it's always fun to try something new

I like to try new recipes, and my family is use to tasting new recipes...only normally those new recipes happen to be in the form of a dessert...so when I put a new dinner recipe on the table I always get interrogated by the girl child...
'what's in this'
'why did you decided to make this'
'will I like this'
'why did you have to put tomatoes in it'
'where were you the night of March 10th'


anyways, I saw this recipe a few weeks ago when I was looking around blog land...can't remember even where I saw it...sorry for not being able to give credit to whoever posted it..it might have been Kelsey over @ We Weren't Crazy....but I'm not sure...

anyways, this is one of those recipes that I like because it's pretty flexible with whatever you have around...
use whatever pasta you have (the original recipe called for rigatoni, didn't have that on hand so I used shells, that's all I had)...

you can use frozen or fresh spinach (again the original recipe called for frozen but I bought a bag of fresh spinach the size of Rhode Island last time I was shopping so I decided to use fresh!)...

you can cooked chicken breast to make this recipe or use leftover chicken from something you had earlier in the week, or use a roisterer chicken from a deli, or use sausage instead of chicken...I was thinking a turkey/chicken kielbasa would be really good with this....

as for the chive and onion cream cheese (the only thing that I had to buy to make this recipe, everything else I had)...I'm sure you could substitute it with a block of regular cream cheese and 
just add some dried onion and chopped up chives to the recipe...

Creamy Chicken Spinach and Pasta Bake
8 ounces uncooked pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)

2 grated cloves garlic
2-3 cup chopped fresh spinach, or 1 10 oz frozen package
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast-

     I used the leftover from this 'roasted' chicken recipe
1 14.5-ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 8-ounce container chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Preheat oven to 375*

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, spread oil on bottom of an 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add onions, garlic and fresh spinach (don't add spinach if using frozen) in a single layer. Bake at 375* for 15 minutes or just until tender. Transfer onion to a large bowl and set aside.

(if using frozen spinach...drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels, toss with onions.)

Stir pasta, chicken, diced tomatoes, cream cheese, salt and pepper into spinach/onion mixture. Spoon mixture into baking dish and sprinkle evenly with shredded cheese.

Bake, covered, at 375* for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until bubbly.

Serves 4 to 6. Serve with tossed green salad and garlic bread.

Substition: for Sausage 'n' Spinach Pasta Bake, substitute 3 cups cooked, crumbled hot Italian sausage for the 3 cups cubed chicken.

Tips:
1 1/2 lb. uncooked chicken breasts equals about 3 cups cubed and cooked.
1 1/4 uncooked sausage equals about 3 cups cooked and crumbled.



verdict....
Beau and I loved this recipe and I'm looking forward to leftover buffet night when I get to eat this again!
the kids...not their favorite, but I'm thinking if I just cut the large tomatoes into really small pieces they'll do better with the whole thing..


I think I'd also almost double the fresh spinach, it always looks like so much before it bakes down, it filled the casserole dish that I was baking it in when I put it in the oven with the onions and then when it was all said and done it looked like I had barely put any spinach into the dish!

Put the Lime in the...Chicken!

side note...
this information may be incriminating for my mother-in-law...I have a wonderful image of my daughter and her Grandma Kathy singing, "put the lime in the coconut," while dancing around with panties on their head...and I chuckle every time I hear that song or a version of the song...

image from google images

anyways, back on track...
Pepper Lime Chicken with Pesto Pasta (recipe follows)
Chicken Breast (I make only 2 for my family, but you can do this for however many you want)
2-3 limes
1 Tbs oil
2 cloves garlic (mined or grated)
1 tsp dried thyme or basil
1/2-1 tsp ground black pepper (more or less depending on your taste*)
1/4 tsp salt

