Creamy Pasta with Chicken, Bacon, and Tomato

We just had this tonight and it was mmm, mmm, good!

3 cups (uncooked) bowtie pasta
3 chicken breasts, cubed
6 strips of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1 can (14 oz) Italian diced tomato (undrained)
6 oz cream cheese (brick)
1/2 cup water
pepper (to taste)
grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook bowtie pasta according to package.

Cook chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through. Add next five ingredients and mix together until melted and cooked well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Top with Parm cheese and ENJOY!

I think I'd like to use more bacon, honestly.

**This is a little different version from a kraftfoods.com recipe**

Creamy Chicken Bacon with Penne Pasta

I made this last night, and it was pretty good.

3 chicken breasts
3 pieces of bacon (I used 6--as I love bacon)
2 cups (uncooked) penne pasta
1/2 cup chive onion cream cheese spread
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cherry tomato, halved
2 green onion, diced

Wrap chicken in bacon, and cook on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta according to directions. Remove chicken from skillet, set aside, and keep warm. Add chicken broth and cream cheese in skillet (wipe out chicken/bacon juices) and wisk until mixed and heated evenly. Add onion and tomato and cook additional two minutes. Drain pasta and add cream cheese sauce. Serve on a plate and top with chicken. Enjoy.

**This recipe is from kraftfoods.com**

Cream Chicken and Noodles in the CP

I made this meal today and I liked it. So did Rowena. Delaney and Kate didn't go for it much, and PJ wasn't around for dinner. It's very simple and ends up being like a cream of chicken-noodle soup. It makes a LOT so, if I were to make it again, I will cut it in half. Here is the full recipe.

2 cans cream of chicken soup
4 chicken breasts
40 oz chicken broth
1/2 cup butter (sliced)
24 oz. frozen egg noodles.

Place first four ingredients in the Crock Pot and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Remove chicken and shred, then place back in CP. Add in noodles and cook for another hour. ENJOY!

Chicken Tortellini

4 boneless chicken breasts (marinate in Italian dressing)

Italian salad dressing

1 tsp olive oil

1 package fresh tortellini (any flavor) I use the tricolor, just to add some color to the meal.

1 red and yellow bell pepper

minced garlic

Italian seasonings

shredded parmesan cheese

Thinly slice bell peppers length-wise while the olive oil is heating in frying pan. Cut chicken into bite size chunks and brown in olive oil. Remove chicken from pan and boil water for tortellini. Toss bell peppers, garlic, Italian seasonings, and 1/3 cup of Italian dressing in frying pan- add chicken to heat through. Drain tortellini and add to chicken. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.

Vodka Marinara

Not very healthy, but soooo delicious!

7 Tbs butter

3/4 c vodka (Polish or Russian)

3/4 c heavy cream

4 oz grated parmesan cheese

3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 large can pureed Italian tomatoes

1 tsp season salt

fresh basil leaves

1 lb of pasta (rigatoni or rigatoni hold the sauce the best)

Melt butter, stir in red pepper, and vodka (simmer 2 min). Stir in tomatoes, cream, and season salt (simmer 5 min). Lower heat and add cheese and basil leaves. Simmer a few more minutes to make sure cheese melts and is evenly mixed. Pour over cooked pasta and serve immediately.

**I store the left over sauce seperate from the noodles. I also reheat the sauce seperately from the pasta as well**

Shell Casserole

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1 can tomato soup (progresso tomato basil is awesome in this)

1 26 oz can stewed tomatoes

1/2 lb cooked medium shells

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

mushrooms if desired

chili powder, oregano, and grated parmesan cheese to taste

Boil noodles while browning meat and drain grease. Add all other ingredients and cooked pasta together and mix well. Put mixture into a casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

pasta

We eat a lot of pasta in our house...some of our fav recipes are as follows:

Mostaccioli

serves: 8

brown 1lb of Italian sausage
(I prefer the sweet, but you can use mild or hot too)
1 can (16oz) stewed tomatoes
2 can (small) tomato paste
2 1/2 cups water
2 table spoons of sugar
1 table spoon of oregano
dash of salt
(recipe calls for a bay leaf, I don't use one)

Once sausage is browned combine with sauce...serve over most noodles, sprinkle with fresh Parmesan.



Alfredo

1 brick of cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups of parmesan cheese
2 cups of milk
1 tsp pepper
I add 1/2 package of go go asiago dip mix from tastefully simple


Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat; add cream cheese. Whisk until smooth; add Asiago Dip Mix and black pepper. Gradually add milk and cheese; cook until thickened. Serve over pasta. Makes about 4 cups

Manicotti (or stuffed shells)


2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1-3/4 cups Ricotta Cheese
1-1/2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg, beaten
12 manicotti shells, cooked, rinsed in cold water


HEAT oven to 350°F.

SPREAD 3/4 cup sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix cheeses, egg and pesto until well blended; spoon into resealable plastic bag. Use scissors to cut small corner from bottom of bag.

FILL manicotti shells by squeezing cheese mixture into both sides of each shell; place in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce; cover.

BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.

Chicken Stroganoff...ala crockpot

We just tried this one for dinner (tonight) and we both liked it. A little different, but tasty.

Get out your crockpot!

Add the following ingredients:
1 C. white wine (we used Riesling so we could finish the bottle with dinner)
1 can (condensed) cream of mushroom soup
1 8-oz brick of cream cheese
1 T. Italian seasoning
4-6 (frozen) chicken breasts

*hot noodles or rice*

Put first 4 ingredients in the crockpot and stir to mix/combine. Add chicken. Cook on high for 5-6 hours. The chicken will literally fall apart, and be like shredded chicken. Serve over/with hot noodles or rice.

Dad's Beef Stroganoff

This is a family favorite! This is my dad's recipe, and beyond that I am unsure of the author...

1 1/2 lb round steak
2 T. butter
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 can (condensed) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. sour cream

*cooked noodles (or rice)

Slice beef into thin strips. In a skillet, on high heat, melt butter, and begin to cook steadk and onion. Cook until onionis tender and meat is no longer pink. Add soup and heat. Turn off heat and stir in sour cream. Serve over hot noodles or rice.

ADDITION: My father also adds a little Lawry's seasoning and garlic powder to his own rendition...which is AWESOME! However, there are no measurements...just "to taste."