Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

This side-dish was super easy & extra delicious! I will definitely be making this again & again & again...

We paired this with chicken sausages, but you could absolutely use this side dish with almost anything! I had it the next day with some broccoli & it was delish.

Enjoy!

Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
Hands-on time: 10 mins - Total time: 1 hour
Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1" chunks
3 Tblsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup (4 oz) grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or 8 fresh sprigs)

Preheat oven to 400*F.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to a lightly greased (or foil-lined & lightly greased) 9x13" baking dish.

Roast, stirring once, until golden brown & crisp - about 50 minutes.

Can be served hot or at room temperature.

Classic Mac-n-Cheese

Creamy, cheesy, comforting - SO delicious! Our family loves mac-n-cheese. :)

I've posted a few recipes before, but this one was the cheesiest & yummiest (according to my family). It will be out go-to mac-n-cheese from now on.

This is not a low-cal recipe! But every once-in-awhile, it's nice to just load up on some cheesy-ness, right?

We really enjoyed the chicken & apple sausages I served with this mac-n-cheese!! Their low-cal, no trans fat, stats almost made up for the carb overload that is mac-n-cheese. LOL!

Go to the end of the post if you want to see what kind we had.

Enjoy!

Classic Mac-n-Cheese
Makes 1 2-quart serving dish - should serve about 8 people

Prep: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins

1 box (1 lb) elbow macaroni (or penne)
1 1/4 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 Tblsp butter
3 Tblsp all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (you can use evaporated or powdered, reconstituted to equal 2 cups)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper or paprika, if you don't like it spicy

Optional breadcrumb topping:
2 Tblsp butter
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350*F. Coat an oven-safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray & set aside.

Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain & set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together cheddar and Parmesan. Set aside.



In a large pot (I used a dutch oven), melt butter over medium heat.

Whisk in flour, onion powder, salt & cayenne or paprika until smooth and bubbly.

In a thin, constant stream, whisk in milk until smooth.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often or constantly, if possible.




Reduce heat & simmer 3 minutes.

Remove from heat; whisk in 2 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. (This will be hard to whisk at first, but dig in & whisk hard until it's smooth & all the cheese is melted in.)

Dump cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce; stir until well combined.





Spoon half of the cheesy macaroni into prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle with a generous cup of the cheddar/Parmesan cheeses.

Spoon remaining cheesy macaroni into the baking dish (over the top of the cheese).

Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

The next step is optional:

In a medium skillet, melt 2 Tblsp of butter with 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.

Cook & stir until butter is melted & breadcrumbs just begin to turn golden brown.

Sprinkle cooked breadcrumbs over the top of the mac-n-cheese is the baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350*F.

Remove from oven & serve hot! Enjoy!


NOTE:
If you didn't use the breadcrumbs & you'd like the top of your mac-n-cheese to be lightly browned, put the baking dish under the broiler for 2-3 minutes before serving.

YUMMMMM!!!



We served this mac-n-cheese with chicken & apple sausage and a side of steamed broccoli.

The sausage we used was:

I bought it with a Buy-1-Get-1-Free coupon, but they're regularly about $3.75/pkg at my grocery store.

I've been wanting to try them because they're chicken (not pork, which I can't eat), they have no trans fats, and the apple sounded yummy.

The had a terrific snap as we cut through them and they were SO juicy! The apple could've been stronger, in my opinion, but my family had no complaints. Just "yum" noises all around the table. :)

I cooked them on a grill pan on my stovetop. You can microwave them or cook them in a skillet with a bit of water, but the grill sounded yummiest to me.

I'm getting no compensation from Johnsonville for this post - just wanted to share something we'd tried and loved.

Mac-n-Cheese Muffins

Aren't these cute?!? I love the idea of having this cute little side dish on my family's plates. :) Plus, perfect portion control!

I found the idea for these on Betty Crocker's website (link here) but I didn't like their actual recipe. So I decided to post the technique & let you use your own Mac-n-Cheese recipe. Even a box of Kraft Mac-n-Cheese would be fun for this recipe!

