Posts Tagged ‘chicken’
Butternut Squash Chicken Pasta Bake
November 12th, 2012 | 
Author: 
Now we’re talking that kind of ‘dirty’ love where you feel so guilty about it. You want to tell the world but you keep your mouth closed. That kind of sinful food where you want to plate a big dish of it, go sit in the back of your closet, behind the golf clubs, lights off and eat it all by yourself. And to take it one step further.. you’re gonna do it.. lick the plate clean. Yeah, it’s THAT good!
As I’m making this I had already made Mr. Fantabulous dinner. He had a full belly and went about his merry way. Well as I was pulling this out of the oven I hear *”sniff sniff sniiiiiiiiiiiiiifffffffffffffff. Oh honey, what is that? That smells really good! Can I have some???” Now remember what I just said… he already had a full dinner. Literally like 35 minutes ago. I made the raised eyebrow look and said “Um yeah, sure but aren’t you full? You just ate!” “Oh that was just a prequel to dinner. This is the REAL dinner!”. OMG.. I would KILL for that man’s metabolism! So I give him a small plate (yeah I got the evil eye for giving him a ‘small plate’) and waited (actually I think I held my breath waiting for his reaction – I tend to do that a lot actually). He takes a bite, makes a face.. takes another bite and makes another face. He looks up at me with a puzzled look. “This is kinda like your mac ‘n cheese but not. It’s different. This is really, REALLY good honey. Wow, it’s so creamy! What is it?” So I proceed to give him the lowdown of ingredients (to which he just hears me as Charlie Brown’s teacher “Waa, waa, waa, waa, wahhhhhhhhh..”). At this point his eyes glaze over and he just looks up at me, back down at his plate, back up at me, back down at his plate and then gave me the ‘HEY I’M REALLY LOOKING AT YOU AND MY PLATE LADY.. WHAT’S MISSING HERE??? DUH IT’S EMPTY!” Well when I finally told him it had butternut squash in it he was pretty stoked then says out of the blue (as he’s finishing his 2nd plate of his 2nd dinner) “Do I like butternut squash??”
Good lord.. that man is going to drive me batty!
With winter squash at it’s peak now I HIGHLY recommend this! This is a great pot luck dinner OR OR OR if you have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, you can most certainly use that in lieu of chicken!
Now go make you some!
Now if you wanted to be evil and make it truly devlish.. add bacon!
If you wanted you could easily go all veggie but omitting the chicken (and bacon) and maybe adding in some broccoli, cauliflower and cooked Brussels sprouts.
| Butternut Squash Chicken Pasta Bake |
- 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- 1 lb cavatappi noodles, cooked
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbl flour
- 2 cups milk
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup gruyere
- 1/4 cup fontina
- 1-2 Tsp fresh basil, chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- *optional – 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Mix the butternut squash in a bowl with the 1 Tbl olive oil, ½ tsp salt and pepper.
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Roast for about an hour or until the squash is extremely tender.
- Place in a bowl and mash thoroughly.
- While the squash is cooking, season the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt & pepper on each side.
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add in 1 Tbl olive oil.
- Add the chicken and cook 7-8 minutes per side (depending on the thickness) or until a thermometer reads 165F.
- Set the chicken aside on a plate to rest.
- In the same pan the chicken was cooked in, add the butter and shallots.
- Cook on low for a few minutes or until the shallots are translucent.
- Add in the flour whisking for 1-2 minutes. You want the flour to cook and get almost a slight ‘nutty’ smell.
- Add in the milk and squash whisking until thoroughly combined.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- While the squash mixture is cooking slice up the chicken in 1/4” pieces.
- Add in the basil, chicken and half of the cheeses.
- Stir to combine. If the mixture is too thick, add 1/4 more milk.
- Add in the noodles and mix to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a casserole dish.
- Top with the remaining cheeses.
- Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the top is slightly browned.
- To kick it up a notch, top with crumbled bacon.
