Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

This dish is a staple in our home! It's quick, easy, and everyone eats it. And trust me, those meals are hard to come by in a family of six when more than half of you are very picky little eaters!! :)

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• McCormick Grill Mates Garlic, Herb & Wine Marinade
• Bertoli Alfredo Sauce
• Fettuccini pasta

Directions:

Using the McCormick marinade, marinate your chicken for 2-4 hours or over night.

Grill chicken on a medium heat for about 8 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your meat, or till the juices run clear.
In a medium pot boil enough water to cook your amount of Fettuccine.  Cook pasta according to package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking pour your Aflredo sauce into a small sauce pan and warm on a low heat. You don't want for it cook. Just warm the sauce.

 

When your pasta is done cooking and your sauce is done warming combine the two.

Take your cooked chicken and either place a whole piece on top of your Fettuccine Alfredo or cube it up like in the picture above and you can mix with your pasta. Cubed up is how our family likes to eat it because once it's all on your plate you can just focus on gobbling it all up instead of cutting up your chicken. :)

I hope that you enjoy this east recipe like we do! Our family loves eating it with a Caesar salad and garlic bread.

Patty Melts

 

 Last week I served these up for us during the Texas football game. Our team hasn't been doing really good so far this year so I made us some good ole comfort food to get us through another game. These sandwiches helped my hubby forget about the game for a little bit. ;)

Ingredients

• 1 stick Butter
• 1 whole Large Onion, Halved And Sliced
• 1-1/2 pound Ground Beef
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 5 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 8 slices Swiss Cheese
• 8 slices french bread

 Directions:

Start your grill to medium heat.
In a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Throw in the sliced onions and cook slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and soft.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, salt & pepper, and Worcestershire. Form into 4 patties.
Take your patties out to the grill and cook the patties on both sides until totally done in the middle, or to however you like your ground beef cooked.
After you have cooked your meat bring them inside and assemble you sandwiches.
Take your bread, a slice of cheese, one of the hamburger patties, 1/4 of the cooked onions, another slice of cheese, and lastly another slice of bread. In a clean skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter and grill the sandwiches over medium heat until golder brown.  Remove the sandwiches and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Turn the sandwiches to the skillet, flipping them to the other side. Cook until golden brown and crisp, and until cheese is melted.

Slice in half and serve immediately!

Recipe modified from The Pioneer Woman

Crockpot Brisket Tacos

 

These tacos are so good and so easy to make. Season the meat, let the crockpot do it's magic and done! LOVE it!!! We had a lot of meat left over after our first meal so we made quesadilla's for lunch the next day and then on Sunday we made breakfast tacos with egg, brisket, & cheese. OMG so good! ;)  Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

4 pounds beef brisket
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
8 ounces of your favorite beer
4 ounces queso fresco cheese, crumbled
cilantro
8 to 10 flour tortillas

Directions:

Season the brisket with the salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, onion and chili powder. Place it in the crockpot and add the beer, then cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. When finished, use a fork to shred the brisket and then place it back in the crockpot for another 30 minutes. It should combine with the juices and soak them toss. You may need to toss the beef a few times in the crockpot.
Wrap 4-6 tortillas in damp paper towels and place in the microwave for one minute. They will be extremely hot when done so be careful.
Assemble the tacos with the beef, crumbled cheese, and top with cilantro.

Modified from How Sweet It Is

Chipotle Mexican Steak Burritos

 

My husband loves going to Chipotle for their steak burritos! I think that he could eat there every week and it would never get old. We also love our local grocery stores marinated steak fajita meat. It is honestly the best meat you will ever have. If you are ever in central to south TX go to HEB and buy their fajita meat. We take it on almost all of our family vacations (we have a lot of family outside of TX) and grill up some fajitas as a thank you for letting us stay with family. It's become tradition. 
So, when I told my husband that I wanted to make some steak burritos he told me that I had to do it right and go with our favorite meat. I hope that you have something similar where you live or at least have a favorite steak marinade for your steak. If not, go to Half Baked Harvest and see her recipe for her steak. She says it is also very good1 :)

Ingredients:

2 lbs marinated fajita steak
black beans
shredded cheese (I used chipotle cheddar and jalapeno jack)
sour cream
guacamole
salsa
cilantro

Cilantro Lime Rice

• 2-3 cup cooked white rice, hot
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Directions:

Cook the rice according to package directions. When the rice is done cooking, toss in the chopped cilantro and lime juice. Set aside and keep warm.