A couple of notes:
The meat is not necessary for this recipe. You can omit it altogether, or change it to something else. Ideas: chicken, Italian sausage, ham or crumbled bacon, kidney beans, or veggies (like broccoli).

If you're cooking this as a meal, I'd definitely add something to it. As a side dish, it's fine all by itself.

I was thinking you could cook most pasta recipes this way... Might be fun to put down a couple of these muffins using a marinara-based dish (like baked ziti?) and a big salad plus garlic bread for dinner!

I also think they would be a cute appetizer or snack!

Get creative & enjoy!


Mac-n-Cheese Muffins
adapted from Cooking With Sugar's recipe on BettyCrocker.com

Your favorite recipe for Mac-n-Cheese (here's mine)
1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded cheese
(pick a cheese that reflects the flavors in your mac-n-cheese recipe - Cheddar,
Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack for basic mac-n-cheese, Italian cheese for Italian
mac-n-cheese, etc)
1/2 cup Italian-style panko crispy bread crumbs

If adding meat: 1/2 lb ground meat/sausage


Heat oven to 350*F. Spray 12 regular-sized muffin cups with cooking spray; set aside.

Prepare your favorite Mac-n-Cheese recipe.

If using ground meat, brown it thoroughly & drain, if necessary.

Fill each muffin cup with Mac-n-Cheese. If using them, sprinkle add-ins (like meat, beans, veggies) over the top.

Sprinkle bread crumbs & shredded cheese over top.



Cover pan loosely with foil, making sure foil does not touch cheese. Bake 15 minutes.

Remove foil; continue baking for 5 minutes more to brown mac-n-cheese muffin tops.

Remove from oven. Cool at least 10 minutes before removing muffins from pan.


Recipe note on BettyCrocker.com:
Muffins will still be wet when first removed from the oven. But once they cool, they are easy to remove from the pan with a small metal spatula.

Pasta & Veg Italian Casserole

I found the inspiration for this recipe in the booklet that came with our microwave. I know - weird. I wasn't sold on microwaving it & wanted to change some things so I experimented. It turned out great!

This recipe is a good one for using up those half-boxes of pasta & the leftover veggies in your fridge. It's a great way to disguise leftovers. :) Plus it's cheesy-good!

Enjoy!

Pasta & Veg Italian Casserole

16-ozs pasta, cooked until tender (I had a half-box each of rotini & penne - use whatever you have on-hand)

2 cups each of two veggies, cooked - 4 cups total (I used peas & broccoli since that's what I had in my fridge)

3 cups marinara sauce

1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Stir cooked pasta, leftover veggies, marinara sauce & 1/2 cup mozzarella together in a large bowl.

Pour into a 9x13" baking dish.

Top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Bake for 20-30 mins, until heated through & cheese is melted on top.

We served this without any sides - it has everything all in one!

NOTE:

You can add meat to this recipe easily. Browned ground turkey or beef or Italian sausage would be good (browned with Italian seasonings would be great). I think leftover cooked chicken would be great too.

Beans would be a great addition if you wanted a more filling meal & still wanted it to be vegetarian. Kidney or cannellini beans would be great. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) would be yummy too.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce (by Our Best Bites)

Made this recipe last night - found it on www.ourbestbites.com - LOVED it!!

I changed a couple of things just because I didn't have exactly what they called for, but I doubt they made a difference in the taste. Delicious!!

I think you could use the sauce from this recipe over any pasta, not just tortellini. It would be great over angel hair (vermicelli) or rotini as a side dish.

I'm also wondering if I could substitute broccoli for the spinach... I'll have to try that later & let you know.

Enjoy!!


Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Serves 4-6

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortellini (in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta (about 4 strips of bacon)**
3 cloves garlic, pressed in a garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
1/4 tsp red pepper (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon, zest & juice
2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

• Preheat oven to 350*F. Cook tortellini in large stock pot according to package directions.


• Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium-sized skillet at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan & set on paper towels to drain. Crumble when cooled. Reserve 2 Tbsps bacon drippings in pan & discard the rest.


• Add garlic to pan & cook until fragrant & tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan & stir with whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk & continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil & red pepper flakes. Bring sauce to a simmer.


• Zest lemon, then cut in half & juice. Add 2 tsps zest and 1 Tbsp lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.


• Drain tortellini when finished cooking & place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 Tbsp of cooked bacon & add the rest to the pasta. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese & 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce. Gently stir to combine.


• Place pasta mixture in an 8x8" or 9x9" baking dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella & 1/4 cup Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle with remaining crumbled bacon.


• Cover pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil & bake for another 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted & pasta is bubbly througout.


• Remove from oven & cool for 10 minutes before serving.

** For a vegetarian meal, omit the bacon. Replace the 2 Tbsps reserved bacon drippings with olive oil.

MY CHANGES:

I used refrigerated, pre-prepared tortellini from Costco.

I used dried Italian seasonings instead of dried basil.

I left out the red pepper flakes completely.

I also completely forgot to let it sit for 10 minute after baking. It was delicious anyway!

Chicken Corn Chowder with Broccoli

Is anybody else stuck in stormy, grey weather?? We sure are here in Utah! For me, that means warm & cozy dinners that fill you & warm you up from the inside. This Chicken-Corn Chowder definitely hit the spot!

Except for the toppings & fresh broccoli, this recipe is made entirely from my food storage. I love that since I always have the ingredients on-hand. The broccoli is optional, but for us it's one of the best parts of the chowder. You can also leave the chicken out and make this chowder vegetarian.

I posted this recipe once before, but I've tweaked it a bit recently. This is the new (and better, according to my family) recipe.

Chicken Corn Chowder with Broccoli
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
water
2 12oz cans evaporated milk
2 Tbsp dried minced onion
2 large potatoes, cooked & cubed or sliced OR 2-3 14.5oz cans cubed or sliced potatoes
2 14.5oz cans creamed corn
1 14.5oz can fresh corn
1 12.5oz can chicken, drained OR 1-2 cups fresh cooked & cubed or shredded chicken
1 16oz pkg frozen broccoli, thawed (or cooked) & drained OR 1 large head fresh broccoli, cooked
salt & pepper, to taste

Toppings:
grated Cheddar cheese
green onions, chopped
bacon, cooked & crumbled

• In a bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour and 1/3 cup COLD water. Whisk until smooth & completely incorporated. Set aside.


• In a 4-cup measuring cup, pour 2 cans evaporated milk and add water to equal 4 cups liquid total. (It's about 3 cups evaporated milk & 1 cup water)


• In a large pot or dutch oven, pour milk/water mixture. Over medium heat, bring almost to a boil. Whisk in flour/water mixture. Cook until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.


• If using fresh broccoli: While the milk/water/flour mixture is cooking, trim broccoli stems & cook florets in boiling water for about 4-5 minutes.


• Stir into milk/water/flour mixture, minced onion, potatoes, creamed corn, fresh corn, and chicken. Mix completely, stirring gently. Turn heat down to LOW. Stir in broccoli once it's cooked & drained. Add salt & pepper to taste.


• Put the lid on and cook on low for about 10 minutes.


• Serve topped with grated cheddar, chopped green onions, and bacon.

We like this with a chunk of warm French bread on the side. Enjoy!!

Mini Meat & Cheese Foldovers

This recipe started with a recipe in Kraft's Food & Family Magazine last year called Beef & Cheese Foldover. Their recipe started with a pie crust that was laid flat & filled with a meat & cheese mixture. Then the edges of the pie crust were folded up to hold in the meat mixture while it cooked.

Great idea, but I wasn't totally into it. I didn't completely love the flavorings they chose either...