Posted in Chicken, Italian & Pasta, Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Turkey, Vegetable | 
Tags: bake, butternut squash, casserole, chicken, comfort food, pasta, potluck, turkey leftover idea | 
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The foods of BooFest 2012
So last weekend we had our annual BooFest at the house. For those that don’t know what that is, we’ve been having an annual Adult-only Halloween party for years. Costume is required but under no circumstances can you come as a clown. NO NO NO NO!
Seriously, NO!
Anyway, after weeks of decorating and about 1.5 days of cooking, the party went over beautifully. While I can’t divulge what transpired at the party (it’s like Vegas.. ‘What Happens at BooFest, Stays at BooFest’), I can share with you some of the foods that we had.
What was the best is that there were almost no leftovers. Well okay, I was kinda bummed that there were no Lobster & Crab cups left as I ♥ them the mostest. But then again, apparently so did everyone else 
Some of the foods that are shown below do have the recipes listed on the website. Those that aren’t.. they are proprietary to the TKW Signatures line so no, those recipes are up for grabs. Sorry.
- Maple Bacon Wrapped Mini MeatLoaves
- Tomato Topped Mini Meatloaves
- Asian Sticky Chicken
- Asiago Chicken Quinoia Veggie Cups
Enjoy!
Posted in Appetizers, Desserts, Recipes, Side Dishes, Snacks n'at |
Tags: Asiago, Bones, chicken, chocolate, Cookies, cupcakes, Finger foods, ganache, kielbasa, party food, quinoa cups, raspberry |
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Not your lunch lady Sloppy Joes…
And yes, as I’m typing this I’m singing that damn song STILL in my head but reminiscing back to my undergrad days (centuries ago mind you) and when I met Adam Sandler. He was just getting started on TV and landed a sweet gig on MtV’s Remote Control as Stud Boy. The show came to our campus and I got to hang out all day and night with him and the cast/crew. I won’t go into too many details but he was a total riot and a blast. Even back then, in our early 20′s he was a genuine and nice. I’ll have to dig out my pics from that day… somewhere in this house
Anyway, back to Sloppy Joe, slop, sloppy joe… Growing up, I HATED these things. Now my mother was an amazing cook however… *sorry Mom* she made sloppy joes using that canned um sloppy joe mix. Sorry but that was just probably the worst thing EVER you could make me eat. Hunks of peppers, onions and yuckiness. I truly believe THAT is what brought on the Squinched up face I still make to this day when something is just ‘icky’ and I am forced to eat it. LOL
Well when Mr. Fantabulous and I started dating he asked me one night to make these. The horror of “OH GOD NO” was pretty evident on my face however I wanted to impress this man with my culinary mad skills so I set out to make these from scratch. About 40 min or so later they were done however like any great cook, you need to taste not only as you go but before you present it. Yeah.. .I was NOT looking forward to that as flashbacks of my sitting at the kitchen table for HOURS as I wasn’t allowed to leave the table until I finished my plate in front of me. Um let’s just say I’m pretty stubborn and more often than none I won that battle and would go to bed with a bowl of cherrios in my tummy instead of the cuckiness on the plate
So I took the teensiest of tastes…
“Hmmm… hey… that’s not that bad…”
another taste…
“Wait, that has some zing to it and it’s full of flavor..”
3 bites later, I was in love.
2 sandwiches later, so was Mr. Fantabulous ♥
| Not your lunch lady Sloppy Joes… |
|
- 1 pound lean ground beef, ground turkey or chicken
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped small
- 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped small
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp prepared yellow mustard
- 1 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 Tbl plus 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- In a medium skillet, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper over medium heat.
- Strain off liquids.
- Add in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar; mix thoroughly.
- Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thick and bubbly
- Season with salt and pepper.
We love these served on a toasted bun with melted Velveeta or American cheese served with a big fat pickle and salty potato chips.
Posted in Appetizers, Beef, Chicken, Side Dishes, Snacks n'at, Turkey |
Tags: Beef, chicken, football foods, School Lunch sandwiches, sliders, sloppy joes, turkey |
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Most awesomest Fajitas… EVER!
