Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

 Ian saw this recipe in the October issue of the Rachael Ray magazine and requested I try to make it.  It turned out to be yummy and we have enough leftover for a couple days!

Ingredients:
linguine pasta, broken in half
Boneless Skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

Salt and pepper

6 tbsp. butter

8 oz. small white mushrooms, quartered

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

3 tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook the pasta according to package directions until just barely al dente; drain.

2.Meanwhile, season the turkey with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

3.Add 2 tbsp. butter to the skillet. Add the mushrooms and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms start to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the turkey.

4.Melt the remaining 3 tbsp. butter in the skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Stir in ½ cup parmesan and the peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.

5.Add the pasta and turkey-mushroom mixture to the sauce and toss well to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup parmesan. Bake until the top is golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes (shorten the baking time by at least 5 minutes if you’re planning on freezing this for later).

Orzo Pasta Salad

Orzo Pasta Salad Ingredients:
- Orzo pasta (cooked in chicken broth and cooled)
- Crumbled Feta
- Cherry tomatoes
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1 can kidney beans
- Diced red onion

Combine all ingredients.

Salad Dressing Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Honey
- Lemon
- Salt
- Pepper

Stuffed Shells with Sausage, Cheese and Spinach

I have been craving stuffed shells for some time now and found this recipe (a tweak of Giada's Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata) to be very easy!

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (recommended: Barilla)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound hot sausage - i used a mix of hot and mild
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 (15-ounce) container full fat ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cups of fresh chopped spinach
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)


Inredients for Sauce:
2 large cans of marinara sauce
Panchetta
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

4 garlic cloves, minced
Italian Seasonings (Basil, Thyme, Oregano)

Directions for sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes, italian seasonings, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Directions for Stuffed Shells
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the chopped spinach and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled sausage mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of prepared marinara sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full. Drizzle the remaining Marinara Sauce over the shells, top with the grated or sliced mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)

Chicken Marsala

Delicious over pasta or rice. Pretty simple.

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for coating
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry

Directions

1. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture.

2. In a large skillet, melt butter in oil over medium heat. Place chicken in the pan, and lightly brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms. Pour in wine and sherry. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 10 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

3. Love to serve with greens on the side (asparagus, spinach or swiss chard) and over fettuccine, angel hair or rice.