Yaki Udon

Our family has really developed a craving for sushi or Japanese cuisine. We give the credit to Jack for that! He has become quite the sushi maker and we the connoisseurs-aren't we lucky!   Jack recently made some "organic Udon authentic Japanese wheat noodles" they were great but I think a thin linguine will be a great substitute (One we will probably have to use more often then not.  We can't come by Japanese noodles easily in our parts.) When we get around a "World Market" we like to see what fun things we can try.  Jack picked noodles up and we tried the recipe on the back of the package. These were a huge hit at our table, so much so, that Jack had to make them again the next day for lunch.  The kids loved them and could eat the whole recipe by themselves if we would allow it.  Gotta love a recipe like that!

Yaki Udon
(Serves 5 according to package)

9.5 oz Hakubaku Udon Noodles or Thin linguine
7.5 oz Chicken breast, finely sliced
1/2 Medium onion, finely sliced (we used our favorite sweet onion here)
1 Carrot, finely sliced
3 oz Cabbage, finely sliced
3 Spring onions, cut on angle
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Pinch of salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the Udon Noodles for 4 minutes, (for linguine according to package for al dente) drain, then rinse well under cold water. Put olive oil into frying pan and heat up.  Cook chicken thoroughly, then cook onion, carrot, cabbage, and noodles lightly.  Once everything is warmed up, add spring onion, pinch of salt, pepper, and soy sauce.  Toss in pan. Serve

Teriyaki Chicken and Noodles

It has been a while since I posted anything! I finally cooked something that got rave reviews from my kids and my nieces and nephews. My sister-in-law and her kids all gave this 5 stars and so did we. I snagged this recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up blog; almost everything I have cooked from her blog has gotten rave reviews. She is an excellent cook. I will say that I always CUT BACK the ingredients sometimes its been to cut back on the amount of cream of mushroom soup cans or the sugar for my health as well as the wallet. For this recipe I cut the sugar back by 1/4 cup. If I am going to eat that much sugar I want it to be in my treats not my main course. I think no matter how you may modify this recipe for your liking that you will find it a quick and easy meal that pleases those who like a little Japanese meal occasionally.

Teriyaki Chicken and Noodle Bowl (for the original recipe see www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com)

4 Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

salt and pepper

3 Large Carrots

1 Red Pepper (I used several small sweet peppers from my Bountiful Basket)

8 Mushrooms

1/2 Sweet Onion (original calls for red)

1 16 oz pkg. Angel Hair Pasta or Thin spaghetti noodles

Teriyaki Saucea

1 1/2 cups COLD water

1/2 cup packed Brown sugar (Original recipe calls for 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

3 Tablespoons Corn Starch

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

Cut chicken thighs into strips or bite size pieces. Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add your chicken. Salt and Pepper to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently; chicken should be golden brown on all sides.

While chicken is cooking, chop your vegetables-chopping them small, but not finely. When the chicken is cooked through, remove from pan, keeping it warm and letting it rest. Add remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil to your hot pan and cook veggies until crispy tender.

Meanwhile mix all Teriyaki Sauce ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Once the veggies are cooked remove from the pan and keep warm with the chicken. Pour your Teriyaki Sauce into the hot pan. Cook whisking frequently until mixture thickens; roughly 3-5 minutes. When sauce is thick remove from heat.

To serve**, place noodles with chicken and vegetables , and top with desired amount of Teriyaki Sauce.

** We served it up in individual portions which worked great. Where we doubled the recipe for company, everyone was able to eat their fill, and the left over noodles could be used for butter noodles or spaghetti noodles the next day because they weren't covered in sauce.

Chicken Marinara

This is a nice dish that comes together in roughly 30 minutes. There are steps you can do ahead of time if you know that the dinner hour time is going to be hectic or crunched. Seems to be the story of everyday living for most families now days.

