Chicken Alfredo Forentine Lasagna

Monday, August 8th, 2011

That’s a mouthful.. lol

I had a jar of Bertoli alfredo sauce that I bought on sale, knowing that I might not get to use it. (Chili-man is NOT a fan of alfredo sauce.) It’s been sitting in the pantry for a while so I thought I’d try this recipe from Bertoli, only I changed it up some, you know how I am!!!

You see, Chili-man is one of those meat eaters. Has to have meat at every meal. So I added cooked chunked chicken to the layers in this recipe.

I didn’t use as much spinach as the recipe originally called for (again so he might eat it) and while the recipe turned out OK, he wouldn’t eat seconds, or leftovers…

But you might enjoy it!!!

CHICKEN ALFREDO FLORENTINE LASAGNA

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast cooked and chunked (or one large can chicken)
1 container (15 oz.) cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (optional)
1 jar Bertolli® Alfredo Sauce
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine cottage cheese, egg, spinach, salt, pepper, chicken and nutmeg in medium bowl; set aside. Spread 1/4 cup Sauce in 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles, then top with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/4 cup sauce and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese; repeat layers, ending with noodles. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Sauce.
3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil, then top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and lasagna is lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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No pictures……. I fed it to the dogs….

Tags: alfredo florentine with chicken
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Glazed Carrots

Sunday, June 5th, 2011

These carrots were DELISH and a great way to use up some of those baby carrots you bought in a big old bag!

Glazed Carrots

1/2 lb fresh carrots (or enough to half fill your vegetable saucepan)
1/2 stick butter (I halved this)
6 T brown sugar (I halved this)
1 t cinnamon (I halved this)
1 t ginger (I halved this too)

Boil the carrots until just tender. In a separate bowl or pan, melt the butter and add the other ingredients and stir. Pour into the carrots and cook, stirring until everything is glazed with the brown sugar/butter mixture.

That’s it!

THIS sauce is also VERY good poured over any veggie that you just can’t stand. I can handle a brussel sprout or artichoke with this sauce, and maybe I can get Chili-man to eat his peas and asparagus…

glazed carrots

Tags: glazed carrots
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Brussel Sprouts with Orange & Maple

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

OK I promised the brussels sprouts recipe - I ATE TWO! You know this recipe has to be good if I can get TWO brussel sprouts down!!!!

Brussel Sprouts with Orange and Maple

brussel sprouts
1 1/2 T maple syrup
1 T butter
1/4 t orange zest
salt/pepper

Cook your brussel sprouts however you choose, I just boiled them in water til tender. Then I added in the maple syrup and orange zest (I used dehydrated) the salt and pepper and let it simmer for a few minutes.

That’s it!

The sweetness of the maple syrup helps cut the bitterness of the brussel sprouts.

brussel sprouts

Tags: brussel sprouts, cuts the bitterness, maple, orange
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Hamburger Helper Honey Mustard Chicken

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

YES.

Let me just say yes. I succumbed. I bought Hamburger Helper.

There are days ya know when you’re just too pooped to cook dinner from scratch, you don’t want to pay big bucks for take-out (that is IF you even live where you can get take-out) and you just don’t want leftovers (that is IF there are leftovers.) Those days, well it’s good to have a few quick, easy, throw together without thinking or defrosting meals!

So, I made Hamburger Helper Honey Mustard Chicken.

I started with one rather large FROZEN chicken breast. See, you still might have that same problem - nothing thawed out - but you could use canned chicken. I’m hoping to clear some space in the freezer so frozen chicken was the best option for me, even though it took longer. Cooked it in a large skillet until it was nearly thawed and then cut it up right there in the pan. Did I mention I was pooped? Tossed in the rest of the ingredients, following the directions, and got dinner together asap.

What’d Chili-man say?

“Is there sugar in this?”

Well, technically no, but it was honey mustard, so I assumed that the powdered glaze that went on top consisted of powdered honey but I was too pooped to look.

He ate it, duh but it wasn’t his favorite. It also didn’t thicken up very much, or we didn’t give it enough time.

Personally, I’m glad for an easy dinner. How about you?

Hamburger Helper Honey Mustard Chicken

Quick meal with Hamburger Helper Honey Mustard Chicken

Over the next couple days, I’ll share the side dishes I made!

Tags: Hamburger Helper Honey Mustard Chicken, quick meal
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Supposed To Be The Best Broccoli

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

I stumbled across a broccoli recipe on another blog and the recipe was touted as the best broccoli recipe EVER!

So I had to try it.

Toss some broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper and some minced garlic. I used fresh broccoli in a gallon ziplock.

Put into a pan and ROAST in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges are crisp and browned.

Take it out of the oven and drizzle some fresh lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon, then add a little more olive oil and top with pine nuts and parmesan.

