Ingredients:
10 soft taco shells
2 cups of cooked shredded chicken
2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4oz) can of diced green chilies
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Grease a 9×13 pan.
2. Mix chicken and 1 cup of cheese, roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour, and cook for 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat till thick and bubbly.
4. Stir in sour cream and chilies.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 min and then broil on high for 3 min to brown the cheese.
Ref: Pinterest
This was easy and delicious. And I state that from sitting on a bar stool with my glass of wine, watching Amy make it. 
She used the pre roasted chicken because she also agrees this is the best idea ever when a recipe calls for shredded chicken. Everything else was as simple as the recipes reads. Creamy and delicious, I’m sad there were no leftovers!
- Kosher Salt
- 1 pound Dried Rigatoni
- 1 quart (4 cup) Heavy Cream
- 2 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Rosemary
- 8 ounce Fresh Goat Cheese (1 cup)
- 2 cup Shredded Roasted Chicken
- Black Pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add enough salt so that it tastes seasoned.
While the water is coming to a boil, put the cream, rosemary, and a pinch salt and pepper in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring just to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and and simmer to reduce the mixture by half.
Add the chicken to the cream and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Continue cooking until it coats the back of a spoon, about 30 minutes.
Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook it until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta from the water and add to the sauce.
Add goat cheese to pot. Toss the pasta to combine it with the sauce and bring it back to just a simmer. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Wine: Fifty Barrels #10
(the #10 is no longer available. It was a barrel they found without a label. oops. I’m just rubbing it in that I got to have a few bottles being a wine club member and it was delicious. :D)
Ref: The Chew on ABC via Pinterest
I’ve always known I’ve had a minor mac and cheese problem. And by “problem” I mean I crave it and generally eat the orange Kraft stuff, then I feel guilty. Then Pinterest comes along and I’m realizing just how BIG my mac and cheese problem is. The amount of different mac and cheese recipes I’ve pinned is ridiculous. This is one of the recipes I found…. and it’s AMAZING. And I still feel guilty… but with a smile. 😀 I did cheat and get the pre done roasted chicken and shred that, but that chicken is delicious and easy. Made this dinner super fast to make. Oh and I paired it with my grilled asparagus marinated in olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Because eating asparagus with mac and cheese makes it healthy…. no? Ok i tried at least. hahahahaha
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 pound penne
- 1/4 pound butter, cut into pieces
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
- Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.
NotesVariations:•
Penne with Roasted Broccoli and Balsamic Butter When asparagus is not in season, cut 1 pound of broccoli into small spears for roasting. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes. Continue with step 2.
•
Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Toasted Nuts, and Balsamic Butter Toss in 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts at the end with either asparagus or broccoli.
Ref: Food and Wine via Pinterest
Ingredients:
12-16 jumbo pasta shells
water for boiling pasta
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese + 1/4 cup for topping
3 tablespoons prepared pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. Cook pasta shells only until al dente. The pasta will finish cooking when the dish is baked. Drain the pasta shells and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping. Fill the pasta shells with the filling and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over filled shells.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake shells uncovered for 30 minutes or until shells are bubbling hot and cheese melts.
Ref: Joelens Blogspot via Pinterest
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 red Bartlett pears, cored and cut into wedges
- 6 shallots, quartered
- 10 fresh thy me sprigs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On two large rimmed baking sheets, toss Brussels sprouts, pears, shallots, thyme, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Roast until Brussels sprouts are tender and browned, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Toss with lemon juice and serve warm.
Ref: Whole Living
I made this as my side to the quinoa crusted chicken breasts and I LOVED it. Amy never had brussel sprouts before and Mike had previously expressed his dislike for them earlier but I made them anyway. And you know what? They both liked it! I’ll admit I also threw in some roasted red potatoes to this mix just in case my brussel sprout rebellion backfired. Since I didn’t have thyme on hand I used my Herbs de Provence spices which has thyme in it. 😀 But the pears really gave it that something extra, that sweet to the bitter taste of the brussel sprouts. It was so good!
Ingredients
2 pound chicken tenders or skinless boneless breasts, sliced into 3-inch long tenders
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cups cooked red or white quinoa
1/2 cup whole wheat or seasoned breadcrumbs
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Spread out the quinoa on a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the quinoa. With your fingers tips, squeeze the quinoa and breadcrumbs together until the moisture of the quinoa is absorbed Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika.
Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg and then into the quinoa mixture. Place onto a plate. Warm the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and reduce the heat to medium. Cook each side 4-5 minutes, turning once, until the crust begins to brown, and the chicken is not longer translucent. Transfer fingers to a plate and serve immediately.
Ref: Skinny Chef
First BFF dinner of the year and I so failed at this recipe. LOL The idea was good. I totally dig quinoa, but I could not get that stuff to stick to the chicken if my life depended on it. So mine didn’t turn out nearly as pretty as the Skinny Chef’s picture did so I’ll show you hers. I made my quinoa in a rice cooker. I find if I don’t, I always undercook it. :/ It might be just me being special. Anyways, the taste was yummy it just was more in crumbles next to the chicken. haha
INGREDIENTS
2 six-ounce chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I used canned artichoke hearts, but frozen ones that have been thawed would be fine)
1/3 cup grated white cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper
DIRECTIONS
Salt and pepper the chicken and then sauté each chicken breast in 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat, for about 8-10 minutes, flipping once, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Set aside.
Mix together the mayonnaise, artichoke hearts and cheddar cheese until evenly distributed. Spread the mixture over the sauteed chicken breasts, and then broil at 400 degrees for about 3 minutes. Do not take your eyes off them — broiling can lead to burning faster than you can imagine. When the cheese is melted and bubbling and the tops are golden, remove and serve.
Ref: www.sugarlaws.com
For the domestically challenged…
