Penne with Chicken, Broccoli, and Cheese

When I found this recipe, I was very excited, as it sounded delicious! 

But as I got farther into the recipe, I realized WHY it sounded so delicious, it's pretty much Chicken Alfredo.  

And let's be honest: Who doesn't love Alfredo pasta?

It was very easy to make, and you could add just about anything to it (veggie or meat wise, and it would still be just as tasty)

Let's Get to it!

The Crew
It called for white wine, but I just used chicken broth (which isn't pictured here) also it called for heavy cream (I just used fat free half and half, and added more butter) I know the picture shows cheddar, but I made the executive decision, that Italian Blend Cheese would be tastier (even though the recipe called for Gorgonzola) (Come to think of it, the Italian blend cheese might be why it tasted like Alfredo, but I'm sure Cheddar would have been tasty too) (So, I just realized that I changed the entire recipe around. LOL)

Cut up one cup of broccoli into small florets

Bring salted water to a boil, and dump the broccoli in and let it boil for two minutes

Strain and rinse under cold water.

Set aside to drain completely

Cut one chicken breast in half, width wise (so you have the same size, just thinner)

Then cut into strips

Crush two cloves of garlic

(I use the flat side of a knife, and hit it with the heel of my hand)

Melt butter in a large skillet, add chicken and garlic, with salt and pepper to taste, stir well.

Fry over medium heat for 3 minutes or until chicken becomes white

 

Meanwhile, on another burner, start cooking that pasta according to the directions

Pour wine (or Chicken stock) and cream (Or Half and half & Butter) over chicken mix, stir to mix, then simmer, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until sauce has reduced and thickened

(now, for some unknown reason, I have an extremely difficult time getting sauces to thicken, and I know that the half and half doesn't reduce as well as cream, but I just added some flour and stirred it in well, and that thickened it up nicely)

Increase heat, add broccoli, and toss to heat through

Drain pasta and add to sauce

Add cheese and toss well

Then add a bit more cheese

Top with parm (Even more cheese!) and serve immediately

It was a big success, and I served it with salad.

I don't think I would make it again, as it was kind of bland, and since it was just Alfredo, I have a better recipe for that.  But it was very good, and a hit with TheHubby.

Sorry about the quality of the pics, I had strapped TheIttyBitty into the BabyBjorn and was cooking dinner, so it was the ULTIMATE Multitasking

Find a printable version of this recipe here

The original recipe was from Don't Panic -- Dinner's in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Ma (Google Affiliate Ad)

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I'm down to the last two recipes on my week (which I know has been more like a month) on the pioneer.
I have been especially pleased with all of the recipes, they are tasty and crowd pleasers.
I am still debating on what the last recipe will be. I might give the hubby the cookbooks and have him pick one (or two if he's being nice to me) (j/k he's ALWAYS nice to me) (Even when I have the pregnancy krazy)(He spells it krazy with a K. because It's Krazy Kate)
But I digress

I love anything cajun!  Like for real.  Gumbo, jambalaya, crawdads, you name it I am on it! I could live in Louisiana,  except for the mosquitos....and the oppresive heat...and the yearly flooding... Ok, So I couldn't REALLY live in Louisiana.  I just like to THINK I could.

So when I get a hankering for some creole nothing hits the spot quite like cajun chicken pasta.  No matter where I get the recipe, it is delish

The Crew

Cook the fettucine until tender

Chop up the onion, green pepper, red pepper, and garlic

(I used a food processor, because TheHubby doesn't like big chunks of veggies....what a load of crap!!)

Dice the tomatoes

Slice the chicken

Sprinkle it with the cajun spice

(I didn't have cajun spice, so I used a mix of cayenne pepper, paprika, and black pepper) (Also, It could have definately used more, because it wasn't spicy AT ALL)

Fry the chicken in a skillet with a little bit of oil,  once cooked, remove and drain on a paper towel

Add the veggies and cook until tender, remove from pan.

Add chicken broth to deglaze the pan, (which is to say get all the crusted-on crispies on the bottom of the pan)

Add the cream, bring to a boil and reduce

Add the veggies and the chicken, and let it simmer for a bit to let the flavors percolate

Add the cooked fettucine and...

There you have it!!

As always, it was delicious, not very spicy, but TheHubby prefers it that way. :-\ 

I just added a dash or two....or four of cayenne on my serving and it was perfect!

It was definately a "Make Again Dish"

The things I would change:

Definately get some cajun spice! 

Not chop up the veggies quite so fine

And do chop the tomatoes a little bit smaller

But none of that ruined the dish, so all in all it was good!!

For a printer friendle recipe, clicke here
Original recipe can be found here

Chicken Cacciatore

This is one recipe that isn't new for me.  I have made it off and on for years, but it is new to TheHubby. 

Of course I think that he'll love it, with a tomato sauce, chicken and pasta?  What's not to love?!

Oooooffff course, I didn't remember until I was finishing up cooking that he doesn't really love lots of veggies mixed in the sauce.  Hmmm.

I gave him a heads up and permission to not eat the veggies.

This recipe I got out of my mother's old Betty Crocker Cookbook, so it is nothing new.  I know that if you search for it on Google, you'll get 3,470,000 results.  To be precise.  