Flash forward to today & I was thinking about that recipe again. I knew I could re-do it to our tastes. I took out the pie crust & added crescent rolls. I baked each serving separately in ramekins. I changed the seasonings to match our Quick-n-Easy Shepherd's Pie flavors that we loved so much. Finally, my daughter, Kendall, changed up the title.

So here's the result! I'm happy to report it was YUMMY!!


Mini Meat & Cheese Foldovers
Serves 8

8 7-oz ramekins
1 8-count cylinder of ready-to-bake crescent rolls
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (or beef, if you prefer)
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp parsley flakes, optional (I didn't use these, but wish I had)

• Preheat oven to 375*F. Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up). Set ramekins on foil-lined baking sheet & spray lightly with cooking spray.
• Open & separate crescent rolls into 8 individual triangles. Lay 1 triangle in each ramekin - thick side along the bottom of the ramekin & the point sticking out over the side (see below). Set aside.
  

• In a large skillet, brown meat with onions until cooked through; drain.
• Stir in corn, ketchup & Worcestershire.
• Spoon meat/veg mixture into each ramekin to just below the rim.
• Sprinkle cheese over meat/veg mixture.
• Fold point of crescent roll over the top of the cheese. (see below)
  

• Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted & crescent roll is cooked through & golden brown.
  

Enjoy with a side of your favorite veggies or a green salad.



I think there are probably loads of variations to this recipe.

You could go Italian - replace the ketchup with spaghetti sauce & add a bit of minced garlic when cooking the meat. Top with shredded mozzarella. Maybe sprinkle some garlic salt over the crescent roll too.

I think vegetarian would be great too - saute' some portabella mushrooms & onions in butter & garlic. You could add some red kidney beans too. Use the mushroom/bean mixture to replace the meat/veg mixture. Top with a spicy Pepper Jack cheese.

Use your imagination!! If you come up with a delicous variation, please let us know so we can post it.

Friday Night Nachos

It was Movie Night at our house last night & what could be better to go with a movie than Nachos?!?



This recipe came from Family Circle Magazine, Jan 2010. They were delicious!! Ooey & gooey, just like nachos should be.




I made them 2 ways - with shredded chicken and with shredded pork. I used canned chicken from my food storage since I didn't have any fresh shredded chicken on-hand. I had some in my freezer, but forgot to take it out to defrost.

The canned chicken was really good after I drained & rinsed it, then browned it up just a touch in a non-stick skillet. No oil, just the chicken. It browned up & dried out just a bit so it was perfect on the nachos.

The pork was a refrigerated, pre-prepared product by Hormel. It's called Pork Roast au Jus. No extra seasonings, just yummy pork roast. You pop it into the microwave for 4 minutes, let it sit for 2 more, and then shred it with a fork. Super good!

Other options:
Make these with 1/2 pound coarsely chopped cooked shrimp and 1 8oz can drained crushed pineapple instead of chicken or pork. We're definitely trying that next time!

I think you could also used shredded beef (taco flavored or plain) or some ground beef or turkey browned & seasoned with taco seasonings. Meatless would be great too. Just increase the beans, if desired.

Friday Night Nachos
serves 6 Prep time: 10 minutes

6 ozs baked tortilla chips
2 cups (8 ounces) cooked shredded chicken or pork (or your favorite, see notes above)
1 15oz can black beans, drained & rinsed (you could also use pinto beans, drained & rinsed)
1 cup jarred salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
4 scallions (green onions), trimmed and thinly sliced

• Heat oven to 350*F
• Pour tortillas chips into 9x13x2" baking dish. Spread evenly.
• Scatter chicken (or your choice of meat) and black beans over chips.
• Spoon salsa over beans/meat and top with cheese & scallions.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted.
• Serve immediately.

