Chicken Noodle Casserole

"I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I changed quite a bit to give it more flavor and to make a larger amount.  It was very yummy!!"

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces egg noodles prepared
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, diced
1/2 c. onions, chopped
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. white wine
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. poultry seasoning

1 can sliced carrots
1/2 c. milk
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup butter
1 t. garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While preparing noodles, saute diced chicken in large frying pan over med-high heat along with onions, minced garlic, olive oil, wine, and poultry seasoning.  In large bowl mix carrots with milk, cream soups, sour cream and cheeses.  When chicken is cooked through stir into creamy mixture along with noodles and salt and pepper to taste.  Place noodle mixture in 9x13 baking dish.  In small fry pan melt butter over medium heat.  Add crackers and garlic powder and stir together.  Sprinkle crackers over noodle mixture and bake in oven uncovered for 30 minutes.

Honey Sauced Chicken

"I found this recipe on Pinterest.  The original came from Mmm...Cafe and she got it from Crock Pot Recipe Card Collection.  The recipe listed a few ways to cook this, and I opted for sauteing diced chicken in the sauce ingredients in a frying pan.  This tasted very similar to General Tso's chicken.  I did not add the pepper flakes since the kids were eating it and I put in onion powder instead of onions....very yummy!"

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound chicken (of your choice)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup chopped onion (or 1/16 cup onion flakes)

1/8 cup ketchup

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:

Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas II

"I found this recipe on pinterest, and you can find the original HERE .  The original was called White Chicken Enchiladas", but since I didn't want the chicken plain, it ended up not being "white" when I got done with it, so I renamed the recipe.  I still think the white sauce was lacking in something, so if you make this, let me know if you modified that, but it was still very yummy.  I included directions on what I did to cook the chicken, the original just said: 2 cup of shredded.  I also changed the cheese from Monterrey jack to cheddar jack."

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Sauce to cook chicken in:

1/2 c. taco sauce

1 large tomato

1/2 lg. onion

1 t. chili powder

1 t. cumin

1 t. paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 t. pepper

10 standard sized soft taco shells

3 cups shredded Cheddar Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

DIRECTIONS:

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker.  Put "sauce ingredients" into food processor, blend and pour over chicken.  Cook chicken breasts on high for 4 1/2 hours.  Remove chicken and shred with fork, put back into slow cooker and stir back into sauce.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 pan

Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  

Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Indian Spiced Whole Roasted Chicken

"I originally found this recipe on Pinterest and the original is HERE.  I though there were too many steps and I did not have some of the forms of the ingredients (for instance it called for cracked cardamom pods and I only had cardamom powder), so I changed a lot, and my changes are included here.  This is definitely going in my recipe box...so yummy!"

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole, 4-pound chicken, rinsed, innards removed and patted dry with paper towel
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 packet Swanson "flavor boost" chicken flavor
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
2 t. Garam Masala
1/2 t. chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 t. dried tarragon
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. black pepper
1/2 t. cardamom
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. dried cilantro
1/4 t. ginger



DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Mix "sauce" ingredients together, rub evenly over outside and inside cavity of chicken.  Place chicken in roaster or baking dish and bake uncovered for 3 1/2 hours.  When juices start to form in bottom of pan, baste ever 1/2 hour until done.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna

"I found this recipe on pinterest.com and made it for dinner. I am going list some ideas under the recipe to make this more flavorful because it was good, but slightly bland. (the photo is not great....it didn't stay in a solid piece when I plated it"

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk (not fat free)

1 (1 oz) pkg. Hidden Valley dry Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix (not the dip blend)

3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
9 lasagna noodles
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly. Layer half of lasagna noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese in well-greased 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

What I did differently:

-I added about 1/3 cup diced onions and garlic to the chicken while it was cooking
-I made three layers (using 1/3 of each ingredient [noodles, cheese and chicken with sauce] in each layer)...still only using 9 total noodles
-I didn't read the recipe right and bought fat free evap. milk, so to thicken it up and make it creamier I added 1/2 a brick of light cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of light miracle whip
-I used wheat lasagna noodles
-I covered the pan with foil for 35 minutes and took it off and baked an additional 10 minutes
- when I ate my portion I sprinkled on more pepper and curry, and that was AWESOME
-next time I might try adding some Franks Red Hot sauce and two packets of ranch mix instead of one

Chicken (Pork) with Egglant-Pepper Sauce

"Obviously the photo is of pork chops. That is what I had, so I'm sure what I made was a little more fattening. I found this is Cooking Light magazine. Also what is pictured is only three chops because I did not put the sauce on one chop for the kids."


