Chicken Linguine

"Really easy and quick to make plus my favorite dish right now!"

Ingredients:

1/2 pound linguine pasta

1 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 whole garlic cloves
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, halved
6 ounces roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 (7.5 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
6 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup prepared basil pesto, or to taste
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook linguine to desired softness in boiling water on stove.

While the pasta is boiling, sprinkle the chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken pieces until lightly browned, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic cloves, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and artichoke hearts; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the mushrooms begin to give off their juices, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the spinach, and simmer just until the leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the cooked linguine into a bowl, and toss with the basil pesto. Serve topped with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each plate to serve.

From the kitchen of Whitney M.

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Green Salad - with some goodies & balsamic dressing

I first tried this salad when my sister made it. Since then I've made it several times, and it's definitely a favorite for all the family who has tried it! It's the perfect summer salad... if summer ever arrives, that is. :)

Ingredients:

For the sugared pecans:

1 cup pecan pieces

4 tablespoons of sugar

For the salad:

6 oz. baby spinach

1 head red leaf lettuce, torn

1 Granny Smith apple, cored, and very thinly sliced

4 oz. crumbled feta OR blue cheese (I always use feta)

For the dressing:

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped (I don't usually use onion because some people don't like it)

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbsp. sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Place pecans in medium skillet with the 4 tbsp. of sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until nuts are coated and brown, stirring constantly (about 5 minutes). Set aside. (If you haven't ever candied nuts before... the sugar kind of turns into liquid, and it covers the nuts).

Combine dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake vigorously (I usually use a blender). Pour over salad just before serving. Sprinkle with the candied pecans.

From the kitchen of Angie W.

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French Dip

This recipe is from ourbestbites.com, but it is so easy to make, makes a lot, and is great for leftovers.

Ingredients:

3 lb. beef roast

2 1 oz. packages dry onion soup mix

2 c water

2 cans beef broth

sandwich buns

provolone cheese

Directions:

Place beef roast in crock-pot and add dry onion soup mix, water, and beef broth. Cook on low for about 8 hours. The longer it cooks the more tender it will be. Shred the beef and place back in crock-pot with the remaining juices. When ready to eat, place the meat on a bun, add a slice of provolone cheese, and broil until the bun is crusty and the cheese is melted. Ladle the juices into small cups for dipping.

From the kitchen of Whitney K.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 thin slices of ham
4 strips of white cheese (1/2" thick and 1" long - I just use a half slice of provolone)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
Line 9" x 13" baking pan with foil
2. Place chicken breasts, one at a time, between two sheets of wax paper or in a plastic Ziploc (I used Ziploc). Gently pound with flat side of meat tenderizer until each is about 1/4" thick (I just use a rolling pin and pound away. Works awesome).
3. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan Cheese. Set aside. (I don't like breaded chicken, so I only use the parmesan cheese).
4. On each flattened chicken breast, lay a slice of thin ham.
5. Place a strip of cheese on top of ham. Roll up the chicken breast to enclose the ham and cheese as tightly as possible.
6. Dip each rolled chicken breast in melted butter and roll in bread crumbs/parmesan mixture until evenly coated. (I just place my chicken in the pan and pour the butter over and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. It's easier and less messy).
7. Place, seam side down, on prepared pan. Drizzle with remaining melted butter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until next day.
Freezes well (increase baking time about 15 minutes if frozen).
8. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
9. Bake uncovered 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink when lightly slashed. Serve with Mornay Sauce.

Mornay sauce: (makes 1 1/2 cups - I always double this because we like lots of sauce)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup half n half
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions:
1. In small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour.
2. Using whisk, stir in chicken broth and half n half milk. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook on medium heat, stirring continuously until thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. Add parmesan cheese. Simmer 2 minutes

This goes great with asparagus and chicken flavored rice. The mornay sauce tastes good on everything!

From the kitchen of Tiffany N.

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Rhodes Rolls Pizza

I layed out like 10 Rhodes rolls (I wanted left over pizza to warm up for lunch) in the morning and covered them. Let them rise and come dinner time spread out flour on the counter top. Roll a couple together, or all of them for one big pizza.. Preheat your oven to 350. We did three individual pizzas out of those 10 rolls so they would fit on just one baking sheet. (Spray with PAM) -- cheese and spinach (chopped up really small.), a plain cheese, and a BBQ chicken and spinach pizza. So really whatever yummy pizza you like or whatever you have on hand in the house can top your pizzas. They cooked 8-12 min depending on what we liked!!! SOO easy... It was so fast and easy and we had lunch for the next day too!!

From the kitchen of Jessica T.

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Grandma Hubbard's Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C. Shortening

3/4 C. Brown Sugar, packed

3/4 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 C. Flour

3/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 1 tsp warm water

1 C. mini Chocolate Chips

2 C. Oatmeal

Directions:

Mix chocolate chips and oatmeal in separate bowl.

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in separate bowl.

