Balsamic Chicken Tortellini

I'm baaaaaaack!  This summer has been a whirlwind for us, and it seems that new recipes always move to a back-burner when life gets in the way.  Here's a recipe I found on Pinterest at the beginning of the summer.  We've made it many times, and think you'll like it too.

1 (19 oz) pkg cheese tortellini - frozen or fresh (up to you!)
1 c grape tomatoes, cut in halves
1 c flat-leaf spinach, chopped
1 large boneless chicken breast
1/2 c Newman's Own Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper

Prepare tortellini according to directions.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes in strainer.

Cut chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, and cook over medium-high heat until thoroughly done.  Toss in 2-3 TBSP balsamic dressing and coat chicken.

Chop spinach and cut tomatoes.

Add chicken, spinach, and tomatoes to bowl with tortellini.  Toss in balsamic dressing until evenly coated.  Sprinkle with dried basil (I used about 1 1/2 tsp) and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately, or chill for a few hours before serving.

Comments from the cook:  We love pasta salad around here, and this one is a great addition to our arsenal.  The balsamic dressing listed above has been one of our favorites for a while, so basing a dish around it couldn't fail.  

We modified the recipe just slightly from the original (we don't marinate the chicken, and don't use the ground mustard), and have loved the results.  We have used fresh tortellini and really liked it...but have also had success with the frozen kind for a lot less (the Great Value brand at Walmart is about $2.75). We also use fresh basil when it's in season, and use 8-10 leaves diced for the recipe.

Originally found here, which links back to this great site.

P.s. May we have a quick moment of silence for how the countertops in this new apartment are SO MUCH BETTER LOOKING than the ones in the last!?  Hooray, times one thousand...

Baked (not fried) Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is a hands-down favorite around here (only behind pizza, I would submit).  We'd been wanting to try a baked Chicken Parmesan for a while... and found this one to make after church today.  It's a winner!

3 chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sliced into cutlets
2 c marinara sauce, warmed
3/4 c mozzarella cheese, grated
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1 1/2 c Panko crumbs (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
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1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP salt
1/2 tsp pepper
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3 egg whites
1 TBSP water

Combine bread crumbs and olive oil in saucepan, and cook over medium heat until golden brown.  Allow to cool for a few moments, then add Parmesan cheese.

Combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.  Set aside.

Whisk egg whites and water together in a shallow dish and set aside.

Dry chicken cutlets with paper towel and season with a bit of (additonal) salt and pepper.  Dip in flour mixture, and shake off excess.

Next dip in egg mixture, until all flour has been thoroughly moistened.

Next dip in bread crumb coating.  (You may need to press down on the cutlets to make sure that crumbs stick to them.)

Place foil over a baking sheet, then place a wire baking/cooling rack over the foil-covered sheet.  Spray rack with non-stick spray, and place coated chicken on rack.  Spray tops of coated chicken with non-stick spray.  Bake at 475° for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Add 2 TBSP marinara sauce to tops of each cooked cutlet, then top with cheese.  Bake for 5 more minutes.

Serve over spaghetti or pasta of your choice.

Comments from the cook:  We hardly changed anything from the original recipe, except for using a Parmesan-Romano cheese blend...which turned out to be amazing.  We served our chicken over spaghetti, and used extra marinara sauce to add more flavor.


Hope you love this as much as we did!

Recipe found at BrownEyedBaker.com, here.

Minestrone Soup

My mom has been making minestrone soup for years, and somehow I hadn't tried it until a few months ago.  I LOVED IT.  Minestrone is a bit like "Ghoulash", in that it seems to mean something different in each household.  This is my version, and the ingredient list is as complete as possible for a "maybe a little bit more of this, little bit more of that" recipe.

1/3 lb ground beef *
1/4 of a white onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 1/2 tsp oregano
5-6 c water
3 cubes beef bullion
4-5 carrots, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp onion salt
1 tsp garlic
15 oz can kidney beans
15 oz can green beans
1/2 of 15 oz can yellow corn
4 servings pasta, mini-shells shown above
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and onion in stock pot until thoroughly cooked.  Add remaining ingredients (except kidney beans, green beans, corn, and pasta), cover, and cook at a low boil until carrots are thoroughly cooked.

Prepare pasta separately (my preference is to make it a bit al dente, so that it doesn't get too soft later) and add to soup after carrots have cooked.

Add green beans and corn and simmer over low heat until ready to serve.