INGREDIENTS:

1 medium eggplant (about 1/2 pound)
2 medium red bell peppers (about 1 pound)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, divided
4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon paprika
4 teaspoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, and pierce skin with a fork. Cut tops off bell peppers; discard tops, seeds, and membranes. Place eggplant and bell peppers on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 8 minutes or until tender.

While the eggplant cooks, combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, ginger, garlic powder, and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper; sprinkle the chicken with the ginger mixture. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done.

Combine eggplant and bell peppers in a blender or food processor. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper, 1 teaspoon oil, paprika, and juice; process until smooth. Serve chicken with sauce.


Nutritional Information:

Calories: 194 (19% from fat)
Fat: 4.1g (sat 0.7g,mono 2g,poly 0.7g)
Protein: 27.9g
Carbohydrate: 11.8g
Fiber: 3.9g
Cholesterol: 66mg
Iron: 1.7mg
Sodium: 518mg
Calcium: 29mg

Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Fingers

"My husband loves buffalo chicken, so I wanted to try to make my own. I used pieces instead of wings and baked them instead of frying to help with the fat and calories. You can also skip the butter in the sauce if you want to be extra healthy."

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into fingers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
cooking spray

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Franks buffalo sauce)
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic and salt. Coat chicken in mixture. Place wire cooling rack onto long cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Lay chicken pieces on rack. Spray top with more spray. Bake 45 minutes on 350 degrees. Turn oven to 400 spray chicken again and bake for additional 10 minutes.

In Large microwaveable bowl heat sauce ingredients until butter is melted. Add baked chicken to bowl and toss to coat.
Serve with blue cheese dressing if desired.

Serves 4-6

Chicken for Soft Tacos

"I found this on allrecipes.com. I added the changes suggested by a review."


INGREDIENTS:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup lemonade (I used lemon juice and honey instead)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Heat oil in large frying pan. Add chicken. Drizzle lemon juice, lime juice and honey over chicken. Add spices. Saute until chicken is cooked through (about 15-20 minutes)

Serves 4-6

Simple Seasoned Pasta with Chicken

"This is a recipe that Campbell's posted on allrecipes.com. My changes are included."


INGREDIENTS:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1/4 cup Italian dressing
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups uncooked spiral pasta (the exact amount in a box of Barilla Plus)
6 fresh basil leaves ripped into small pieces


DIRECTIONS:
Saute chicken with basil in Italian dressing until browned. Meanwhile, heat broth, tomatoes, cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder in large pot to a boil.
Stir pasta into broth mixture. Cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in cooked chicken. Sprinkle with additional grated or shredded parmesan cheese.

Caribbean-Spiced Roast Chicken

"I found this on allrecipes.com when I was searching for recipes the last time I made a whole chicken. It sounded so good that I couldn't resist trying it too. It will make your whole house smell amazing. Check my tips at the bottom."

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 fluid ounces rum
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 (3 pound) whole chicken
1 tablespoon vegetable oil



DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, rum, and brown sugar; set aside. Mix together the cayenne pepper, clove, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, salt, and thyme leaves. Brush the chicken with oil, then coat with the spice mixture.
Place in a roasting pan, and bake about 90 minutes, until the juices run clear or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F. Baste the chicken with the sauce every 20 minutes while it's cooking. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Tips:

-I doubled the rum, sugar and lime juice to make more "sauce". The recipe didn't say when to pour it on, so I poured it on after brushing it with oil

-I used another whole lime, quartered it, and placed it in the cavity

-Next time I would skip the oil

-The drippings are good to dip the chicken it, but it's better if you use a fat separator to get the oil out first.

-I baked it for 4 hours on 300 degrees, basting every 1/2 hour

Roast Sticky Chicken-Rotisserie Style

"When I make a whole chicken I usually just put it in the crockpot all day, it falls apart and we have to make sure were don't get any bones. I really wanted to do something different with a chicken, and this recipe (which I found on allrecipes.com) was fabulous...as good or better than any rotisserie chicken I've ever had. I accidentally baked it upside-down, so in the photo it's upside-down."