1. Rinse and pat dry chicken and set aside. Slice one lime into circles, juice & zest other lime...you will need about 1/4 cup lime juice & 1 tsp zest.
2.  To make glaze mix together lime juice, zest, oil, garlic, thyme/basil, pepper, & salt.
3.  Place chicken pieces on unheated rack (or pan) of a broiler**, brush with glaze.  Broil for about 10 minutes, turn chicken and re-glaze, place under broiler for another 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (I use a meat thermometer to tell when it's done, 170 degrees for breasts).
4.  Serve warm with sliced limes on top.
*I make my glaze with less pepper, and then while I'm glazing the chicken add more pepper to the chicken piece my husband will eat since he likes more pepper than everyone else.
**I have also used this glaze for chicken on the grill or for a whole chicken in the crock pot.

serve with Pesto Pasta or over rice with broccoli.

Fresh Pesto
1 -2 cups fresh basil-rinsed
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts (I've only ever used pine nuts)
1/4 cup olive oil (or walnut oil)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1-2 cloves garlic

1.  Place basil and nuts into food processor and blend until finely chopped.  Add garlic and oil, pulse until garlic in chopped and oil is incorporated into basil/nut mixture.  Slowly add the cheese until you have a consistency that you want.
Serve over cooked pasta or as a dip or spread.
this recipe makes enough to chill or freeze 1/2 for another time.  Refrigerate up to 2 days, freeze for up to 3 months.

We made the pesto recipe at church with groups of kids when we were learning about Italy.  All the kids helped in the process,  it's a great recipe for them to make all by themselves (with you in the kitchen) since all the cutting is done by the food processor and is nicely contained inside the processor bowl...then they ate it with slices of bread...

The Family Motto

"Everything's Beddar with Cheddar"

...("Better", for those of you who don't read "Wilson")...

And really, most everything could use some more cheddar, when a recipe calls for 1 cup, 2 cups will be better...

With a motto like this you can assume that we eat a lot of cheese over here at the ChambersMade household, and you would be correct...
We love cheese on eggs, cheese on English muffins (thanks to my college roommate, Susan), cheese with nuts, cheese with fruit, cheese on veggies, cheese and crackers, grilled cheese, and of course Mac and Cheese.  With all the cheese in our life/menu you'd think I would have discovered the best mac and cheese recipe. But, you'd be wrong, the kids still prefer the kind in the blue box (oh, don't judge, you know you have a box in your pantry!)

So how come I can never find a homemade Mac & Cheese that we all like...

Well, the search for the ChambersMade Shells & Cheese is over...
I found the recipe and I'm sticking to it.  I took a different recipe that called for 1 jar of store bought Alfredo Sauce and modified it, changing a few ingredients, making my own Alfredo and I found it...
the best Shells and Cheese that we as a family have EVER had...
and sadly, no leftovers!  It was THAT good...I really wanted some the next day for lunch and we had scraped the pan clean the night before...possibly a ChambersMade first!

ChambersMade Home-Style Shells &Cheese

10 oz Shells (or macaroni, whatever you have on hand or your kids like better)

1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)

1 recipe Alfredo sauce (recipe follows)

3 cups Cheddar Cheese (I've already doubled the amount, so although our motto is "Everything's Beddar with Cheddar," doubling this amount might put your family into major intestinal cramp-age!)

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup bread crumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 375 & grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

2.  Bring water to boil add chicken bouillon and shells, cook following package directions.  Prepare Alfredo sauce (recipe follows) while shells are cooking.  Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining shells.

3.  Transfer the shells to the casserole dish, add the Alfredo sauce, 2 cups of the cheese, the reserved pasta water and salt & pepper, and stir until the ingredients are will combined.  Cover the shells with the remaining cup of cheese, scatter the top with bread crumbs.

4.  Bake until the shells and cheese are bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned, 25-30 minutes, serve at once.

Alfredo Sauce
2 Tbl Butter

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the cheap stuff)

1 cup cup half and half (or milk will do in a pinch)

1.  Melt butter in a saucepan add cheese and half and half, stir until all is melted...3 minutes.

(don't you just love the casserole dish...thanks Julie, it looks great holding out Shells & Cheese.)