Chicken Marinara

1 Green Bell Pepper

1 Large Carrot

1 Medium Zucchini

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breast, Pounded to 1/4-inch Thickness

1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano

Salt and Pepper

1 (14 oz) can Stewed Italian Tomatoes

1/2 cup sliced black olives

5 medium mushrooms sliced (about 3 oz. I have even used a 4 oz can of Mushrooms)

Cut bell pepper, carrots, and zucchini into thin sticks about 3 inches long; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil; cook chicken until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Remove chicken from skillet. Add tomatoes, olives, mushrooms, bell pepper, carrot and zucchini to skillet. Cook covered, for 3 minutes. Return chicken to skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken and vegetables are tender.

* We like to serve this with Angel Hair or Linguine pastas or it's good over rice too.

**Make Ahead steps: Slice bell pepper, zucchini, and carrots 1 day ahead. To store wrap in damp paper towels, place in plastic bags and refrigerate.

Spinach and Bacon Pasta Toss

This is a recipe I got from kraft foods magazine 4 plus years ago. When I got tomatoes and spinach in my Bountiful Basket several weeks ago this was what I served up for dinner with a side of bread.

Spinach and Bacon Pasta Toss

1 lb. Any Variety of pasta, uncooked

3/4 cup Italian Dressing

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped

1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1-2 cups diced fresh tomatoes, drain of juices)

1 bag (6 oz) baby spinach leaves (4 cups)

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided

8 slices bacon, crispy cooked and crumbled

Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes. or until cooked through. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.

Add spinach, 1/2 cup of the cheese and the bacon; toss lightly to combine. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Makes 8 servings; 1 1/2 cups each

Orzo Chicken Noodle Soup

Last week I tried two new recipes on one night--bad idea! Main dish was a chicken dish in the crock pot I really didn't like the flavor, Jack hate it but didn't have much to say, the kids didn't like it all that well. The other was a Brown Butter and Cinnamon Orzo. This recipe was created because I was trying to find a recipe that I could use the pound of orzo that I had cooked. I did a search for orzo soups and found a few online. One was a pumpkin orzo from Paula Dean (I have yet to try it.) A couple others were a chicken noodle of sorts. The one I modified was from Food Network chef Anne Burrell. I chose hers because she used cinnamon and nutmeg in her chicken noodle soup. I thought this would be a good choice because my orzo had a cinnamon flavor on it. If you are interested in Anne Burrell 's original recipe check it out on foodnetwork.com.

Jill's Orzo Noodle Soup

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch diced

4 ribs celery, cut 1/2-inch diced

5 carrots, cut 1/2-inch diced

Kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon- 1 teaspoon)

2 gloves garlic, smashed

1 lb. boneless chicken meat-use white and brown meats as desired, diced into small pieces

8 cups water

9 Bouillon cubes or 3 Tablespoon Chicken Base

1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning

2 bay leaves

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

4 cups Orzo (prepared prior cooked to "al dente" in a separate pot of well-salted water)

* My recipe is very different from Anne's recipe which called for 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 2 grates of fresh nutmeg. I left these out because I was using the Brown Butter and Cinnamon Orzo left overs I had.

Coat a large stock pot with olive oil. Add onions, celery, garlic, and chicken pieces. Cook until chicken is no longer pink . Season with salt. Fill the pot with water and bouillon or chicken base. Add seasonings and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add lemon juice and simmer soup for an additional 30 minutes.

Spoon some of the prepared Orzo into the bottom of each dish and ladle hot soup over the pasta. Having as few or as many Orzo noodles as you wish.

Margherita Pasta with Grilled Chicken

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe and said they really enjoyed it. We second the notion. If you like the smell of Italian food cooking, you will love this one. My kitchen smelled heavenly while I was preparing it and I couldn't wait to eat it. I knew Jack and I were going to love it because our favorite pizza flavor is the Margherita Pizza. Sure enough Jack loved it and so did I. Our kids love the noodles and chicken they are not crazy about tomatoes yet, but they are at least willing to taste them. I didn't have the grape tomatoes as listed, but had two home grown tomatoes that I was saving to try this dish with. There's nothing like a home grown veggies!

