Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

Have you ever been cooking something and then sample your creation before it's done? I think most cooks do. But, have you ever kept sampling and then had to make yourself stop because if you didn't, there wouldn't be any dinner? That's what happened with me while I was making this dish. I couldn't stop licking the bowl after I poured out the sauce. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was just that good. Seriously, you need to make this!

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1/6th • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 313 • Fat: 9.9 g • Protein: 27.2 g • Carb: 31.2 g • Fiber: 4.4 g • Sugar: 2.6 g
Sodium: 256.7 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

6 oz Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (or no-yolk)
2 tsp oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin (I always used chopped garlic)
12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped (I used frozen broccoli, cooked)
1 tbsp butter
1 medium shallot, minced
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
1 cup 1% milk
12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast (I used canned chicken)
4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar
cooking spray
3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs (I used panko bread crumbs cuz that's what I had)

Directions:

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the shallot andcook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.

Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).

Kraft Chicken Lo Mein

My family loved to order Chinese food growing up! We occasionally made it too, but the time and effort into making it took too long for my liking. When I ran across this recipe for Kraft's Easy Chicken Lo Mein recipe, I knew I had to try it.  My husband didn't grow up with my family's passion for Chinese food, so he's OK with it once in a while. He raved about this recipe! I liked it a lot as well, even though it's nothing like take-out. Way easy and totally yummy!

Kraft's Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. spaghetti, uncooked
• 1/4 cup Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen bell pepper and onion strips, thawed, drained (I couldn't find these so I just used a stir-fry mix and LOVED it)
• 1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
• 1/4 cup lite soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. chopped Planters Cocktail Peanuts

directions

• 1 Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package.
• 2 Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; stir-fry 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Add peppers, onions, broth and peanut butter; stir-fry an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• 3 Drain spaghetti; return to pan. Add chicken mixture and soy sauce; mix well. Spoon onto serving platter; sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts

Penne with Sausage, Red Potatoes, and Green Beans

I LOVE THE FOOD NANNY! She's a super sweet lady (I've met her) that compiled her favorite recipes for families to gather round the table at dinner time. They're usually just good comfort food. When I saw this recipe for Penne with Sausage, Red Potatoes, and Green Beans, in LDS Living magazine, I knew I wanted to try it! I was not disappointed. It was filling, but light because of the green beans and potatoes. Hope you enjoy it!

Penne with Sausage, Red Potatoes, and Green Beans
4 servings

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
4 small red potatoes, quartered
8 ounces low-fat spicy bulk Italian sausage
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half (see Note)
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Romano, Asiago, or Parmesan cheese, plus additional

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

2. Steam the potatoes or cook them in boiling salted water until tender.  At the same time, steam the beans or cook in the microwave until tender, 6 to 12 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion is soft and the sausage is completely cooked.  Pour in the broth and simmer for 3 minutes.  Stir in the olive oil and butter until the butter melts.  Add the green beans, potatoes, and pasta.  Mix well with a large spoon.  Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

4. Decrease the heat to low and sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over the mixture.  Cover the pan and cook a few more minutes until the cheese is melted.

5. Serve immediately in the same pot or spoon the mixture into a large, shallow serving bowl or deep platter. Pass the extra cheese.

Note: As a speedy alternative to preparing fresh beans, heat 1 (14.5-ounce) can of cut green beans drained, in the microwave and add them with the potatoes and pasta.

Jana's clean-out-the-cupboard Pasta Salad

I used to never make up my own recipes. I really only do so now if there is a need. The other day I NEEDED to use up some produce and so this recipe came about. Pretty tasty if I do say so myself.

Jana's clean-out-the-cupboard Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
6 oz cooked pasta shells
2 tomatoes, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 can olives, sliced
1/2 cucumber diced
Italian dressing to coat

Directions:
Combine all ingredients.

Here are the results:

Peanut Butter Noodles

Asian food is a favorite of mine, but it always takes too long to make, until now. These peanut butter noodles are so easy. I couldn't find UDON noodles anywhere so I just got low mein noodles in the Asian section of the grocery store. It was fairly good. Here's the recipe:

Peanut Butter Noodles
Ingredients:
1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1 1/2 TBS. minced fresh ginger root
3 TBS. Soy sauce
3 TBS Peanut Butter
1 1/2 TBS honey
2tsp hot chile paste (optional
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz Udon Noodles
1/4 C chopped green onions
1/4 C chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, chili paste, and garlic in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peanut butter melts and is heated through. Add noodles, and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and peanuts.