Start heating your black beans on low.

Heat grill to about 400 degrees. Grill meat to your liking.

Chop meat into 1/2 inch square pieces.

Place 5-6 tortillas at a time in the microwave for one minute wrapped in damp paper towels. In the center of your tortilla, layer the cheeses, hot rice, warm steak, and any add ins you like such as beans, guacamole, sour cream & salsa. Fold the sides of the line of ingredients and roll up the tortilla (try and roll them tight). Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Modified from Half Baked Harvest

Baked Ziti

 

 Talk about good ole comfort food. This dish will not disappoint!! Serve with some hot garlic bread and a side salad and your family will think you are the best thing ever in the kitchen!! Perfect dish to make ahead of time and just throw in the oven when are ready to serve. Also, a great dish to a pot luck or a friend in need of some extra love. :)

Ingredients:

1 pound dry ziti pasta                                                    
1 pound Italian Sausage

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce                                                    

6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced                                                                     

15 oz ricotta cheese

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded                                                                     

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp basil

1 tsp parsley

1 tsp oregano

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Mix the basil, parsley, & oregano into the ricotta cheese.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, ricotta, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Modified from All Recipes

Grilled Chinese Chicken Kabobs

 

The other night when my family asked about dinner and I told them we were having Cashew Chicken and they all started to moan and groan that they didn't like cashews, didn't want stir fry, blah blah blah....  SO, as a family we looked through some of my recipes and found this one that we all agreed sounded delicious. And it was!! The marinade is so so yummy on the chicken and it's always fun eating off of skewers. I served the kabobs over rice and had steamed broccoli on the side. Perfect end to our busy week. :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

Directions:

Mix together the first seven ingredients and place in a gallon-sized resealable bag. Place chicken pieces in the bag and mix until all the chicken is completely coated. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours (I recommend more like 6-8 hours).

Remove chicken from fridge and thread chicken on skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning). Discard marinade.

Place kabobs on a grill over medium-high heat.

Source: Six Sisters Stuff

Green Chile Enchiladas with roasted tomatillo and garlic

 

I was at the grocery store the other day buying something else on the baking isle and this Green Chile Enchilada sauce caught my eye. The recipe looked and is very easy so I thought I'd give it a try. I love Verde (Green) sauce on my enchiladas and this one is really good. Tastes very similar to authentic Verde sauce. I made this with just cheese, but think I'd enjoy them with chicken and cheese next time. Very tasty!! :)

 Ingredients:

8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Jalepeno  Jack & Mild Cheddar Cheese

2 Pouches Frontera Enchilada Sauce with roasted tomatillo and garlic

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap tortillas in a wet paper towel. Microwave on high until steamy hot, about 1 minute.

Roll 1/4 cup cheese into each warm tortilla. Place side by side in an 9 x 13 baking dish seam side down. Completely cover tortillas with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Put into oven right away. Bake until bubble hot, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Variations:
Substitute shredded cooked chicken or beef for the cheese in the filling.

This recipe was adapted and modified from: Frontera Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Week 9 Dinner Menu and Grocery List

 Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

9 Mouthwatering Italian Dinners

Bacon and Tomato Pasta

Homemade Pizza

Italian Sausage and Cheese Lasagna Rolls

Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Garlic, & Feta

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Chicken Parmesan

Angel Chicken

Bucca Di Beppo Spicy Chicken Rigatoni 

Italian Sausage and Bowtie Pasta

Italian Sausage and Cheese Lasagna Rolls

 

Aren't these so pretty!! I love the way these rolls turn out every time I cook them. They look so fancy. ;) This is such a unique and delicious lasagna dish. The individual rolls are a fun and different way of eating lasagna. I have experimented with this recipe a few times and it never seems to go wrong. You can put spinach, chicken, mushrooms, hamburger meat or just what ever sounds good. I have even used Alfredo sauce (Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups) instead of pasta sauce and it really spices things up a bit!! :) These rolls I served  alongside garlic bread, & Cesar salad. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did.

