Southwestern Chicken Casserole – Pure Comfort Food With a Little Heat!

Tags

casserole, Chicken, Cooking, Food, pasta, recipe

I made this recipe on the fly the other night and it was a complete hit with my husband and I! It had a ton of flavor with just the right amount of heat. The creamy sauce prevented it from being overly spicy. And this was a great way to use the leftover chicken I had from roasting a whole chicken earlier in the week. A store bought rotisserie chicken could also be used.

Southwestern Chicken Casserole

4 servings

8 oz. penne pasta

1 tbsp oil

1/2 lb. shredded cooked chicken

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 large jalapeño, finely diced

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup sour cream

1 4 oz can diced green chilies

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded and divided

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp hot Hungarian paprika

1/2 tsp garlic salt

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil pasta in salted water for 8 minutes. It will continue to cook when you bake the casserole. Drain maintaining pasta water for possible use.

In an oven safe frying pan or braiser, add oil and over medium heat sauté the onions, bell pepper, jalapeño and corn until softened. Stir in cream of chicken soup, broth and sour cream. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Stir in chicken, green chiles, black beans, 1/2 cup of pepper jack cheese and seasonings. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in drained pasta. If sauce is too thick, add some of your reserved pasta water. Mix until pasta is incorporated. Top with remaining 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup – An Easy, Healthy Version of a Family Staple

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Carrots, Chicken Noodle Soup, healthy, low cholesterol, low sodium, low-fat, oregano

I know it’s summer, but it’s never the wrong time for a good bowl of soup! My in-laws have been having some health issues, so we’re trying to stock up their fridge and freezer with some easy, healthy meals. My father-in-law loves soup, so I figured I would make some Chicken Noodle Soup. What is more comforting than a big bowl of delicious, homemade chicken noodle soup??? My goal with this batch was to keep the sodium and cholesterol to a minimum as my mother-in-law is on a cardiac diet. That is one of the joys of cooking from scratch. You’re in control! And it is possible to keep fantastic flavor and make a healthy meal!

I used lots of herbs and fresh ingredients to give this soup plenty of flavor. Of course, if you’re not watching your sodium you can add more salt, but I found this to taste great without much.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 cups low sodium, fat free chicken broth

3-4 medium size carrots, finely chopped (I used my Pampered Chef chopper to get the fine chop quickly)

1/2 large white onion, finely diced (I’ve also used leeks in the past. These add a really nice subtle flavor)

1 tbsp fresh or dried oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp tarragon

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, diced or pressed

1 tsp garlic and herb Mrs. Dash

16 oz whole wheat fettuccine noodles or rotini pasta

Put all ingredients, except pasta in a slow cooker and give a gentle stir. Cook on low for 6 hours. Gently remove chicken breasts to a cutting board and use two forks to shred them, then add back to the slow cooker. Add pasta and cook an additional 15-20 minutes until pasta is cooked. This soup freezes well if you want to save it for later.

Enjoy!

Baked Rotini in Tomato Sauce with Artichoke Hearts – An Easy, Hearty Pasta Dinner

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Artichoke Hearts, Baked, casserole, Olives, pasta, Rotini, tomato sauce

I have to admit that pasta dishes are some of my favorites. They are so delicious and statisfyng, but if you work it right they can be pretty easy to make. This is one such dish! There is not too much chopping or prep work to do, but the reward is a dish with great flavor and a variety of textures. It’s so pretty too! Definitely good enough to to serve guests and it would be easy to double and make a large batch.

Tip: I love artichoke hearts!!! They are a great ingredient to add flavor without adding a lot of fat and calories. The type of artichoke hearts you use matters though! The jarred version are usually packed in oil, so these are not the best low-fat choice. The canned version are usually packed in water, so they are low-fat, but I have found the texture of these to be rather tough and woody. In my humble opinion, frozen artichoke hearts are the way to go!!! They still have that wonderful soft, rich texture that you get from fresh cooked artichokes, but they are not packed in oil, so you get the flavor and texture without the added fat or work of cooking and breaking down fresh artichokes.

Baked Rotini in Tomato Sauce with Artichoke Hearts

1 pound Italian seasoned ground turkey

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 box of frozen artichoke hearts, rinsed, thawed and chopped

1 can sliced black olives

1/3 cup red wine

1 –  32 oz can crushed tomatoes in puree

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

16 oz rotini pasta, boiled for 8 minutes

1 cup motzarella cheese, shredded

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put your pasta on to boil and while this is cooking put your ground turkey in a skillet to brown. When meat is almost cooked through, add your onions and bell peppers and continue to cook until meat is cooked and vegetables have softened. In a large pot or bowl, combine pasta, meat with veggies and all othe ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Stir well to mix. Spray a baking pan with non stick pray and transfer pasta/meat mixture to that pan. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Voila! You have a beautful and delicious dinner on your hands!

Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Pepper Pasta – Our Family’s All-time Favorite Pasta Dish

Tags

Cheese, Chicken, creamy, pasta, Pasta with Chicken and Pepper Cheese Sauce, pepper, recipe, spicy

My sister has been telling me I need to blog this recipe, so here we are! I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine probably over 20 years ago and have been making it ever since! The spicy, creamy sauce over pasta and chicken is so very delicious! It has just the right amount of spice! It’s a nice enough dish to serve to company and it’s an easy dish to multiply in order to serve a large group. This was a favorite when our large family group would go to Tahoe for snowy get-aways. The teenagers loved coming in from playing in the snow to this spicy, warm dish!

I chose to keep the dish as low-fat as possible by using fat free dairy ingredients. You can change it to low-fat or full-fat ingredients based on your taste.

Cheesy Chicken Pepper Pasta

3 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 tsp tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground red pepper

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs), cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tbsp seeded, chopped jalapeno pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

3/4 cup fat free chicken broth

1/2 cup fat free milk

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup fat free Monterey Jack or motzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup fat free sour cream

8 oz linguine or spaghetti, cooked and drained

Combine 1 tbsp of the flour, salt, and ground peppers; toss with the chicken to coat. In a large skillet heat oil and cook chicken 4-5 minutes or till tender. Remove chicken; add onion, red pepper, jalapeno pepper and garlic. Cook until tender. Stir in remaining flour. Add broth, milk and Worcestershire sauce; cook and stir until bubbly. Shir in cheese until melted. Stir in sour cream. Add chicken and heat through (do not boil). Serve over pasta. Makes 5-6 servings.

Enjoy!