Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake

I found this recipe on beyondthechickencoop.com and made some minor adjustments. The homemade pepper jack cheese sauce makes this a keeper and it’s flexible so add whatever you do like or take away anything you don’t. I doubled the garlic which is already reflected below. And I marinated my chicken in Italian seasonings, onion & garlic powder, lemon and olive oil for 30 min before grilling or sauteing in  a pan. I also added mushrooms but may not always for the mushroom haters. I didn’t bake it for the 20-30 minutes since everything was cooked through, just added a little parm & mozz on top then broiled. 

 

8 ounces penne pasta (whole wheat penne worked nicely too)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons flour

2-3 clove garlic minced (this is doubled from original recipe)

2 cups milk whole milk (Used 1 or 2% which is fine)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded, about 2 cups (can add mozzarella too)

¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded

1 cup Mozzarella (if using in the mixture and on top like I did)

2 cups cooked chicken chopped (breasts or thighs work well)

1 cup canned diced tomatoes 15 oz can, drained

Topping

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley chopped, optional

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. In a sauce pan over medium heat combine oil and flour. Stir for 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Whisk in milk. Continue cooking over medium low heat, stirring often. Add seasoning. When milk begins to simmer, it will begin to thicken. Do not boil. Turn heat off and whisk in Monterey Jack cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Fold in tomatoes and chicken gently. Add cooked and drained pasta and fold gently until covered with cheese sauce. Spray a 2 quart (8x11") casserole dish with a non-stick spray. Add pasta mixture. Top with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Bake uncovered in a preheated 400° oven for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Add chopped parsley before serving.

Mississippi Pot Roast

This recipe is all over the net but I found it here specifically. I followed exactly except I did not have pepperoncini on hand & used banana peppers instead. It was absolutely outstanding. Since I didn't have 8 hours to spare before dinner, I started out on high for a few hours then reduced to low for the last couple. But next time, I will go low and slow all the way. There was no way to improve on this recipe and was the most flavorful roast I ever had. Served with mashed taters.

1 (3-4 pounds) chuck roast
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet au jus gravy mix
1/4 cup butter
4-5 pepperoncini peppers
 
Place roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle the top with the ranch dressing mix and the au jus mix. Place peppers on top of the mixes, and add the butter. Cook over low heat for 8 hours. Serve with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Do not add any water or broth to this! It will make enough liquid as it cooks. This tastes delicious with potatoes and carrots! I like to add a few quartered russet potatoes and a large handful of baby carrots to the crockpot when there is about 1-2 hours left of cooking time.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders

Wow, what a treat! These were OUTSTANDING. 4 people gave them a 2 thumbs up. I adapted these from Alyssa Cooley's FB page & made quite a few changes. Her recipe description and picture did not add up at all because she mixed shredded chicken with bacon, ranch & parm and then spread it on the rolls yet the pictures showed a layered scene so I used it as a guide only and went with my cooking intuition. I also decided to cook seasoned chicken thighs which are so much more tender. Just do a search on her page if you want to see original. 

4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 pkg bacon, cooked & torn into large pieces
3-6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
18 Hawaiian sweet rolls
1- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 baking pan and place the bottom half of the sliced Hawaiian rolls inside. Or use a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. 

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with garlic powder. 

Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder. Let sit on counter for 1/2 hr. This will allow even cooking. Heat a little olive oil in same pan as the bacon was cooked in. Cook chicken on each side for about 6 min until cooked through. Rough chop/shred.

Place the bacon pieces all over the bottom half of rolls. They should mostly cover every part without overlapping too much. Scatter the shredded parmesan cheese over bacon. Place chicken pieces all over parm. Drizzle ranch with a spoon. I made sure every roll had a nice amount but it was not drenched. 

Then scatter the cheddar cheese. Place the top half of rolls on top. Then brush the garlic butter over the top of the rolls.

Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sliders are heated through.

A little progress pics below.

 

Skirt Steak Marinade

My wonderful neighbor was cooking up some skirt steak & gave us a little to try. It was so good, I asked for the marinade. I don't want to lose this one. It paired perfectly with my Baked Cream Corn Casserole. I don't know the size of juice or soy sauce so the picture is for reference. 

Pineapple Juice
Soy Sauce
Whole head of garlic, crushed
1 red onion
 
Combine all. Submerge steak and marinate overnight for best results. Good for 5lbs of skirt steak.

 

Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna

Hubs found this recipe on a Facebook page called Mimukbangs. It was excellent. You can really do as you wish with amounts of everything. Below yielded 2 layers of ravioli and 2 layers of beef. It could use a 3rd layer but that's personal preference. I bought a 44oz bag ravioli and had plenty leftover but used all of everything else. 

1 bag frozen cheese ravioli 

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 

1 jar (24 oz) of your favorite pasta sauce 

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (use 2 lbs for extra meatiness) 

Add a thin layer of pasta sauce at the bottom of the crockpot to prevent sticking. Layer the ingredients in the crockpot in the following order: ravioli, browned ground beef, shredded Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and pasta sauce. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of sauce and cheese on top. Cook: Set the crockpot to cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. This allows the ravioli to cook through and the cheese to melt and become bubbly. Servings: 6

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

I found this recipe on Food.com & thought it was simple enough for weeknight cooking. I was also drawn to the use of chive & onion cream cheese which did not disappoint. The original recipe used rotisserie chicken and also baked the onions in the oven first by themselves. I chose to cook some chicken breasts in the crockpot the first time I did this & boneless skinless chicken thighs the second time. I also sautéed my onions in a pan rather than the oven. Next time, I will add some fresh garlic as well & instead of putting all of the mozzarella on top, I think it would be a great idea to mix at least ½ cup into the mixture.

8 ounces uncooked rigatoni pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 ounce) container chive & onion cream cheese
Salt & pepper
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese 

Prepare rigatoni according to package directions. Sauté onion & garlic in a pan with a little olive oil. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Drain thawed spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels. Stir rigatoni, spinach, chicken and next 4 ingredients with onion & garlic in bowl. Add some mozz. Spoon mixture into baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with the rest of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until all is melty. Place under broiler for a few minutes to brown the edges of pasta as well as cheese.

Cowboy Butter Lobster Tails

4 lobster tails, split in half lengthwise

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon wedges for serving

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, parsley, chives, salt, and pepper. This will be your cowboy butter sauce.

Brush the lobster meat generously with the cowboy butter sauce, reserving some sauce for later. Place the lobster tails, flesh side down, on the preheated grill. Grill for 5-6 minutes, then flip and grill for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until the lobster meat is opaque and cooked through. Remove the lobster tails from the grill and brush with more of the cowboy butter sauce. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the lobster..