Homemade Pesto

I have 2 basil plants in my little herb pot on my deck, and they are growing like crazy. I can't keep up. Basil really is my favorite herb, which is why I love pesto so much I guess! My kids were okay pesto eaters, until Aunt Bre introduced them to pesto on bowtie pasta. For some reason that bowtie pasta makes them eat it up and ask for seconds, so we usually always do bowtie- but you can use any noodles/pasta/pizza, or breasticks even!
So easy to make- here's the rundown

Homemade Pesto

1 large cloves garlic-roughly chopped

3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted (just dry on a pan over medium heat 3-5 min)

4 Tbsp fresh finely grated Parmesan

1 large bunch fresh basil leaves, about 2 ounces

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon, optional

Put garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and blend until coarsely chopped. Next, add the Parmesan and basil and blend again until a coarse puree.

Pour the olive oil into the food processor and blend to make a smooth mixture. Season to taste and add lemon juice if you like. Pour into drained pasta and enjoy! Or transfer the pesto to a jar with a lid and store in your fridge or freezer for later (I don't know why you would do that though....get some bread and enjoy!)

Garlic Chicken Spinach Pasta

This dish was super Delish and super easy!!!!! just what I love!!! 

Garlic Chicken Spinach Pasta

by:http://recipeshoebox.blogspot.com/2010/03/garlic-chicken-pasta-with-spinach.html?m=1

6 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

6 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound penne pasta

1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried

6 tablespoons juice from 2 lemons

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Boil your water for the Pasta (directions on the package)

Combine garlic, pepper flakes and olive oil in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for about 1 minute

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and season with salt and pepper. In a skillet over medium-high heat put 1TB of the garlic mixture into it and add the chicken and cook until the chicken is done.

While the chicken is cooking, put the pasta in the boiling water with 1TB or so of salt and cook the pasta according to the package. (about 11 mins)

When the pasta is done, drain and return back to pot. Add the remaining of the garlic mixture, lemon juice, basil, cheese, spinach, and chicken. Stir and serve immediately! Yum Yum!!

10 Minute Breadsticks

My neighbor gave me this recipe a while back, and I just love how they take just a few minutes to throw together. I have a lot of bread stick recipes around that are really yummy, but 10 minutes, really? I can get these finished at the same time as my pasta cooks...pretty awesome! Because who has time to wait for things to rise when there are hungry children involved right?

Ten Minute Breadsticks
from my neighbor Tonya's sister Nicki :)

In a mixing bowl or your standup mixer:
2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
Stir together and let sit for a few minutes

Add:
2 tsp salt
4-5 cups flour (white or wheat)

Just mix it until it forms a nice dough and then roll it out right onto a greased cookie sheet. Add butter and garlic salt and anything you want. I always add rosemary to mine. Then take your pizza cutter and cut them before popping them into the oven. No rise time or anything, they will come up in the oven. Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes.
(This picture shows how I cut mine after I roll it onto the cookie sheet)

Easy Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

This is a super easy and quick version of Alfredo  If you are looking for "Olive Garden" type Alfredo, this does not taste like that buttery stuff....it's more cheesy and thick. We love it though and have been making it for years and years for a super easy dinner. I know Candice and Rick love it too! 

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Serves 3-4

10 ounces Linguine/Fettuccine noodles

1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli

1 pound cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the can, grated works best)

1/4 tsp pepper

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and brown the chicken. Keep warm. Cook pasta about 10 minutes or as directed. Add broccoli for the last 4 minutes of cooking time and drain. *If using frozen broccoli I usually cook it separate so that it doesn't go soggy sitting in the water*. While draining the pasta, add soup, milk, cheese and pepper to the hot pot and stir until smooth. Add back the pasta, broccoli and chicken and stir. Serve with additional parm cheese.

When I don't have fettuccine noodles on hand I use spaghetti (pictured above). Fresh broccoli does have better flavor, but frozen works great too.

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan

So Rick has been home with the new baby while I had to go back to work

and he even makes dinner. This one was delic. You can do pasta with it or just a salad 

if you are trying to do a no carb/gluten free. Adapted from Betty Crocker

1 egg

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 jar of pasta sauce

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese

pasta of your choice ( I like the penne)

In small shallow bowl, beat egg until foamy. In separate shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Dip chicken into egg, then coat evenly with bread crumb mixture; place in cooker. Spread pasta sauce evenly over chicken.

3 Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.

4 Sprinkle Italian cheese blend over top. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Serve chicken with pasta.

Braided Spaghetti Bread

Carbs, Carbs, Carbs! YUM! I think everyone in my family knows how much I LOVE spaghetti. I would beg my mom to make it for me when I lived at home and when I went to see my sister (who is the best cook) that's what I wanted her to make me too!!! I could really eat it a couple times a week! So I saw a recipe on Pinterest for braided spaghetti bread and I thought YUMMMY and had to try it. All the recipes I saw I didn't really LOVE so I decided to just make up my own and you can do the same!!

