Chicken Penne

I have posted this recipe before.... Here's the link.  However, I wanted to figure a different way to cook it instead of in the microwave.  Something just doesn't sound  right about that.  But feel free to use the microwave version at the link above if you wish.

3 garlic cloves
1 small container cherry or grape tomatoes
3 cups cooked penne pasta
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 cups cooked diced chicken breasts
basil, oregano and garlic pepper to taste

Cook the noodles and drain setting aside in a large bowl.  Saute the cherry tomatoes with garlic until tomatoes are tender.  Then mash the tomatoes.  Cook and dice the chicken with seasonings.
Toss it all together and serve warm.

This recipe was adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe.

Click here to see all my other Gluten & Dairy Free Recipes.

 

Family Pasta (GFDF)

Gluten Free Elbow Noodles
1 small bag of frozen peas, thawed
1 cup chopped carrots
3/4 cup mayo
1 tsp vinegar
1/8 tsp celery salt
pepper
Potato sticks

Cook noodles according to package instructions.  Drain with cold water to cool.  Mix in the mayo, vinegar, celery salt and pepper.  Stir well.  Toss in the thawed peas and chopped carrots.  Stir together.  Serve cold and top individually with potato stick chips.

Enjoy!

Click here to see all my other Gluten & Dairy Free Recipes.

 

Lemon Pepper Pasta (GFDF)

Lemon Pepper Pasta
1 box gf noodles (bowties, penne your choice)
lemon pepper seasoning
1 lb sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped black olives
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp olive oil

Boil the pasta.  While pasta is cooking brown the sausage with onion and fresh pressed garlic.  When the sausage is done, reduce heat add pepperoni and let simmer 2-3 minutes.  Use a large bowl, start with the cooked pasta.  Add the olive oil and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning. (add according to your taste likening)  Stir in sausage mixture and black olives and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Click here to see all my other gluten & dairy free recipes.

Spaghetti Pasta Bake - Gluten Free

One of my biggest struggles with the gluten free life is the lack of traditional everyday casserole/hotdish style meals.

So here's one I threw together on my own.

Spaghetti Pasta Bake
1 box penne style noodles (gluten free)
1 jar pasta sauce
1 lb hamburger
pepperoni
green pepper
onion
garlic

Boil the noodles as directed.  Fry the hamburger and add fresh pressed garlic cloves.  Mix the pasta, finely chopped onion and green pepper in a bowl.  When the meat is done cooking, mix it in with the pasta and toss in the pepperoni.  Stir it all together.  When the noodles are done throw them in the mix and toss.  Spread into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.  Just to heat everything through.

If you are not dairy free you could add cheese to the top before baking.

This recipe brought to you by me!  Enjoy!

Click here to see all my other gluten & dairy free recipes.




    

Pesto Chicken Pasta

Chicken:

4-5 chicken breasts

1/2 C flour

1/8 t salt

dash pepper

3 T olive oil

Sauce: 

1 (6.25 ounce) jar pesto (just a bit less than 1 cup)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 C milk

1 C chicken broth

1/2 t sugar

1 T butter

Pasta:

1/2 (16 ounce) box bowtie, penne or corkscrew pasta

1. Cut your chicken breasts into 3 inch chunks and set them aside. 

2. Toss 1/2 cup flour, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and a dash of pepper into a loaf pan. 

3. Heat a large skillet up over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and let it get hot. 

4. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour and then carefully place them in the hot pan. Turn the heat down to medium low.  Let the chicken get nice and golden brown on the bottom. Then turn them over and let them get golden brown on the other side. When the chicken has cooked through remove from the pan and onto a clean plate. Cover the plate with tin foil and set it aside.

5. While your chicken is cooking, boil some water and cook the pasta according to package instructions.  

6. Pour 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of milk (I used 1 %) into the hot pan you used to cook the chicken. Use a whisk to break up the crispy chicken leftovers in the bottom of your pan. 

