Bacon & Artichoke Penne Pasta Bake

Pasta recipes are some of my favorite to make for my family- not only are they kid friendly but they are impressive enough to serve to impress friends and family! This particular recipe starts with a Alfredo Sauce that is light and won't leave you weighed down. Add crispy bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, mozzarella and penne pasta to the mix and you have a elegant dish fit for a King or Queen!!

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

recipe adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

2 c. low-fat milk

3 oz. low fat cream cheese

2 T. flour

1 teas. kosher salt

1 T. butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.In a blender, blend the milk, cream cheese, flour and salt until smooth and set aside.

2. In a large; nonstick sauce pan, melt butter on medium-high heat and add the garlic. Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from sticking and burning.

3. Add the milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more or until the sauce thickens, about 6-7 minutes.

4. Once the sauce has started to thicken remove from heat. Whisk the cheese into the sauce and immediately cover the pan. Allow to set and stand for at least 10 minutes before using.

5. Serve immediately or refrigerate leftover for up to 5 days.

Bacon & Artichoke Penne Pasta Bake

recipe adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

8 ounces Penne Pasta

1 Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

2 Chicken Breasts, grilled and chopped

6 oz. cooked bacon, chopped

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 c. chopped green onions

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

salt and pepper, to taste.

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. While the pasta is cooking, prepare Guiltless Alfredo Sauce. When Pasta is done, drain and add to the sauce. Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichokes, green onions, 1/2 c. mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer mixture to an 8X8 baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Grilled Chicken Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

I L-O-V-E PASTA! That is right, I used the four letter word! Love, Love, Love! Who doesn't love pasta? I don't know a single soul that doesn't but when I came across this recipe last week while surfing the web, It was love at first site! It was also love at first bite when I made this dish for my family this week. If you don't LOVE pasta then at least try this dish and you may fall head over heels for this dish like I did. This is definitely a dish that I will be making and serving more often at dinner time! Another perk about this pasta dish is that it is kid friendly. My kids have decided that they also LOVE pasta too! They licked their dishes clean....seriously... no exaggerations and asked for more. What 5 and 2 year old do that?

There are several other things that I LOVE about this pasta. I LOVE that the chicken is grilled and not fried. You can either grill your chicken on the BBQ grill or grill it in a saucepan with a little dab of Olive Oil. Also, I LOVE the taste of herbs.. This dish calls for parsley and basil. Two of my favorite herbs! I didn't have fresh herbs on hand so I just used the dried herbs that I had on hand and it worked out beautifully!! This would be a wonderful dish to serve at a dinner party. Your guests will truly oooo and awwww over your culinary skills if you serve this! It would also be a wonderful dish to serve for a special occasion like an anniversary, birthday or Holiday dinner like Valentines Day. This Pasta is ever bit as good as something you might eat at the Olive Garden or another Italian Restaurant! Hope you fall in LOVE with this dish like I did! Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Pasta with a Creamy Tomato Sauce

picture and recipe courtesy of KevinandAmanda.com

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Montreal Steak seasoning

1/2 pound penne pasta

2 tablespoons butter or 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chicken broth

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 to 1 tsp salt & pepper (to taste)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped Or 1 teaspoon of dried parsley (if you don't have fresh on hand)

6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded or 2 teaspoons dried basil (if you don't have fresh on hand)

Directions:

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Layer between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness. Season both sides with Montreal Steak seasoning. Preheat grill for medium high heat, lightly oil grate, and grill chicken breasts on medium high heat for 6-8 mins each side. OR heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and olive oil is nice and hot, add chicken breasts and cook 5 mins each side. Set chicken aside to cool. In a large pot, boil water with 1 tbsp salt. Add 1/2 lb penne pasta noodles and boil according to package directions. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, but do not let the garlic turn brown (about 3-5 mins). Add the chicken broth to the pan and allow to reduce by half. Meanwhile, slice chicken. Once the broth has reduced, stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low. Chop the parsley and basil, add to sauce and mix well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well to coat. Serve pasta on plates, top with sliced chicken.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo with Mushrooms

One of my friends posted this recipe on her blog a few months back and I had to try it out on my little family! I have several picky eaters at my home but getting them to eat this dish doesn't cause any fights at our dinner table. This dish is sure to become a favorite at your house, even if you have picky eaters in your home like I do! My kids love the fun bowtie- shaped- pasta and the seasoned chicken and sauteed mushrooms. I also love the sauteed mushrooms and the Alfredo sauce is to die for. I love this recipe because you can make it in about 30 minutes. It is very easy to make and would be a wonderful dish to serve if you are entertaining friends or family. I like to serve mine with toasted garlic bread! Enjoy!