Per serving: 282 calories; 6g fat (2g sat.); 19g protein; 37g carbohydrate; 6g fiber; 686mg sodium; 35mg cholesterol

Lasagna Rolls

***I have never seen these before, so it was a fun new way of cooking a classic. This recipe is being adapted from a recipe from my friend Trelesa who shared this in a group recipe newsletter when we were all part of a recipe group, and from a weight watchers magazine I bought just the other day. I was surprised that I liked the lasagna roll without the spinach more. :( I usually really like spinach in things, plus it makes it more healthy. Maybe next time I would just use less spinach and do more vegetables as a side dish to make up for it.***

Lasagna Rolls

8 Lasagna noodles

1 26oz jar of your favorite Marina or Spaghetti sauce

1 lb Italian sausage flavored turkey meat (You could also use ground beef, I used the italian turkey because it always has so much more flavor. You could also do this meatless and add some thinly slice up zuchini or squash. If you are going to use beef, I would saute with onion and garlic to add some more flavor.)
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1 10oz frozen spinach--thawed, drained, and squeezed dry (I used less because I was making part without spinach)
1 egg (or you could use egg substitute)
2 tsp italian seasoning
2 TB breadcrumbs
2 TB parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozarella cheese - for filling

1/2 cup mozarella cheese - to sprinkle over top

Boil pasta, but do not over cook. Drain, and pat dry. I layed mine out on parchment paper.

In a skillet brown your meat. Drain any fats. Add the ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and mozarella cheese. Stir until mixture is all well incorporated.

Spoon mixture evenly over all 8 lasagna noodles. Then roll up like a snail. :)

In a 9x13 pour about 1 cup of spaghetti sauce on bottom of dish. Then lay the lasagna rolls over that. Pour the remaining sauce over the noodles. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle the remaining mozarella cheese over top and continue baking for about 15 minutes.

Lentil Shepherds Pie

*Here is a healthier and meatless twist on the normal Shepherds Pie. My kids all liked it, and their friend did too, so that is a good thing. As I was making it though, I didn't follow the original recipe as directed. I simply took the lentils and barley and then finished it the way I make my normal shepherds pie. I will leave both recipes below. You can make this though just as you would make your own recipe of shepherds pie (if you have one), just let the barley and lentils act as the meat.**

Lentil Shepherds Pie

4 cups vegetable broth, water, chicken broth etc. ( I used 4 cups water and 2 boullion cubes)
1/2 cup barley
1 cup uncooked lentils

*In a saucepan, add water, barley and lentils. Heat on high until the mixture just begins to boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and simmer for 45 minutes. You may need to add more water, but I did not need to.

1/2 onion diced
1 small zuchini grated
1 small carrot grated
1 packet taco seasoning

*Saute vegetables in a large skillet until mixture becomes soft, then add the already cooked lentil mixture to the vegetables. Stir well. Add the taco seasoning packet and follow the directions on the back of the packet for water and cooking time.

1 can corn - drained
*sprinkle the corn over the top of the lentil and vegetable mixture.

For the topping, you can use fresh potatoes or boxed potatoes. I used boxed potatoes. Follow the directions for serving 6-7 people if you are using boxed potatoes. If you are using fresh potatoes, I would use about 5 medium sized potatoes, then boil them, and mash them with milk, salt, pepper and butter (optional). The directions say to put 1/4 cup nutritional yeast in the potato mixture for you vegans out there.

I sprinkled the top of mine with a little 2% grated cheddar cheese.


From the recipe from the vegan society.....

Cook the Lentils and barley as above.

In a seperate skillet saute vegetables as above, but add about 2 cups diced mushroom to the vegetable mix also. When the vegetables are tender, add the already cooked lentil and barley mixture.

Season lentil and vegetable mixture with 1tsp caraway seed, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 TB gravy master (this is a browning sauce). You can also add some salt and pepper to taste also.

Then make the potatoes as above and spread over the vegetable and lentil mixture.

