Catalina chicken

So i made up this recipe a few weeks ago & loved how simple it was. I took a picture of it, and then I lost it.
I will keep searching, until then...
Catalina Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tsp canola oil

¼ cup Catalina salad dressing

4 ½ tsp onion soup mix

1 Tbsp grape jelly

In a large nonstick skillet, brown chicken in oil.

Transfer to a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine the salad dressing, soup mix & jelly. Pour over chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 170. 

Lemon Chicken Pasta

This is one of my other top 5 best recipe go to's.

I have made this dish for years, 

mainly because everytime I ask my husband what he wants for dinner, he says this.

This recipe is so versatile; 

you can make it any pasta you like {my favorites are farfalle & angel hair}

and you can add as much {or as little} lemon as you like!

You will need:

3 cups Farfalle pasta

1 ½ cups cooked chicken, strips or diced

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 Tbsp lemon juice ( I add more)

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley

¼ tsp marjoram

¼ tsp garlic powder

Boil water & cook pasta, strain.

Toss pasta with remaining ingredients.
 I like to cook our chicken on the grill & then slice it up & serve it over top of the pasta.
Mix everything together and enjoy!
I like mine with a side salad, preferably the Bosc Pear Salad!

Tortellini with Olive Oil, Tomato, & Parmesan

Tortellini with Olive Oil, Tomato, and Parmesan

This is a wonderful pasta dish that you can use tortellini or gnocchi for. It has great herbs and feels nice & light after you eat it.

You will need:

1 (32 oz.) chicken broth

1 (16 oz.) package tortellini or gnocchi

2 Tbsp. EVOO

1 Tbsp minced garlic

10 -12 fresh sage leaves

4 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh black pepper

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Place broth in a dutch oven; add even water to equal amount necessary to cook tortellini or gnocchi according to package.

Drain & reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid.

Heat oil in medium skillet, add garlic & sage. Cook 2-3 minutes. Remove leaves & pat on paper towels.
Set leaves aside.

Reserve EVOO mixture in skillet.

In large bowl, combine pasta, reserved garlic oil, reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid, tomato, & salt/pepper.

Sprinkle with cheese & sage leaves!

have you seen these?

Have you seen these awesome little spice packets from McCormick?
They are fantastic!
They come all packaged up and....

on the back they have a great recipe!

I marinated my chicken with it & it made wonderful fajitas!

Check them out, there are quite a few varieties!

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is my favorite dish to eat at Chili's, so I decided to try to make a version of it myself. I liked how it came out & next time I will add even more cajun spice to mine!

Ingredients:

5 boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

12 oz. linguine pasta

6 tsp Cajun seasoning (more or less- I like more)

couple tbsp. butter

4 thinly sliced green onions

2 cups heavy whipping cream

6 tbsp. sun dried tomatoes

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

When I was making this, I didn't have sundried tomatoes on hand, so I just made it without them. I'm sure it would taste even better with them in it!

To make: 

1. Place chicken and cajun seasoning into a bowl and toss to coat.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Reduce heat, add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and heat through. (let stand for a couple minutes to thicken a little)

4. Pour over hot linguine and toss with Parmesan cheese.

3 Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine


This turned out to be a great cheesy, chicken casserole! I loved the spinach in it & the creaminess of everything blending together!


You will need:

·        1 teaspoon EVOO

·        Cooking spray

·        3 cups chopped fresh spinach

·        1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

·        1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·        1 (16-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese

·        4 cups hot cooked penne

·        2 cups shredded chicken breast

·        1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

·        1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

·        1/2 cup milk

·        1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

To make:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.

Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until very smooth. 
Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. 
Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.
 Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. 
Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Note: You can cook the pasta mixture in individual eight-ounce ramekins; bake for 15 minutes.

penne, balsalmic, & feta

Penne with tomatoes, feta, & balsamic dressing

This recipe is perfect for a outdoor summer lunch or a light dinner with some yummy crusty bread!

It has a kick to it from the balsamic, but it is delicious!

6 oz. uncooked penne pasta

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup seedless green grapes, halved

1/3 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp chopped shallots

2 tsp capers

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp bottled minced garlic

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

4 tsp evoo

1 (4oz.) package crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta & drain. 

Combine pasta, tomatoes, grapes, & basil in large bowl.

Combine vinegar & next 6 ingredients in small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

 Gradually add oil to vinegar mixture, stirring constantly with whisk. Drizzle vinaigrette over pasta; toss well to coat. 

Add cheese, toss to combine.

Then dish up & enjoy!

lemon garlic linguine

Lemon Garlic Linguine


This is a super fast, easy dish to whip up. Nice & light & you can add as little or as much lemon as you like!
As for me....i LOVE lemon, i actually like to eat them like an orange!

8 oz. uncooked linguine

1 Tbsp EVOO, divided

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp grated fresh lemon rind

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Cook pasta & drain.

Heat small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp oil, garlic, & lemon rind. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add garlic mixture, remaining 2 tsp oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper to pasta. Toss well. Serve immediately.

Grilled Chicken with spinach & mozzarella

Grilled Chicken with Spinach & Melted Mozzarella

·                   (3 large) chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise to make 6 cutlets

·                  salt and pepper to taste

·                  1 tsp olive oil

·                  3 cloves garlic, crushed

          9 or    10 oz frozen spinach, drained

·                  3 oz fresh mozzarella

·                  1 roasted red pepper, sliced in strips

·                  olive oil spray

For this recipe I used fresh pearl mozzarella (i think they almost look like mini marshmallows!)

