Broccoli and Bow Tie Pasta

Meatless Lasagna

Easy Chicken Stroganoff

Easy Chicken Stroganoff
Recipe from allrecipes.com

2 Tbsp butter
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
6 oz sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
4 cups medium egg noodles (or other noodle), cooked and drained
Chopped fresh parsley

Heat 1 Tbls butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and cook until its browned, stirring often.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Heat the remaining butter in the skillet.  Add the mushrooms and onion and cook until they're tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the soup and sour cream and heat to a boil.  Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is cooked through.  Serve the chicken mixture over the noodles.  Garish with parsley, if desired.

Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara (Olive Garden)

Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara

Recipe from food.com

Chicken and Shrimp

1/2 Cup olive oil

1/2 Cup hot water

1/2 Tbsp italian seasoning

1/2 Tbsp garlic, chopped

1 lbs chicken strips

1/2 lb shrimp (or use 1 1/2 lbs chicken)

Whisk olive oil together with hot water, seasoning and chopped garlic. Add the chicken and shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Sauce

1/2 Cup butter

3/4 tsp garlic, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

1/2 Cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 Cups heavy cream

2 Cups milk

1/8 Cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4 tsp black pepper

Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and bacon bits. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add flour, parmesan, heavy cream, milk, bacon, pepper and salt.

Use a whisk to whip all ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.

Noodles

2 (7 oz) boxes pasta (spaghetti, linguine, etc.)

1/8 tsp salt

Cook noodles until al dente.

Topping

1 1/2 Tbsp romano cheese, grated

1 1/2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated

1 Cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 Cup panko

3/4 tsp garlic, chopped

3/4 tsp butter, melted

1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

3/4 Cup roated red peppers, cut into small strips

1/8 Cup bacon bits

Set roasted red peppers and bacon bits to the side. Combine romano, parmesan, mozzarella, panko, chopped garlic, melted butter and chopped parsley in a mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Set aside.

Preheat large skillet. Add chicken and shrimp to pan. Add red peppers and bacon bits. Cook for 3 more minutes or until cooked on both sides and internal temperatures reach 165 for chicken and 155 for shrimp.

Stir chicken and shrimp and sauce together until well blended.

Place hot, precooked pasta on a larger serving platter. Top with chicken and shrimp sauce. Evenly distribute topping over top of chicken and shrimp. Place in broiler until top is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Balsamic Glazed Steak and Pasta

Balsamic Glazed Steak and Pasta

Recipe from tastyplanner.com

Adapted by Tyson

Steaks

2-3 Thin cut steaks

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt

Course ground pepper

Pasta

1 Lb bow tie (or any) pasta

1 box Beef Broth (or use beef bouillon cubes in the water)

Balsamic Sauce

1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 Cup olive oil

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (yellow mustard works fine)

1 Tbsp parsley, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp sugar

Toppings

1 Sliced green onion

Feta cheese

Sprinkle steaks with salt (liberally) and pepper. Put 2 Tbsp olive oil into a frying pan and heat the pan on high until steaks are hot enough to sear. Place steaks in frying pan until seared on both sides (doesn't take long so be careful) and cook until cooked the way you like. If steaks are a little thicker you could put them in the oven. Slice steaks into thin strips.

Bring beef broth to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Strain.

Add in all sauce ingredients except parsley (if using fresh) into a small sauce pan. Heat sauce up to a very light boil (whisk constantly), turn heat down until everything is mixed and homogenous.

Once noodles are cooked, Place some noodles on a plate/bowl and add steak slices on top. Drizzle sauce on top. Add green onions and feta cheese.

Tortellini Soup (Two Recipes)

Tortellini Soup

Recipe from Breta Finlinson

2 Tbsp butter

1 Clove garlic

1 Medium carrot cut into julienne strips

1 Medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

I Medium stalk celery, sliced (1/2 cup)

6 Cups water

2 tsp vegetable bouillon granules

1 15-16oz Can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 10-oz pkg dried cheese filled tortellini (2 1/2 cups)

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp pepper

6 Tbsp Pesto

6 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in dutch oven or large pot over medium low heat. Cook garlic, carrot, onion, and celery in butter 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in water and bouillon granules. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Stir in beans and tortellini. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tortellini are tender. Stir in parsley and pepper. Top each serving with pesto and cheese (or mix in pesto). Serve immediately.

Tortellini Soup

Recipe from Liz Cox

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 Cup onion, chopped

1 Garlic clove, minced

2 Cans chicken broth

1 Cup dried tortillini

1 Can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 Dried basil leaf, 1 1/2 tsp

1 Pkg spinach (frozen chopped) or fresh

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a 3 quart sauce pan. Add onion and garlic and cool until tender. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook like directions say until tender, don't drain. Add tomatoes, basil, and spinach. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top.

