pan and pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the pasta. 

Spread the remaining mozzarella cubes and remaining parmesan cheese over the top.  

Cover the baking dish with foil that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake for about 30 minutes. 

Remove the foil and and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. 

Notes

Freezable Meal: Prepare the recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil that's been lightly greased with cooking spray. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase the time by another 20 minutes or so. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Salmon Chowder

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups potatoes, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grown black pepper

1teaspoon dried dill weed

1 lb salmon, cooked (seasoned with salt and pepper and baked)

1 can evaporated milk  (12 oz)

1 can creamed corn

1 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Sauté onion and celery until tender.  Add garlic powder.  Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, pepper and dill.  

Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes. 

Stir in salmon, evaporated milk, corm and cheese. 

Cook until heated through. 

Don't forget the Cheez-its!

Source: Allrecipies

Green Chili Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

4 green onions, chopped (separate the light and dark portions)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can green chilies

2 tsp lime zest

3 tbsp lime juice

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups instant rice (DO NOT USE REGULAR RICE)

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

Heat oil over medium high heat.  Add chicken and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until cooked through.  Add in the lighter portions of the green onions and garlic when there is about 1 minutes left of cooking the chicken. 

Stir in broth, green portion of green onions, green chilies, lime zest, lime juice, black beans and season with salt and pepper.  

Bring to a boil and add rice.  Stir until rice is well mixed.  Allow to boil for 20 seconds and remove from heat.  Immediately cover with a lid and let rest 5-6  minutes. 

If needed, return pan to medium heat and continue cooking rice if there is excess moisture.  Remove form heat, add cilantro and rest for 3 minutes. 

Cooking Classy

Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts cooked in skillet with chicken broth (see below)

10 MINUTES MARINADE

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup lime

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2-1 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 16oz bottle salsa verde (I used Herdez)

8-10 uncooked flour tortillas

3 cups pepper jack cheese, optional

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

GARNISH

sour cream

cilantro

Directions

 Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot.  Add chicken and cook 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown on one side.  Flip chicken over, then add 1 cup chicken broth to skillet.  Cover and reduce heat to medium and simmer 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tender enough to shred. Add more broth if needed.  Remove from skillet and rest for 5 minutes before shredding. 

In a large bow, whisk together the marinade ingredients and add shredded chicken.  Let marinade for 10  minutes. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with spray and pour 1/4 cup salsa verde evenly over the bottom.  It will barely cover.  Save the rest. 

Cook the tortillas according to directions.

Remove chicken from marinade to a plate.  Add the rest of the salsa to the marinade, stir and set aside. 

Assemble enchiladas by filling each tortilla with chicken and a small handful of cheese.  Roll each tortilla and place in the baking pan.  Pour the salsa verde mix over the enchiladas and add cheese to the top. 

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes then broil until cheese is golden. 

Chicken Pasta with Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

Ingredients: 

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small jar of sun-dried tomatoes. You could also use the dried ones found in a bag. 
1 lb chicken breasts
salt
paprika, just a sprinkle
1 cup half and half
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
8 oz penne pasta
1 T of dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you like it spicy!
1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water, or more

Instructions:

In a large skillet, on high heat, sauté garlic and tomatoes.  You can use olive oil or the oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes.  Sauté the garlic until it is fragrant. Remove the tomatoes from the pan. 

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and paprika, then add it to the pan.  Cook on each side until cooked through. Remove from heat. 

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Reserve some of the cooked pasta water.  Drain and rinse cooked pasta with cold water. 

Slice tomatoes into small pieces and return to the skillet with chicken. 

Add half and half and cheese.  Bring to a gentle boil. 

Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly until the cheese melts and the sauce turns creamy and thickens. (you can thin it out with the reserved pasta water in the following steps if it's too thick)

Add the pasta to the skillet and combine. 

Add basil, red pepper flakes and stir. 

Add about 1/2 cup of the cooked pasta water to help thin out the sauce. 

Season the pasta with salt and more pepper flakes, if needed.  Let simmer for a few minutes. 

Source: Julia's Album

Roast Beef Cheesesteaks

This is a yummy version of the traditional cheeseteak sandwhich that is less messy, but just as delicious!

Roast Beef Cheesesteaks

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 pound sliced roast beef, from deli

1/3 cup beef broth

4-6 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes

2 containers refrigerated crescent rolls

Swiss cheese, cut into strips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375º

In a large skillet, saute onion and pepper over medium heat until soft and the onions are transparent. 

Coarsely chop roast beef and add to onions and peppers.  Stir until the beef is heated through. 

Add beef broth and cream cheese (add the cream cheese a few cubes at a time and add more if you desire more creaminess).  Stir until cheese is melted. 

