Penne alla Betsy alla Laura

This recipe is a Pioneer Woman recipe modified. It can be found on page 188 of her cookbook or here.

1 pound penne pasta
1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped - 1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (14.5 ounces)

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped parsley

6 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade

salt

pepper

Cook penne until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil and butter in sauce pan.
Add onion and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent.

Add chicken stock and simmer.

Pour in tomato sauce and stir.
Reduce heat.

Pour in cream and stir.
Simmer.
Add basil and parsley. Stir.
Add cooked pasta and stir gently.
Add more broth if too thick.

Season well.

Serve.

You can add shrimp, chicken, bacon, sausage or olives. Dress it up, dress it down. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top... YUM!

Tortellini Caeser Salad

Ingredients:
Romaine hearts
Crutons
Grated parmesan cheese
Caesar dressing
Tortellini's

Method:
Cook the tortellini's.
Toss them in a bowl with some butter and salt.
Assemble salad in a big bowl.
Add tortellini's and toss with salad.
Serve with dressing.


It's so simple and hearty. I could eat it every day. Yum! You can also substitute tortellini's for ravioli.

Chicken Parmesan

Okay...well this is the cheater version that I made up the other day...& it only takes about as much time as it takes to boil your noodles.


Ingredients:
Noodles
Sauce
Frozen Chicken Patty (the kind that is breaded)
Parmesan



1. Boil your noodles...how ever much you normally cook when making spaghetti. I actually used cheese ravioli the other day because it sounded really good.



2. Cook up your chicken patties...I would say one per person & I cook mine in the toaster oven so that they aren't soggy. Once it's cooked I like to cut it up into strips just so it doesn't look like a chicken patty.



3. Heat up your sauce...I just use the stuff out of a bottle and nuke it for a bit.



4. Put some noodles on your plate, put some sauce on top, put the chicken on top of that and then add some parmesan.



5. Eat. I promise this is super good, and just as good as the real stuff from a restaurant.



This isn't the most appealing picture, but it get's the point across.

Paula Deen's Creamy Mac & Cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes.
Drain.
In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese.
Stir until the cheese melts.
In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well.
Then add drained macaroni and stir again.
Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.


Smelling this whilst it cooks will drive you insane. Mmmmm. I do prefer my own macaroni from scratch but it was nice to have this in the crock pot whilst going about my daily business and it tasted quite close to my own...

Fettuccine Alfredo

I have an actual recipe today for you and it is sooo good and sooo easy! My sister-in-law actually gave it to me a long time ago and I never made it until the other day. It was really yummy & I should have used it sooner.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb. fettuccine (uncooked)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breats, cut into strips (dont make the strips too small)
1 1/4 C chicken broth
4 tsp flour
4 oz (1/2 of 8oz pkg) Cream Cheese, cubbed
3 Tbs Parmesan Cheese (or more)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile heat large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high head. Add chicken; cook 5-7 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet. Mix broth and flour in same skillet. Stir in Cream Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, garlic powder and pepper; cook 2 min., stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in chicken. (add more water or broth if too thick)
Drain pasta; place in large bowl. Pour chicken mixture over pasta; toss to coat. Sprinkle with more Paremsan Cheese.

EAT AND ENJOY!

FYI- I was in a hurry and just used spaghetti noodles, and cut out the chicken so I could be fast and it was real yumy still.