Chicken Penne Pesto

I found this jewel on www.thestayathomechef.com (Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta)
There are definitely many good ones on this lady's blog! I made this for a guy on a date and he took a bite and was very impressed. It was good!! 

Pesto:

Place all pesto ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed

3 garlic cloves

½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/3 cup virgin olive oil

¼ cup pine nuts

 

Chicken and Penne:

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into one inch pieces

2 Tbsp. Olive oil or cooking oil

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

12 oz. penne pasta

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese

 

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. When chicken begins to brown, add in uncooked pasta and broth. Bring to boil, then lower to medium heat and cover the pan with a lid. Cook pasta in the broth until al dente, according to the time on the package. Reduce heat to simmer and add cream and pesto. Stir until mixed. Remove from stove and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve warm.

Lasagna Meatloaf Minis

 I found this recipe in a magazine I bought yesterday called "Hungry Girl". Yup, the name fits so I picked up a copy and made these this evening. I altered it a little...

5 cups fresh spinach, chopped

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 egg

2 Tbsp. panko bread crumbs

2 tsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

3/4 tsp. salt, divided

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup marinara sauce

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

fresh basil for tops (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12 muffin tins with cooking spray. (I used muffin liners--they got greasy when they were cooked, but I preferred this to scrubbing the muffin pan after use.) Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray. (I NEVER spray my nice pans with spray so I just added a few teaspoons of oil to the pan.) Cook chopped spinach on medium heat until it is wilted and condensed down--around 2 minutes. Transfer spinach to a medium bowl. Add the beef, onion, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp. of the salt and the pepper to the same bowl. Mix contents together. Put some of the mixture into each of the 12 muffin cavities and pat down with a spoon. In a smaller bowl, mix the other 1/4 tsp. of salt with the ricotta cheese.

Make a hole in each of the muffin tin contents and place a spoonful of ricotta cheese in the hole. Top with marinara sauce. Bake until firm with lightly browned edges (about 35 minutes). Top with mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted. Makes 12 mini loafs (6 servings).

Hungry-Girl.com

Slow Cooker White Beans and Sausage

 I found this recipe when I was looking up how to use great northern white beans. I didn't take a picture--darn. Next time. 

1 1/2 lbs. smoked turkey sausage, sliced (or pork sausage--and I used bulk instead)

Oil (to saute)

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. dry white beans such as Great Northern, rinsed and picked over

32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth (I used stock)

1 1/2 cups water

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add sliced sausage (you can use oil if you want).

Cook until browned on both sides, stirring occasionally. (For the bulk sausage, I just browned it.) Remove sausage and add to slow-cooker. In the same skillet, add some oil and saute onion, pepper and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to slow-cooker. Add remaining ingredients to slow-cooker. Cook on low 7-8 hours, until the beans begin to break down. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Chicken Noodle Soup

 

This heart-warming soup is sure to delight on cool fall or winter evenings. It soothes the soul!

2 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil

1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced thin

1 cup celery, sliced thin (about 2 stalks)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

64 oz. (8 cups) regular or low sodium chicken broth + more for more soupy soup

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. pepper

12 oz. wide egg noodles

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used canned but a rotisserie chicken would be delicious!)

3-4 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

salt to taste

In a big pot or Dutch oven (or French casserole, they are sometimes called) saute carrots, celery and onion. Add garlic and saute 1-2 more minutes.  Add chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, pepper and bring to a boil.  Allow to boil 5 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Add egg noodles and boil 10 minutes until noodles are soft. Add chicken, parsley and lemon juice. Boil 1-2 minutes. Taste soup and add salt if needed. 

Notes: Since I used regular chicken broth, I didn't need to salt it much at the end. I found this to be less "soupy" than I like so I added extra broth. I suggest adding at least 2-4 more cups of broth if you like very soupy soup like I do for chicken noodle soup. I found this to be pretty thick, hearty and "noodly", which some may like more. 

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

These delightful meatballs are great for entertaining or for a delicious meal on the weekend.  

For the sauce:

3/4 c. grape jelly

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. spicy brown mustard

dash of bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)

For the meatballs:

1 egg lightly beaten

1/4 c. fine bread crumbs

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

2 Tbsp. milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

8 oz. bulk pork sausage

8 oz. ground beef

Cooking spray or oil

Crushed red pepper (optional)

Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together jelly, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and hot pepper sauce. Set aside.

Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, egg, onion, milk, salt and pepper. Add sausage and ground beef; mix well. Shape mixture into 36 one inch meatballs. Coat large skillet with cooking spray or a little oil and heat to medium heat. Cook meatballs half at a time, until browned, turning to brown evenly. Drain off fat. Place meatballs in a 1 1/2-2 quart slow cooker. Pour sauce over meatballs. Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2-2 hours. Serve immediately or keep on warm for up to two hours. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper (optional).