Pesto Tortellinni Salad with Tomatoes and Artichokes

So The Hubs has been out of town for a few days now so I thought I would indulge in some much needed girl food!  At least thats what he would call it.  The fact that its a pasta dish that is quite healthy, falls under the category "Girl Food" in his book.  So I take every opportunity that I have to cook something light and fresh and eat it for lunch and dinner and maybe a snack inbetween. 

And can I just say this dish is just that! With fresh cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, fresh mozzarella, and delicious cheese stuffed tortellini tossed in Pesto. You really can't go wrong here.  This is a great Pasta Salad for parties or get togethers also.

Recipe:

1 (12oz) bag frozen tortellini

1 (10oz) carton of cherry tomatoes

1 (6.5oz) jar of marinated artichoke hearts

1 (6.5oz)store-bought jar Pesto with Basil  (or you can use homemade Pesto)

6 oz of fresh mozzarella (cubed)

Cook the tortellini as directed on package.  Drain the pasta and let cool for about 5-10 minutes.  Next, dice the marinated artichoke hearts and fresh mozzarella into bite sized pieces.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss till everything is well coated with Pesto.  Store this dish in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.  

Smokey Mac N Cheese

(Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture with all the toppings!  This was taken while the bacon was cooking right before it went into the oven.)

Everyone knows that Mac N Cheese is definitely one of the best comfort foods!  I absolutely love the stuff!  How can you not love noodles that have just been SMOTHERED in creamy cheese!  Well, when my husband and I celebrated our 4th anniversary a couple of weeks ago, we ate dinner at the lovely Flemings restaurant, and we had the most delicious chipotle mac and cheese and I knew at once that I had to try and recreate it.  

So I did my research and came across this great recipe by The Neely's.  They have so many great comfort recipes to choose from.  I made just a few changes to the recipe that I will list below that I feel make the dish a bit more like the one we had at Flemings Steakhouse.  I think you will all enjoy this delicious version of Mac N Cheese.

Recipe:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk, warm
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Dash salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Dash hot sauce
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar
• 1 cup smokey cheddar cheese
• 1 pound cavatappi pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 cup crushed potato chips (I used cheddar and sour cream ruffles)
• 5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for topping

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large saucepot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the warmed milk and bring to a boil, continue to whisk constantly. The mixture will thicken as the heat increases. Continue to stir while adding

the dry mustard, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Stir in the 3 cups of Cheddar until it melts.

Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and add to a 3 quart casserole dish.

Sprinkle the chips, bacon and Parmesan on top and bake for 35 minutes.

Beef Stroganoff

For some reason I always had something against beef stroganoff!  I just didn't love the flavor of the sauce I guess, so my poor husband was deprived of one of his favorite dishes.  That's until my friend Mal gave me her Grandmas secret recipe and I knew that if Mal loved it I would probably like it too!  Her and I have always had similar likes when it comes to food.  We used to share a little caesars pizza on a regular basis back in high school (sad I know), we would drive miles just to get some of the best peanut butter chocolate fudge that Utah had to offer, and we constantly are swapping recipes! I have gotten some of my favorite recipes from her.  Thanks Girl :) 

I know you guys will all adore this recipe!  It is a bit different from your typical stroganoff, which I like :), it has a tomato base to the sauce which gives it a great flavor, and some heavy cream, which always makes things taste extra good.  This is one of those heavier dishes, so I only make it on special occasions.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!  I'm sure you'll love it!

Recipe:

(This recipe will serve about 8-10 people.  I usually cut it in half unless were entertaining)

1 cup butter

1-1/2 cup onion (diced)

1-1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced, and optional)

3-1/2 pounds Beef Top Round (sliced into thin strips)

6 Tbsp. Flour

3 cups beef broth (I use 3 beef bouillon cubes and 3 cups boiling water when I don't have the broth on hand)

1-1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. Tomato Paste

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream

3/4 cup Sour Cream

1 pound Egg noodles

Melt 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter into a large saute pan. Saute the onion and mushroom till soft then remove from pan and set aside.  Add the other 1/2 cup of butter to the pan and allow it to melt.  Dip the beef into the flour then place into the pan and allow it to brown on both sides. (about 2-3 minutes per side)

Next add the broth and the salt to the meat and bring to a boil.  Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, allowing the meat to become tender.

After simmering for a couple of hours, turn the heat up to medium and stir in the onions and mushrooms and the remaining ingredients.  Stir for a few minutes till heated all the way through.  Serve over egg noodles or rice.  Enjoy!

Chicken Carbonara

I have been searching for a good Carbonara Recipe since I can remember!  After much searching and not finding anything that I was very pleased with, I decided to make up my own and the results I must say were quite good!

I wanted something a bit spicy but full of flavor and I feel that this was the best of both worlds.  If your not a spicy fan, that's totally fine just omit that part and I think you should still have great results!