Margherita Pasta with Grilled Chicken

(From Cuisine at Home magazine)

For the Pasta--

8 oz dry spaghetti

3 cups (12 oz) halved grape or cherry tomatoes. I used regular tomatoes/slightly drained

2 cups (8 oz) diced fresh mozzarella (I used 8 oz shredded mozzarella-can't get fresh here)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons minced garlic (I used 3-4 med/large size cloves)

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil (I used a little less and it was still good, but full amount can only make it tastier.)

Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Toasted pine nuts (we didn't have on hand)

For the chicken--

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (4 or 5 oz each) I used 6-7 Costco tenders

Extra-virgin olive oil, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes

Preheat the grill to medium-high.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti.

Cook spaghetti according to package; drain and set aside. (I did this last so it was warm to serve.)

Combine tomatoes and mozzarella for the pasta in a bowl; set aside.

Coat chicken with oil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. (Season them like you would when BBQ not specific amounts, just shake it on. I didn't use much of the red pepper flakes because my kids don't love hot and spicy. A few pinches did the trick for us). Grill, covered, until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. (Less for tenders). Remove chicken from grill and tent with foil; rest 3-4 minutes. Slice each breast into strips.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a skillet over medium-low. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. (cooked mine a little longer) It's important to cook the raw taste out of the garlic so it doesn't overpower the other flavors in the dish. OH CAN YOU SMELL IT NOW? YummO.

Toss tomatoes and cheese mixture with the garlic-infused oil and pasta . Stir in basil; season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

To serve, divide pasta mixture among 4 bowls, and top with sliced chicken and pine nuts. (Those are huge portions! We fed our little family of 5 easily with a nice amount of left overs. Granted we served it with sauteed zucchini and a slice of ciabatta bread.)

Oh I hope you Italian food lovers give this one a try. It is a quick meal to prepare 30 minutes tops.

Breaded Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

This dish was delicious! I found it on realmomskitchen.com who took it from foodonthetable.com. It was a hit with my family. We loved the sauce over pasta too. If you like things extra saucy you may want to double the sauce recipe. We served it with angel hair pasta--how could you go wrong in the eyes of kids and pasta lovers. We will make this again, but it was great to use our garden fresh basil. If you don't have fresh substitute 1 Tablespoon dried Basil in the sauce. Hope you get to please your pallet with this tasty dish.

Breaded Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce (foodonthetable.com)

4-6 chicken breasts (I would recommend pounding them into thin cutlets or buying cutlets)

flour (about 1/2 cup)

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

salt

black pepper

3 Tablespoon butter (can use 1 Tbsp more if needed)

Sauce:

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 (4.0 ounce jar) sliced pimento peppers, drained

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 Tbsp. dried)

black pepper

Place eggs in a shallow bowl. Place flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine both bread crumbs with salt and pepper to taste.

Coat chicken with flour. Then dip in egg, then coat with breadcrumb mixture.

In a skillet over medium heat, fry chicken in butter, on both sides, until the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Add the broth to the skillet; bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir and scrape to loosen browned bits from pan.

Stir in the cream and pimentos (If using dried basil add this now); boil and stir for one minute. Reduce heat; add the Parmesan cheese, basil and black pepper to taste. Simmer and stir until heated through. To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken.

Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes and Asparagus

I tried this recipe to help me use up the wild asparagus we picked last week. I needed a salad or a dessert to take to the local Search and Rescue picnic so this is what we took and I was grateful not to have to heat up the kitchen on a hot day!

Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes and Asparagus

2 Tablespoon olive oil

11-12 oz think asparagus

2 large cloves garlic, minced

4 large plum tomatoes, diced (or two large slicing tomatoes-what's on hand!)

1 cup water

2 teaspoons Instant Chicken Bouillon

1 lb linguine cooked according to package

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large skillet. Add asparagus; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add garlic; cook until tender. Stir water and bouillon; bring to a boil. Add tomatoes and remove from the heat.

