Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

Source: KraftFoods.com


Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 43 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach leaves
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts (I usually use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or a rotisserie chicken), cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp. dried basil leaves (or 1 T. fresh basil, chopped)
• 1 jar (14-1/2 oz.) spaghetti sauce
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchâtel Cheese, cubed
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
• 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Cook pasta as directed on package, adding spinach to the boiling water the last minute.
3. Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 min. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 3 min. or until chicken is done. Stir in Neufchâtel.
4. Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole or 8-inch square baking dish.
5. Bake 20 min.; top with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 min. or until mozzarella is melted.
   

Comments: I love this recipe because it has all my favorite pasta components: penne, spinach, basil, chicken (which is what I choose when I can't get shrimp!), multiple cheeses, and it's baked. Plus, it's healthy, easy, and quick! (I usually double this recipe so we have plenty for leftovers.)

Sour Cream Lemon Pie

Source: Kim Blanchard

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20
Cooking time: 15
Total time: 35 minutes then chill at least 6 hours

Ingredients:

· 1 large baked pie shell or graham cracker crust ( I usually use the Graham Cracker crust)

· 1 cup sugar
· 4 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch
· 1.5 cups milk
· Yolks from 4 – 5 large eggs
· 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon peel
· 1/3 cup lemon juice
· ½ stick butter- melted
· 1.5 cups sour cream

In blender mix: egg yolks, milk, cornstarch, lemon peel and juice. Pour mixture into large sauce pan and add the sugar and butter. Cook over medium heat just until boiling stirring constantly. It will get very thick. Remove from heat and cover surface with plastic wrap to keep skin from forming. Cool. Stir in sour cream until well blended. Pour into pie shell. Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 6 hours until set or up to 2 days. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream.

Comments: I make this recipe with fat free sour cream and low fat milk and it is just delicious! Of course the whipped cream on the top adds too! Also the pie shown I made for St. Patrick’s Day and added green food coloring to make it green, normally of course it would be yellow.

Corned Beef and Cabbage - Gallagher Style

This is the easiest of recipes!

I purchase a corned beef brisket - either flat or point cut, I usually get what is on sale. And I often buy two or more because they really cook down, there is a lot of fat. I cut open the bag, drop the brisket into the crock pot and cover with water. I always include the little seasoning packet AND (this is the secret ingredient) the peel of a whole orange. Then I cook it for at least 24 hours.

About 45 mintues before serving, I drain my broth/brine from the crock pot into a large bowl. I now skim off the fat and run the broth/brine through a strainer to get out the gunk that settles to the bottom of the crock pot. Then put lots of chunked red potatoes and peeled carrots into a large pan on the stove top and then cover the vegetables with the strained broth/brine and boil until soft. Then about 10 minutes before serving, place wedges of cabbage on top of the potatoes and carrots and baste slightly to get the brine over all and let it steam.

Drain all and serve hot. And of course you must have some yummy mustards to serve with the corned beef. Our favorites are honey mustard and spicy hot!

Luck o the Irish to ye!

Café Rio Chicken

Source: 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Servings: 8-12 (?)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5-7 hours
Total Time: 5-7 hours

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thawed (I used both breasts and thighs)
• 1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian dressing (I used the fat free kind)
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 T. cumin
• 3 cloves minced garlic

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a bowl.
2. Place chicken on bottom of a greased crockpot. Pour mixture in bowl over the top of chicken. Cook on high 5-7 hours.
3. Shred chicken with a fork and reserve juice to pour over chicken when serving.

Comments: This was SO good! I could eat homemade Café Rio every day, but the pork barbacoa we make is probably not the most conducive to weight loss. So, I found this chicken recipe on the CrockPot cooking blog that both Scott and my dad had told me about. Now I feel a little better about indulging in our homemade salads and burritos (of course, paired with the cilantro rice and creamy tomatillo dressing). The pork's still my favorite, but this chicken is a close second!

Red & White Lasagna

Source: Wendy Brown Johnson (or American Beauty pasta!)


Servings: 12
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15-30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 lb. Italian sausage or ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 (26 oz.) jar marinara pasta sauce
• 1 (16 oz.) jar Alfredo pasta sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook lasagna noodles.
3. Combine ricotta (cottage) cheese, spinach, mozzarella, 2 T. Parmesan, and eggs; mix well.
4. In a 15 x 9 baking dish, spread 1 c. marinara.
5. Layer 4 noodles.
6. Top with half of the cheese mixture, 1 c. marinara, and all the cooked sausage.
7. Layer with 4 more noodles, remaining cheese mixture, and remaining marinara.
8. Top with 4 remaining noodles.
9. Spread Alfredo evenly on top and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
10. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.
11. Uncover and bake for additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
12. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Comments: I stole this recipe off of my pal Wendy's blog (and she apparently stole it off of the American Beauty lasagna box). She claimed that it was the best lasagna she'd ever had, and since Wendy and Nick Johnson are culinary connoisseurs (their cheesecakes are to die for!), I had to try it for myself.