Bowtie Chicken Alfredo with Mushrooms

The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen.

2-4 chicken breasts

3 T. Butter
4 large green onions, chopped
2 c. sliced mushrooms
2 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
3/4 c. Parmesan Cheese (shredded) Get the good stuff- it is well worth it!
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 T. Garlic Powder
1/2 T. Thyme
Bow-tie pasta, cooked and drained

Instructions:
Step 1: Cut Chicken into bite-sized pieces. Saute in 1 T. butter. Add onion. Cook until cooked through.
Step 2: In another pan, saute mushrooms in 2 T. Butter. Add to chicken and onions.
Step 3: In a saucepan, bring cream to simmer. Add cheese and seasonings, stir until cheese is melted. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Add chicken and mushrooms to sauce. Serve over cooked bow-tie pasta.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Shrimp Carbonara

I made this yummy dish last night for the father of my children. It was Father's Day, so I wanted to make my hunny a delicious dinner to celebrate his special day. I had never heard of this dish until I came across this recipe online and thought I would give it a try. It makes quite a bit and my little family will be eating on it for the next few days. If you do make this, I would recommend making it for a get together or if you are going to entertain. This dish only calls for 8 ingredients and is fairly easy to make. It has shrimp, chopped bacon and onions that are sauteed in butter and then added to a egg/whip cream mixture and then added to cooked spaghetti. The bacon and Romano cheese are what give this dish its incredible flavor. Once everything is made I twirled the spaghetti and topped it onto a crispy piece of french bread for a fancy presentation. Try making this dish tonight or for your next get together with friends or family, they will surely be impressed.

Shrimp Carbonara

1 1/2 lbs large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
1 1/2 cup bacon (diced)
1 c. yellow onion (diced)
1 teaspoon or less of black pepper
2/3 c. whipping cream
1 1/2 lbs. of spaghetti (cooked and drained)
2 c. freshly grated Romano Cheese
1/4 c. butter
4 eggs

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse cover and set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter and saute bacon and onion until onions become transparent and bacon is crispy. Add shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp have turned pink. Season with desired amount of pepper.
Step 2: In a bowl, whisk whipping cream and eggs until blended.
Step 3: Add noodles to skillet. Add egg and cream mixture. Then add Romano Cheese. Toss the Noodles with the sauce and turn down the heat. Keep cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Divide into serving bowls or place onto a piece of crispy garlic bread for a beautiful presentation for your dinner guests. Top with fresh or dried parsley.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Pizza Casserole

This casserole is very easy to make and it will appeal to all age groups. Who doesn't enjoy a good slice of pizza? This casserole tastes just like the real thing and what is even better is that it is kid friendly. When I made this casserole last night for the first time for my family, my husband and kiddos gobbled it up. The recipe makes (2) 9X13 pans so you can easily freeze one for another night when you don't feel like cooking. This recipe is also a wonderful one to make if you are feeding a huge crowd or are in charge of bringing something for a potluck dinner. Enjoy!

Pizza Casserole

2 lbs. Ground Beef or Turkey

1 large onion(chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
2 T. Olive oil 2 (26 ounces) Jars of Spaghetti Sauce (I like to use Emeril's "Kicked up Tomato")
16 ounces rotini pasta, cooked and drained
5 cups (20 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Cheddar Cheese
1 1/4 c. Mini Pepperoni's or 8 oz. of Large Pepperoni's*
(*You can find the mini pepperoni's by the large pepperoni's and Canadian bacon.)