Serving Suggestions

I steamed some brussels sprouts (and yes, I googled it and brussels has an "s" on the end...I've been saying it brussel sprouts all these years!) seasoned with butter and salt, yummy with the cheese sauce from the shells.  other veggies that would be good; Broccoli or Cauliflower

Taking a Little Artistic Liberties...or Cooking Liberties

Made a recipe last night for the first time...
The name of the recipe, right out of my favorite new cook book (thanks again Julie), The Dinner Doctor, is Meaty Ziti...I'm sure this recipe is great just the way it was written in the book...but I decided to use half the amount of meat in this "meaty" dish and then couldn't find any Ziti so I used Penne (whole wheat too), and I also couldn't find the called for "frozen creamed spinach" (think it a southern thing) so I had to make my own and it was double what the recipe called for...so rather than Meaty Ziti...I think I ended up with Creamy Spinach Penne...I will list both recipes for you...

The Dinner Doctor's Meaty Ziti
1 lb ground beef round (or my sister-in-law suggested adding Italian sausage)
1 can crushed tomatoes, or 1 jar of marinara sauce
1 clove garlic- crushed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
8 ounces ziti
1 package (9 oz) frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 package (2 cups) pre-shredded mozzarella cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 375
2.  Brown ground beef in large skillet, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and basil.
3.  Spoon 1 cup meat sauce on bottom of 3-quart casserole dish.  Arrange the ziti in an even layer on top of the sauce (no need to pre-boil the pasta, but check the done-ness before toping with cheese in step 4),  Pour the remaining meat sauce over the ziti.  Spread the creamed spinach evenly over the top.  Cover the baking dish with foil.
4.  Bake the ziti until bubbling, 30 minutes.  Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully remove the aluminum foil and set aside.  Scatter the mozzarella evenly over the top and re-cover the dish with the foil.  Let the ziti rest until the cheese melts, 10 minutes.  Serve warm.

Creamy Spinach Penne

1/2 lb ground beef 

1/2-3/4 jar of marinara sauce (depends on how much sauce you like)

1 clove garlic- crushed

8 ounces Whole Wheat Penne

1 recipe Creamed Spinach (recipe follows)*

1 package (2 cups) pre-shredded mozzarella cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 375

2.  Brown ground beef in large skillet, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in Marinara sauce and garlic 

* I made the creamed Spinach at the same time that the ground beef was browning, so not really more time, just a few more steps.

3.  Spoon 1/2 meat sauce on bottom of 3-quart casserole dish.  Arrange the Penne in an even layer on top of the sauce (no need to pre-boil the pasta, it will cook in the oven with the marinara sauce, but check the done-ness before toping with cheese in step 4),  Pour the remaining meat sauce over the Penne.  Spread the creamed spinach evenly over the top.  Cover the baking dish with foil.

4.  Bake the Penne until bubbling, 30 minutes.  Remove the baking dish from the oven and carefully remove the aluminum foil and set aside.  Scatter the mozzarella evenly over the top and re-cover the dish with the foil.  Let rest until the cheese melts, 10 minutes.  Serve warm.

Creamed Spinach

3 TBS butter

4 TBS flour

1 tsp salt

1 cup whole milk, cream or half and half

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

2 TBS butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup water

1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed

1.  Melt  3 TBS butter in small saucepan, stir in flour and salt until creamed together, slowly add milk, increase the heat, stirring constantly with whisk until mixture is thick and smooth.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2.  Melt 2 TBS butter in med saucepan, add onions and cook until transparent.   Add spinach and water to pan, lower the heat, stir until all warmed through, add white sauce and sour cream.  Heat through

....

