Gidia's Chicken in Lemon Cream with Penne

1 lb penne pasta (or substitute your favorite type of pasta or spaghetti)

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes

1 teaspoon herbes de provence

1 pinch salt, plus

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

1 lemon, zest of

1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (I usually just sprinkle dried parsley, still tasts great!)

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

2

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season the cubed chicken with herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and set aside. Pour off excess oil from pan.Drain. Add the chicken broth the pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any bits with a wooden spoon. Add the cream, lemon zest, and cayenne. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

3

Add the pasta, chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Toss to coat the pasta and chicken with the sauce and serve.

American Goulash

By Kathleen, November 26, 2012

Ingredients:

• 2 Pounds - Ground Beef, 80/20
• 1 - Large Yellow Onion
• 4 - Large Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 3 Cups - Water
• 2 (15 Ounce) - Canned Tomato Sauce
• 2 (14.5 Ounce) - Canned Diced Tomatoes
• 3 Tablespoons - Soy Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons - Dried Oregano
• 2 Teaspoons - Dried Basil
• 2 - Dried Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon - Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon - Black Pepper
• 2 Cups - Elbow Macaroni, Uncooked

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, cook the meat over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks into small pieces. Cook until the meat is cooked through and there's no longer any pink. Stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir the mixture until the onions are translucent.
2. Stir in water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, oregano, basil, bay leaves, seasoned salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in the pasta, cover, and simmer over low heat until the pasta is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and refrigerate, if possible, overnight. If you must, you could serve. :)

Creamy Garlic Pasta

2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
¼  tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 cups chicken stock
½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup heavy cream ( used less and you could use milk if you wanted)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a pot, bring the olive oil to medium-low heat. Add the garlic and stir, allowing it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the butter until melted. Add the salt, pepper and chicken stock. Raise the heat to high and let it come to a boil. 

Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook for as long as the box’s directions indicate. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta al Forno

Really yummy pasta dish!  We added red pepper flakes to the adult servings and it was a great amount of spice.  :)

Ingredients:2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil2 garlic cloves, crushed2-14 oz. cans diced Italian plum tomatoes1 tsp. dried oreganoS&P1 lb. pasta (tubes)8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed2/3 c. parmesan

Directions:Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and cook over medium high heat, 1 min. Add tomatoes and oregano and simmer rapidly, stirring occasionally until thickened, 15 min. Add S&P.Meanwhile, cook pasta. Toss pasta with sauce. Place half of pasta in an oiled 9×13” dish.Cover with half parmesan and half mozzarella. Top with remaining pasta, then parmesan and mozzarella. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.

Easy Chicken Veggie Alfrado

Easy Chicken Veggie Alfrado

I usually “eye ball” this recipe.

14 oz cooked chicken breast.

1 medium zucchini, sliced (4 cups)

1 large red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips (1 cup)

1 can (18 oz) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ creamy Parmesan basil cooking sauce

Hot cooked pasta or gnocchi

Shaved or grated Parmesan cheese

In 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink in center.

Add zucchini and bell pepper; cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in cooking sauce; heat to boiling. Serve with pasta; sprinkle with cheese.

Makes 4 servings (1 1/4 cups each

Lasagna Roll-Ups

We love this recipe and it freezes really well... enjoy!

Sauce:

1 TBS oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 (16oz) Italian Style stewed tomatoes

1 (6oz) tomato paste

2/3 cups water

3 TBS parsley

1 TBS sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp pepper

Filling:

1 (15oz) Ricotta cheese (part skim)

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

8-10 lasagna noodles cooked to al dente.

For the sauce, saute onion and garlic in the oil in a deep skillet.  Add stewed tomatoes (I chop them up a bit), tomato paste, and water.  Add seasonings.

In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and eggs.

To prepare: cute lasagna noodles in half so they are not so long (horizontal).  Place a spoonful of the cheese mixture near the end of the halved noodles and roll it up.  Place the rolls in a 9x13 dish that has a little sauce in the bottom.  Once all the rollas are finished, cover with the rest of the sauce and additional mozzarella.

Cook 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Lasagna

This is my go-to-lasagna recipe!  Easy and you don't have to cook the noodles before hand.

what you need

1

lb. ground beef

2-1/2

cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1

container (15 oz.) POLLY-O Natural Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

1/2

cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1/4

cup chopped fresh parsley

1

 egg, beaten

1

jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1

cup water

12

 lasagna noodles, uncooked

make it

HEAT oven to 350°F.