Prepare past according to package directions. Toss with asparagus mixture. Let cool slightly and toss with Parmesan Cheese. (If the noodles are to hot the cheese seems to clump and melt together leaving lumps of cheese--not to appealing to the eye). Season with ground black pepper if desired.

Skillet Lasagna

I got this recipe idea from http://reliefsocietycookers.blogspot.com/search/label/Beef who gave the credit to http://sistersstuff.blogspot.com I modified it to our liking so if you want the original recipe check out sisters stuff.

It was quick, simple, and tasty! It was a hit with my kids! Which makes many recipes winners. I was happy that I happened to have cottage cheese on hand this week. We will be making this again. It is as delicious as Lasagna, to me, without all the labor and time.

Skillet Lasagna

1 pound ground beef (browning with salt and pepper)

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove minced garlic

1 (14-15 oz can) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2 cups water

1 (8-ounce can) tomato sauce

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon salt (3/4 teaspoon because I salt and peppered the meat as it was browning)

3 cups bow tie pasta, uncooked

1 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In large skillet, brown beef with onions and garlic; drain. Add tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt. Mix well.

Stir in uncooked pasta. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover, simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring once.

Stir in cottage cheese. Cover with and Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle in basil and pepper to taste if desired. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Rainbow Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from my Taste of Home June/July 2000 (p.51) issue. This is another recipe I made back in June and discovered that I hadn't posted yet. It is a great salad to use up some of the fresh veggies from the garden.

Rainbow Pasta Salad

1 pkg (16 oz) Tricolor spiral pasta

2 cups chopped broccoli florets

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup tomatoes

1/2 cup cucumber

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn, drained

1 jar (6.5 oz) marinated artichoke hearts (optional! I never have used them-don't typically have them on hand anyway.)

1 bottle (8 oz) Italian Salad dressing

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a bowl; add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Yields 12-14 servings

Chicken, Veggie, and, Mushroom Pasta

I found this recipe on Chelle's blog (Titled Mushroom Chicken Pasta) and thought I would give it a try. I had some mushrooms I needed to use up so the timing was perfect. It was good warm and the next day I ate it as a cold pasta salad and enjoyed it that way too. I love that it isn't dripping with sauce or juices. I also loved the nice fresh flavor of the cilantro it isn't overbearing in flavor, just a nice hint of herb. I also think this would be tasty without the meat as a vegetarian dish.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast, sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed (I just use the minced garlic from a jar if I don't have fresh garlic)
1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
3/4 cup red or orange sweet peppers
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups dry bow tie pasta- cook as directed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Fry chicken in oil over medium heat until done. Sprinkle with salt and remove from skillet. Keep warm.
2. Cook garlic in oil until golden. Add mushrooms, green onions and peppers- cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, red pepper, cornstarch and salt. Heat to boiling then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Combine chicken, hot mixture, pasta and cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh Parmesan to your liking and enjoy!
*Use less crushed red pepper to make it mild. Also, I add the peppers when I have them on hand- zucchini and squash are delicious too.

Chicken Marsala-Crock pot

So I have learned not to have my expectations of crock pot recipes set to high. That way if they are not that appetizing I am not disappointed. My sister-in-law says she has bad luck with trying new crock-pot recipes. I have had pretty good luck (knock on the wooden cutting board). I always enjoy Chicken Marsala when we got out to an Italian restaurant, so I was excited to give this one a try. It was a good dish. My kids with the exception of Hugh ate it really well. The thing I love most about it is that it comes together quickly and doesn't take all-day to cook. I also love that I usually have most of the ingredients in my pantry all the time. If you like Chicken Marsala and don't want to slave away in the kitchen on a hot summer day give the duty to the pot and take the afternoon off.

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 (10 oz) package white mushrooms, sliced thinly

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup Marsala cooking wine (chicken broth or apple juice)

2 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, fat trimmed, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup heavy cream

In a medium skillet, over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the mushrooms and salt and saute until the mushrooms are browned, approximately 5 minutes. Drain off any liquid and set mushrooms aside.

