White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

Never thought I would be cooking this recipe, much less eating and enjoying it.  I know when I go to restaurants, for the most part I love spinach and artichoke dip, but to have it in a lasagna...was not sure about that.  Although it is not your traditional lasagna recipe, it was quite refreshing and surprisingly very good.  I was very worried, because I didn't see as much "sauce" or "cream," but it was perfect.  My husband would NOT take a bite of it until I ate it.  He looked very carefully at my facial expressions and whether or not I finished my serving of it.  He is very use to his grandmother's famous lasagna and this was very much different.  When I make this again, I will blend the cream cheese and milk mixture a little more and add more of the sun dried tomatoes.  All in all, I think it is a great recipe and you should definitely give it a try if you want something other than the traditional lasagna.  Happy cooking everyone!

Recipe: White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

Picture courtesy of Pinterest

Ingredients:
2 cups boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 jar (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, chopped (I purchased the seasoned artichokes)

3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (found in the produce department)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a Touch of PHILADELPHIA, divided
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup basil, chopped

1/2 tbsp of crushed red pepper flakes
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Combine chicken, artichokes, tomatoes, 1 cup mozzarella, crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan.

*For the chicken, I placed about 2tbsp of oil in a large skillet.  I seasoned my chicken with season all, garlic powder, black pepper, and a little cayenne pepper.  I fried on both sides until it was just a little pink inside.  I then used my Pampered Chef food processor and chopped the chicken finely.  

3. Beat cream cheese, milk, and garlic powder with mixer until well blended; stir in 2 Tbsp. basil. 

4. Mix half with the chicken mixture.
5. Spread half of the remaining cream cheese sauce onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice. 

6. Top with remaining cheese sauce and mozzarella; cover.  Bake 25 min. or until heated through. 

7. Sprinkle with remaining basil.  Enjoy and serve!

Spinach and Tomato Creamy Tortellini

A couple of weeks ago, I told a friend of mine I was in the mood for some really good pasta.  She told me she recently made a delicious pasta called tortellini.  She also said if she were to make it again, she would add more spice and spinach.  I told her to send me her recipe (found on Pinterest) so I could try it out.  Well, I added a few more seasonings, some spice, and CHICKEN!  The whole family really enjoyed it, so I am sure your family will too!  I am also uploading a recipe for Oven Baked Parmesan tomato bites.   Happy cooking everyone!

Recipe: Spinach and Tomato Creamy Tortellini

Ingredients: 

1 (20 oz) pkg three cheese tortellini (feeds a family of 4)
2 Tbsp canola oil or olive oil
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon onion flakes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper and season all to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
Cooked chicken cut in cubes

Directions:
1. Cook tortellini according to directions on the package. 

2. While the tortellini is boiling, chop the spinach roughly.

3. Heat a large skillet using medium heat.  Add 2tbsp of oil and put the two teaspoons of minced garlic into it. Saute it for about 1-2 minutes.  

4. Add into the skillet the diced tomatoes (undrained), spinach, seasoning, red pepper flakes, and dried basil, and onion flakes.

5. Cook and stir over medium high heat until the mixture begins to bubble.

6. In another bowl, combine the flour and half-and-half. Whisk until fairly smooth.

7. Add the creamy mixture into the the skillet along with the Parmesan cheese.

8. Heat through and reduce the heat to medium low and continue to stir and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

9. Add the drained tortellini and mix together gently.

10. Add the cooked chicken to the skillet and mix in well. 

 

Serve with garlic bread and enjoy!

 

Recipe: Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

Photo from Pinterest

Ingredients: 

Tomatoes

Parmesan Cheese

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder (to taste) 

Olive Oil

Oregano

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan, oregano, salt, pepper., and garlic powder.  Drizzle with oil and bake until the tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Serve and enjoy!

Who Knew Zucchini Was So Good?!?!