Healthy Mac and Cheese

Healthy Mac and Cheese

Recipe and Photo from Super Healthy Kids Blog

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp flour

3 Cups uncooked macaroni noodles

12 oz can Evaporated milk

1/2 Cup Squash puree (I used yellow)

1 tsp salt

1/2 Cup cheese (I used Colby Jack)

In a saucepan, stir olive oil and flour over medium heat and stir constantly until thickens. Then add milk, squash, salt, and cheese. Stir until thickens.

Meanwhile, cook macaroni noodles.

Combine and let sit for 5 minutes to thicken up.

Chicken Cacciatore

*Our Best Bites suggestion: White cooking wine is DEFINITELY better than juices but as a note, don't go cheap on cooking wines when you buy them. (I used grape juice.)

*I am going to put they way I cooked it below the real recipe. I didn't want to use the slow cooker and dirty another dish. It worked fine. I dunno, maybe if I had used the cooking wine and the slow cooker this recipe may have been higher rated.

Chicken Cacciatore

Recipe from Our Best Bites

1 lb. chicken breasts or breasts and thighs, cut up

1/4 cup white flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

5-6 cloves or garlic, peeled and crushed or halved

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1 cup white wine, white cooking wine, or apple or white grape juice

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp salt (omit if using wine)

1 bay leaf

1 cup sliced mushrooms (or more)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and onions and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

In a large Ziplock bag, combine flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Add chicekn pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire back into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Turn off the heat under oil.

While chicken is draining, add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. Cook until mushrooms and pepper are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta.

*My Cooking Instructions

In a large frying pan or wok add oil and saute onions and garlic pieces. Then transfer to blender. Increase heat to medium high.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper into a Ziploc bag. Add chicken and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire bag to the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent form sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden, but not entirely cooked through.

Add mushrooms and green pepper and continue sauteing until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are crisp/tender.

To the onions and garlic pieces in the blender add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram. Blend until smooth. Place sauce and bay leaf into pan with chicken and veggies. Heat until sauce is heated and begins to bubble. Cover, turn down heat to simmer, and let simmer for 20 minutes (or longer). Serve over pasta.

Lasagna

Lasagna
Recipe from Brittany Graham

1/2 lb ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 jar pasta sauce
1 1/3 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

In a 9x9 baking dish, pour 1 cup of pasta sauce (or just enough to cover the bottom) of the pan. In a frying pan add ground beef, garlic, and onion. Cook until meat is brown. Add the rest of the pasta sauce to the meat mixture. In a small bowl, mix together cottage cheese and egg.

Layer in the baking dish:

3 noodles
1/3 of meat sauce mixture
1/2 of the cottage cheese mix
1/3 of mozzarella cheese
3 more noodles
1/3 of meat sauce
rest of cottage cheese mix
1/3 of mozzarella cheese
3 more noodles
rest of meat sauce
rest of mozzarella
Parmesan cheese

Bake covered at 350 for 1 hour. Take off cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Pepper-Chicken Pasta

*Can substitute with any veggies you like.

Pepper-Chicken Pasta
Recipe from Macie Stratton

1 (16 oz.) pkg. fettucini (or any noodle you like)
1/4 c. olive or vegetable oil
3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into chunks
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
salt-free herb seasoning (to taste)
grated parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind)

Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain. In a large skillet, heat oil; add chicken, peppers, onion, mushrooms and seasoning. cook and stir over medium heat until chicken is cooked through. Add hot cooked noodles and desired amount of parmesan cheese. Toss to coat.

Crockpot Lasagna

*This is a pretty basic lasagna recipe but done in a slow cooker. Why I like this? You don't have to pre-cook the noodles. I just don't enjoy trying to mess with the cooked noodles. I also use pre-cooked, frozen ground beef. I'll often take a whole package of ground beef, cook it all up and then split it to the amount needed. Then I'll label and freeze the rest. Makes it easy for this cause in the morning you don't have to even take out the skillet and brown the meat.

Crockpot Lasagna
Recipe from Macie Stratton

1 lb. Ground beef, cooked
4-5 Cups spaghetti sauce
8-10 Lasagna noodled, uncooked
1 Egg
24 Oz. cottage cheese
2-3 Cups mozzarella cheese or Italian blend, shredded

Combine ground beef and spaghetti sauce in bowl. Combine egg and cottage cheese in another bowl. Layer sauce, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

Lime Chicken Linguine with Cilantro Cream Sauce

*Original recipe has baked zucchini under the chicken but I left it out because I didn't have any on hand. But I'll leave it on this recipe in case I ever want it. I also just diced a tomato and added it on top instead of using cherry tomatoes mixed with the pasta.

