Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

This recipe is perfect for a quick and hearty dinner. I usually serve this with garlic bread and an Italian salad.

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni Recipe

Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff: Bucca di Beppo Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. course black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups light Alfredo sauce
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup cooked peas
1 16 oz. box rigatoni
2 tbsp. butter
Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and pepper and saute for about 3 minutes. Slice chicken into thin strips.

Add chicken and salt to pan. Cook with lid on over medium-high heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked (about 5-7 minutes). Add marinara and Alfredo sauces and stir until well mixed. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add butter and cooked peas and remove from heat. Stir to melt butter into sauce. Cook rigatoni until done. Pour sauce over pasta and mix until pasta is coated. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Tip: I'll use leftover marinara or Alfredo sauce from another meal if I have it, but I usually just use store bought and it's still delicious! If you like a little more heat, sprinkle a bit more red pepper flakes on top.

Italian Salad

 

Italian Salad Recipe

From Good Cheap Eats

Ingredients:
2 heads romaine lettuce, rinsed
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad.

For dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk dressing together until well blended.

Tortellini Florentine Soup

 

This soup is one of my husband's favorites! I love it for an easy weeknight dinner. I usually serve it with what's left of the rotisserie chicken and a green salad.

 

Tortellini Florentine Soup Recipe

From BHG: Tortellini Florentine Soup

Ingredients:
1 9 oz. package three cheese tortellini
32 oz. chicken broth
1 10 oz. container of refrigerated light alfredo sauce
2 cups rotisserie chicken from deli, shredded
1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut (drained)
3 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach
Shredded parmesean cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Combine chicken broth, alfredo sauce, chicken and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Add cooked tortellini and spinach. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve with shredded parmesean cheese on top.

 

Wedding Soup

There's nothing like homemade soup on a cold fall day. I've always had an obsession with soup and this wedding soup recipe is one of my favorites. My stepmom, Nancy, shared the recipe with me years ago and I've been making it ever since!

 

Wedding Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
16 cups water
3 1/2 cups boneless chicken breast
1 lb. ground beef
1 cube beef bouillon
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
12 chicken bouillon cubes (I prefer Herbox brand)
1 1/2 cups acini di pepe (or other small pasta)
3 cups chopped spinach

Cook chicken in water until done. Strain top of water. Take chicken out and shred. Put shredded chicken back into water. Meanwhile, combine thyme, breadcrumbs, ground beef and parmesan cheese in mixing bowl. Using garlic press, add 3 cloves of garlic. Dissolve 1 cube beef bouillon in 1 cup water and add 1/4 cup to mixture, adding more if mixture is too dry. Mix well with hands. Mold into small meatballs and spread on a foiled lined cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Add chicken bouillon cubes, spinach, acini di pepe and meatballs to soup. Cook 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Serve with grated parmesan.

Tip: I usually throw the cooked chicken into my Kitchen Aid mixer to shred it. Just use the flat beater and turn it on for a few seconds.

Stuffed Peppers

My mother-in-law is a fabulous cook and she taught me how to make stuffed peppers a few years ago. I've made a few adjustments, but this is basically her recipe. It's great for a weeknight meal and is even easier when you throw it in a slow cooker!

Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Ingredients:
6-8 large green peppers
2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Minute rice
2 28 oz. cans tomato sauce

Cut the tops off peppers. Remove and discard the ribs and seeds from inside the peppers. Place in a baking pan. Chop bacon into small pieces. Cook in pan over medium heat. When bacon is almost completely cooked, add onion and garlic. Saute with bacon until onions are transparent. Cook Minute rice according to package directions. Combine ground beef, bacon mixture and rice in bowl. Mix well with hands. Fill each pepper with beef mixture. Pour tomato sauce on top of peppers. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until peppers are soft. Serve with mashed potatoes.

 

Tips: I usually chop up the tops of the peppers and throw them in the beef mixture for extra flavor. I only make the stuffed peppers in the oven if I'm cooking for a crowd. I much prefer to put them in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours. I make them the night before and just turn the slow cooker on in the morning and they're ready to go when I get home from work.

 

 

The Great Dip Off

Football season is in full swing! My husband and I both grew up in Pittsburgh so, of course, we're Steelers super fans. My husband thinks he's on the team. My neighbors hosted a football "dip off" this weekend. Even though they're rival fans, we decided to join the neighborhood celebration of dip. I decided to make two different recipes. First, I made my buffalo chicken dip. This was an easy one because people usually go crazy for it, but I make it ALL THE TIME. I also wanted to try a new recipe. My mom recommended Liptauer Dip. I was a little leery about the recipe, but my Mom swore that it's completely addictive. She said she used to pray for leftover dip then eat it by the spoonful, straight out of the fridge. Of course, with this kind of enthusiasm, I just had to see what it was all about. I have to admit, it was delicious, but I think the buffalo chicken dip will always be my favorite!

Liptauer Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. caraway seeds
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
Pumpernickel bread bowl (I used sourdough instead)
Extra pumpernickel loaf

Mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, dry mustard, paprika, salt and caraway seeds using mixer. Fold in green onions. Hollow out bread bowl and cube the bread you removed and the extra loaf of pumpernickel. Put dip mixture inside bread bowl and serve with bread cubes.

Shea's Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

Adapted from Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup hot sauce
1 cup blue cheese dressing
5 oz. crumbled blue cheese
2 cups cheddar cheese

Cook and shred chicken (I usually just cook it in a pan with a little butter and chicken broth, but you can cook it any way you like). In a 9x13 baking dish, combine cream cheese, hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, blue cheese crumbles and 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Add shredded chicken. Stir until well mixed. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tips: You can substitute ranch dressing for the blue cheese, but I've been told that the blue cheese is much better than the ranch and blue cheese haters will never be able to tell the difference. You can also substitute light cream cheese, cheddar cheese and blue cheese for a healthier option and serve it with carrots and celery.

Baked Apples with Oatmeal Streusel

These baked apples are perfect for fall!

From Cooking Outside the Box

Ingredients:

2 large apples

4 ½ tbsp. butter, melted

½ cup oats

½ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

a pinch of salt

Slice apples in half and scoop out the seeds and stem with a melon baller. Mix together all remaining ingredients. Spoon mixture over apples.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream. Makes 4 baked apples.

Tip: You can cut the recipe in half or double it. Try adding walnuts to the mix!