Grease the slow cooker with the butter (leave excess in the crock). In the crock, stir together the Marsala and tapioca. Add the chicken pieces and the pepper, and top with the cooked mushrooms.

Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours, stirring once during cooking. Before serving, mix in chives and heavy cream, stirring to combine.

Serve with pasta of choice--we think Angel hair pasta is the perfect partner; and a side salad.

Creamy Lemon Pasta and Chicken

I want to thank Kitchen Cafe for this unique dish. You can read her original comments and post and look under her main pasta dish label.

This recipe was pleasing to the adults because it is something you just don't expect when you see a dish of creamy pasta in front if you. Its strong lemon flavor is a refreshing flavor and perfect for spring and summer. I loved that it came together in close to a half and hour. I served it with Baker's Illistrated French Bread which is always a hit. (Should be it takes a good 24 hours to make it!) A fresh tossed salad is the perfect texture partner for this dish in my opinion and also adds the right splash of color to the plate.
If you are looking for something totally new and different to serve your family give this a whirl. I served 4 adults and 6 kids from 1 recipe, but we also had the bread and salad sides which helped it stretch further. The only thing I would like to do the next time around is try to make it with a lowfat milk or less cream to make it more waistline friendly. Enjoy!
Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken
As posted on my kitchen cafe:
The chicken marinates overnight in a combination of lemon and garlic and the resulting combination makes for an intensely flavorful, tender chicken that can be used in so many dishes (which I'll be posting about in the next couple of days) or served simply with a side of rice or a baked potato. As a sidenote: if you don't have a grill, simply use an indoor grill pan or you can cook the chicken in a frying pan over medium heat, being careful not to turn too often so it can brown nicely on each side.

Lemon and Garlic Grilled Chicken
Juice of 1 lemon, approximately 3 tablespoons
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound chicken breasts (I usually cut really thick chicken breasts down to thin them out and make the pieces a little smaller so they absorb the marinade better)

Combine all marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and place in fridge overnight. Grill (or cook in frying pan). Serve with sides of your choice or cut into bite sized pieces and add to desired recipe (I'll be sharing a few with you soon). Note: If you cut your chicken into smaller, bite-sized pieces and then marinate it, you can get away with only letting it marinate for 5 or 6 hours instead of overnight.
Often, I will double the marinade and chicken and grill it all up and freeze the extras to use later.
This pasta was the second stellar application of the Lemon Garlic Chicken. I saw the recipe on Clouse Cousins Cookin' at the perfect time when I needed a recipe in which to use the rest of the chicken. It was fantastic! Creamy and light - it really hit the spot when I made it for dinner and the lemon garlic chicken was incredible paired with the chewy pasta and lemony cream sauce. Plus, I just love pasta dishes that cook the pasta in the main flavors of the recipe (in this case, the pasta cooks in chicken broth and lemon juice). I doubled the original recipe to feed our family and made a few small changes so my adapted recipe is below. This will definitely be a remake at our house!

Lemon Cream Pasta with Chicken
adapted from allrecipes.com via Clouse Cousins Cookin'

Serves 4-6

3 cups shredded or cubed Lemon Garlic Chicken
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 (16 ounce) package tube pasta (I used rigatoni)
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Stir chicken into cooked pasta, along with the cream, parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Baked Penne w/ Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

My kids loved this dish. Cameron ate three helpings. Jack thought it was to "milky" in flavor (not the most friendly dish for a lactose intolerant person). I thought it was good, but that it could have used a little more sun-dried tomatoes to give it more flavor. Jack and I thought it could have used a few more mushrooms as well.

6 Tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 lb penne rigate (I used 17.6 oz Costo Penne)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast (8 oz each), cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 garlic cloves, minced (I only used 2 cloves)
6 cups whole milk ( I used 3 cups whole, 3 cups 1%)
10 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded provolone (I couldn't find shredded in my little town so I chopped up 8 oz sliced provolone found near the sandwich meats.)
1 cup (4oz) finely grated Parmesan (I only used 2 oz/1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes oer sde. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and garlic; cook whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

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

To Freeze prepare through to step 4 , cool. Cover tightly and let foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To bake from Frozen to 400 degrees. and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Baked Beef Penne Pasta

This is a crowd pleaser every time I make it. I love that it comes together quickly and that it makes enough to feed my family and have some to freeze for later. This recipe is a combination of a 5 star dish off of meals.com and my friend Lisa Fox's Lasagna sauce.  We serve it with a steamed seasonal vegetable or a nice toss salad. When company joins us we add a nice bread too.  