Lay out the crescent rolls and lay a strip of Swiss cheese in center. 

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of roast beef mixture over the Swiss cheese.  Roll up and pinch the sides of the roll closed. 

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet or baking mat.  Bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. 

Source (with a few tweaks) Favorite Family Recipes

Cheesy Rice, Corn and Chicken

This is such a comfort food meal. 

 It's warm and cheesy and full of rice.  It's filling and delicious.  

And it's so easy to make!  To make it even easier, you can cook the rice the day before!

Cheesy Rice, Corn and Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/8 cup of chopped onion (chopped very small)

1 box of yellow rice mix (Zatarain's is a yummy brand), cooked according to directions. 

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 small bag of frozen corn

Directions

Place chicken in the crock pot and sprinkle onion over the top. 

Spoon the soup over the top of that the onion and chicken.

Cook on low until the chicken is cooked through

Shred chicken. 

Return it to the crock pot and add in the corn, rice and cheese.  Let cook until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.  

Stir and serve.

Source:  Southern Plate

Mexican Pizza: Taco Bell Copycat

I don't eat a lot of fast food, but I think I could go to Taco Bell everyday of my life.  

I always order from the same three things on their menu.  A Mexican Pizza (no meat, because I was a vegetarian for 5 years, and I've never gone back to eating a Mexican Pizza with meat), a bean burrito, please add tomatoes or a Double Decker (with no meat).

As I was scrolling through Pintersest, I noticed a copy cat recipe for the Mexican Pizza.  

I made my shopping list and went to the store as soon as I could!  I even bought the bottled Fire Sauce because I was so excited to make my own Mexican Pizza!

It's so close to the real thing that I ate one every day until I ran out of tortillas. 

Mexican Pizza: Taco Bell Copycat

Ingredients:

1 package of medium sized flour tortillas

1 can refried beans

1 can can of red enchilada sauce

shredded cheddar cheese

shredded pepper jack cheese

1 tomato, diced

1 small can olives

1 green onion, diced

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 375º. 

Line a baking sheet with foil and place 2 tortillas on the foil. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Flip tortillas over and bake the other side for about 5 minutes or until they are browning and getting crisp.  Remove from oven and set aside. 

Spoon refried beans into a bowl and microwave until the are heated through. 

Spread the beans over one of the tortillas and place the other tortilla on top.  

Spread a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce over the top tortilla, and cover with pepper jack and cheddar cheese.  Add a few tomatoes, onion and olives. 

Place tortillas back on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted through. 

Remove from oven, slice in half both ways, smother with your favorite taco sauce and eat it up!

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

I'm SUCH a sucker for cheesy potatoes. 

 I love cheese. 

 I love potatoes.  

I love cheesy potatoes. 

This meal is so topped with some sour cream and a side of broccoli!  

Is it normal that my mouth waters just looking at this picture? 

Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

3-4 Russet potatoes. scrubbed and diced (about 4 1/2 cups)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced (optional)

4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease a 9x9 casserole dish. 

Spread half of the potatoes across the bottom of the pan.  Place diced chicken across the top, evenly. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of each salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with 1/2 the bacon crumbles, 1/2 of the cheese and 1/2 of the green onions. 

Spread the remaining potatoes on top, followed by the rest of the bacon, 1/2 cup of cheese, rest of the green onions, salt and pepper.  Pour heavy cream over the top of the casserole and scatter the butter pieces across the entire pan.  

Cover with foil and back for 1 hour.  Uncover and back another 30 minutes.  

In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese and bake until melted. 

Serve

*Always make sure your chicken was cooked to an internal temp of 160º before eating. 

Source: Inspire Dreamer

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Don't you love when you make something and then because it's tastes so incredible, you eat it for lunch every. single. day until it is gone.  

And even then, you wish you had more? 

That's how I felt/acted with this pasta.  I would look forward to lunchtime (more than usual) because I could not wait to devour another bowlful of the creamy sun-dried tomato pasta.  

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

 

Ingredients: 

1 pound bow tie noodles, cooked

4 tablespoons butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tablespoon dried basil

8 ounces cream cheese, softened and diced into 8 pieces

8 ounce jar sun dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and chopped

2 cups milk

6 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Diced fresh tomatoes and fresh basil for topping (optional) 

Directions:

Cook noodles according the package and toss with a bit of olive oil.  Set aside while you make the sauce. 

In a skillet, melt butter over a medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Do not let the garlic burn.  Stir in the dried basil.  Add the cream cheese and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes. 

Over medium heat, gradually add the milk about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce.  Stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. 

Continue stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency. 

Pour in cooked, hot noddles and drool away!