BROWN meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix 1-1/4 cups mozzarella, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan, parsley and egg until well blended; set aside.

DRAIN meat; return to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Add 1 cup water to empty sauce jar; cover with lid and shake well. Add to meat mixture; stir until well blended. Spread 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce and cheeses. Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 1 hour or until heated through, removing foil after 45 min. Let stand 15 min. before cutting to serve.

Whole-Wheat Macaroni and Cheese

INGREDIENTS

YIELD: 3 – 4 SERVINGS

• 1 – 1 ½ cups of dried whole-wheat macaroni noodles, boiled according to package directions
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup grated cheese (you can use any type of cheese…we usually use sharp white cheddar or a mix of different cheeses works well too)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional topping: grated parmesan cheese or whole-wheat breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and keep whisking for about 1 – 2 minutes until the roux (which is equal parts flour and butter or oil) starts to darken, but does not burn.
3. Turn the heat down to low and quickly whisk in the milk. Turn the heat back up to medium and keep whisking until the mixture starts to thicken and all lumps of flour are dissolved.
4. Stir in the grated cheese and once it melts mix in the cooked noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Barefoot Contessa's Lasagna

Auntie Sue shared this recipe with me. The lasagna is delicious and super flavorful. You just need a small piece because of all the yummy different flavors from the different cheeses is very satisfying. Invite some friends over and cook this for dinner, my 19 month old had seconds and didn't leave a crumb to spare on his plate!!!

Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lbs lean sweet Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
6 oz. tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound of lasagna noodles
3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (I used grated mozz)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in large skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over med-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the sausage and cook over med-low heat, breaking it up with a fork, for 8-10 min, or until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 TBS of parsley, basil, 1.5 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 15-20 min.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, egg, 2 TBS of parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of sauce into 9x13 baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella, half the ricotta, and one 1/3 of sauce. Add the rest of pasta, mozz, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Shells

This is a really yummy recipe from a friend of mine. We made it for dinner last night & both my boys loved it.

(we split the recipe in half)
Ingredients:
1 large cottage cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup Parmesean cheese
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese
1 tsp. parsley
garlic powder, salt, pepper

Directions:
Boil large shells according to directions. Combine rest and fill in shells. Place in dish with some of your favorite spaghetti sauce on bottom. Top with more sauce. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Christmas Lasagna

My mother-in-law made this lasagna when we were visiting for Christmas & it was really good. It is not your "normal" lasagna and has some interesting ingredients. I don't think there was a piece left at the end of the night, it was a big hit.

Ingredients:
4- hard boiled eggs
1- large pack sliced mini pepperoni
1- 1 1/2 pounds (half hot, half mild) Italian sausage
Small onion chopped
4-6 garlic cloves crushed
2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
35 oz. can of tomatoes crushed or diced
1 can tomato paste
oregano
salt, pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 pound lasagna noodles
1 pound ricotta cheese
2 large packs of sliced mozzarella cheese
1 large pack shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Saute sausage and half of onion and garlic. Brown & drain. Put tomato and rest of ingredients in crock pot. Make sure sausage is in bits and put in crock pot with sauce. Cook overnight or for 6 hours on low.

Layer sauce on bottom, noodle, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, then pepperoni, lasagna noodle and repeat. On top put left over sauce, cheese, and parmesean. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

spinach-pasta toss

 

This was a very quick & yummy dinner!

1 can (14.5 oz.) Italian-Style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups multi-grain penne pasta, uncooked
1 cup water
1 pkg (9 oz) baby spinach leaves
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Bring tomatoes, pasta, and water to a boil in large saucepan stir. Cover; simmer on med-low heat 10 minutes. Uncover; simmer 1 min. or just until pasta is tender. Add half the spinach; simmer, covered 2 min. or until wilted. Stir. Repeat with remaining spinach. Serve topped with cheese.

Baked Ziti

This is one of our family's favorites! It is a great meal to bring to someone, and can also be frozen before you bake it to save for another day. A lot of times I half the recipe because it makes a lot! Enjoy!!
(This is from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
8 ounces ziti rigate (ridged) or other short pasta
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) spaghetti sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.
2. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
3. In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Capellini Caprese

This is an easy & light dinner. You can add chicken to it if you'd like. It was really good & really easy to make.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. capellini or spaghetti, uncooked
1/2 cup Tuscan House Italian salad dressing
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 cup Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup fresh basil, finely sliced

Directions:
Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 min. Add tomatoes; cook 5 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta. Add to tomato mixture; mix lightly. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.