And, I'm sure you'll get about 3,470 different recipes.

I like this one, it is simple and while I don't LOVE tomato based sauces, I do like this one. (I mean, they're fine, but not my absolute favorite)  It has enough extra flavor to minimize the tomato.

Chicken Cacciatore

The Crew

Chop the onion, green pepper, and garlic

Set aside for later

Cut the chicken into strips

Coat in flour

Melt butter in large skillet (I used my wok)

and cook the chicken until browned (It won't be cooked all the way through, no worries!)

Pull chicken out, drain, and reserve

Add the veggies to the skillet

And saute until tender

Add the rest of the ingredients

Stir to incorperate

Add the chicken, and bring to a boil

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30-40 minutes (or until the chicken is cooked through)

Technically that is chicken cacciatore

But, I think you need a little something else, so I cooked up some fettuccine and added it.

There You Have It!

TheHubby actually liked it! Even though it had veggies in it.  Although I'm PRETTY sure that he just ate around them.

The leftovers were delicious, and so flavorful.  It was fun to have them to eat at work.  It was like a special meal!

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

Here is another recipe I have been hoarding. 

If it is a slow day at work, I get on the computer and just look for recipes.  I have had several orientees so I have been letting them do things on their own, and trying not to micromanage and hover.  So to distract myself, I have been online, so I have a TON of recipes that I have been wanting to try.  I am slowing making my way through them.  One dinner at a time.

This one caught my attention by the mere name:

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna.

First: Cheesy?! Yes Please!

Second: Chicken?!  It's our staple meat in the Barrick House

Thirdly: Lasagna!? Guarenteed to be excellent leftover food, and since I work this weekend...PERFECT!

It was super easy to throw together, but a little time consuming. (If that makes sense)  Not something you would want to make after a long day at work, as it takes about 1 hr 20 minutes, but it is well worth the wait!

Without Further Ado

CHEESY CHICKEN LASAGNA

The Crew

Cook the noodles, by adding them one at a time to the boiling water, and waiting for them to soften.

I cooked them to al dente, because when it is in the oven, it will cook some more

Once they are cooked rinse them in cold water, and it will keep them from sticking together

Add the milk and ranch dressing to a sauce pan

Heat and stir until the ranch dressing is dissolved.

Add the chicken and pepper, and simmer for at least 25 minutes, stirring frequently

(this is one of the time consuming parts, because this will bubble up quickly and without warning.  True Story)

Layer the noodles

Chicken sauce

and cheese, then repeat to form two layers of each

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until it is golden and bubbly

(This makes you house smell incredible)

There you have it!

(I know that's a teeny piece, but I wanted to test it before I served it to TheHubby)

This was a good recipe, but there were a few things I will change next time. 

The recipe calls for 3 cups of chicken,  You definately need at least 4. 

Also measure the pan with noodles before you cook them, so that you know how much to cook.  I used 8 total.  There were easily twice that in the package. 

Also, I would add maybe some onion and garlic to the chicken sauce.  It was a little bland, but had a good base flavor.  But if you like bland-er food, this is great. 

This was a success!

I do believe I am 3 for 3!  WHOO!

A printable version is available here.

Beach Street Lemon Chicken

This recipe I have been holding on to during the eternity that was A Week With Rachael Ray.  

This one will require some prep-work, and marinating the chicken.  BUT NEVER FEAR!  It is so easy to prep and to make the marinade!

I Now Present:

Beach Street Lemon Chicken!

Firstly:  The Crew

For the marinade:

The chicken will need to marinate from 1-12 hours.  Just a heads up

To make the marinade you will need to chop some garlic and parsley ( I did this the night before, then threw the marinade together before I went to work, and I let it percolate for the day)  (I literally woke up 3 minutes early,  [mainly because I forgot to set my alarm for 10 minutes early] and still had PLENTY of time)  (So I'm glad I didn't set it TOO early!)

I Didn't take any pics of the marinade (because I got scolded for leaving my camera in the kitchen, so I moved it, but then forgot to bring it back in) (if you're reading this Hubby, I'm j/k-ing :-D  ) but it's pretty self explanatory.  Mix it together, throw the chicken in and ta-da.

Cook the fettuccine in salted boiling water

Add the chicken and the marinade to the pan, and saute until the chicken is cooked and the marinade has reduced a bit.

Combine the lemon juice, zest, parsley and green onion in a bowl

Add the pasta, sprinkle with salt and pepper

Add the chicken and the marinade and toss

Sprinkle with cheese

And There You Have It!

I was going to try to pull a fast on one TheHubby and use spaghetti squash, but I couldn't figure it out (?) It was good, but not "just like spaghetti" which I have heard time and time again, so I figured after my paprika chicken incident (per TheHubby) I would just make regular pasta.


I did not like this recipe. There was something off.  Too much lemon? Too much parsley?

But TheHubby LOVED IT!  so, Who am I to complain?!  I just ate leftover paprika chicken.  haha.

Apparently we have different taste in food.  Oh well.

The next recipe I am aiming to try is:

Bourbon Chicken!

Which TheHubby has been requesting, since he spied the recipe in my work bag. 

A printable version of the recipe can be found here

Original recipe can be found here