Braided Spaghetti Bread

recipe by: Brooke Salcido

Cooked Spaghetti (however much you think your family will need & that will fit in the bread) I used about a handful of uncooked for just me and Chris.

Jar of Spaghetti Sauce- and you will need the WHOLE jar, even if you don't have a lot of spaghetti

Italian Spices

Mozzarella Cheese (optional)

Bread Dough- If you are crafty (Nicole) you can make your own yummy dough, you can really use any dough for this. I just used Pillsbury Pizza Crust dough, which made it taste more like a calzone (yum)

One egg whipped

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Bread Crumbs (optional)

Directions: Cook the spaghetti and while you are cooking it spray your cookie sheet and lay down the dough on the cookie sheet. Spice up the dough with some yummy Italian spices (garlic powder, oregano, etc). When the spaghetti is done cooking put the sauce with it and mix it good- you will want A LOT of sauce, because when you cook it-it kind of dries out the sauce. Then spread the spaghetti in the middle of the dough, add the mozzarella cheese if you want it (I opted out) and braid the bread. See http://foursisterskitchens.blogspot.com/2012/01/chicken-and-broccoli-braid.html for how to do this. Then brush some egg on the top and season it some more. I put the really fine Parmesan cheese on top, bread crumbs, garlic salt, etc (you can really get creative) Cook the bread on 425 for 12-15 minutes.



Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake

Here's a recipe I clipped from a magazine a while back and finally tried. SOoooo good! I'll be honest I've never used neufchatel cheese before so I think it scared me off a bit. I had no idea it is basically just a low fat version of cream cheese. This meal was super yummy! The orginal calls for whole wheat pasta which makes it even healthier, but I just used regular :) Easy and absolutely delish!

Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake
Recipe from Kraft Foods

2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth (I use 1/2 cube boulion w/1/2 cup water)
2 ounces (1/4 of 8 oz pkg) Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 3 min.
Meanwhile, heat large nonstick skillet on medium high heat with some cooking spray. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Add Neufchatel cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 minute or until cheese is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Drain pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 8 inch square baking dish and cover with tinfoil.
Bake 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake, uncovered for 3 minutes or until melted.

Chicken Parmesan

My husband is not really a fan when it comes to Chicken Parmesan, BUT he really LOVES this recipe! and I love it too because it's so simple yet so delicious!  

Chicken Parmesan

Recipe by: Bre Hamideh

2-4 chicken breasts

1 egg- beaten

breadcrumbs mixed with some Parmesan cheese

mozzarella cheese

spaghetti sauce

cooked spaghetti

Flatten chicken breast with mallet. Put breast in beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs, grill on a skillet until browned. Spray casserole dish and put the breaded chicken on bottom, pour spaghetti sauce over and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella on top. (don't mind my picture my husband kept telling me more cheese-I thought it had plenty!) Cook at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve over/with cooked spaghetti. Yummy! Enjoy:) 

Lasagna

I will never forget the first time I made this lasagna. I was a newly wed and definitely new to the whole cooking idea. I just pulled it out of the oven when I realized that I didn't cook the noodles and immediately burst into tears! Kevin ran over and said, "Wait! Is that my Mom's recipe? You don't ever cook the noodles!" We've gotten a good laugh out of it and in honor of our 9 year anniversary today, here's my favorite lasagna recipe!

Lasagna

Recipe from Cathy Riggs

1 big can spaghetti sauce (3-4 cups)

1 pound lean ground beef

package of dry lasagna noodles (not oven ready)
1 24 ounce carton cottage cheese (I usually do small curd)

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

8-16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the hamburger and drain. Pour about 1/2 cup or so spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread it on the bottom. Add the remaining spaghetti sauce to the ground beef. Mix the cottage cheese with parsley, basil and parmesan cheese. Add dry lasagna noodles ontop of sauces 9x13 dish. Layer half the meat sauce evenly over dry noodles, sprinkle and spread half the cottage cheese mixture over the meat sauce. (optional you can sprinkle mozzarella between the layers but I never do). Repeat the layers- noodles, sauce, then cottage cheese mix. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. If it starts to brown too much you can cover it with tinfoil.

My Sidenotes:

*In college I could usually squeeze 2 8x8 dishes out of this recipe so that I could freeze one for later. If you want it to keep the original amounts of sauce and cottage cheese, etc. it actually will only make 1 1/2 8x8s. Tonight I doubled the recipe and made 3 8x8 dishes...one for tonight, one to freeze for later, and one to bring to a gal who just had twins. Hope that makes sense! If you freeze it just cover in a few layers of tinfoil. You can thaw it overnight, or you can even throw it in the oven frozen, it will just take a lot longer to cook.