Recipe:

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts 

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 pound Linguine Noodles

4 cloves garlic (minced)

1/2 of a red onion (diced)

1/2 cup bacon (diced)

4 (oz) jar diced sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced)

2 whole eggs

1/2 cup Smoked white cheddar (shredded)(should be able to find this in your cheese section of your local grocery store)

1/4 cup white cheddar (shredded)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese (shredded & divided)

1 cup chicken Stock

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. Ground black pepper

salt to taste

Place the olive oil into a large saute pan over medium heat.  Place the diced onion into the oil and saute for a few minutes.  Add in the chopped up bacon and stir till the bacon is slightly crisp.  Toss in the minced garlic and stir till the garlic becomes fragrant.  Remove from heat and place onto a paper towel lined plate.

Return the pan to medium heat and add the diced chicken to the bacon grease and cook till no longer pink in the center (about 8-10 minutes).  While the chicken is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil and toss the linguine in the boiling water and cook for 8 minutes (till al dente).

While the noodles/chicken are cooking, take a large bowl, one that the pasta will be served in, and crack both of the eggs into it.  Whisk together the eggs, pepper, cheese, and cayenne pepper.  Set aside.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the pan.  Place the pan back over the heat for 30 seconds then add in the chicken broth (it may sizzle a bit but that's what you are going to want. It will pick up all the yummy bits of bacon and flavor on the pan and add it to the sauce.  To the broth, add back the onion/bacon mixture, toss in the sliced mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and the heavy cream and let simmer for a few minutes.

As soon as the noodles are done cooking, drain any excess water, and immediately add the HOT noodles to the egg mixture and give it a good toss.  When the vegetables and broth are done simmering, pour over the noodles, throw in the chicken and stir till all is well combined.  Top with parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese  Enjoy!

Pasta Salad

This pasta salad is perfect for summertime and for the upcoming holiday festivities of the 4th of July.  We made this salad yesterday for a BBQ we had at the pool, in *100 + degree weather and it held up perfectly! We served this with salmon and burgers but I think it would go perfect with anything really.

Recipe:

1 pound Rotini Noodles

1 small head broccoli (stemmed and washed)

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 green bell pepper (diced)

1 (8oz) fresh mozzarella (cubed)

1 (4oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts (diced)

1-1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles for 9 minutes.  Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water.  Dice the bell pepper, mozzarella, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts and place in a large bowl along with the cooked noodles.  Blanch the broccoli and add it to the pasta mixture. (blanching for those of you who aren't familiar with the term means to steam the broccoli for just a few minutes then quickly place it into ice cold water) Pour the dressing over the top and toss till well incorporated.  Enjoy!

Balsamic Chicken Pasta Salad + A Guest Post over @ The Country Cook

This pasta was so light and so delicious that I am thinking about going back for thirds right now! Yes, you heard it, I said thirds :) Not seconds, THIRDS! :)  

I came up with this dish while I was at Costco, shopping around, buying way more than I needed to.  What is it about Costco? I mean I really can't go in there and NOT spend under $100!  Do any of you have that same problem. I mean I went there on the intentions of only buying diapers and I came out with, diapers, wipes, water, raspberries, hummus, pajamas for the little one, salad, milk, some cheese, a huge thing of balsamic vinegar, a rotisserie chicken (those things are deadly good!), some ribs for fathers day, fruit snacks, crackers, cherry tomatoes, and last but DEFINITELY not least, 2 loaves of rosemary bread! So much for only buying diapers Ha... 

Anyways, I was on a major Italian kick and that's when this pasta popped into my mind.  Lets just say that I am glad it was so good cause when you buy most of the ingredients from costco, you are bound to have one Large dish!

Also, check out my Guest Post over @ The Country Cook today!  I feel so blessed and lucky to be a guest post twice this week and on 2 of my favorite and AMAZING blogs. Brandie is one of the sweetest people that I have met through this whole blogging process and I KNOW FOR A FACT, that any of you out there that know her, would definitely agree with me!  Check it out and check out Brandie's awesome blog! She is the one to thank for these amazing Pork Chops in/a Creamy Gravy that I have on my blog! Thanks again Brandie, I had a blast :)

Recipe:

2 cups Shredded Chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken, made it that much easier to throw together)

1 lb. Penne Noodles (this is all I had on hand, you could use Linguine, bowtie, spiral, etc.)

1 cup of cherry tomatoes (chopped)

8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella (diced into cubes)

2 large Garlic Cloves (minced)

3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

6 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 cup of fresh Basil (chopped)

1/2 tsp. of Salt 

1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook the noodles as desired on package.  While the noodles are cooking, shred the chicken into bite sized pieces, dice up the tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese and place all these ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly mix in the oil. Chop up the fresh basil and pour 1/2 cup of it into the sauce. Whisk for 1 minute.

When the noodles are done cooking, drain, and place them into the bowl with the chicken.  Add in the remaining basil and pour the dressing over the noodle/chicken mixture and toss till everything is well combined.  Serve with a slice of warm bread. (Costco's Rosemary Bread goes great with this dish!)

Creamy Vegetable Bake

Ok, so one thing that you should all know about me is that I LOVE Cream Cheese! Like, I REALLY like cream cheese! I love it when it's in desserts like cheesecake, or in a pastry, but I also love when you can incorporate it into a savory dish like these Chicken Rolls, and this Casserole Italiano.