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix shortening, sugars, and eggs until well mixed. Gradually add flour mixture and mix well. Then add baking soda/water mixture and vanilla. Add chocolate chips and oatmeal - in mixer or by hand.

Bake 8-10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.

Best if allowed to cool a few minutes on cookie sheet and then moved to wire rack.

From the kitchen of Carey H.

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Chicken Tacos

This recipe is sooo easy and so delicious!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup diet coke
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Italian Dressing
Chicken
Taco shells/tortillas
Taco dressings

Directions:
Cut up as chicken either into strips or cubes. (I usually do two to three breasts for Zac and I. If you do a lot of chicken, you may want to double the ingredients.) Put chicken in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Add enough Italian dressing to cover the chicken. Add the diet coke and the Worcestershire sauce. Shake the bag to mix the ingredients and coat the chicken. Place the bag in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to marinade. The longer you let it marinade, the better it is, but even after 15 minutes it tastes delicious! Pour the contents of the bag into a skillet and cook the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, assemble your tacos however you want. (I love using the uncooked tortillas because they are easier to manipulate and are warm from cooking them.) And voila! You have an easy, delicious dinner!

Enjoy!

From the kitchen of Shelley T.

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Macaroni Grill Ritz Chicken

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken (I usually get the Costco one)
1 Can Cream of onion soup (only at Target)
1 Can Cream of mushroom soup
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 Pack Original Ritz crackers
1/4 Cup melted butter
1lb Pasta of your choice

Directions:

*Mix the first 4 ingredients together.
Pour into a greased 8x8 dish
Add smashed Ritz crackers over the top
Sprinkle with poppy seeds (optional)
Drizzle 1/4 Cup butter on top

Bake at 425 for 35-40 min.
Salt to taste!!
Serve over pasta. (even better the next day)

From the kitchen of Marianne K.

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Bacon Potato Soup

I usually double this because I like to save it and eat it for lunch throughout the week. If doubled, it will make a whole big pots worth (my technical cooking jargon). It's that good! haha. I could eat this everyday and it's leftovers taste just as good as the night I made it. Also, it's not super creamy, more brothy so it doesn't weigh you down like a thick soup.

Ingredients:
5-6 pieces of bacon
1 clove of Minced Garlic
3 tbls of flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cans chicken broth
3 chopped potatoes (bite size. I like red potatoes and I don't peel them. Works either way)
1 cup half and half

Directions:
Cook bacon in skillet. Once bacon is cooked, take out bacon and leave the grease in the pan (you can turn the heat off). With bacon oil, mix pepper, basil, flour, salt and garlic. Start heating chicken broth in large pot and gradually add the bacon oil mix - then add the potatoes and the chopped-up bacon. Boil for two minutes, add half and half and let simmer until potatoes are soft.

- From the kitchen of Tiffany N.

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Bruschetta Chicken - a.k.a. Shaunna Chicken

I thought I'd start things off by sharing a recipe I learned from my aunt. When Ronnie and I were first married, my aunt was kind enough to invite us over often to eat dinner with their little family. Because Ronnie never knew what I was talking about when I was referring to the recipe, we started calling it "Shaunna Chicken" because it was the chicken my aunt, Shaunna, made for us a few times. Needless to say, it is one of our favorites.

We didn't have a grill for a while when we were first married, so we altered the recipe to the following because we did have an oven!

You will need:

-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

-16-oz. bottle of Kraft Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette dressing

-1 2-cup pkg. Mozzarella cheese
-Tomatoes - I would say like 4 normal sized tomatoes if you do 1 lb. chicken (a few more if you use Roma tomatoes)

-1 lb. box of Penne noodles

The night before you are going to make it (or in the morning the day of), cut up the chicken into about four pieces - or however you prefer. I do this because it cooks a little faster and then the pieces are a good serving size. Then put your chicken into a big Ziploc bag and squirt some of the salad dressing inside; just enough to marinate. Don't use a lot, because the rest of it will be used to actually cook with and eat.

Time to cook! The next day...

1. Preheat your oven to 375.

2. Start cooking your noodles because they take a while to boil and cook.

3. Put the chicken in a baking dish (I use a square 9x9 ish pan. But whatever works) and cook for 20 minutes. Then flip the chicken over and cook for another 20 minutes. While the chicken is cooking, make the following mixture:

-Cut up all of your tomatoes into small pieces; just like bite-sized. Put them into a big bowl.

-Squirt the rest of your dressing in the bowl and pour almost all of the cheese into it too. Then mix it all together.

4. When the chicken is done cooking on its second side (or just before that point), take it out of the oven and pour the mixture over the chicken. Then I add the rest of the Mozzarella cheese on the top of it.

5. Put it back in the oven for like 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted on the top.

Serve it with the penne noodles and the chicken/cheese/dressing mixture on top. An easy side is garlic bread or cheese bread.

Hope you all enjoy!

From the kitchen of Angie W.

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