I could only finf a box of 9 oz. frozen spinach, so either works. I also bought the glass containor of roasted red peppers for convenience. 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°. 

Season chicken with salt and pepper,  grill outside Cook chicken on the grill until no longer pink, careful not to overcook or you'll have dry chicken.

Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Add oil and garlic, sauté a few seconds, add spinach, salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes until heated through.

When chicken is done, lay on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment for easy clean-up. Divide spinach evenly between the 6 pieces and place on top. 

Top each with half oz mozzarella, then slices of roasted pepper and bake until melted, about 6-8 minutes.

Fettucine Alfredo with chicken

Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken

So this is my all time favorite dish to eat.There is a fabulous restaurant in Logan, Utah that makes it & I am continuously trying to re-create it. So you will probably find me making this dish LOTS of times with various recipes.

I have to say that I made this the other night & it is the best I have found so far!

So good in fact, that I ate the leftovers for days after!!

Here's the recipe:

8 ounces uncooked fettucine

6 Tbsp butter, cubed

2 cups heavy whipping cream

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

½ cup grated romano cheese

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper & ground nutmeg
boneless, skinless chicken breast
EVOO

My hubby went out to get the ingredients and he couldn't find Romano cheese, so instead I used Kraft's combination parmesan & romano & just did about 1- 1 1/4 cup of that instead of them separately.

Directions:

Cook fettucine according to package.

For the chicken, I just put some EVOO in a pan & cooked it on the stove until it was done, then sliced it up!

Meanwhile, in a saucepan melt butter over med-low heat.

You could also slice up some grilled chicken, that would be super tasty!

Stir in cream, ½ cup parmesan, romano, egg yolks, nutmeg, s&p.

 Cook & stir over med-low heat un thermometer reads 160 (do not boil).

Drain fettucine, toss with sauce. 

Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

So, I am not a big fan of casseroles, but I am thrilled to say that I made this one this past weekend, and I loved it!

The flavors all blended well together & it would make fabulous leftovers.

Here's how to make it!

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 oz condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 container (8 oz sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
8 yellow corn tortillas, torn into bite-size pieces
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend

Now first off, for the 2 1/2 cups of chicken, you can either buy a rotisserie chicken at your grocery store & shred that or buy a package of boneless, skinless chicken breast (which is what I did) and then diced it up and threw it into a pot of boiling water until it cooked through & then shredded it up. I didn't measure it after, I just shredded the whole thing & threw it all in!

Now, for the Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 

Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. 

In large bowl, mix soup, chiles, sour cream and milk until blended.

 Stir in chicken, tortillas and bell pepper. 

Stir in tomato and 1 cup of the cheese.

 Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish.

Cover with foil. 

Bake 40 minutes. 

Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

 Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly.

 Let stand 5 minutes.

Enjoy and let me know how it comes out!

creamy tomato baked ravioli & spinach

Creamy Tomato Baked Ravioli & Spinach

(casserole)

I am not a huge fan of ravioli in general, but my husband is, so I decided to try this one out. He enjoyed it & I have to say that I really liked the sauce!

1 (24 oz.) jar of marinara (any type you like)

1 cup heavy cream

2 pounds fresh, cheese (or any type) ravioli

4 cups baby spinach

16 fresh basil leaves, torn

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large bowl, combine marinara & cream.

Stir in uncooked ravioli, spinach, & basil until coated. 
Transfer to 2 ½-3 qt. dish & sprinkle with parmesan.

Bake until sauce is bubbling & top is golden, 20-25 minutes.

Mint chocolate chip cookies

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these for a lesson on was teaching at church & I wish that I would've found the recipe sooner because I think they would be fantastic for St. Patrick's Day!

Just be careful on the amount of mint extract you use, I used 1/2 tsp and I almost thought it was too much for me, so next time I will use 1/4 tsp.

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. mint extract
6-8 drops green food coloring
1 egg
1 c. creme De menthe baking chips 
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Mix cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg in bowl, until soft dough forms.

Stir in creme De menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks. 

Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Lemon Chicken with Rice

Lemon chicken with rice

1/3 cup biscuit/baking mix

1 tsp seasoned salt

½ tsp pepper

4 bone-in chicken breast halves, skin removed OR 4 boneless skinless chicken breast

¼ cup EVOO

1 1/3 cups lemon pie filling

½ cup water

1/3 cup cider vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the biscuit mix, seasoned salt, & pepper. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides; drain. Transfer to a 13x9 baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the pie filling, water, vinegar & soy sauce; pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 40-45 minutes or until thermometer reads 170.

This mean was delicious. It tasted a lot like a Chinese dish. Next time I think I will dice up the chicken to make a more traditional Chinese dish. 

So good!

*Tip*

Instead of cooking it for 40 minutes in the oven, I kept it browning on the stove longer & then just put it in the oven for 20 minutes.

Crock pot lasagna

This recipe was SO easy to make. I love the idea of just throwing everything in and letting it go.

It comes out delish & I ate it for days afterward too!

3-4 cans (14.5 oz crushed tomatoes)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 containers (15 oz. each) fresh ricotta OR 1 container cottage cheese & 1 ricotta

2 cups grated mozzarella

1/4 cup grated parmesan

12 lasagna noodles

6 cups baby spinach

________________________________

1. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, and parmesan.

2. In the bottom of a 5-to-6 quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce. Top with three of the noodles (breaking to fit if necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with two cups of spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat once or twice more (depending on crock pot size) with the noodles, sauce, spinach, and cheese mixture.

 Top the the remaining three noodles, sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella.

3. Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender-especially in the center of the lasagna-about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.