 

Ingredients:
12 lasagna noodles
1-2 jars of pasta sauce depending on how much sauce you like
15oz ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grate Parmesan (I'm always overly generous with cheese so I do more than a fourth) ;)
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1 lb Italian Sausage
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Brown your Italian sausage in a skillet.

Boil you lasagna noodles according to your package directions.

While the pasta is cooking combine your cheese, egg & sausage in a bowl. (I leave a little bit of the sausage out so that I can crumble it on top of the rolls.)

When the pasta is done drain, and then lay them on parchment paper side by side. Carefully spoon the mixture onto each noodle evenly. Roll up and place in a greased 9 x13 that has a thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom.

Top with remaining sauce, cheese, and sausage crumbles. Bake 45 minutes.

Angel Chicken

 

Oh this recipe is SO good and easy!! Perfect for those busy week nights. I found this recipe a few months ago at Eat at home and have made it several times since. All of my kids LOVE it so that is a huge plus for me. :)

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts

3 tbs butter

Italian dressing mix-1 packet

cream of chicken or golden mushroom soup

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup white wine

angel hair pasta, cooked

Directions:

Put the chicken in the crock pot . Melt the butter and soften the cream cheese in the microwave. Stir those together with the Italian dressing mix, the soup and wine. Place the Italian mixture over the chicken and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Now, I don't care for white wine (I'm a red wine girl) so the first time I made this I didn't care for the flavor as much. So, I have left it out ever since and it is just as good. :) 

Serve the chicken and sauce over a bed of angel hair pasta. 

All American Burger Dogs

 

Isn't this the most fun way to eat a hamburger?!?! Make it a Burger Dog!! I ran across this idea on All Recipes and knew immediately that I wanted to make these for my family. I will tell you that they all laughed at me when I told them what we were having for dinner, but NOBODY complained once they started eating. Everyone said, "These are actually really good!" Not sure what was different (because we made them the exact way we make our regular burgers), but I think the fun presentation made them more enjoyable than just a round patty and round buns. ;)

Ingredients:

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
8 hotdog buns
hamburger seasoning (we used Lawry's) 
shredded cheese
dill pickle relish
mustard
mayo
ketchup
onions
lettuce
tomatoes

Directions:

Heat your grill. Make your ground beef into the shape of a hotdog. Season your meat.

Cook on the grill until your meat reaches your desired doneness.

Place patty inside of a hotdog bun and top with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!! ;)

Spaghetti with tomatoes, kalamata olives, garlic, and feta

 

This meal is a perfect summer dish! It's light and refreshing. I served the pasta as my main dish along side a Caesar salad & garlic bread. But it could easily be a side or the perfect summer dish to take to a party!

 Ingredients: 

1. 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes (about 3), seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2. 1/2 cup Kalamata or other black olives, pitted
3. 1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
4. 3 tablespoons drained capers
5. 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
6. 1/4 teaspoon salt
7. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
8. 3/4 pound spaghetti
9. 6 tablespoons olive oil
10. 3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Combine the tomatoes, olives, feta, capers, parsley, salt, and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium frying pan, heat the olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and the garlic oil to the tomato mixture and toss.

 Food & Wines Variations:

 Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Black Olives, Garlic, and Mozzarella Use 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, in place of the feta.
Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Olives, Garlic, Feta, and Fresh Herbs Use 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 3 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon and chives, in place of the parsley.

Source: Food & Wine

Spicy Sausage Pasta

My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe! The flavors in this dish are SO yummy!! I have made it a few times and have altered it a bit. We are sausage lovers so I put two links instead of one. I also, didn't put a whole cup and a half of onions. After chopping the onion up I just added pinches of onion until I liked the amount. I didn't measure. We are also lovers of CHEESE!! So I put about 2-3 cups of Monterey Jack which made it really cheese and oh so good. ;) Below is the original recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilis, 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

Directions:
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.

Source: Kevin and Amanda