Cooking Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet add oil and heat to medium-high heat. Add ground beef or turkey, onion and garlic. Add Italian seasoning. Cook until beef or turkey is browned. Drain off grease.
Step 2: Stir in pasta sauce and 3 cups of mozzarella cheese and mini pepperoni's into the meat mixture. Place mixture into 2 greased 9x13 baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. If you are using the large pepperoni's then place on top of cheese.
*This Dish can be covered and frozen at this point if you are saving it for another night. When you are ready to cook: take pan from freezer, let thaw in refrigerator overnight and then cook according to cooking directions.
Step 3: If you are cooking the casserole now, Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Makes 15 servings.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Beef Stroganoff

I am sure most everyone has tried Beef Stroganoff before. I have had it many times in my lifetime and my mom would make it for us growing up. I love this comfort dish. I came across this recipe online and I thought I would try making it. The thing that caught my eye about this particular recipe was that it called for sliced steak. I have always made mine with ground turkey or ground beef. This dish is very good; although, I still prefer ground beef or turkey in mine. The steak was a little tough when I browned/cooked it in the pan. I didn't care for it. I did love the sauce though and so next time I will use ground beef or turkey.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. sliced steak or ground beef or turkey
1/2 c. onions, minced
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. butter
2 T. flour
1 teas. salt
1/4. tea. black pepper
2-3 cans of sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small bag of egg noodles

Cooking Instructions:
step 1: Saute onions and garlic in butter over medium heat for a few minutes. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles according to package directions.
step 2: Add in sliced steak (or ground beef or turkey) and brown. Stir in flour, salt, mushrooms and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
step 3: Stir in sour cream and cook until heated. Serve over egg noodles. Enjoy!!

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Shrimp Scampi

I Love Seafood and One of my favorite things to order at any well known Seafood Restaurant is the shrimp scampi. Usually when my order comes to the table I find that the shrimp scampi is served piping hot soaking in a rich parsley, garlic and butter sauce. Yum! Who can resist that? When I came across this recipe that has the shrimp scampi served with angel hair or linguine pasta, I jumped at the chance to make this for my family. The shrimp really pops with flavor and the noodles are a yummy compliment. My husband adored this dish and my kids actually dove into it. I was surprised but they(my kiddos) actually enjoyed the noodles and shrimp. What makes this recipe really good is that it is easy to prepare and you could whip it up quickly on a weekday night. It is also fancy enough to make for that special occasion, impressing a date or for a holiday dinner like Valentines Day! Give this recipe a try it is truly a winner!

Shrimp Scampi

recipe adapted from blog chef and photo courtesy of blog chef

2 lbs. raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 lb. angel hair or linguine pasta
1 c. butter
2 shallots(minced)
8 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/3 c. white wine *
3 T. Lemon Juice
1/4 c. fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4 c. teaspoon salt
1/8 teas. Black pepper
*Note: You can find a variety of cooking wines and cooking sherries at your local Harmon's. Harmon's seems to have the best variety and selection of "exotic" if you will cooking supplies. If any of you are worried about cooking with alcohol, know that it cooks out!

Step 1: Cook angel hair or linguine pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt 1 cup of butter in a skillet. Add in the shallots and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly (you don't wan them to burn).
Step 2: Add shrimp and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Make sure you flip them over so they are cooked on both sides.
Step 3: Add wine, lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or two and pour shrimp over pasta and serve.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen

Southern Favorite

I really truly believe that I should have grown up in the South! I love all Southern Foods and with that said, it is probably because they use a lot of butter in their cooking! I do believe that the well known Food Network Star Paula Deen and I would be kindred spirits if we got to hang out for an afternoon. I love her cooking and I love that she makes it a point to use real butter. Besides the South's home-cooked food, who can resist a Southern Accent. I Love it!!!
I thought I would share my Home made Macaroni and Cheese recipe. Don't waste your money on the Mac and Cheese that comes in a box because this recipe is out of this world! I also like eating leftovers the day after because the flavors have a little more time to blend together. Plus, my kids love it! My little boy requests this recipe more than the Boxed Mac and Cheese at the store. I add ham or hotdogs to make it a main dish rather than for just a side dish. Enjoy!

Ashlee's Southern Mac n' Cheese

1 2/3 c. dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 T. cornstarch
1 teas. salt
1/2 teas. dry mustard
1/4 teas. black pepper
1 can (12 fl. oz) evaporated milk
1 c. water
2 T. butter or margarine
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in a medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water and butter. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 c. cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.
Note: To transform Mac n' cheese from a simple side dish to a savory one-dish meal, add 1 c. chopped ham or hot dogs, after milk mixture comes to a boil.

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Ashlee, The Culinary Queen