Make this for dinner
Really… MAKE THIS!
| Most awesomest Fajitas… EVER! |
Marinade
- 2 limes, juiced
- ½ cup orange juice
- 3 Tbl fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 Tbl garlic, minced
- 1 tsp worcestershire
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Meat
- 1 pound skirt/flank steak or 1 pound boneless chicken breast or 1 pound jumbo shrimp
Veggies
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- * 1/2 tsp cayenne if you want it spicier
Additional Stuff
- Tortillas
- sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, refried beans…
- For marinade, in a large bowl, combine all ingredients with a whisk.
- Put the meat in a plastic bag and pour the marinade over top. Squish it around ensuring the meat it all covered. *If doing multiple type meats, put each meat in a separate bowl/plastic bag.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, though I often do overnight. Make sure to turn the bags every few hours to ensure all the meat gets the marinade soak.
- Heat oven to 200 degrees; set tortillas in for 1 to 3 minutes, to warm.
- Remove and put in a covered basket.
- Preheat a ridged grill pan on high heat.
- Lightly baste with olive oil.
- Add marinated meat and grill for over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side (for beef), chicken is about 4-6 minutes each side and shrimp is about 3 minutes per side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest. Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.
- Once the meat is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions
- Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.
- Place cooked meat in a large bowl or platter and serve with tortillas, toppings and garnishes.
- For each fajita, fill a tortilla with meat and desired amounts of garnishes and toppings and roll up like a burrito.
- Serve with refried beans, black beans or Spanish rice.
Posted in Appetizers, Beef, Chicken, Mexican, Seafood, Side Dishes, Snacks n'at |
Tags: chicken, fajitas, Mexican, onions, shrimp, Steak |
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Spinach Chicken Caprese
Um… do you have any idea how big 5 pounds of spinach is?
No?
It’s big… REAL big. Like I had to smush it to get it into my fridge.
.. and then the comments “WTH is that thing doing in there? I can’t even get the milk out! Who’s gonna eat that?”
which I coyly responded with a mere “You my Popeye.. ah-ga-ga-ga” <insert massive fluttering of the baby blue eyes and cheesy smile>
So what was for dinner?
Well duh.. something with spinach
I had taken chicken out, had just picked roma tomatoes from my plant and I knew exactly what I wanted to make. Chicken Caprese with wilted spinach. This turned out even better than I had anticipated as I charred the tomatoes slightly which gave it such an awesome taste.
Now for those that know me, I don’t do whole tomatoes or chunks. ever. Like EVER! They gag me and just something about tomatoes in their raw form and chunky form freak me out. Well I’ll have you know I actually ate my VERY first whole piece of tomato without making that squinched up face! ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDD…. I actually liked it! Now okay, I did kind of char mine a little more than the rest only because I wanted to ‘kill’ the ick-factor in it. LOL
But this was so good I actually can’t wait to make it again.. AND with ‘maters!
| Spinach Chicken Caprese |
|
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 roma plum tomato, cut into 1/4” slices
- 4 cups spinach
- 8 slices (1/4”) thick fresh mozzarella
- 12 large basil leaves
- 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- Place a large skillet on the stove and turn the heat to medium.
- When the pan is hot, add the olive oil.
- Sprinkle 1/2 the salt, pepper and oregano over top the chicken .
- Place the seasoned side down in the hot pan and add the rest of the spices on top.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes (you want a golden brown sear on it) then flip.
- Add the spinach into the pan and let it wilt slightly for 2-4 minutes.
- Place the wilted spinach on top of the chicken.
- Add the slices of fresh mozzarella to the pan and quickly sear each side (no more than 30-45 seconds). You just want it almost soft/borderline melty (but not quite).
- Put the warmed cheese on top of the wilted spinach.
- Add the basil leaves on top of the warm cheese.
- Add the tomato slices to the pan and quick sear 1-2 minutes per side.
- Place the tomatoes on top of the basil leaves and give it a light dusting of oregano and black pepper.
- Chicken will be done with the internal temperature measures 165F.
Posted in Appetizers, Chicken, Side Dishes |
Tags: basil, buffalo mozzarella, caprese, chicken, dinners, spinach, Tomatoes |
2 Comments »
