Herbed Shrimp and Pasta

This recipe is super not healthy, but it was delicious.  I won't add this into my regular rotation, but it will be a every once in awhile meal.  You could do this with chicken if you are not a shrimp fan.
1 Package angel hair
1 cup butter (I used 1/2 cup and would probably not do that much next time.  Seriously, that is a lot of butter!)
1 1/2 pounds peeled, medium-sized shrimp (I used half this amount and it was plenty)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups half-and-half (I used fat free half-and-half.)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp chopped fresh dillweed or 3/4 tsp dried dillweed (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain; set aside, and keep warm. 

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat; add shrimp and garlic.  Cook, stirring constantly, 3-5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.  Remove shrimp, and set aside, reserving garlic and butter in skillet.

Add half-and-half to skillet; bring to a boil, stirring gently.  Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Adde shrimp, parsley, salt, pepper, and , if desired, chopped dillweed; stir until blended.  Serve over pasta.

 Recipe from Southern Living cookbook 

Quick Carbonara

1 Package of spaghetti (I like thin)
8 slices bacon
2/3 chopped green onions
1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 to 1 1/2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
dash of pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy: remove bacon, reserving 3 Tablespoons drippings in skillet.  Coarsely crumble bacon, and set aside.

Cook green onions, and mushrooms in drippings in skillet over medium heat 2 minutes.  Drain Pasta, and place in a serving bowl.  Stir egg yolks into hot pasta immediately after draining it. Stir in bacon, green onions and mushrooms, cheese, and pepper: toss.  Serve immediately.

recipe from southern living cookbook

Asian Pasta Salad (Dipping Chicken take III)

Very rarely do I make just the plain Dipping Chicken anymore.  It is yummy plain, but I feel a little more healthy when I make a rice bowl with veggies(steamed carrots, broccoli, squash, whatever.)  My new favorite version is the Asian Pasta Salad.  I actually found a recipe for an actual Asian Pasta Salad, and it was pretty much the same as the Dipping Chicken.  It had a few variations, but I knew we liked the Dipping Chicken so I pretty much stuck with that recipe.  I have linked to the Dipping Chicken if you want that recipe, but here is the Pasta Salad version:

Dipping Chicken

Asian Pasta Salad Version

Ingredients:

8 Chicken legs, bone in(I usually do not use legs.  I either use thighs or chicken breast.  Those are just what I usually have.)

1/3 cup soy sauce

Brown sugar

2 T dark sesame oil (This gives it more of an Asian taste. I really like it!)

Garlic salt

Black pepper

2T sesame seeds

sliced Veggies: broccoli, carrots, cherry tomato halves, zucchini

linguine (I use a whole wheat version and the whole box)

bowl.

Directions:

1.      Pull skin of chicken legs (less greasy)

2.      Pour 1/3 soy sauce in glass measuring cup.

3.      Add brown sugar to soy sauce until cup reads 2/3 cup.  Then add the sesame oil.

4.      Put chicken in pan and sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper.

5.      Pour brown sugar/soy sauce over chicken

6.      Cook at 350° for 1 hour uncovered.  Rotate chicken legs every 15 minutes.

7.      After my chicken is all cooked I usually pour it and the sauce over the veggies in a pan and let the veggies cook until softened while the pasta is cooking.  If you used chicken with bones take the chicken off the bone. 

8.  Cook pasta, drain.

9.  Place pasta in a large bowl. Pour chicken and veggie mixture over pasta. Add sesame seeds.  Toss gently.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas Recipe

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1-1/2 cups picante sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped green onions, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the chicken, 3/4 cup picante sauce, cheese, 1/4 cup onions, cumin and oregano. Spoon 1/2 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Place seam side down in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Brush with butter.
• Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Top with remaining picante sauce and onions. Yield: 6 servings.

Cheesecake bars

I need to post this recipe so I don't forget it! I make a cheesecake pie recipe and this is adapted from that to make a larger recipe that works well for baby showers and such!

Crust:
3 cups crushed graham crackers
1 and 1/2 sticks of butter, melted
6 T. Brown sugar

Mix all together and press into a cookie sheet. I use a metal measuring cup to press it flat. Let chill in fridge for 30 min before topping with cheesecake.


Cheesecake:
2 pkgs cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups sour cream
4 tsp. vanilla
2 (8 oz) tubs of cool whip

Beat cream cheese until smooth, gradually beat in sugar. Blend in sour cream, vanilla, then cool whip in that order. Spread over graham cracker crust.