Here are the results:

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff I

I've been hearing from tons of people they got snow here in Utah. Thankfully, it must have skipped over our house because I'm not ready. With cold weather upon us, it's the perfect time to break out the old crock pot. This recipe is very highly rated on allrecipes.com but I've never had an opportunity to try it..... until now. I was a little weary because I've tried beef stroganoff in a slow cooker before and it turned out terrible. This, however, was EXCELLENT and I'm keeping it for sure.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff I

Ingredients:
1 pound cubed beef stew meat
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
4 ounces cream cheese

Directions:
1. In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.

Here are my results:

Spaghetti Pizza

Every once in a while, you run across a recipe you know will become a family staple. I thought this recipe that combined Pizza and Spaghetti was a great idea and it turns out, it was. Nothing that blows your socks off, but still pretty good. Hubby says it tastes like lasagna, but that's a good thing in his eyes. Great recipe the kids will love.

Spaghetti Pizza I
Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
4 ounces pepperoni sausage, sliced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and cool.
3. Beat egg in large bowl, add milk, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt and garlic salt. Stir in cooked spaghetti, mix well.
4. Spread mixture evenly in greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Spread sauce over spaghetti. Sprinkle with oregano, basil and the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Top with pepperoni, return to oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Here are the results:

Pasta Pomodoro

It's not everyday that you find a recipe that taste like it came from a restaurant AND it's easy to make. My cute sister had me over to taste this new recipe she was trying called Pasta Pomodoro. It was so divine! I think the one thing she added was sauteed diced red peppers. I made it the next week without the peppers and it was just as good. I did add chicken for my meat-lovin husband and used canned diced tomatoes for ease and it turned out fabulous. Hubby really liked it too!

Pasta Pomodoro
Ingredients:
2 (8 ounce) packages angel hair pasta (This makes ALOT, you might want to reduce)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 (10.75 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
crushed red pepper to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Pour olive oil in a large deep skillet over high-heat. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, vinegar and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in red pepper, black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated cheese.

Here are the results:

Pasta Review Day

I have recently tried TWO fabulous pasta dishes. The first one is from allrecipes.com. I was a little unsure of this dish when it was going into the oven because I tasted the sauce and did not like it. But to my amazement, baking it changed it in a way I can't describe. I also think the pairing of spinach balanced out the sauce.

Baked Lemon-Basil Pasta
Ingredients:
3 cups bow tie pasta
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half -cut into bite-size pieces
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 cup margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine (I used chicken broth)
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup torn fresh spinach

Directions:
1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the bow tie pasta; return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain.
2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Season chicken with lemon pepper.
3. Melt the margarine with the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the chicken pieces until no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken pieces, and place them in the bottom of a casserole dish.
4. To the same skillet, add the garlic, white wine, sour cream, basil, lemon zest, and 1/2 of the lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove the skillet from the heat; stir in the pasta. Spoon the pasta and sauce mixture over the chicken. Cover with foil.
5.Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 15 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, parsley, spinach, and drizzle with the remaining lemon juice. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Here are the results:


The second recipe comes from Everyday Food with Martha Stewart. Although I'm not a big Martha Stewart fan, the Everyday Food show and recipes always seem to be easy and delicious. I had to use some extra ingredients I had laying around and this was the best way to use them up.

Penne with Ricotta and Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
* 1/3 cup pine nuts
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1 pound penne pasta (I used whole wheat pasta)
* 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach, well washed
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Add spinach during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain; return pasta and spinach to pot. Add oil; season generously with salt and pepper. Toss well.
3. Serve immediately, topped with ricotta, pine nuts, and Parmesan.

Here are the results:

My Valentine's Day Recipes Part 3

For the main dish of my Valentine's Day Meal, I decided to try something a little more fancy. Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce was the star of the show, who else but The Pioneer Woman would I go to for a fabulous recipe. It was more somewhat time consuming to make, but it was worth it!

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients
* 3 whole Red Bell Peppers
* 2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts (optional)
* 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* ½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
* 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
* ½ cups Heavy Cream
* Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Minced
* Fresh Parmesan, Shaved Or Grated
* ½ pounds (to 1 Pound) Pasta: Orecchiette, Penne, Fusilli, Etc.
Directions:
Roast red peppers, and then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside.
Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.
Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt.
Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, and then stir together.
Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan.