Ingredients:

1 whole 4 lb chicken, giblets removed, rinsed (inside and out) and patted dry with paper towel
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 onion, quartered (I used 1/2 vidalia)

Directions:

In small bowl mix together all spices. Rub them on the outside and in the cavity of the chicken. Place onion inside cavity. Place chicken in large zipper bag (or double plastic wrap) and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Remove chicken from bag or wrap and place chicken in roasting pan. Bake uncovered for five hours. Use turkey baster to squirt pan drippings onto chicken. Let chicken stand for ten minutes before carving.

Greek Chicken Pasta

"I found this on allrecipes.com. Check below the recipe for my tips."


Ingredients:

• 1 pound pasta, cooked according to package
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 lemons, wedged, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion, and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the artichoke hearts, tomato, feta cheese, parsley, lemon juice, oregano and cooked pasta. Stir until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and garnish with lemon wedges.

Tips:

-I did not use lemon wedges for garnish
-I added one can of tomato paste, 1/4 cup white wine and 1/4 cup low-fat Italian dressing to make a sauce
-You can add kalamata olives or black olives
-You can use marinaded artichokes hearts for added flavor
-I added 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped basil
-I used whole wheat pasta to make the dish healthier

Mulligatawny Soup

"In my quest to find delicious soup recipes to add to my box, I came across this one on allrecipes.com. I love the flavor of curry, and indian food, so I couldn't wait to try this, especially since it got such rave reviews. Check my notes at the bottom for some tips."

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup white rice
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half - cut into cubes
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch dried thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream, heated

DIRECTIONS:

Saute onions, celery, carrot, and butter in a large soup pot. Add flour and curry, and cook 5 more minutes. Add chicken stock, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer about 1/2 hour.
Add apple, rice, chicken, salt, pepper, and thyme. Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.
When serving, add hot cream.

Notes:

-Most people suggested doubling the recipe because the left-overs are even more delicious.

-double the apple (I peeled mine even though the recipe didn't call for it)

-the recipe doesn't say whether to cook the chicken ahead of time, so I did, and just used cooking spray as to not add extra fat.

-there didn't seem like enough rice, so I would double that, also, if you don't use minute rice, you may want to put it in longer than the 15 minutes (as suggested by others)

-you can use coconut milk instead of cream for a more exotic flavor. You can also omit the cream, or just use milk

-adding garlic gives it extra flavor. I added 1 clove of minced to the pan when I sauted the onions, carrots and celery

-some people suggested doubling the curry for more flavor (yellow curry)

-you can add a spice called "garam masala"

-you can puree the soup in a food processor to make it thicker. I didn't, but i would think the best time is before you add the chicken rice and apples ( I wish I would have)

Crock Pot Chicken with Black Beans and Cream Cheese

"I found this on recipezaar.com. The photo makes it look disgusting, but it was very tasty and made the kitchen smell fabulous!"

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 boneless chicken breasts
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can corn
1 (15 ounce) jar salsa, any kind
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Take 4-5 frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts put into crock pot.
add 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 jar of salsa, 1 can of corn drained.
Keep in crock pot on high for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked.
Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top!) and let sit for about 1/2 hour.
All done and enjoy!

Notes:

-I recommend adding pepper and garlic to taste.
-I added about 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese with the cream cheese.
-Is great served over chips, but would also be good served over rice or in a tortilla
-I thawed my chicken slightly and cut it in cubes before adding to crock pot/slow-cooker.

Lemon-Herb Marinade for Chicken

"I got this recipe from a friend who found it in a cookbook. It is enough for four boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves."

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons thyme, oregano or rosemary (I used rosemary)

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl. Place chicken in dish and cover with sauce. Marinate in refridgerator for several hours or overnight. Chicken can be grilled, baked or sauted.

Pesto Cheesy Chicken

"I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. The original recipe said to roll the chicken up and secure with toothpicks, baking for 45 minutes. I found this suggested alternative and I found it to be much easier. It was very tasty. I used store-bought pesto, but you can make your own. I included my favorite pesto recipe."

INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 cup prepared basil pesto
4 thick slices mozzarella cheese


DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F . Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pesto sauce onto each flattened chicken breast. Place one slice of cheese over the pesto. Place in a lightly greased baking dish.
Bake covered for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until chicken is nicely browned and juices run clear. Then bake uncovered for an additonal 10 minutes

Pesto Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a food processor, blend together basil leaves, nuts, garlic, and cheese. Pour in oil slowly while still mixing. Stir in salt and pepper.