*You can use fresh herbs if you'd like to-just know that fresh needs 3 times more than dry, so for 1 tsp dried you would use 1 Tbsp fresh and for the 1 Tbsp dried you would use 3 Tbsp fresh

Beef Mozzarella Bake

Here's another college recipe... our neighbor brought it over one night after I came home from the hospital after having my first baby-Scott. I make it at least once a month and love it because it's so simple yet super yummy and I always have the ingredients on hand. It's much easier to throw together than lasagna too.

Beef Mozzarella Bake
Recipe by Shelley and Blake (can't remember their last name!)

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can condensed tomato soup, italian if you can find it
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp Italian spices (only if you can't find the Italian tomato soup)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 garlic clove or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
4 cups hot cooked bow tie pasta (about 3 cups uncooked)

Cook your noodles if they aren't already and drain well. In a medium sized skillet, cook beef until browned and drain off fat. In a large bowl, mix together the beef, soups, water, all of the spices and 1 cup of the cheese. Stir in the cooked noodles and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Stir, and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top. Bake another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Baked Spaghetti: Great for kids!!

1 lb ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp. butter

1 can (28 oz) tomatoes w/liquid cut up

1 can (4 oz) mushroom and pieces

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 pkg.(12 oz)spaghetti, cooked and drained

2 cups (8 oz) shredded chedder cheese

1 can cream of mushroom

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add ground beef/cook until done. Drain. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Plase half of spaghetti in greased 13 by 11 baking dish. Top with half of spaghetti sauce.Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Mix the soup and water until smooth. Pour over the casserole. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees or until heated through. 

Recipe by: Shawna Felli

If you HATE mushrooms, you could do it without, but you really can't taste them very much :)

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

My friend from high school gave me this recipe and I have to say I was pretty surprised! It was super easy to make-those are my favorite kind of dinners and it was scrumptious! Even my some what picky hubby LOVED it! :)

Crock Pot Italian ChickenRecipe by Gabby Riley
2 chicken breasts (can be frozen, I used fresh)
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 package of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Put chicken into the crock pot. Add all the ingredients in the order listed above on top of chicken. Cook on high for 4 hours. Shred chicken while still in the crock pot with a fork. Stir it all up and serve over rice, Bowie, or penne pasta. Can that be easier? YUMMY!!!

Saucy Stuffed Shells

 I love this recipe because it introduced me to fennel seeds which I now love. It's the secret ingredient that turns any economical meat dish into tasting like more expensive italian sausage, and plus it's healthy too! I usually throw in about 16 shells and that leaves me with a few extra non-stuffed ones for the picky eater.

Saucy Stuffed Shells

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Serves 2-4

12 dried jumbo shell macaroni

12 ounces ground beef or ground pork

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper (or red works great too)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs 

1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 15-16 ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce

Parmesan cheese to serve

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain again.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook ground meat, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain.

In a medium bowl combine egg, bread crumbs, fennel seeds, salt, and black pepper. Add the meat mixture and 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce; mix well. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into each macaroni shell. Arrange the filled shells in a 2-quart baking dish. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the filled shells. Cover the dish with foil.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

*Sidenote: You can freeze these- after filling the shells and covering with the spaghetti sauce, cover them with saran wrap and tinfoil (before baking) and freeze. When you want them just thaw in the fridge overnight or all day and bake as directed above (making sure you remove the saran wrap first)

Taco Super Skillet

This is an ultimate kid pleaser, especially if you use these fun wagon wheels! If you can't find wagon wheels, try to get creative with other fun shaped pasta, or you could even use macoroni noodles.

Taco Super Skillet
Serves 4

1/2 to 1 pound lean ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

2 1/4 cups water

1 1/2 cups uncooked wagon wheel pasta

1 1/2 c frozen corn

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium tomato - chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Fresh or dried chives for garnish

Cook beef in large skillet on medium/high heat, drain.

Stir in season mix, water, pasta, corn, beans, and tomato with beef

Heat to a boiling; stir; reduce to simmer

Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally until pasta is done

Stir in sour cream and remove from heat

Sprinkle with cheese and chives and cover

Let stand 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted

Serve over tortilla chips

Beef Noodle Bowl

I love this meal and it is super super easy and has great flavor.

Beef Noodle Bowl

Recipe adapted from Kraft Foods

12 ounces fettucine noodles (or spaghetti works fine like I did in the picture)
3 cups fresh broccoli florets (or frozen if you have to)
2 carrots, peeled, chopped diagonally (or baby carrots slices lenthwise for a fun twist)
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, thinly cut into strips
1/4 cup Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Cook pasta as directed adding carrots and broccoli the last 3 minutes (still with a little crunch, not soggy). Meanwhile brown meat in the oil. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir dressing, teriyaki and ginger and add to the meat. Cook for a few minutes until thickened. Drain pasta and toss in the meat mixture.