Smokey Black Bean Enchiladas

I made this recipe as part of our "cutting back on meat" and my husband and I really enjoyed them. My two young daughters 12 and 4 did not love them, but our guest and her 2 kids ages 12 and 10 really liked them. So, you will have look at the ingredient and see if you think your family will enjoy them. The smokey flavor from the title probably comes from the cumin.

Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas
adapted from: Fake ginger
Filling:
1 Chipotle pepper from canned "chipotle peppers in adobo sauce"
1 TB olive oil
1 medium onion diced
3 cans black beans (rinsed)
1/2 tsp onion salt
3/4 cup Orange juice

Sauce:
1 cup mild or medium salsa
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin

12 corn tortillas
8oz block of cream cheese cut in to 12 slices
2 cups Monterey jack cheese grated

Mince chipotle pepper with knife and fork. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and chipotle until soft. Stir in beans and orange juice. Simmer 10 minutes. Using back of fork mash half of beans. Cook a few more minutes and mash the beans more. Set aside while you make the sauce.

For the sauce just combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the corn tortillas in a tortilla warmer and heat in microwave for 30-60 seconds until soft.

Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish. Pour a thin layer of sauce on bottom of dish. Assemble tortillas by placing the filling mixture down the center of each tortilla. Place a slice of cream cheese on top of filling and roll up. Place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over top of tortillas. Sprinkle monterey jack cheese over top. Cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes with foil over top and 5-10 minutes with foil off.

Pasta's

**Both these recipes came from my cousin Alyson. We enjoyed the zuchini one better, but both were good. I do not eat much with ricotta cheese, so I need to get used to that texture. I keep wondering next time I make these, if I would try to use cottage cheese and see what happens. I'll post about it when I do it. **

Fettucine with Ricotta, tomatoes and basil

1 pkg fettucine (I didn't have fettucine, so I used something else)
3 TB butter
15oz ricotta cheese (I would use less next time)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic
2 TB Basil
1 can Italian diced tomato
1 can regular diced tomato

Cook fettucine as according to pkg, drain.
Meanwhile, stir together all the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat. Toss with noodles. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese before serving.


Penne with Zuchini and Ricotta

1 pkg penne
1 TB olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3 cups or so of sliced zuchini
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1 cup half n half
1/2 tsp salt
2 TB Basil
2/3 grated parmesan cheese

Cook Penne according to directions and drain.
Heat oil in skilliet over medium heat. Add garlic and zuchini. Cook about 3-4 minutes or until zuchini is tender.
In small bowl, combine ricotta, half n half, and salt. Stir well. Add to zuchini mixture. Cook and stir until hot. In a large bowl add zuchini mixture, pasta, basil, and parmesan cheese. Toss and serve.

Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry

Another quick-n-easy recipe from me! This can be on the table in less than 15 minutes. It's a family favorite - enjoy!

Chicken & Vegetable Stir-Fry

4 cups cooked rice, hot & ready to serve

Vegetable or sesame oil

16 oz bag frozen vegs (we like the stir-fry mix)

2 cups chicken - can be precooked or fresh - cut into bite-sized cubes

1 cup chicken broth

6 T soy sauce - low sodium is ok

2 T cornstarch

2 T brown sugar

Mix broth, soy sauce, cornstarch & brown sugar in small bowl until fully combined. Set aside.

In a large skillet on medium-high heat, cook & stir frozen vegetables in 1 T hot oil for 4 minutes. Remove vegetables from skillet into serving bowl.




Reduce heat to medium & add 1 T oil to skillet.
Cook & stir chicken cubes, 2 minutes if precooked, 4-6 minutes if raw. Cook until heated or cooked through.





Add broth mixture to chicken in skillet. Heat & stir until thick & bubbly. (This just takes about a minute so keep stirring & don't walk away!)






Add vegetables back to skillet, stir to cover all with sauce. Cover skillet & simmer on low for 2 minutes.

Serve over rice.

This is great with tofu too, if you want a vegetarian meal.

You can use leftover veggies from your fridge, but only cook them at the beginning for about 2 minutes - just to reheat them.