7. Add just a bit less than 1 cup of pesto, and one block of softened cream cheese. Give it a nice stir. The cream cheese will start to melt down and incorporate into the sauce. Don't worry if it is chunky at first. 

8. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, whisking it occasionally. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens up a bit. 

9. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1 T butter. If your sauce is too thick, add a bit more milk to thin it out. 

10. Serve immediately over hot pasta. The sauce with continue to thicken as it cools, so it's best to eat it soon after you make it. 

recipe from Jamie Cooks it up.

 

Manicotti

Manicotti

Manicotti noodles
1 (15 oz) container Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups mozz
3/4 cup parmesan
1 egg
2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 jar marinara sauce

Don't cook the pasta shells.
In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients except the sauce and noodles. Pour a little of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Stuff the UNCOOKED shells with the cheesy mixture. Top with the rest of the sauce. Bake at 325 for 55-65 minutes.


This is the same recipe I've made and posted before, only I learned a little tip along the way.  Now I can use the actual manicotti noodles instead of the large shells.  I just don't cook the noodles first.  That makes it easier to stuff them.  Then, put cellophane on the pan tightly, then cover with tinfoil.  Now you may be saying, "WHAT are you talking about?"  You can't cook something in the oven with cellophane on it. :)  Well that's what I thought at first, but someone told me to do it, so I tried it.  it worked great.  I didn't have to cook the noodles, and the cellophane helped hold in  more moisture than just tinfoil would hold in, and the lower, longer cook time allowed the noodles to cook from the moisture in the oven/pan.  Awesome trick.  Try it for yourself.

What's the trick for stuffing the shells?  Click this link.



 

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Looking for a great Macaroni and Cheese alternative to the fake box meals?  Well this is a great option!

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law.  Super easy, and loved by all!  We've had it 3 times in the last 2 weeks. :)


Baked Macaroni & Cheese

8 oz elbow macaroni noodles
1 pkg cheddar
8 oz cottage cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
(ham/meat optional addition)

Cook the noodles, drain and put in a 9x13 pan.  Mix everything else in with the noodles in the pan, then spread out in the pan.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.




 

Italian Sausage Pasta

Italian Sausage Pasta

I had to make this meal up, because we were down to nothing on the meal plan list.  So I scrounged up some things from the pantry and freezer and thought how can I make this into a meal.  This was actually simple yet delicious, and I made it again a few days later!

1 pkg. noodles (bowtie or rotini)
1 lb Sausage
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Italian dressing
banana peppers (optional)
black olives (optional)

Cook the noodles, and run cold water over to cool them down.  Brown the sausage.   Mix everything together and serve immediately.  We put the banana peppers on our own individual servings instead of mixing it in with the whole batch.



 

Lemon Pasta with Chicken

 Lemon Pasta with Chicken

1pkg penne pasta
2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Lemon Pepper seasoning
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2 lemons
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Season the chicken with lemon pepper, and bake in the oven at 425 for 35 minutes or until middle comes out to 170 degrees.

Cook pasta, then drain.  Mix together the juice from 1 lemon and parsley. Mix well. Set aside.  When chicken breasts come out of oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant and slightly browned, 2 minutes.  Add cooked pasta and mix thoroughly with garlic-oil mixture. Turn off heat and transfer to bowl containing lemon-parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Slice chicken and place on top of your pasta with parmesan.

**I thought this was going to be a great recipe, because there is another recipe with the lemon pepper seasoning that I super duper love!  But this was an absolute flop for us.  Good luck if you choose to try this recipe for yourself.  Word to the wise, too much of the seasoning on the chicken is overbearing....so either go light, or change it to putting that seasoning in with the pasta and leaving the chicken plain.  Then add some lemon juice to the chicken, and that might blend all the flavors together better.  Let me know if you try this and get a better result than us!

TJ gives this recipe a 3 out of 10....yeah.




 

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Oh my!  Was this ever super delicious! 

This beats plain ol' spaghetti any day!