Chicken Pot Pie

"I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. I really don't like chicken pot pie all that much, so I thought I'd try to find a recipe for it that had ingredients I like. I think the reason I haven't liked them in the past is that they had mixed vegetables in them. I am not a fan of peas, green beans or lima beans mixed into recipes. I just like them by themselves (excpet for lima beans...I don't like them at all. This is the original recipe, and I have noted my changes at the bottom. My hubby said (with my changes) that it was the best chicken pot pie he's ever had."

INGREDIENTS
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 2 quart casserole dish.
Place chicken breasts, onion, and poultry seasoning in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover. Simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Drain and dice chicken.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, onions, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, Cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, mixed vegetables, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Lay one sheet of pastry in bottom of greased and floured pan. Pour chicken mixture over pastry. Cover with second sheet of pastry. Seal edges of top and bottom pastries. Cut steam vents in top.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, until pastry is golden brown.

-I omitted the mushrooms because my husband doesn't like them

-I used 1 1/2 cups broccoli and 1 1/2 cups carrots for the veggies. I pre-cooked the broccoli and then ran it through the food processor so the kids would be more likely to eat the small chunks

-I only used three large chicken breast halves. I diced it before I sauted it (adding a small amount of olive oil), and used about 1 tablespoon of Mrs. Dash "table blend" seasoning instead of "poultry seasoning".

-I covered the edge of the pie crust with foil for the first 35 minutes of baking.

White Bean Chicken Chili

"First of all I would not call this chili. It is not thick at all, it's more like mexican flavored soup with chicken. It is very yummy, though. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. The following is the original, and I am putting my changes in the notes at the bottom."

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos, drained and chopped 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can white beans
2 ears fresh corn
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 lime, sliced

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chilies, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with these toppings for people to choose from: limes, cilantro, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Notes:

-I did not add coriander because I didn't have it, and I didn't want to buy a spice I'd probably never use again.

-I juiced the lime and poured the juice into the soup instead of using the slices to garnish it, which I thought seemed a waste.

-Instead of cooking the chicken separately, I sauted it with the in the oil with the garlic and onions.

-I used 1/2 cup frozen corn instead of the fresh "off the ear", and put it in to boil with the other ingredients.

-I found the tomatillos in the mexican food section at the grocery store, but you can sometimes find them at the produce market. If not, you can just add another can of diced tomatoes.

-I didn't know what kind of beans "white beans" were unless I just didn't see them. I just used "great northern" because they were white on the front of the can.

Asiago Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

"This dish is as good as the best pasta I've had at a restaurant. I am so glad I tried it. I found it on allrecipes.com. I took the suggestions of some of the users and changed the amount of cheese and garlic. The exact recipe I used is here"

INGREDIENTS
2 cups heavy cream
1 cube chicken bouillon
6 oz (1 1/2 cups) Shredded Asiago Cheese
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with equal parts water
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta prepared as directed on box
3/4 cup bacon
1/4 cup butter
1 cup diced red onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped green onion
1 pound grilled skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook 2 cups cream until just bubbling. Watch carefully, to ensure that it doesn't boil over. Stir in bouillon and Asiago cheese. Stir with a whisk until dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture, and simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring constantly. Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside, or cover and refrigerate for later use.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute red onion until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and cooked bacon, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in green onions, chicken and 1 cup cream. Cook, stirring, until cream is heated through. Add Asiago cream sauce, and heat through. Toss with cooked pasta until evenly coated.

Tips:

You can cut the cooking time down quite a bit if you do the following:

-Pre-grill the chicken, have someone grill it while you're doing the rest or use pre-cooked grilled chicken (I basted mine with italian dressing)

-Use pre-cooked bacon and saute it with the red onions instead of putting it in microwave (like it says on the box)

-Make the sauce, boil the noodles and saute the onions at the same time (it helps to have the onions, bacon and tomatos pre-cut before you start.

***********************************************************************************

-You can also use part milk and part cream to cut down on fat and richness. I used two cups cream and 1 cup skim milk.

Easy Feta Chicken Bake

"I had this recipe in my file box, but had never tried it, and don't remember where I found it. I would suggest maybe adding garlic and substituting tomatoes for the red peper."

INGREDIENTS:

6 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs)

2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 ounces feta cheese with basil and sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange chicken in 13x9 baking dish. Drizzle with 1 of the tablespoons of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Top with peppers, then feta cheese, and add parsley to top.

Bake 40 minutes uncovered.

Makes 6 servings