A few weeks ago, I went to my friends house for dinner.  While talking to her earlier that day, I asked her what I could bring as well as what else we were having.  She informed me  we were having grilled zucchini.  I told her I would not be eating that.  She asked why and I told her I had never had it and it was more than likely nasty.  As a child, we didn't eat brussel sprouts, squash, spinach, or zucchini.  I naturally thought all of those foods were "disgusting."  She told me I HAD to try it; even if it was a little piece, I HAD to try it.  I was very apprehensive.  I even put extra rice on my plate and had my water right by my meal in case I needed something to get the taste out of my mouth.  Here it was, the moment of truth and ALL eyes were on me.  First, I cut a small piece of chicken, added some rice to the fork, and a SMALL piece of zucchini as well.  It wasn't bad with all the other stuff on the fork, but I knew I needed to taste it on its own.  So, once again, all eyes were on me as I placed a larger piece on my fork.  I took a bite and OH MY GOODNESS....it was DELICIOUS!  I must have had about 4-5 pieces of it.  She grilled it and added Parmesan cheese to it, maybe that's why I liked it?! That same week, I had a dinner planned with some girlfriends and I knew what I would be bringing!  I told my friend I would be cooking my part of the meal at her house.  I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course I tweaked it a little), but it was so good.  This recipe would be great as a side dish for almost any meal.  My three year old even liked this side dish.  The moral of this blog is: don't be afraid to try new things...you may be pleasantly surprised!

Recipe: Garlic and Parmesan Zucchini

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchinis, 

2 tablespoon olive oil 

2-3 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese  

Garlic powder to taste

Black Pepper

 

Directions:

Slice zucchini (try to get all the same size...you want medallions).  Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is heated, add sliced zucchini and saute for about 3-5 minutes. 

 

Add Parmesan cheese, garlic powder and black pepper.  If you don't like a lot of cheese, add as little as you want.  Continue sauteing until zucchini is tender.  Serve and enjoy!

Captivating Chicken

This summer, we have been eating a lot of chicken.  I thought I would get tired of it after eating it for so long, but I have been trying many recipes, which makes each meal captivating!  Below you will find two chicken recipes.  The first is one I tried at my friend Sarah's house.  When she prepared it, she used chicken breast which was good too.  The second recipe was inspired by my friend Jan.  We went to her house for a 4th of July celebration, and this was one of the main dishes.  It was so good, I told her I had to make this for my family.  Instead of using the Pulled Chicken packet of seasoning, I used a few different ingredients and it was just as good.  Thanks Sarah and Jane for the chicken inspiration :). 

Recipe: Grilled Beer Chicken

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks or 8 chicken breast

1/4 cup olive oil or canola oil

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tbsp of minced garlic
Juice of half a lime or buy lime juice

1 cup beer (any beer of your choice, I used Miller Lite)

handful of chopped fresh parsley

season all to taste

Red pepper flakes (1 tsp)

Directions

Thoroughly wash drumsticks and place into a large zip lock bag or a large rectangular container.   While in the bowl, you can lightly season with season all, garlic powder, and black pepper.

In a large bowl, mix together the  oil, onion salt, paprika, ground cumin, cayenne powder and ground black pepper.  Add your lime juice and minced garlic.  Add your beer to the bowl.  Mix everything together.  Add season all or any other seasonings you would like to taste (I added season all and a little more garlic powder as well as red pepper flakes).  Add the chopped parsley.  

Place the mixture in the zip lock bag/container.  The chicken can marinade for as long as you want.  I let mine marinade for about 3 hours.  Sarah had hers marinading for about 2 days.  

 

Get your grill hot and take chicken directly from the marinade to the grill.  You can baste your chicken with the marinade if you would like (I did for that extra flavor).  Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside.  Just make sure you check on it every 10-15 minutes. Serve with a vegetable and enjoy!

Recipe #2:  Crock pot BBQ Beer Pulled Chicken

Image courtesy of www.howsweeteats.com

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks or 5 chicken breasts
Season all

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces of beer (use what you have on hand). 
1 (32) ounce container of your favorite barbecue sauce (I used Oklahoma Joe's BBQ Sauce)

Directions: 

Thoroughly wash your chicken.  

Season chicken with all seasonings listed above.  

Add to crock pot, then add beer and 3/4 of the barbecue sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  After 8 hours, shred your chicken and add the rest of your barbecue sauce. Stir your chicken in the sauce and let it cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. 