Lime Chicken Linguine with Cilantro Cream Sauce
Recipe from AllRecipes.com

Chicken

1/4 cup lime juice
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Whisk together 1/4 cup lime juice, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; add the chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, turning the chicken occasionally. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken breasts, turning once, until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 20 minutes.

Linguine

1 (8 ounce) package linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the linguine, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. Transfer linguine to a large mixing bowl; add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the Parmesan cheese, and the quartered cherry tomatoes; toss until the pasta is evenly coated in oil.

Zucchini (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 425. Lie the zucchini on a baking sheet. Coat the zucchini with 1 tablespoon olive oil with a pastry brush. Place zucchini on middle rack in the oven, and bake, turning every 5 minutes, until nicely browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

Sauce

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup white wine (I substituted with more chicken broth)
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cilantro and garlic, cook and stir 1 minute. Pour in the wine, chicken broth, and 2 tablespoons lime juice, and return to a simmer. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the mixture to the sauce pan and stir in the cream and green onions; bring to a boil and remove from heat.


*It was a little hectic when I was cooking this because I was doing everything at the same time (I was on a timed schedule and had to be somewhere that night). So, here's the sum up of the order in which to cook this meal.

When cooking entire meal

1. Marinate chicken 1-2 hours beforehand.
2. Start cooking pasta, slice and bake zucchini, and start frying chicken at the same time (all take about 15-30 hour.)
3. Add other ingredients to pasta after cooked.
4. Make sauce.

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie
Recipe from my mom

1/2 Bag of spaghetti noodles (maybe a little less)
1/2 Lb ground beef, cooked (optional)
1 Cup cottage cheese
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
Spaghetti sauce

Cook spaghetti noodles according to package and drain. Pour noodles into a pie pan, 8x8 baking dish, or similar dish. Mix in Parmesan cheese and butter to noodles until butter is melted. Mix together cottage cheese and egg, layer over noodles. If adding ground beef, add a layer on top of cheese and egg mixture. On top, put a layer of spaghetti sauce (may be about 1/2 the bottle...needs lots). Poke holes into the spaghetti noodles for the sauce to get inside. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Crockpot Fettuccini Alfredo

Crockpot Fettuccini Alfredo
Recipe from Macie Stratton

2-4 Chicken breasts
Salt & Pepper, to taste
1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix
3 Tbsp. Butter, melted
1-2 cans Cream of chicken soup
½ c. Milk
8 oz. Cream cheese, cubed
Pasta noodles, cooked

Place chicken in the Crockpot. Sprinkle with Italian dressing mix, salt and pepper. Drizzle the butter over the top of the chicken. Mix the soup and milk together and pour over chicken. Add the cubed cream cheese. Cook on low for 4 hours. Shred the chicken with a fork and serve over noodles.

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili
Recipe from The Finlinsons

*It seems a little intimidating because of all the ingredients but it's actually pretty easy. To make faster you can use pre-cooked, frozen ground beef. I can also make this a pre-made mix with all the spices and powders. Also, this recipe needs to simmer for an hour, so prepare ahead of time.

1 ½ lbs. ground beef
2 vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. cocoa
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 c. tomato sauce
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained with a small amount of oil or butter mixed in

Toppings (optional):

Shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese
Red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Onion, chopped
Fresh tomato, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
Green onion, chopped
Avocado
Sour cream

Brown ground beef (or thaw pre-cooked ground beef) and drain and set aside. Set a large pan over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is warm, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and browned around the edges (about 8 min.). Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 min.). Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, black pepper and salt. Cook, stirring constantly until the spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in the broth, water, vinegar, sugar and tomato sauce. Add cooked ground beef. Bring chili to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Turn down to medium/low heat and let simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve over spaghetti and add toppings.

Pesto Pasta

Pesto Pasta
Recipe from the Finlinsons

Pasta (preferably not long and stringy kind)
Pesto
Salt and Pepper

Toppings of choice:
Cheese (parmeasan, cheddar, feta...)
Red Peppers
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Avocadoes
Zucchini
Chicken
Bacon
ANYTHING really...

Cook up however much pasta you want, mix with pesto, add any toppings desired.

Clam Sauce Pasta

Clam Sauce Pasta
Recipe from the Finlinsons

3 Cans clams (7 1/2 oz)
8 oz Angel hair or spaghetti noodles
1/3 Cup oil
1/4 Cup butter
3 Cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons parsley
1 teaspoon salt

Cook pasta in water and a Tablespoon of oil. In a saucepan, drain clams keeping the liquid. Heat butter and oil on medium heat until melted. Add garlic. Cook for 5 minutes. Add juice, parsley, and salt. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add clams. Simmer until hot (not too long). Pour sauce over pasta and serve.