Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Pasta

This was one of those recipes I was sooooo excited to try, but I thought it was a total flop. I didn't like it. At all. Brad and the kids, however, really liked it. Go figure. I thought it was ugly and tasted a little bitter. In the recipe's defense, I did change the way it was cooked. I was in a super hurry (we found out Eli had baseball practice at the very last minute so I was rushing to get it made) and didn't want to dirty 3 pots. Maybe I would have liked it better had I actually followed the recipe. We'll probably never know, though, since I don't think I'll ever make it again. However, I'm still posting it since my family liked it and maybe yours will, too. 

Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Pasta
1/2 bottle of Lawry's Herb and Garlic Marinade
4 large spoonfuls of pesto (divided)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. penne pasta
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 cup half-and-half

Cut chicken into 1-inch strips. Marinate in marinade and 2 tablespoons pesto overnight. Boil pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, brown chicken and discard marinade. Add the garlic right at the end. Remove chicken and deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Pour in tomato sauce and the remaining 2 tablespoons pesto. Stir until heated through. Taste to adjust seasonings. (I think I added salt & pepper.) Stir in the half-and-half. Add chicken and pasta back to the pan. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Adapted from SOUTHERN GIRL COOKING

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

This recipe makes a H-U-G-E batch! My kids loved them the first and second night, but then I think they got tired of them because they both changed their rating to 3 stars on the third night. I'm not sure how they'd do freezing, but it might be something to look into because it made so much. 

Cheesy Stuffed Shells
12 oz. jumbo pasta shells
32 oz. whole milk ricotta
1-1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
lots of fresh basil
salt and pepper
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu Roasted Garlic)
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
1/2 cup red wine
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
sugar, salt, and crushed red pepper
2 cups grated mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta shells for half the cooking time. Drain. Heat some evoo over medium heat and brown onion and Italian sausage in a large skillet. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and then pour in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, and seasonings. Simmer while preparing the shells. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, half the parmesan, basil, egg, and salt and pepper. Pour half the sauce into a large baking pan (I used a 9x13). Fill each shell and place seam side down in the sauce. You'll have to really squish them in there to fit. Pour the rest of the sauce over the shells and top with grated mozzarella. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes or so until all the cheese on top is melted.

Adapted from THE PIONEER WOMAN

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Pizza Quesadillas

I haven't forgotten this little blog, either. We've been eating a lot of "summer stand-by" meals (when I've actually been cooking!) and so there have only been a handful of new recipes. I'm going to try to get them posted "soonish", though, starting with this one. I actually made it for lunch because I tend to cook more lunches in the summer since we're home more then and that's why Brad didn't give it a rating. We all really loved it, and I've made it a few times this summer already.


Pizza Quesadillas
flour tortillas (two for each quesadilla you're making)
shredded mozzarella cheese
pepperoni slices (about 4 or 5 for each quesadilla)
spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce (you'll just need a little of this)

Brush each tortilla with a thin amount of the sauce (so thin that if you turned it over, none would drip). Top half the tortillas with some cheese, pepperoni, and then a little more cheese. Place the remaining tortillas on top of the cheese. Grill in a pan (with or without butter) on each side until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp. Cut into wedges.

Adapted from SNIXY KITCHEN

Family Rating:
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Rating: 14/15

Pepperoni Pasta

Since we seem to be going in 846 different directions every day, I'm on the lookout for extremely-fast-with-easy-clean-up dishes that I can whip up and still feel like I'm fulfilling my mom duties by cooking dinner. This one fit all the requirements, although Brad and I thought the sauce fell a little flat. Next time, I'm going to use either spaghetti sauce or add a packet of spaghetti seasoning to the tomatoes. But the kids loved it!