Okay so when I made this I used about 16 oz of Penne (didn't look at the box, oops) so there wasn't enough liquid to completely cook all the pasta in the oven, but I will read the directions and boxes better next time and I'm sure it will turn out better...but the family loved it anyways even with a few not-so-done Penne's here and there...

And don't worry about the "S" word...the spinach was a nice mild flavor.  I think spinach has gotten a bad rap over the years, but it's such a great vegetable that you can sneak into so many different dishes.

I also think I'm going to add this recipe (or both, the Meaty Ziti and Creamy Spinach Penne) to my make and take meals that take to families with new babies, or that have someone in the hospital, or whatever.  You can make it all ahead of time and refrigerate it for 3-4 days before baking it...what a perfect thing to hand over to someone needing a meal...just don't forget to give them a bag of shredded cheese to top it at the end.

Also, first time I've ever made a creamed spinach, it was so yummy, I'm going to make it again with fresh spinach and serve as a side dish, I was licking the pan after I put it into the Penne dish!...might use some pearl onions rather than chopping up an onion...maybe topped with some crispy bacon crumbles?!?!

Serving options for this meal...French Bread...the meat, dairy, pasta, and vegetables are all in the dish, so no need to make anything else.  Maybe a nice big salad.

Could it Get Any Easier?

Okay, I've already shared my crazy Wednesday's with you and that I the only way that Wednesday's are manageable are with wonderful throw-down meals....I also love a great crock pot meal and when the two become one and you have an throw-down crock pot meal, well, I just love those days...

here is a recipe that my friend Jennifer Lorenzen shared with me via facebook...

Cheese Tortellini with Meatballs

24 oz frozen meatballs ( I used turkey meatballs)

26 oz tomato basil pasta sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

9 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chopped

Put meatballs, cheese, pasta sauce in crockpot. Cook on low 8-10 ho urs. Put pasta in 1 hour before done. Top with basil and serve.

This was SO good...and Beau finished up the leftovers today for lunch, not even heating it up..

Serve with Garlic Cheese French Bread (just discovered wheat French bread...just as good and better for us!) and steamed asparagus.

Thanks Jennifer, my family LOVES this recipe!

Throw it Down

as moms we need a few of these "throw down meals" to make life doable.

Yesterday some friends came over to "do" hair...I have one good friend that loves to cut and color hair and another good friend and I needed our hair done...

so we made a day of it and spent it at my place getting our hair done...
in my kitchen...

and then I got a text from another friend reminding me that I had signed up to take a meal to a new mom 
(3 kids under 2!!!)...
so now I'm having a hair party...
(color chemicals and pieces of cut hair) 
...in my kitchen 
and... I need to not only at some point today make a meal for my family
...but I need to take one to another family...

...

Time for....Throw Down Meal....

Lemon Chicken with Pesto Tortellini’s 

2 chicken breasts

1 package of dried pesto tortellini’s

1 package of Knorr Creamy Pesto mix (and ingredients to make...olive oil and milk)

Lemon Basil rub

 1.  Grill chicken breast seasoned with lemon basil rub (we have a indoor grill...LOVE IT...but you can do it on an outdoor grill or broil it in the oven) for 10-15 minutes until done. 

2.  Boil Tortillini's, follow package directions, boil and drain...

3.  prepare Creamy Pesto sauce per package directions...

slice up chicken breast, toss into cooked tortellini’s and pour pesto sauce over the top...

Serve with steamed broccoli!

I didn't have enough tortellini’s for the other family so I boiled bow-tie pasta and threw together an Alfredo sauce

Alfredo Sauce

1 Tbl Butter

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (the cheap stuff)

1/2 cup half and half (or milk will do in a pinch)

boil noodles, drain and return to pan and heat, melt butter in the noodles, add cheese and half and half, stir until all is melted...

I try to always keep a package of Knorr Creamy Pesto mix in my pantry and other good items for when a mom's just got to throw it down!

Two dinners for two families done in 20 minutes!!!

and I now have pink hair (Thanks Becca!)...gotta love that throw down!!!