 

Serve on a bun with cheese,  drizzle a little sauce on top, and a pickle on the side.  Enjoy!

Crazy About Corn!

It's summer and one of our favorite side dishes is corn!  We were invited to a 4th of July get together by some friends and we were asked to bring a side dish.  I thought about baked beans and potato salad, but I wanted to do something different.  I had a flashback of a get together with some of my co-workers; one of them brought a delicious corn dip so I decided to make this and bring it to the Fourth of July get together.  Let me just say this was a hit at the get together and it was very easy/simple to make.  There is still a lot of summer left, so try it out at your next gathering!

Recipe: Corn Dip

Ingredients:

1 can yellow and white corn, drained

2 11oz cans mexicorn or fiesta corn

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 bundle of chopped green onions

Garlic Powder and Black Pepper to taste

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.  Add the garlic powder and black pepper to taste.

 

Serve with corn chips or tortilla chips and enjoy!

           Nick and I decided to grill out by the pool a couple of weeks ago.  I tried this new chicken recipe my friend Sarah gave me.  All I needed was a side dish that I knew the kids would eat.  As I was returning from a walk with the kids, my neighbor was telling me about this herb butter she was making.  She took fresh parsley and butter, combined it and then refrigerated it.   That sounded like such a great idea so I did exactly what she did except I used basil.  I figured the best food item to put this butter on was corn on the cob.  I went to the store to buy fresh corn.  I peeled it, cleaned it, and broke them in half.  This was the BEST grilled corn I had ever had! 

Recipe: Grilled Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter

Ingredients: 

Butter

Basil

10 corn on the cob

aluminum foil

Directions:

In a bowl, mix half a stick of butter with about 1/4 cup of fresh herbs (you can use basil, parsley, etc.).  Once you mix the butter and herb, place in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes.  When your corn is peeled and cleaned, get ready to create a wonderful side dish.  

Rub about a teaspoon of your butter mixture around the corn.  Then wrap the corn in aluminum foil.  Place to the side and finish all other corn on the cob the same way.  Grill corn covered for about 10-15 minutes.  Take aluminum off and place back on grill for about 5 minutes just to get grill marks.  

Serve with your favorite entree or by itself and ENJOY!

A Little Cajun Love

Most people know my family and I moved to Louisiana from Florida.  Anytime we would visit Louisiana, we always ate signature Cajun dishes like gumbo, shrimp creole, crawfish, and so much more.  My mother makes the best Louisiana signature dishes.  You have not lived unless you have had my moms gumbo.

A few weeks ago, my brother called me and said he had a great new recipe from a woman who lived in Louisiana.  I told him to make it and then I would come over to "sample" it.  He made it and it came out great.  It was so good, I decided to post it here for you all.  Enjoy!

Tilapia and Shrimp Etouffee

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
Thinly sliced green onion
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 pound of peeled and de-veined shrimp
6 tilapia fillets
white rice
1 can of cream of chicken
Creole seasoning
1 can of diced tomatoes (rotel)
1 small can of tomato sauce
Garlic powder
Old Bay seasoning

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, add the butter, the green onion, red bell pepper, and shrimps.  Cook over medium heat until the shrimp is done (about 8 minutes).  In the same skillet, add the cream of chicken and the creole seasoning (creole seasoning to taste, DO NOT MAKE TOO SALTY...remember seafood is already a little salty).
2. Next, add the diced tomatoes (I like the Rotel diced tomatoes because of the green chile's).  Let everything in the skillet simmer for about 5 minutes.  Then, add a little tomato sauce (just to add color).  You do not want your etouffee too soupy.
3. Meanwhile, season your tilapia with garlic powder, old bay seasoning (again not too heavy with old bay because fish is naturally salty).  Place fish in a shallow baking dish.  Add butter to the pan.  Bake fish in the oven uncovered on 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork. YOU DO NOT WANT TO OVER COOK YOUR FISH.

4. Cook some white rice (our favorite is parboiled rice).

How to plate your dish:
1. Put a scoop of rice in a bowl.  Place a piece of fish on top of the rice.  Pour the etouffee sauce on top of fish and rice.  Serve with sliced french bread or crackers.