Chicken Cacciatore Bake

I wish seafood wasn't so expensive.

Chicken again...

I thought I'd show a few steps along the way to the finished product this time.

First, you're making chicken nuggets (only better!).



Then you will saute vegetables, put them in on top of the chicken. Dump in the black olives.

Pour a jar of sauce over everything.

After baking, serve over pasta. Eat!

CHICKEN CACCIATORE BAKE

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into one-inch pieces
Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
2/3 cup diced yellow onion
2/3 cup diced green bell pepper
1 small can whole black olives, cut in half
1 (24 ounce) jar of pasta sauce (I recommend Newman’s Own Cabernet Marinara)

Beat egg and stir in 1/4 cup milk. Dip chunks of chicken in egg mixture and then into bread crumbs, coating well. Brown in a little oil until golden. (Chicken does not have to be completely cooked here, will complete in oven.) Place chicken in baking dish. Saute onions and bell pepper for 2 minutes then add mushrooms and saute 2 minutes more. Add onions, bell pepper and mushrooms to baking dish. Add black olives. Pour pasta sauce over all.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve with bowtie or penne pasta.

Yield: 4 servings

Chicken Parmigiana

Seems to me that most recipes called Chicken Parmigiana call for mozzarella cheese in addition to the Parmesan. Should we call it Chicken Mozzarella since there's actually more of that in this recipe?

Whatever! It's yummy.

CHICKEN PARMIGIANA

1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (24 ounce) jar Pasta Sauce (I recommend Barilla marinara for this)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Combine breadcrumbs, flour, and ground red pepper in a small bowl, and set aside.

Place chicken between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Dip 1 chicken breast in egg whites, and coat with breadcrumb mixture. Dip again in egg mixture, and coat again in breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken breast.

Cook chicken in oil over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until done.

Place chicken breasts in a single layer in a lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish. Top evenly with pasta sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with cheeses and bake an additional 10 – 15 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings

Spaghetti Pie

You know that I put some spaghetti sauce in the freezer recently, right? Well, here's one of the ways I like to use it.

SPAGHETTI PIE

8 ounces spaghetti
2 eggs, beaten separately
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups meat spaghetti sauce (heated)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray a deep dish pie plate with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Combine one egg, Parmesan and butter with the cooked pasta. Press mixture evenly into bottom of 9-inch deep dish pie plate.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese with one egg; spread over pasta. Spoon spaghetti sauce over ricotta layer.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.

Cut into wedges to serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Italian Sauteed Beans

ITALIAN SAUTEED BEANS
1/2 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini or great northern beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Cut peppers into 1/4-inch pieces. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes.

Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add garlic, peppers, and remaining ingredients (except basil); cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beans are thoroughly heated. Stir in basil; cook 1–2 more minutes or until fragrant.

Yield: 4 servings

Note: This can also be served as a cold bean salad. It was really good when I ate it cold the next day for lunch!

This recipe came from Publix Simple Meals.

Skillet Lasagna

A yummy one-pan dish...



Next time, I'll doctor it up a bit. Needs a little more seasoning than the recipe calls for.




This is one of those dishes where the leftovers are better than the original.


SKILLET LASAGNA

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced
salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
8 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths (about 10 whole noodles)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta cheese

Pour the tomatoes with their juice into a quart measuring cup. Add enoughwater to the tomatoes to measure 4 cups.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat untilshimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened,about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about15 seconds. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat into smallpieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the noodle pieces evenly over the meat. Pour the diced tomatoesand tomato sauce over the pasta – don’t stir. Cover and bring to a simmer.Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally,until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste and the basil. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles. Cover the skillet and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Chicken Oregano

So easy and healthy, too!

It's simmering away, reducing the liquid...


On my plate with pasta and bread...



CHICKEN OREGANO

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1/4 dry red wine

In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray or a little oil, brown the chicken on both sides over medium heat, about 5 minutes in all (chicken does not have to be completely done at this point). Add the onion and garlic and cook 5 minutes more, until the onions are tender. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and wine. Cover and cook on low heat about 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Serve with pasta.

Yield: 2 servings

There’s enough tomato mushroom sauce to use 4 small pieces of chicken if you like.

Italian Cherry Tomato Salad

Here's another great salad for summer gatherings. It's mayo-free, so it's okay if it sits out in warm weather for a little while.

ITALIAN CHERRY TOMATO SALAD

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced and cut into one inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 (6 ounce) can pitted ripe olives, cut in half
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
2 pint containers cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared commercial pesto
1 teaspoon sugar

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Toss and set aside. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and next 3 ingredients. Mix well. Pour over salad and toss until coated. Chill at least one hour before serving.