Comments from the cook:  This was my first time making minestrone soup, and I was thrilled with how it turned out.  Brian had to work late that night, and I knew it was my chance to make a big batch of "girl soup".


I experimented quite a bit with flavors, and you'll want to do the same.  In the end, mine was a bit thick, and I should've added a bit more water.  But, thankfully, this soup freezes amazingly...and you can always add more water when you thaw it out and re-heat it.


My mom serves this with fresh Parmesan cheese and warm bread.  


This makes a gigantic batch, but we (Claire and I) loved it so much that it seemed impossible to have too much around!  I realized the other day that we no longer have any in the freezer, so it must be time to make some more...


* We usually divide our ground beef into 1/3 lb increments, but you're welcome to use whatever amount you prefer.  My mom says that Italian sausage also tastes really good in this recipe!

Originally shared by my mom, Alane, who got her version from a dear friend, Donna Harris.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

My sister-in-law made this recipe for us quite a while ago (2006, when did you become so long ago!?) and I found it in my recipe binder this last winter, and resurrected it. YUM!

24-30 jumbo pasta shells
2 eggs
1 (15oz) container cottage cheese
2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried parsley leaves
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 cups marinara sauce

Cook jumbo pasta shells as directed on packaging. Run cool water over them to halt further cooking.

Pour 1/2 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

In a separate bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and garlic salt. Stir until combined.

Spoon a heaping spoonful of filling into each pasta shell. Place in pan, and cover with remaining marinara sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and cook for 5-10 more minutes, or until bubbly.

Comments from the cook: This is an excellent recipe that we love at our house. We think the leftovers might even be better than the fresh product!

I use canned marinara sauce for this recipe, but made it with Brian's homemade sauce a few times ago. It was excellent!

Originally shared by my SIL, Meredith, and adapted from a recipe found in one of her cookbooks (source unknown).

Bacon Tomato Capellini

Holy grown-up bacon recipe! I saw this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, and thought it sounded amazing. Grown-up food with bacon as a main ingredient?! How could it fail, really? Turns out, it couldn't. A.MAZ.ING.

1 pkg (16 0z) bacon
¼ c bacon grease (from the bacon you cook)
1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes (we prefer petite diced)
¼ c fresh basil, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
½ bunch green onions, chopped
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 box (16 oz) capellini or angel hair pasta

Fry bacon in a large frying pan until done, but not crispy. When finished, allow bacon to cool on a paper-towel-covered plate. (Reserve 1/4 cup of bacon grease.)

When bacon is cooled, tear or cut it into small pieces. Set aside.

Pour tomatoes into large bowl. Mix fresh basil in. Set aside.

Put 1/4 cup bacon grease back in pan, and heat to medium. Add minced garlic and green onions. Once garlic has turned to a tan color, add the bacon pieces. Saute at low heat for 10 minutes.

Pour in the bowl of tomatoes and basil. Stir together and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt if necessary.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, boil pasta. Drain noodles and set aside.

Right before serving, toss bacon/tomato sauce with noodles. Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Serves: 6-8

Comments from the cook: I made this dish on Sunday, and it was enough to eat for 3 nights! It is an excellent leftover, and reheats very well.

I didn't have green onions on hand when I made this, so I just used a dash or two of onion powder as a substitute.

We loved this, and will definitely be adding it to our recipe arsenal!

Originally found here, on this amazing recipe website.

Chicken Pasta Salad

(Hello, first real food pics from my new lens. You are beautiful. The end.)

4 svgs farfalle (bowtie) pasta
3 svgs garden rotini pasta
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cucumber, cut into 1/2" chunks
pasta salad seasoning, to taste

Prepare pastas as directed. Drain and run under cool water until room temperature (or cooler if desired).

Cut chicken breast into small chunks and pan fry over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP of Italian dressing to chicken chunks when chicken is almost finished cooking.

Toss chicken, cucumber, and pastas together.

Add dressing (amount is really up to you, and depends on your tastes) and pasta salad seasoning.

Best when served chilled for an hour or so. Serves 6+.

To rejuvenate the next day, toss with a bit more salad dressing and another couple of shakes of pasta salad seasoning.

Comments from the cook: I debated whether or not to post this recipe. It's not really MY recipe. It's just 6 ingredients. Nothing is really homemade (unless you call browning a chicken breast HOMEMADE). But we eat it (or some version of it) at least once a week in the summertime. And I'm the boss of this very food blog, so I can post whatever I want! :)

If you read my other blog, you'll know that pasta salad seasoning is a BIG DEAL to me. My mom found a seasoning called "Salad Elegance" long ago (made by Johnny's), we got hooked on it, and then I moved to Utah. It was hard to find there, but not impossible. And then the place I always bought it stopped carrying it. So I did what any normal person would do. I ordered a $30 2.5-lb tub of it. And I've not been happier with a purchase ever since.