You Can Do That in the Crock Pot?

Back in October I decided to challenge myself to see how many meals I could make in the crock pot and was interested in how it would effect our grocery budget and eating out.

I discovered a few things...

*I love my crock pot

*you can make lots of stuff that you would never think using the crock pot

*my grocery bill didn't really go down, but our eating out did, because I was making an effort to have a menu, shop off that menu and then if I made dinner at 9 am it was easier for our lifestyle then if I started dinner around 4...

*if a recipe is cooked on High for a certain length doesn't mean that you can turn the crock pot on low and double the cooking time...sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't...this recipe is one it DOES NOT work on!  Believe me I tried!

Cheese Shells and Kielbasa in the Crock Pot

2 (11 ounce) cans condensed Cheddar cheese soup

2 3/4 cups water

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked shell pasta

1/2 pound kielbasa, sliced into rounds

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.Stir the condensed soup and water together in a slow cooker until smooth. Add the shell pasta and kielbasa sausage. Set the slow cooker to High; cook 2 hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

2.Once the pasta is tender, stir in the sour cream, Cheddar, and mozzarella until the cheeses melt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and allow to rest 15 minutes before serving.

Serve with steamed broccoli and applesauce...

Is there any recipes that you would like to try in the crock pot?  Let me know...

and what is the weirdest thing you've ever made in the crock pot?

a crock of Lasagna

What's for dinner...leftover lasagna...

Last night My Beau and I had a rare night out...

(my Beau and I all fancied up for the Christmas Party)





...so I made dinner really easy for the sitter, I made lasagna in the crock pot earlier that day...

(if you don't know me you might not know that I HEART my crock pot!)

...so all the sitter had to do was butter the French Bread and serve! This recipe makes WAY more than my family would ever eat in one sitting, and the kids loved it so we are having it as "first's" for My Beau and I, and as leftovers for the kids!

this is the recipe as I received it from a friend (I think it was Kelly Jackson?)
~~~~
Crock Pot Lasagna
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pkg (8oz) no-cook lasagna noodles**
4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1½ cups (12oz) small-curd cottage cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Add the tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt and oregano; mix well.
In another bowl mix together 2 cups of mozzarella, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese.  Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce in an ungreased 5 quart slow cooker.  Arrange a third of the noodles over sauce (break the noodles). spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of noodles  Repeat layers three times.  Top with remaining meat sauce, and extra mozzarella.  Cover and cook on low for 4/5 hours or until noodles are tender.  Yields 6-8 servings.

~~~~

Changes I made
*only used 1/2 lb of ground beef
*didn't have the large can of tomato sauce so used 3 sm 8 oz jars-plenty
*I grate my garlic on the really fine side of the cheese grater, no more big chunks of garlic, and all the flavor.
*didn't have the no-cook noodles so I boiled the reg ones for 1/2 the time, drained and rinsed them
*added 1 cup of chopped fresh spinach to the cottage cheese mixture
*added 1 egg to the cottage cheese mixture

Changes I didn't make but you might like to...
*Italian sausage along with the beef or to replace the beef
*ground turkey, which I find dry, but in dishes with lots of sauce the dryness isn't a big deal
*leaving the meat out all together and making it vegetarian
*using 2 cups mozzarella and 2 cups cheddar
*using rocotta cheese rather than cottage cheese
*using manicotti noodles rather than lasagna


**Trader Joes has the no-cook lasagna noodles for cheaper and twice as many WinCo carries them...so pick up a box next time you run in for some Candy Cane Joe Joe's (Oreos) and Sea Salt Carmels (YUMMY)!

Serving suggestions-I always think pasta dishes have it all, the starch, the meat, the veggies...but if you want to serve it with something, butter up some french bread (I like to keep an extra loaf in the freezer), and grate some garlic onto it and a little cheese...broil until it's as done as you like.  Add a good hearty salad and you're more than done!