Top with fresh fruit, or pie filling

Ranch Dressing

I do NOT like bottled ranch.  But I LOVE ranch at restaurants.  I don't know how they can even call both varieties by the same name.   I have been using this super easy ranch recipe for some time now and I am in ranch heaven because every salad tastes as good as a restaurant salad to me.  

 

I usually half this recipe, but then wish I didn't, because we eat it up fast.  Even if you don't eat it right away, it can keep for at least 2-3 weeks.  

RANCH DRESSING:

2 cups mayo (I always use light)

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp salt (I actually leave this out usually)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp parsley

pinch of pepper

Mix in a blender, or shake in a covered jar or bottle.  (I add a little plain milk to mine to water down and thin it out to where I like it.)  Make a few hours ahead if possible.  It's better after the flavors have time to mingle.  

 

This is a very versatile recipe.  I've replaced the parsley with cilantro and a little lime for mexican meals, or  added dill or chives for something a little different. 

Chicken Broccoli Supreme

I made this recipe tonight and LOVED it. Super yummy. I have made several chicken and broccoli casserole recipes, and this one takes the cake. It is the homemade soup recipe I think that makes it so fantastic, so don't be tempted to make it any other way!! I think you could add cooked rice to this dish and it would be great too. That is usually how I do most my broccoli casseroles.

I found the recipe here: http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=984 (as well as the photo)

Ingredients:

1 – lb. fresh broccoli Break in pieces, and steam for 2 minutes.
 

3 cups cooked chicken breasts  – Break up in small pieces
 

3 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese divided
 

2 tubes Ritz Crackers
 

1   stick melted butter

T1 tablespoon poppy seeds

  

SAUCE: 


1/3 C. Butter melted
 

1/4 C. Cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 C. COLD Water
 

1/3 C. Chicken Broth


1/4 tsp. Salt
 

1/4 tsp Pepper
 

2 Cups Milk


1 1/2 cups of the above Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

In greased 13×9 pan, layer the broccoli and chicken, then set aside. In saucepan over medium heat, combine the melted butter, cornstarch dissolved in water, chicken broth, seasonings, and milk. Stir well, and continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Turn heat down to low, and add 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. Top with 1- 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese.

Melt the butter, and add the poppy seeds, and stir well. Crush Ritz crackers in large zip-lock bag with a rolling pin. Don’t crush too small. Add crumbs to the melted butter. Sprinkle crumbs over the top of the grated cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until hot & bubbly. 

Baked Fried Chicken

I made this recipe last night. Of course I found it on Pinterest. It was YUMMY. Tate literally ate half a chicken breast and wanted more. It was so yummy he called it "nuggets" instead of chicken. For reals.

Place thawed chicken breast tenderloin strips in a bowl of milk. Let soak for 20-30 min.

Mix in a Gallon Size Ziploc or Large Bowl:

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 T Season All

3/4 tsp Pepper

1 c. Flour

2 tsp. Paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1/2 stick of butter into a few pieces and place in a 9x13 pan. Melt butter in pre-heated oven.

Spread melted butter around the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the pan, if needed, to make sure that there are no dry spots.

Shake excess milk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix. You can either shake the chicken in the bag, until coated, or dip each piece in the bowl until coated.

Place each piece of chicken in the pan.

Cook for 20 min. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 20 more minutes, or until cooked through.

Green Bean Casserole

I made this at Thanksgiving time, it was FANTASTIC! Pretty similar to normal green bean casseroles, but with a few upgrades. So yummy! This is a Paula Dean recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/3 stick butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I didn't have any, so these were omitted)
• 2 cups sliced green beans 
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
• Pinch House Seasoning, recipe follows (I just added in the seasoning, didn't make the whole recipe)
• 1 cup grated Cheddar
• 1 dash of worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Restaurant Style Queso Blanco

I made this last night for our Polar Express party and it was a huge hit and so yummy! I think that next time I am going to substitute the Monterrey Jack for some Pepper Jack cheese next time to give it a little kick! I found it on this website.

• 1 Tbsp cooking oil (veggie, olive, canola - whatever you have)
• 1/4 cup white onion, diced
• 1 large jalapeno or serrano, seeds and stem removed; diced
• 12 oz white American cheese (I have the deli give me 3 slices on 10), shredded
• 4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (optional; don't use pre-shredded)
• 1/4-2/3 cup cream, half-and-half, or whole milk
• 1 roma tomato, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low.
2. Add the shredded cheese and 1/4 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted.
3. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.
4. Serve with chips. I think it would be yummy with bread too.