1 lb dried penne pasta prepared according to package directions

8 oz lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 cups water

1 (14 oz) can Tomato Sauce

1 teaspoon Basil leaves

1 teaspoon Oregano leaves

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 red cooking wine or water

1 Tablespoon INSTANT beef flavor bouillon

2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook beef and onion in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink.  Add water, tomato paste, wine and bouillon; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until flavors are blended.

Layer ingredients as follows in UNGREASED 13 x 9 baking dish: 1/2 pasta, 1/2 sauce, and 1/2 cheese. Repeat layers; cover

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Season with salt.

Freeze (for later use)

Prepare as above, do not bake.  Cover, freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Season with salt.

Pasta Primavera with Shrimp/ Chicken

I got this Pasta Primavera with Shrimp recipe from www.familyfun.com . Every time I have made it for my family the kids gobble it up. If guest are here they ask for the recipe. This recipe has made its way into my "Foodies" binder!

This simplified primavera has plenty of kid appeal, but if your family prefers other fresh vegetables, such as asparagus, green beans, or zucchini, they'll work well too.

1 ½ cups (abut 6 oz) baby carrots, trimmed (I add extra carrots because my kids love them)
2 cups (about 7 oz) sugar snap peas (zucchini)
3 cups ( about 8 oz) uncooked penne pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
32 or so (about 8 oz) medium fresh or thawed peeled shrimp (I use 8 oz Cubed Chicken)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup chicken broth
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (1 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the carrots and let them simmer for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the snap peas and simmer for another minute. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a bowl. Now cook the pasta in the boiling water according to the package directions. Drain the pasta well.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook them, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add the carrots, peas, salt, pepper, and garlic and continue cooking for another minute, stirring often.

3. Stir in the chicken broth, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits. Then stir in the cream and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add the pasta and grated cheese, stirring well to coat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serve the pasta warm. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Tri-Pepper Southwestern Penne

1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
8 button mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp. Dried thyme
1 tsp dried sweet basil
1 tsp dried parsley

1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 (6oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tsp granulated sugar
2 Tbs dry white wine
1 cup fresh or frozen kernel corn
1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives
1 1lb penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained

In a medium skillet, sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until soft. Add the oregano, thyme, sweet basil, and parsley. Transfer the vegetables and herbs to the crock-pot. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the pasta, and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover; cook on low 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. To serve, place the pasta on six individual plates and spoon the sauce on top. Makes 6 servings; 3 grams of fat per serving.

I used 2 cans small stews and pieces for my mushrooms. I would cut back on the oregano a little bit maybe to ¾ tsp. I used regular basil. I also used to red peppers and 1 green. I only had a can of diced tomatoes and I left out the wine. I served over bowtie pasta—it’s what we had.

Turned out really nice—a great FALL dish!

Basil Pesto Fettuccine-Alfredo

1 (6 oz) package Fettuccine Noodles (or noodle of choice)
1 egg

Sauce
1/3 of 8 oz cream cheese (can use fat free)
¼ cup basil pesto (My favorite is from Costco’s)
2 Tbsp. Dried onion flakes
1 Tbsp. Minced garlic
1 cup chicken stock (bullion Cubes can be used)
1 cup Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package, drain but don’t rinse. Beat in one egg over the noodles while hot.

On Medium heat combine sauce ingredients and pour over pasta. Add ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese to taste. Add grilled chicken if desired.

Serve with garlic bread and green salad

Makes 4 LARGE servings

My family really enjoys this recipe. It is one of Jack's favorite pasta dishes