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
2 lbs hamburger
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons dried or fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
8 ounce package mozzarella, cut into small cubes (about 1/4 inch in size)

Mix all the ingredients, minus cheese, and form into walnut sized balls, then form the meat around cheese cube. Cook in olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Try to be gentle, the cheese tends to ooze out if you turn too much. Serve over/with your otherwise normal spaghetti. :)
(If your meat needs something extra to help it stick together add an egg to the meatball mixture.  I don't usually add this and it works just fine for me)

Super delicious.  TJ gives this recipe a 9!  Yes, he was in love with it.  Now he said if only I chose a different sauce, it could have been a full 10 recipe!  That never happens!  On his scale anyway. :)


 

South of the Border Chicken Skillet

1 box noodles*

1 lb chicken

1 jar salsa (about 15-16 oz)

1 pkg frozen corn*

1/2 a pkg of cream cheese (4 oz)

1/2 tsp.  ground cumin

1 cup Shredded Four Cheese

Cook pasta and set aside.  Cook and dice the chicken.  Using a large skillet, (or I used my wok to mix everything together)  mix together the cooked chicken, salsa, corn, and cream cheese.  Simmer on medium-low until the cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.  Drain the pasta and add to the chicken mixture.  Top with 1/2 cup of cheese.  Simmer 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally.  Top with remaining shredded cheese; cover.  Remove from hat and let stand until cheese is melted.  Then serve!

-Helpful Hints- *It really calls for 2 cups of noodles.  But I used the whole box instead to make it fuller and to feed more people. :)  Then I used a can of corn instead of frozen corn just because that's all I had at the time.

 

Homemade Beef Stroganoff

This is homemade because it not a box recipe. :)

Homemade Beef Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion
1 pkg egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 beef bouillon cubes chopped up fine
3 garlic cloves
1 c sour cream


Cook noodles and set aside leaving in the water.  Fry hamburger and add onion and garlic cloves.  Cook until meat is done and onion is tender.  Add soup and bouillon to the pan.  Mix well.  When ready to serve drain the noodles and add to the pan with the sour cream.  Serve immediately.



 

Parmesan Bow-Tie Skillet

3 cups bow tie pasta
1 can/jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup Original Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
 
Cook pasta, drain and return to pan, or to another pan.  Add spaghetti sauce, ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 Tbsp. Parmesan in large skillet.  Cook on medium heat 10 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and cover.
Let stand 5 min. or until mozzarella is melted.  Serve!

 

No Time Pesto Pasta

I made a quick new recipe last night.  It was so easy and SUPER Delicious!

Here it is....

Pesto Pasta

1/2 (16-oz.) pkg penne or rigatoni or ziti
1/2 cup pesto sauce (half of a 16 oz jar)
fresh chopped red pepper
1 4oz pkg. Feta Cheese with Basil & Tomato
Cook Pasta and drain.  Return to pan(I used my wok instead).  Add the cut up red pepper and the pesto sauce.  Mix together and let warm together the noodles and peppers.  Stir in the cheese last.  Serve immediately!

TJ gives this an 8 out of 10!  He wanted me to make it again today.  The kids ate it all up with us.  I think next time I'm going to have to double the recipe. :)



 

3 Cheese Chicken & Pasta Skillet

2 cups rotini pasta
1 Tbsp.  olive oil
1/2 cup each chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves  garlic
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or chopped
1 large can spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 cup cheddar
3/4 cup Mozzarella
1/3 cup Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste




Cook pasta.  Cook chicken and chop or shred.  After these are done, it comes together real quick.
In a wok, or large sauce pan, heat olive oil, and add green pepper, onion and garlic.  Cook and stir 3 minutes or so until crisp-tender.  Stir in the cooked chicken, spaghetti sauce and oregano.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Drain the pasta, and add to the pan along with all 3 cheeses.  Slightly stir to mix in, and let stand 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

 

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Spaghetti & Meatballs

You can spice it up with a homemade spaghetti sauce or by adding meatballs, or whatever works best for you.  This is an easy meal, but it is definitely not a 10 on the rating scale by TJ just in general.  He needs more substance.  So today I added meatballs, and crescent rolls.

