Chicken Spaghetti

I love fast meals. Especially during the week when everything is so busy. This meal can be cooked fresh, frozen together, or like I did it and put everything in the crock pot with my frozen chicken. I really didn't know how this was going to turn out but it was really good. Even my picky eaters, you know the ones who don't eat peppers & onions, loved it.



1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 small can mild diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper, to taste
2 chicken breasts {about 1 lb.}
1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4-1 lb. cooked spaghetti
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
A few splashes chicken stock {optional}


Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a crock-pot. Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken breasts, shred and return to crock-pot. Pour in cooked spaghetti and remaining cheese. Toss to coat pasta in sauce and melt cheese, adding in a few splashes of chicken stock where necessary to get sauce consistency you want. Cook another 20-30 minutes on low and serve.

**Freezer directions: Place onion, bell peppers, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chicken, mushroom soup and 1 cup of grated cheese together in a large plastic freezer bag. Seal and freeze. To cook, defrost in fridge, place in crockpot and cook according to directions listed above

One Pot Pasta

I know a few ladies have been waiting ever so patiently for this recipe after my sister posted it on facebook. This is a restaurant style meal without the bill and with little work. My husband and kids cleaned up their plates and actually wanted leftovers the next day. We love pasta but are picky that its not to dry and this recipe wasn't.





12 ounces linguine
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes (halved or quartered if large)
1 onion thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2-3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
2-3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt & black pepper
4 1/2 cups water
lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Combine pasta, tomatoes, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, oil, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and water in a large straight sided skillet. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil mixture, stirring and turning pasta frequently with tongs until pasta is al dente and water has nearly evaporated, about 9 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among 4 bowls and garnish with basil. Serve with parmesan.

Chicken Asparagus & Mushroom Skillet

(allrecipe.com)

I am so tired of the snow and the cold. I am ready for summer ...baseball, SUN, flip flops, warm weather, cookouts, and did I mention SUN!!! But I will settle on spring as long as it comes with some SUN!!!! We love to eat asparagus in my family and my hubby and I have been craving it so when I went to the store the other day and seen some beautiful asparagus (yes there really is such thing as beautiful asparagus lol) I bought it right away then went searching for the recipe that had the 3 ingredients I wanted chicken, mushrooms, and asparagus.

This recipe is very light and yummy! It would be a perfect meal for those warm spring days (yep still dreaming).



6 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. white cooking wine (chicken broth works fine)
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, sliced
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
Shredded parmesan cheese


Directions:

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high; stir the parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, lemon juice, and wine into the butter mixture. Add the chicken; cook and stir until the chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 10 more minutes.
2. Add the asparagus; cook and stir until the asparagus is bright green and just starting to become tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook an additional 3 minutes to let the mushrooms release their juice. Serve hot with shredded parmesan cheese over the top of it.

Serves 6

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

Taste of home

The weather where I live is supposed to get YUCKY this week so when we sat down and figured out what to eat this was the anonymous decision. This is definitely one of their favorite soups which is funny because they don't like chicken noodle soup out of the can. My hubby is obsessed with this soup and its so easy to make I wont complain!!!



I cook the chicken in the crock pot a day or two in advance by placing it on low with 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth for about 4 hours.

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 cups uncooked yolk-free wide noodles
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk

Directions
In a stockpot, saute the onion, carrots and celery in oil for 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour, oregano, thyme and poultry seasoning until blended.

Gradually add the broth, potatoes and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Stir in chicken and noodles; simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Reduce heat. Stir in milk; heat through (do not boil). Yield: 8 servings

Baked Ziti

food.com

I know there are woman out there who are looking for more ground beef recipes. I can never have enough of these recipes. I am not a lasagna fan but my kids love it so this is our compromise. I ate my whole bowl like a big girl :) This goes great with salad and garlic bread too!!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (32 ounce) jars meatless sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 (16 ounce) packages ziti pasta, cooked and drained
shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook ground beef, onions, and garlic over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is browned; stirring frequently. Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, and oregano.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the cooked ziti noodles.

Spoon 1/2 of the ziti mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Top with 2 cups sauce, then remaining ziti mixture and remaining sauce.

Cover and bake 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Italian Chicken Bacon Pasta

adapted from thegirlwhoateeverything.com

This was one of those meals that started out as something else then after I kept adding and adding it turned into a excellent meal!!! Love those kind of meals ....unexpected success!!