Almost best ever broccoli

Kind of different don’t you think? Chili-man liked it ok enough. Me? I didn’t like the sour factor that the lemon juice gave it.

The dish was supposed to make even a broccoli hater go ‘ga ga’ over broccoli.

Um, well, maybe, but I won’t make it again.

No Gaga over this broccoli

Tags: best ever broccili, broccoli recipe
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Navy Bean Soup with Cabbage

Sunday, March 6th, 2011

with cabbage? I like to try different recipes for beans and saw this one for that included cabbage. Cabbage is cheap in March, so I went for it.

1 lb soaked navy beans
1 hot pepper
1 carrot sliced/diced
salt/pepper
4 c water
ham pieces
1 onion sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 bell pepper diced
2 cups shredded cabbage

Drain beans and place in a crockpot with all the other ingredients except the bell pepper and the cabbage. Cook on low for 7 hours. Turn to high and add the bell pepper and cabbage. Cook 2 hours more or until vegetables are tender.

beans with cabbage

This was good, but….

next time I’ll leave out the cabbage. Guess I’m just not a cabbage girl.

Tags: cabbage navy bean soup
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Olive Garden Style Gnocchi Soup

Monday, February 21st, 2011

Sometimes there will be a sale on something you’ve never bought before. In my case it was potato gnocchi.

This Colavita potato gnocchi was on sale, bargain priced, so I bought it!

Colavita gnocchi

Here’s how

My version of Olive Garden’s Gnocchi Soup

# 2 cans chicken broth
# 2 cups whole milk
# 1 t minced garlic
# few baby carrots chopped or sliced
# 1/2 onion, diced
# 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach
# 1 tablespoon olive oil
# 1 teaspoon thyme
# salt and pepper
# 16 ounces potato gnocchi
# 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Saute the onion, garlic, and carrot in oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
2. Add chicken broth, milk salt,pepper, and thyme. Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi and frozen spinach. Gently boil for 4 minutes, then turn down to a simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Heat to boiling and add cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 Tbsp water at this point if you want a thicker soup.).
4. Ladle into bowls and serve!

gnocchi-soup-in-the-pot

Olive Garden’s probably has chicken in it. I was serving this with chicken salad over greens, so I opted NOT to use chicken in the soup. I’ve only had this once before, at Olive Garden. I found it ‘different’ but delish and this version was great too! It will now be a fall-back soup recipe for this household!

gnocchi-soup

Tags: Colavita potato gnocchi, gnocchi soup, Olive Garden
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Hoppin’ John

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

What’s New Years in the south without blackeyed peas???

I tried ‘another’ new Hoppin John recipe this year and sure enough, it was good too. I don’t think I’ve ever had Hoppin John that wasn’t tasty!

I chose this recipe because it didn’t make a huge pot full. You can only eat blackeyed peas SO many days in a row…

Hoppin John

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
olive oil
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c red or green bell pepper
garlic
1 jalapeno sliced/diced
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t cumin
1 c water
1 can chicken broth
1/2 t thyme
bay leaf
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t salt
1/2 c rice

Rinse and soak the black-eyed peas overnight. Rinse and drain.

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook the chopped onion and bell pepper until the onions are translucent. Add in a minced clove of garlic, the sliced and diced jalapeno. Then toss in the herbs, the water and chicken broth. Toss in the salt and pepper and the bay leaf too. Simmer the peas for about an hour.

You can then either cook the rice in a separate pan and add to the mixture, remember rice is easy. OR you can add a little more chicken broth or water and add the rice direct to the pan, just let it simmer 15-20 minutes or until the rice is done.

Hoppin John

Doesn’t it look yummy?

I paired it with flounder seasoned with Cajun herbs/spices, broccoli and garlic bread.

yum!

Tags: Hoppin John, New Years Day meal, recipe
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Happy Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving

Tags: Happy Thanksgiving
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Curried Brussels Sprouts for Chiliman

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Chiliman likes brussels sprouts!

YUCK City I say.

But, I made some for him, I made curried brussels sprouts.

curried brussels sprouts

They look good! Chiliman loved them. Me? I forced down one.
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Curried Brussel Sprouts

2 cups trimmed brussels sprouts
1/2 cup diced red, yellow, and/or green bell pepper
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook the brussels sprouts, partially covered, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until just softened.

Add the bell pepper and cook for a couple minutes longer.

Drain the vegetables reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid in the pan.

In a cup, combine the milk, mayonnaise, and cornstarch. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add it to the liquid in the pan.

Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.

Stir in the parsley, curry powder, and black pepper.

Return the vegetables to the pan, toss with the sauce, and heat through.

brussels sprouts curried

Tags: curried brussels sprouts
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