McCormick makes a version called Salad Supreme (sold in the spice section), which will work, if you don't have access to the loveliness that is Salad Elegance. My observation was that McCormick's SS has more celery salt, and is not as light tasting...but we ate it when times were hard and Johnny's got the boot from our local store. Until we took matters into our own hands, that is.

Variations of pasta salad are endless. My mom has added fresh tomatoes and olives to hers before. We also do a version that is just spaghetti noodles, cut-up pepperonis, chunks of cheese, Italian dressing, and Salad Elegance (for dinner when we're trying to UP the taste and HOLD the healthy!)

Either way, this is one of our favorites. And, I tell you, I've never been happier to own $30 of a spice.

Originally made by my mom, Alane Sleight.

Mom's Tuna Casserole

4 servings elbow noodles
8 oz Velveeta (they have a new lower fat one!)
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk
1 can tuna, drained
crackers/chips, crumbled for topping

Boil elbow noodles to doneness. Place in Pyrex dish.

In a separate pan, heat Velveeta, cream of chicken soup, and milk. Stir until smooth. Add tuna to mixture and stir together.

Pour cheese mixture over noodles. Stir together to make sure all noodles are coated.

Crumble crackers or potato chips on top just to add a bit of saltiness and crunch.*

Bake for 30 min at 350°, uncovered.

Serves 4+.

* I like to think this step is what makes this a Mormon Mom recipe :)

Comments from the cook: Special thanks to Brian, who LOATHES all things fish, for letting me make this tonight. His fish-hating wife gets a hankering about once a year for a little bit of tuna, and this hits the spot. Brian ate a good-sized portion, and didn't even gag ONCE. He did need a few pieces of bread to get the tuna taste out of his mouth afterward, but I'd say that's pretty good progress!

Originally shared by you guessed it..Mom!

Chicken Parmesan

8-10 chicken tenders (thawed)
1 large can Del Monte traditional spaghetti sauce (our favorite)
1 package Ritz crackers (wheat ok!)
1/2 to 1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp garlic salt
1-2 eggs, beaten
oil
mozzarella cheese

Thaw chicken tenders. Beat eggs in bowl and set aside.

Heat approximately 1" of oil to medium heat in saucepan.

Crush Ritz crackers in Ziploc bag. Add Parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, and garlic salt to cracker crumbs. Toss together in bag.

Dip tenders in beaten eggs and then in crumb mixture. Toss in bag until coated.

Fry coated tenders in oil just until browned. Use tongs to remove, and set on plate covered with napkin (to drain off excess oil).

Pour spaghetti sauce into 8.5x11 pan. Season with oregano, basil, and garlic salt as desired. Set fried tenders in pan, and cover with sauce.

Pour cheese over sauce and cover with foil.

Bake at 400° for 40 min.

Serve over spaghetti.

Comments from the cook: We prefer the Del Monte spaghetti sauce, but it's not available everywhere. We tried to "make our own" sauce by adding spices to plain tomato sauce when we made this once...and it wasn't quite the same. Your best bet is to stick with a brand you already like, and go from there.

Originally shared by Matt and Brittany Johnson

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 8 oz package 1/3 less fat cream cheese (generic ok)
1 8 oz package fat free cream cheese
1 packet italian dressing seasoning (dry)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
12-14 chicken tenders
bowtie pasta

Soften cream cheese in microwave or leave at room temperature until soft.

In slow cooker, combine cream cheese and cream of chicken soup.

Add italian dressing seasoning packet to cream cheese/soup mixture.

Add 12-14 chicken breast tenderloins to slow cooker.

Cook on low for at least 4 hours.**

Serve over bowtie pasta.

Serves 6+. (We half this, and have enough for leftovers the next day).

**Lisa, the bearer of this recipe, said that she sometimes makes this recipe in the morning before work, so it will be ready when she gets home. If that is the case, she suggests leaving the heat on warm instead of low. Cooking the dish on low for that many hours can cause it to burn around the edges. Up to you!

Comments from the cook: This recipe is a little bit rich, so I would suggest serving it with mild sides. We choose broccoli because, well, we eat it with everything. :)

Originally shared by Lisa Hjorth, co-worker at Provo Craft