Pepperoni Pasta
1 lb. penne pasta
2 green, red, or yellow bell peppers (I had a red and yellow bell pepper chopped and frozen on hand in my freezer so it was even more super-fast! They're my favorite so it worked out nicely.)
2 cloves garlic
28 oz. crushed tomatoes (Please, for the love of all that is good and holy, please use Hunts; NOT a store-brand!)
Italian seasonings, salt, pepper, sugar
4 oz. pepperoni, cut in halves (I used turkey pepperoni)
about a cup of grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese or Italian 5-cheese blend

Cook pasta according to package directions (don't forget to salt your pasta water!). While it cooks, sauté the peppers in a large skillet. When they're crisp-tender, add garlic and cook another minute. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni, and seasoning. Cook over medium heat until pasta is done. Taste to adjust seasonings. (I added a lot of seasonings and it still was a little bland. Next time I'll use spaghetti sauce or add a packet of spaghetti seasoning.) Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir to combine. Serve topped with lots of cheese!

Adapted from EAT AT HOME COOKS

Family Rating:
Brad: **
Jordan: **
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Mini Deep Dish Pizzas

I made these on a night when Brad had a meeting with the idea of sending the leftovers in the kids' lunches. I didn't think they were "Brad Food". 


Mini-Deep Dish Pizzas
1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
pizza or spaghetti sauce (I seem to always have some in the fridge that needs using up, but I probably used a tablespoon or so in each muffin cup.)
1-1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
24 slices of pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)

Preheat oven to package directions. In a greased muffin tin, press dough to the bottom and up along the sides. Try to use all the dough and make sure the muffin tins are fully covered. Bake for about 8-9 minutes or until dough is just done. Remove from oven and fill with sauce. Top with cheese and pepperoni. Bake 7-8 more minutes or until cheese is melted and dough is completely done.

Family Rating:
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 13/15

Penne con Salsiccia

I have no idea where I got this recipe.  Probably from the Internet somewhere.  When I was pregnant with Eli, I craved Italian sausage in links and found this recipe at school one day while I was dreaming about Italian sausage.  I've made a few changes over the years, but it's still yummy!

Penne con Salsiccia
1 lb. Italian sausage links
16 oz. bowtie pasta
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu Roasted Garlic...it's my favorite!)
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1/2-1 cup red wine (I don't measure this. I just pour some in.  Maybe 3 or 4 good glugs?)
salt
pepper
sugar
Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese

Broil sausages in the oven on both sides until mostly cooked through. (They can be a little pink in the middle since you'll brown them in a minute.) Slice into pieces.  Boil pasta according to package directions and make sure you add salt. Brown sausages for a bit in a large skillet until they are all cooked through and maybe a little brown.  Deglaze the pan with the red wine.  Add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, and seasoning. Let simmer while the pasta simmers.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Drain pasta and add to skillet.  Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: *****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 19/20

Italian Beef Stew

Italian Beef Stew
About 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
About 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for seasoning the stew at the end if necessary)
1 1/2-2 lb. cubed beef or beef stew meat
1 cup dry red wine
2 15-oz. cans diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
32 oz. box beef broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
pepper
8-10 ounces sliced baby portabella
3/4 cup sliced carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


Chop the onions, first batch of carrots, and the garlic and set it aside. Heat about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a stock pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the garlic and saute it for about 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. In a shallow dish, whisk together 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Toss the beef in the flour and then transfer the beef to the pot. Cook the beef on medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, browning it on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour the wine into the pan and allow it to deglaze the pan (loosen up the cooked bits on the bottom of the pan). Scrape it regularly for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by about 2/3.

Return the meat and onion mixture to the pan. Add the undrained canned tomatoes and beef broth. Strip the thyme and oregano leaves from their stems and then chop up about 2 teaspoons of each. Add those to the stew mixture along with 1 bay leaf.

Add your mushrooms and some more chopped carrot to the stew. Bring it to a boil and then cover the stew and reduce the heat to a steady simmer for about 1 1/2-2 hours or until the beef is tender. Discard the bay leaf and then add some chopped parsley and basil and season with salt to taste. Serve it with crusty bread.

Adapted from OUR BEST BITES

Family Rating:
Eli: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: **
Overall Family Rating: 15/20