Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  1(10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.
Makes 4 servings. Nutritional Information for this recipe can be found at CalorieCount.com.

Read more at http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/spicy-sausage-pasta.html#ixzz2FBUR1Igj

**This is the original recipe that I found at the above link.  I actually doubled the ro-tel, chicken broth, half and half (Instead of heavy cream) and penne.  This recipe was so easy; Kadon made it while I cuddled a clingy little girl!:)  The boys thought it was too spicy; next time I would use smoked sausage (as it calls for) instead of the hot italian sausage.  Substituting the cream did NOT make this healthy, however!

Melt in Your Mouth Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1 Mix mayonnaise, cheese and seasonings.
2 Spread mixture over chicken breast and place in baking dish.
3 Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/melt-in-your-mouth-chicken-breast-37336?oc=linkback

 

**The kids love this, and it's easy to do at the last minute since it uses ingredients that I always have around!  It does NOT belong on a "healthy" blog, however!!  :)

Foil-Pack Chicken and Broccoli Dinner

Ingredients

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Verified by Lisette1977

Servings

as posted

Metric

Original recipe makes 4 Servings

1 packageStuffing mix; chicken flavor

1 1/4 cupWater

24 ounceBoneless skinless chicken breast cutlets; 6oz each

4 cupsBroccoli Florets

1 cupShredded chedar cheese

4 slicesCooked bacon; crumbled

4 tablespoonRanch dressing

- Oven to 400
- Spray 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil with oil.
- Combine stuffing mix and water.
- Spoon 1/4 of the stuffing mixture onto the center of each foil sheet.
- Top stuffing with a 6oz. chicken breast half.
- Top chicken with 1 c. broccoli.
- Sprinkle with 1/4 of the cheese and 1 slice of bacon, crumbled.
- Drizzle with 1 T. ranch dressing
- Bring up foil sides and fold to seal, leaving room for heat circulation inside
- Place packets on a cookie sheet and bake 25-30 mins
- Remove packets and let stand 5 mins
- Cut sits in foil for steam before opening.


**I love this recipe!  The boys actually loved the brocolli which was huge!  It's easy, the cleanup is a breeze and you have your whole meal done in just a couple of steps! 

Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Nutty and buttery Pecan-Crusted Chicken and Tortellini with Herbed Butter Sauce is your winning solution to getting dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Total: 30 Minutes

Recipe Time

Total: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

•   2 (9-oz.) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
• 4 (4-oz.) chicken breast cutlets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten $
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup (1 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese $

Preparation

1. 1. Prepare tortellini according to package directions.
2. 2. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place pecans in a shallow bowl. Place egg in a second bowl. Dip chicken in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Dredge chicken in pecans, pressing firmly to adhere.
3. 3. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from skillet; wipe skillet clean.
4. 4. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until garlic is caramel-colored and butter begins to turn golden brown. Immediately remove from heat, and stir in basil, parsley, and hot cooked tortellini. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately with chicken.

**This is a great recipe!  I have made it for a couple of special occasions; it has a great presentation!  Instead of frying in the skillet, though, I bake it in the oven for 25 minutes at 400.  It doesn't get as browned, but it's a bit healthier and I think a lot easier! 

Mexican Cream Cheese Dip

16 oz cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
1 red pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
1 can black olives, diced
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix

Mix all ingredients together and serve with Wheat Thins or any other cracker!

*This is so easy and has always been a hit!  I have also added black beans.

Cranberry Feta Pinwheels

Yield: 48

1 (170 g) package dried sweetened cranberries
1 (250 g) container cream cheese spread
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onion
4 large flour tortillas or 4 large wheat flour tortillas or 4 large spinach tortillas

Directions:

1 Combine all ingredients except tortillas, mix well.
2 Divide and spread mixture evenly among tortillas.
3 Roll up tightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least one hour.
4 To serve cut into 12 slices.
5 A nice variation is to add thin slices of ham on top of the spread before rolling.

 

I made this recipe for my Mary Kay Holiday Open House.  SO simple, very pretty with the red and green colors; great for a holiday party or get together!

 

Read more at: http://www.food.com/recipe/cranberry-feta-pinwheels-16213?oc=linkback