2 pkg cream cheese
2 pkgs Italian dressing
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 tsp garlic salt
4-6 chicken breasts
Green onions chopped
1 cube butter cut in chunks
Cooked bacon cut in chunks
1 pkg Spaghetti noodles
1 cup Heavy whipping cream
shredded parmesan cheese

Place chicken in crockpot. Sprinkle with Italian dressing. In a small pot cook the cream of chicken and cream cheese until soft add garlic salt. Pour over chicken and cook on low for 4 hours. A half hour before serving pour in heavy cream, bacon, butter and onions. Cook noodles according to package directions add to crockpot. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.Stir well and serve.


Serves 12 (we go big around here so we always have leftovers)

Spaghetti sauce (food.com)

Spaghetti for me is one of those go to meals since you can use ground beef right out of the freezer. I have always been looking out for a spaghetti recipe with the wow factor and I think this one is the keeper!!

2 lbs ground beef or italian sausage
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
2 cups water (if you dont want it to simmer long add less)
3 tsp. basil
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
1 small onion chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb thin spaghetti
parmesan cheese

In a large heavy stockpot brown meat breaking up as you stir.
Add onions and continue to cook stirring occasionally until onions are softened.
Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water.
Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, both kinds of pepper.
Stir well and bring to a boil. Stir in red wine if using.
Simmer on low, stirring frequently for at least 1 hour. A longer simmer makes for a better sauce, just be careful not to let it burn!!

Cook noodles according to pkg directions. Spoon sauce over drained noodles. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Country Club Chicken (Kayotic Kitchen)

A couple years back I was at the Senior Center with my Mom, Nikki, Toni, and others working on a Saturday and decided to fix everyone there a grilled cheese sandwich. These weren't your original GC Sandwich. These had a secret weapon. A granny smith apple. Everyone was skeptical until they tried it. some people came back for seconds. Which brings us to this recipe. Don't be alarmed the apple doesn't really pop in this recipe (although you could leave it diced to enhance it), just adds a healthy touch and thickens the sauce. My girls cleaned up there plates!

1 lb spaghetti

4 chicken breasts

1 lg onion

7 oz sliced mushrooms

2 cans Campbell's concentrated cream of mushroom soup

5 slices of bacon

1/4 c chicken broth

2/3 c sharp cheddar

1 apple

butter or oil

salt and pepper

Mince the onion. Peel and mince the apple. Season the chicken breasts with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Cook the bacon and drain it on a paper towel. Add some butter to bacon grease and quickly brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Transfer them to a casserole dish

Cook the onions for 3 min before adding the mushrooms. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and give it 3 more min. Add the minced apple and cook for another 3 min. Pour in the chicken broth and soup and stir in the grated cheddar.

Pour the sauce all over the chicken breasts. Put the casserole in a preheated oven @ 350* for 25-30 min or until the chicken is tender and the sauce is hot and bubbly.

Cook spaghetti in salted water according to the directions on your package. Put the spaghetti in a bowl, place the chicken on top and pour the sauce all over.

Lasagna Soup (a farmgirl's dabbles)

I am a sucker for soups! I can sit down to a homemade bowl of soup no matter the season. When i came across this one i didn't know how much i would actually like it because it has sausage and that's not something i particularly care for, but we loved it! Although hamburger would work fine we needed something different. It is so good and the cheesy yum adds just the right touch of cream. I would rather have this than a side of lasagna now any day! I served it with a side of crusty garlic bread made by La Brea, it's located in the deli area. Ladies (Gents) if you haven't tried this bread and you like garlic, you won't be disappointed! It's the perfect side dish for this fantastic soup.

Lasagna Soup (print recipe)

for the soup: 2 tsp. olive oil 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage 3 c. chopped onions 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 2 T. tomato paste 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes 2 bay leaves 6 c. chicken stock 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum: 8 oz. ricotta 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp. salt pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Servings: 8

Ranch Chicken Casserole

Well its that time of year..... time for parents to get back on schedule...time for early bed times....and most importantly time for a lil bit of quiet (all my kids are in school this year, my baby is on preschool :( so I am lonely) This recipe is great for busy nights of homework. Its quick & simple :) 1 (about 29 oz) can chicken 1 pkg (16 oz) rotini noodles (or whatever you have on hand) 1 pkg. (16 oz) frozen peas & carrots 2 pkgs dry ranch mix 1 cube butter Cook noodles until there halfway done. In a big pan add butter, noodles, veggies, ranch, & chicken. Cook until veggies & noodles are done. Serve warm. Easy huh. This is one of my kids' favorites. Yields: about 5 servings