 Preheat the oven to 400.  Boil your noodles(I used organic wheat noodles)
Then mix up the meatballs.

1 lb hamburger(ground beef)
2 Tbsp dried onion
1 tsp lawry's seasoning
1 slice of bread, crumbled 
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp parsley flakes

Scoop with a cookie scoop unto a pan and bake in the oven 20 minutes or until heated through.  Checking with a meat thermometer.  Warm your spaghetti sauce, which this time I used my stand by Hunt's Garlic and Herb large can of sauce.  Add meatballs to sauce and serve.



 

Lo Mein Noodles

Lo Mein Noodles

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 or 1 cup peas or peapods
1/2 cup sliced or chopped carrots
1/2 tsp ginger
*cooked noodles
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

Cook the noodles, drain and set aside. (Make sure they don't get to well done.  You don't want them to be mushy.)  In your wok (or large pan) heat the olive oil, and add the peas and carrots.  Once heated through add the ginger and stir in.  Add the cooked noodles and soy sauce.  Mix thoroughly and add the sesame oil last.  Toss to coat evenly.  Serve!

*I used organic whole wheat noodles.  And I used about 2 quarter size hand grabs of noodles.  They tasted great!
*I thought something extra sounded good to go with our Crockpot Beef & Broccoli.  And we have rice too much, so I decided to search for a noodles recipe that would be a simple way to make those delicious Lo Mein noodles like they have at the Chinese food places.


 

Kitchen Tips v14

Cooking noodles!

I've had this love hate relationship with cooking noodles.  I love recipes with noodles!  But for some reason cooking the noodles and checking all the time to see if they are done yet or not tends to be annoying.  So I've come up with a fool proof plan.  Atleast it's a good plan anyway....I'm not guaranteeing the foolproof thing!

So first I put enough water in the pan and bring the water to a complete boil before putting the noodles in there.  Then once it's to a rolling boil, add the noodles, stirring once or twice.  Let it boil and set a timer for 12 minutes.  Lastly, when the timers up, remove from the burner, put the lid on and set the timer for another 12 minutes.

This set up has made it more hassle free for me.  No checking....they've been done every time after using this method.  Love it!  And it will help my husband if he tries to cook noodles, because he never gets them done...they are usually still a little crunchy if he is ever in charge of the noodles.

I hope this works for you too!

 

Lemon Pepper Pasta

1 pkg bow tie pasta
1 cup pepperoni, cut in half
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped black olives
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsps Lemon Pepper seasoning(or to taste)
1/2 c parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta until tender.
While pasta is cooking, brown the sausage with onion and fresh pressed garlic. When sausage and onions are done reduce heat and add the pepperoni and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Use a large bowl for the pasta, add the olive oil and stir.  Then add your lemon pepper seasoning.  I shook a layer of seasoning on, stirred in, then shook another layer of seasoning stirred and tasted.  You can add more or less to your liking.  Stir in sausage mixture, black olives and parmesan cheese.  Serve Immediately.

 Pour in the olive oil and stir.

 Season with lemon pepper and mix in.

Add meat mixture, olives and parmesan and mix well.  

Taste test and add more lemon pepper if desired!

 

TJ gives this recipe an 8 out of 10


 

Baked Creamy Penne

Baked Creamy Penne

4 cups penne pasta *I used whole wheat noodles*
1 jar  (26 oz.) marinara sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
6 oz. Cream Cheese, cubed
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1 pkg Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta in a large saucepan.  Using a medium saucepan heat the marinara sauce, tomatoes and cream cheese until the cream cheese is melted and mixed in well.  When the pasta is done drain and return to the larger pan adding the sauce mixture and mix together.
Layer half of the pasta mixture into a 9x13 pan.  Drop in sour cream and spread in.  Top with half of the bag of mozz cheese.  Layer rest of noodle mixture, top with sour cream and spread in and top that with the rest of the mozz and parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

(dollop on the sour cream and then smooth it out.)