Here are my results:

Great Greek Pasta

I just have to rave about my favorite cookbook at least once on my blog! Saving Dinner (by Leanne Ely) is the best cookbook I own. There, I said it. The concept is to shop once a week and then make dinners that take less than 30 minutes to prepare. They are usually easy and 98% of the time delicious!

Whenever I have company over, my go-to recipe is Great Greek Pasta from her book. I just found her recipe she published online so I'll link it here.

Great Greek Pasta
Serves 6

1 pound rigatoni, uncooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 small red onion, chopped
3 boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons oregano

In a large pot, bring water to boil for pasta. Cook till al dente, drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion, and saute till translucent, but not brown. Add chicken and cook until chicken is done, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low and add tomato, feta, lemon juice and oregano. Add pasta. Stir until completely heated through, salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Per Serving: 482 Calories; 8g Fat; 39g Protein; 61g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 80mg Cholesterol; 224mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with a huge spinach salad. I make mine with baby spinach, thinly sliced red onion, a smattering of raisins, some hard boiled egg if I have it and a balsamic vinaigrette.

VEGETARIANS: Skip the chicken and add a can of drained and rinsed white beans. YUM!

KOSHER: Skip the cheese or chicken.

GLUTEN FREE: Make sure the pasta is gluten free OR you could serve this atop a bed of brown rice.

Here are the results:



Doesn't that look yummy??!!

I'm trying to get people to come over for dinner more often so just give me a shout out! (you may or may not be experimented on just to warn you!)

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo

My DH always get Fettuccine Alfredo when we go out to Olive Garden. It's his all-time favorite. Which is why I was really excited when I found this recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo. My husband said he really liked it but I wasn't a big fan. Here's the recipe I used.

Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
8 ounces Cream cheese -- cut in bits
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated
1/2 cup Butter or margarine
1/2 cup Milk
8 ounces Fettuccine; cook -- drain

In large saucepan combine cream cheese Parmesan, butter and
milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Toss pasta lightly with
sauce, coating well. Leftovers freeze well.

Here's a pic:
Now that I've cleared that up..... My favorite recipe I've tried so far for Fettuccine Alfredo has to be this one. Here's the recipe:
Homemade Chicken Fettuccine :
Ingredients:

• 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown chicken and mushrooms in butter until chicken is cooked through. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Add whipping cream and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan cheese when at desired consistency. Serve over noodles.

Baked Lemon Pasta

If you haven't heard of The Pioneer Woman, shame on you! Not only does she write an entertaining blog, she has some pretty good recipes on there. I'm always on a quest for a good pasta salad, so when I came across her Baked Lemon Pasta recipe, I knew I had to try it.

Instead of baking it, I took her suggestion for a cold pasta salad and refrigerated it. I actually think loses most of it's flavor when it's cold. I would also recommend using a different pasta if you know you are serving it cold because spaghetti just gets messy cold.

Served cold, I probably wouldn't make it again, but the next day I microwaved it and it was way YUMMY! I imagine that's how it would taste if I baked it like the original recipe said. I'm sure it's not low in fat, but it was good and I'll save the recipe for sure.

Here's the final product:

Tomato, Basil and Cheese Baked Pasta

I was really in the mood for a pasta bake today and got online to try and find a really good recipe. I came across this recipe from Rachael Ray that looked pretty good. I have to say, I am a fan of quick meals and her idea of 30 minute meals sounds really good, but most of the time, I don't have the ingredients she calls for and it takes me an hour to make her recipes. But despite all that, I decided to give this recipe a try.

Here is the end results:It turned out very tasty! My husband gave it 5 stars and he doesn't do that very often. It was my very first experience with Ricotta cheese and it turned out great. I did use dried basil instead of fresh basil since it costs an arms and a leg, but other than that I followed the directions. It took me about 50 minutes to make, which was pretty good considering Rachael Ray said it should take about 40. This one's going into my recipe box for sure!

Here's the full recipe:

Tomato, Basil and Cheese Baked Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 pound small shell pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1/2 small to medium yellow onion
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian tomatoes, any brand
• 1/2 cup, 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup store bought basil pesto sauce
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 10 minutes.
Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.
Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for a slow, steady stream. Add the garlic to the oil. To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped up onion to the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring a lot, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.
Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and peppe, to your taste.
Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
Drain pasta shells. Add them to a casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like. You can always serve a little extra at the table, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella as well. Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.