Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tbsp steak seasoning
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb linguine noodles
1 tbsp salt
1 scant cup chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 basil leaves, chiffonaded
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Layer chicken between wax paper and pound breasts to even thickness. In a small bowl, mix the egg, milk, lemon juice and garlic powder. Pour mixture into ziploc bag with chicken. Seal and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. After marinating, whisk together flour, bread crumbs, salt, baking powder, and steak seasoning in a medium bowl. Remove chicken from milk mixture, shake off excess, and coat in flour mixture. Add 1 tbsp of salt to a large pot of water and bring to boil. Boil noodles according to package. Then, in a medium saucepan, heat chicken broth over medium high heat, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in heavy cream, cornstarch, and garlic. Bring to a soft boil and stir for one minute. Reduce heat to low, add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 mins to melt cheese, let thicken, and incorporate flavors. Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter just starts to turn brown, arrange chicken in skillet. Cook 4-5 mins each side until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through. While chicken is cooking, chop fresh herbs and stir into Alfredo sauce right before serving. Serve sauce over pasta and chicken.

Queso Bites

Shopping List
1 pound of breakfast sausage
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 (16 oz) package of Velveeta cheese (you only need half of it)
1 (10 oz) can of Rotel
3 (12-count each) boxes of mini puff pastry shells (found in the freezer department)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with Pam for easy clean up.  Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high, brown up your sausage in a drizzle of EVOO until it’s browned and crumbly.

Next, reduce heat to medium-low and stir in about half of the Velveeta (you need about 8 oz) and your Rotel.   Stir everything together until the cheese is melted.   Then take each one of your mini puff pastry shells and add about a tablespoon of filling to each one.  Place each shell on your prepared baking sheet.  Once all of your shells are filled, pop your baking sheet in the oven and bake about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Queso Bites from Mix & Match Mama 

Meatball Mozzarella Bake

http://mixandmatchmama.com/2017/02/meatball-mozzarella-bake/ 

This recipe serves about six.

Shopping List
1 (1 pound bag) of fully cooked frozen (or refrigerated!) Italian-style meatballs (either pork, turkey or chicken)
1 (pound box) of penne pasta (I used whole wheat)
2 (8 oz) cans of tomato sauce
1 (14 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
grated Parmesan cheese to garnish
chopped parsley to garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Add all of your fully cooked and frozen (or refrigerated!) meatballs to the baking dish and spread them out.  Set baking dish aside.

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil.  Drop your pasta in and cook to al dente (about 7 to 8 minutes).  Drain water from pasta once it’s cooked and reserve cooked pasta.

In a mixing bowl, stir together your tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning.  Pour this tomato mixture down over your hot, cooked pasta and toss together.

Next, you assemble: Pour your pasta with the sauce down over your meatballs in the baking dish.  Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese down over everything and pop this in your preheated oven to bake about 18 to 20 minutes or until it’s bubbly and the edges brown up a little bit.  (I tried this once with frozen and once with refrigerated meatballs and they baked up the same.)

Once your casserole is browned and bubbly, remove it from the oven and garnish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some chopped parsley.

Serve.

King Ranch Chicken with Pasta

http://rosemaryandthegoat.com/2012/11/22/king-ranch-pasta/

King Ranch Spaghetti

1 whole chicken, boiled, chopped or shredded (reserve 2 cups broth)
1 c. onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 c. sour cream
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Rotel Tomatoes (tomatoes with green chiles)
1/2 pkg. fresh spinach, cut in thin strips
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 lb. pkg. spaghetti

Put the chicken in water and boil until tender. Remove chicken, cool and chop or shred and set aside.

Saute the onion in the olive oil until wilted, about 5-6 minutes. Add the green chiles, sour cream, mushroom soup, Rotel tomatoes and spices.

Cook the spaghetti in the broth until al dente. Reserve about 2 cups of the brother for later in case you need to thin the sauce.

Put the cooked spaghetti in a large bowl, stir in the sauce, the spinach and 1 cup of the cheese. If it looks too thick add some of the reserved chicken broth. Put the spaghetti in a greased baking dish (I didn’t say casserole  ) top with remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake in 350° oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.**

**Tip:To keep your cheese from sticking to the foil (I just hate that), spray the foil with cooking spray. Works every time.

To use the sauce for the traditional King Ranch Casserole– Put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your 9 x 11″ pan. I always dipped my corn tortillas into the chicken broth for a quick soak. Tear up about 5-6 corn tortillas after you have dipped in the broth and put this on top of the sauce. Follow with some chopped up chicken, more soaked and torn corn tortillas, more chicken and end with sauce and then cheese. I never put cheese in between the layers but if you want a more cheesy casserole feel free to add whatever cheese you may want. Bake until hot and bubbly. I use to make this the day before refrigerate and then bake the day I was serving. If you do that then baking time may be around 1 hour 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!