Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

1/2 pound of medium short cut pasta (elbows, shells)

3 cups of cooked shredded or chopped chicken

8 ounces of Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 (10.75 ounce) condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1 cup of milk

1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 (3/4 ounce) packet of Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix (like Hidden Valley)

1/8 to 1/2 cup of hot sauce, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish; set aside. Add pasta to boiling salted water, cook to al dente; drain well and add to casserole dish. Stir in chicken.  Heat the Velveeta and soup together until cheese is melted. Blend in the cheddar cheese and milk. Stir in the Ranch dressing mix and hot sauce; pour over chicken and pasta and stir. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.  Cook's Notes: I use 1/4 cup of hot sauce which leaves a nice, pleasant burn on the tongue and is plenty of heat for me. You may want it with more or less fire. May also substitute drained, canned chicken - you'll want a larger sized can of a good quality chicken, two is even better, or substitute chicken you've pulled from a rotisserie chicken. Top with buttered bread crumbs and crumbled bleu cheese on top, rather than green onion and bacon.

Parmesan Chicken Manicotti

Parmesan Chicken Manicotti                            

7 pieces Manicotti, cooked according to instructions

1 cup part skim Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cooked chicken

1 egg

1 teaspoon oregano

salt and black pepper

1 can Italian style crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

6-8 basil leaves

In medium bowl, combine cooked shredded chicken, Ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, oregano, salt and pepper together and stir until well mixed.  Stuff each cooked Manicotti with about 1/4 cupful of the chicken and cheese mixture carefully so that the Manicotti doesn’t tear.  Add the crushed tomatoes in saucepan over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan and 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves and stir frequently, until it starts to bubble. Simmer until heated through.  Spray baking dish with cooking spray and place the stuffed Manicotti in it. Pour about 1 cup (or more) prepared sauce over the Manicotti. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place basil leaves.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Spicy Romano Chicken With Artichoke Hearts And Sundried Tomatoes

Spicy Romano Chicken With Artichoke Hearts And Sundried Tomatoes

THE SAUCE

1 pint heavy cream

4 T Butter

2 t salt

1 T pepper

1/4 cup Romano cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 t Cayenne pepper

*for extra zip add 1 to 2 tsps red pepper flakes in addition to cayenne

10 ounce package of bowtie pasta cooked and drained according to package directions - al dente.

1 1/2 T melted butter

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1 small jar artichoke hearts - drained

1 7-8 ounce precooked sliced grilled chicken, sliced

1/8 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped

1 oz heavy cream

To Prepare The Sauce:  Melt butter in saute pan or skillet. Add cream, salt and pepper, heat to a boil. Remove from heat and fold in cheeses and cayenne pepper. Set aside.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter, then add mushrooms, green onions and sundried tomatoes. Stir for one minute. Next add artichokes and chicken. Stir. Stir in 1 ounce heavy cream and 1/2 of the sauce. Add bowtie pasta followed by rest of the sauce. Stir gently. Serve.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

2 Tbl. oil

1 small onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles (I didn't add)

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

2 (10 oz.) cans mild green enchilada sauce

2/3 c. mild red enchilada sauce

1 (6 oz.) can black olives, cut in half (I didn't add)

1 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1 c. sour cream

chopped cilantro, opt.

1 (16 oz.) box pasta, cooked according to package directions   

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and red pepper and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 30 more seconds.  Add the the cooked chicken, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, both enchilada sauces and the olives.  Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.  Stir in the sour cream and some chopped cilantro.  Once that is heated through (don't let it boil), add the cooked and drained pasta.

Chicken Manicotti

Chicken Manicotti

2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 can (8 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained

1 tablespoon butter

14 manicotti shells, cooked and drained

SAUCE:

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3-1/2 cups 2% milk

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken. In a small skillet, cook onion and mushrooms in butter until tender; add to chicken mixture. Stuff into manicotti shells.  In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 2-1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese just until melted.  Spread about 1/2 cup cheese sauce in each of two greased 11-in. x 7-in. dishes. Top with stuffed shells and remaining sauce.  Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Baked Ravioli

Baked Ravioli

1 bag (25 Oz. Bag) Frozen Ravioli

1 jar (26 Oz. Jar) Marinara Sauce

2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese, For Sprinkling

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray bottom and sides of a 9×13 rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce in baking dish. Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce; top with half of the remaining pasta sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in the center. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

2 whole large Cloves Of Garlic Minced

2 Tbl Olive Oil

2 10 3/4 oz Cans of Condensed Tomato Soup

1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped or 2 Tbl Of Sun Dried Tomato Paste

2 cups Half-and-half

2 cups Chicken Stock

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 Tbl Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1 whole 9 Oz Package Of Cheese Filled Tortellini

1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese, for garnish

Saute garlic with the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until golden brown.  Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too brown or burnt.  When the garlic is done, add tomato soup, tomatoes, half and half, chicken stock and spices.  Bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, drop tortellini into the soup. Cook according to the package directions.  After tortellini are cooked, ladle soup into bowls and top with parmesan cheese.

Lasagna Roll-ups

Lasagna Roll-ups

Sauce-

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 c. Spaghetti sauce

Filling-

2 c. cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg (lightly beaten)

1 Tbsp. parsley

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

salt & pepper, to taste

9 lasagna noodles (cooked)

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion and garlic until the beef is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes. Spread half of the meat sauce on the bottom of a glass baking dish. In a bowl combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Spread a little of the cheese mixture evenly over each lasagna noodle.  Roll up and place seam side down in rows in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. About 5 minutes before the dish is finished cooking remove from the oven and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and cook until cheese has melted.