So when I heard that Kraft came out with a new product called Cooking Creme (it's pretty much a cream cheese in a creamier, more liquid-y, form) I knew that I was definitely going to want to give it a try, and that's when this dish was created! 

It's a dish full of delicious veggies, some egg noodles, cooking cream, then topped off with bread crumbs.  Really, it's a perfect side dish to any meal, or for you vegetarians out there, this would make a great entree too!

Plus! Don't Forget to ENTER the Giveaway! It ends tomorrow at midnight! If you already entered you may just want to double check that your entry is still there! Sorry, But Blogger decided to delete the contest the day after I put it up and a bunch of entries were deleted! CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Recipe:

1 medium zucchinni (sliced)

1 medium yellow squash (sliced)

1 cup of grape tomatoes (cut each tomato in half)

1/2 of a red onion (diced)

1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 (10oz) container of Savory Garlic cooking cream

1/2 of a (12oz) package of egg noodles (cooked and drained)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

3-4 Tbsp. Butter (melted)

Slice and dice all the vegetables then put them in a large saute pan, and saute them in 2 Tbsp. of Olive oil for just a couple of minutes (about 3-4 min)  Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles as directed on package. (it's generally about 6 minutes for al-dente). 

Once the noodles are done cooking, pour them into a strainer, and drain them completely. Now, when the veggies are just about done cooking, stir in the container of cooking cream and noodles till everything is well incorporated.  

Now place your noodle/veggie mixture into a casserole dish or an 8x8 baking dish.  Melt your butter and combine it with the bread crumbs.  Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of your noodle mix and place into the oven @*350 and bake for 15 minutes or until the bread crumbs are slightly browned.  Serve hot!

Spicy Tomato Pasta with Goat Cheese

I came across this delicious pasta over at the Emily's sweet blog So Domesticated.  This pasta is so flavorful and SO easy to put together. Honestly it takes like 15 minutes from start to finish. Now that's my kind of meal, quick and easy to throw together and so yummy to eat!!! I made a few tiny changes to my liking but some of you may not be goat cheese fans which is totally fine you can just leave the cheese off if you prefer. Try this pasta you will not be disappointed!

Recipe:
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 of one Yellow Onion (diced)
1 (14oz) can Chicken Broth
1 (15oz) can Tomato Sauce
3 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
2 small Garlic Cloves (minced)
1 cup Half & Half
1 1/4 tsp. Thyme (dried)
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. Chili Pepper Flakes
1 lb. Linguine Noodles
Goat Cheese for topping (melts into the pasta it's so yummy)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add in Linguine and cook to packages directions (about 10-11 min) Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute till soft (about 2-3 min.)
Add in tomato sauce, broth, tomato paste, garlic and Half & Half. Stir till well combined.  Now add in seasonings and turn heat to low and let simmer while the noodles cook. When noodles are done cooking,  drain and pour into the sauce. Top pasta off with 1 Tbsp. Goat Cheese and stir it into the hot pasta. It adds such a yummy creamy flavor that our family just loved! You can serve this with a green salad and some french bread for dipping.

Casserole Italiano

(Its hard to tell from this picture, but this dish is so yummy!)

We love this casserole in our house. It's total comfort food and its such an easy dish to throw together for those days that you don't have much time.

Recipe:
1 lb. Sausage (We like things a bit spicy in our house so we use hot sausage but you can use any flavor)
1 small onion (diced)
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 cans tomato soup
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/4 cup water
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup cheese (shredded, we use what ever kind of cheese we have on hand usually cheddar or mozzerella)
Pinch of salt & pepper
Bread Crumbs for topping

Cook the meat in a large skillet on med. heat till no longer pink. Drain Fat.  Saute the onion and garlic for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the meat back to the skillet with the onions and garlic and turn the heat to low.  Stir in the soup, seasonings, and water and stir till well combined.  Now add in the cream cheese and stir till melted.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the shredded cheese and pour into a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with bread crumb and little shredded cheese. Bake @ *350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with a green salad or veggie of choice.
*If your not sausage fans, you can sub out the sausage for hamburger meat or add no meat at all. Totally your preference. All of the above are good.

Creole Pasta

This dish is the ultimate comfort food! Creamy pasta with slices of spicy chicken throughout. Really you can't go wrong with this simple dish!

Recipe:
2-3 Chicken Breasts (sliced)
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Creole Seasoning
3 Green Onions (chopped)
2-3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
8-12oz Heavy Cream
1 package of Bowtie Noodles

Slice chicken into this strips. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt the butter on medium heat, then add in the chicken and cook for about (5-7 minutes) or until no longer pink. Add in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, while the sauce is thickening, bring a pot of water to a boil, throw the noodles in and boil for 7 minutes (or otherwise directed on package) When the noodles are done cooking, drain the water out and pour noodles into the pasta sauce. Stir till all the noodles are covered in sauce. Serve with a slice of french bread and a green salad.
(recipe source: my good friend mal)