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Baked Ravioli

Sometimes, you don't really want to cook.  You don't want to chop and dice and measure and mix and pour and marinate.  

Sometimes, you just want to add three ingredients to a pan and bake.  That's exactly what this is.  

It's so easy. 

Baked Ravioli

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen cheese ravioli

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

Shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Directions:

In a casserole dish layer ravioli (don't let them overlap too much), sauce and cheese (in that order) evenly until you've run out of ingredients. Cover with foil and bake in the oven on 350º until cheesy is bubbly and the ravioli is heated through. 

Serve with garlic bread!

Source: Mom Mart

Chicken and Wild Rice

As much as I try to back off using Cream of.....anything.  

I just keep going back to the comfort in a can!  

This was a really filling meal that the whole family enjoyed!

Chicken and Wild Rice 

Ingredients:

1 6 oz package long grain and wild rice mix

1 medium onion, chipped (1/2 cup)

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoon  fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 cups chooked chicken, shredded

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:

Prepare the rice according to the directions. 

 Preheat oven to 350º.  In a large skillet, melt butter and cook onion and celery until tender. Stir in soup, sour cream and basil.  Stir in cooked rice and chicken. 

Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until heated through. 

Enjoy. 

Source:  Better Homes and Garden

Root Beer Pork

The best place to search for new recipes is the Internet.  Raise your hand if you use Pinterest!  The Internet is where I find a majority of my meal ideas, but occasionally, I'll find one in a magazine as I'm flipping through its pages.   I found this one in a magazine, but the irony is, it credits the recipe to allrecipies.com.  

Go figure!

Root Beer Pork

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1 12 oz can of root beer

1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Hamburger buns

Directions:

Place the pork in the slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat.  Cover and cook on low about 5-6 hours or until well cooked and shreds easily. 

Drain well and stir in BBQ sauce.  Serve over hamburger buns. 

Baked Salmon with Tomatoes and Green Beans

It's taken me a very long time to convert to eating salmon.  The only fish I usually eat is sushi.   And I only eat the safe stuff that has cream cheese in it too.  But, knowing the health benefits of eating fish, I make sure to serve it to my family regularly.  This all-in-one dish is an easy way to get an entire meal prepared and it includes salmon.  Bonus!

Baked Salmon with Tomatoes and Green Beans

 

Ingredients:

A couple handful's of grape tomatoes, sliced

A couple handful's of green beans

Salmon (as much as you think you'll eat)

Butter

Olive Oil

Garlic and Herb dry seasoning

Directions

Lay the tomatoes on one side of a casserole dish, salmon in the center and the green beans on the other. 

Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and place a few dollops of butter (or margarine) over each section and sprinkle with the Garlic and Herb dry seasoning. 

Bake at 350º until the salmon is cooked through.  About 20-30 minutes. 

**The first few times I made this the green beans needed more time than the salmon, so now I saute the green beans a bit before I put the in the dish so they'll be ready in time.  I also take aluminum foil and cover just the green bean side to help them cook faster.

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

What is up with my blurry picture?!  

It doesn't even matter. 

This pasta is amazing!  

This is one of those pastas that you could keep in the "company is coming over and I need something to serve" arsenal.  

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Penne pasta

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 tablespoon of your favorite all-purpose seasoning

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour and 1 tablespoon flour

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups milk

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, in oil, diced

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

1/4 cup Italian seasoning bread crumbs

Directions

Cook the Penne according to the directions. Leave a bit undercooked because they are going to bake in the oven and you don't want mushy pasta.

Preheat oven to 400º

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. 

Dice chicken into small pieces and season with the all purpose seasoning.  Cook in a skillet until cooked through. 

In a large pot, or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add flour and garlic, whisk and cook for about 1 minute.  Gradually add milk while whisking and bring to a simmer.  Be sure to whisk frequently until the sauce thickens.  

Add tomatoes and cook for about a minute.  

Take of heat and add mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. 

Add chicken and pasta to sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and bread crumbs. 

Bake about 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. 

Source:  The Art of Comfort Baking

Cream Cheese Cucumber Wraps

    

These are a tasty variation of a deli sandwich! 

 I love the hint of dill!  

 Cream Cheese Cucumber Wraps

                          

Ingredients:

Tortilla 
Cream Cheese
Deli Meat
Cucumbers
Dried Dill Weed
Onion Powder

Directions:

Warm the tortillas just enough so they are pliable.  Let the cream cheese soften so it spreads easily.

Spread cream cheese over the surface of the tortilla, sprinkle with dill and onion powder.  Lay down some deli meat and sliced cucumbers.

Roll tightly and enjoy! (Add fresh avocado or alfalfa sprouts as a bonus!)