dinner Archives - Page 7 of 11

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

April 4, 2013 ·

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken puts a delicious twist on a classic favorite with some added garlic (which makes everything better!). When I found this recipe, the title alone was so appealing, it vaulted to the top of the list and was made within a day. I reduced the recipe to be made for two (but it can easily be multiplied for more!), added some heat with red pepper flakes and changed some of the amounts and proportions since the first time I made this, there was too much breadcrumb mixture leftover. Served with a simple side salad or a favorite veggie, Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken is a healthy, quick and easy chicken dish that makes a perfect weeknight meal…or any time!

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Yields: 2 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
⅓ cup dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
Crushed red pepper, to taste
2 4-5 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a shallow bowl, combine oil and garlic.
In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, cheese, and basil. Add crushed red pepper to taste.
Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken in oil mixture and then in bread crumb mixture. Place coated chicken on prepared baking sheet. Repeat. Top with any remaining breadcrumb mixture and lightly spray tops with cooking spray.
Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken in cooked thoroughly.

Adapted from All Recipes

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: baked, chicken, dinner, easy, garlic, parmesan, quick

Pasta Pizza Pie

March 14, 2013 ·

Pasta Pizza Pie combines two Italian favorites (and two of my favorites!) into a delicious pizza-inspired baked pasta. First, you start by baking a pasta “crust.” Then you spread your favorite pasta sauce over the crust and top it with your favorite toppings. I used a 12-inch saute pan in lieu of a pizza pan, and it worked great!

Pasta Pizza Pie puts a fun twist on pizza and a fun twist on pasta,…and incidentally since it’s also a “pie,” this Pasta Pizza Pie is perfect for today, March 14th (3.14)…”Pi Day!”

Pasta Pizza Pie

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped*
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)*
2 garlic cloves, minced *
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup milk (I used skim)
8 ounces (1/2 of a 1 pound box) rotini-shaped pasta, cooked and drained
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
1½ cups of your favorite pasta sauce (I used Muir Glen Tomato Basil)
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
* substitute with your favorite pizza toppings

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12-inch saute pan or pizza pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the last minute, add minced garlic and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, stir egg, milk, pasta and ½ cup cheese. Spread pasta mixture in prepared pizza pan. Bake this pasta crust for 20 minutes.
Remove pasta crust from oven and spread sauce over crust. Top with onion-mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Shake crushed red pepper flakes over cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Campbell’s Kitchen

Filed Under: healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baked, dinner, easy, mushrooms, pasta, pie, pizza, quick, tomato

Baked Balsamic Chicken

February 7, 2013 ·

Baked Balsamic Chicken is wholesome, easy and delicious! This dish can be customized to use whatever herbs you like (or have on hand) and is perfectly paired with Minute® Multi-Grain Medley! Thank you Minute® Rice for sponsoring this post.

This Baked Balsamic Chicken recipe has been a family favorite for years. The recipe was created when Greta was first born over 3 years ago and has been a regular feature on the dinner rotation ever since. The marinade takes minutes to prepare and then is poured in a zip-top bag with the chicken. Let that sit in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. Then you just pour the chicken and marinade in a baking dish and bake. Simple!

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Filed Under: Featured, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Popular, Recipes Tagged With: baked, balsamic, chicken, dairy free, dinner, easy, marinade, quick

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

September 20, 2012 ·

Every time I make Baked Tortellini with Spinach, I am left with 6 ounces of fontina cheese. While I would happily make it 3 more times, I have also had this Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta dish on my list of things to make for some time now. The first time I made this dish without mushrooms, and it was good, but I felt it needed something more. It needed mushrooms. Mushrooms are not typically my go-to for anything, but it really cried out for something earthy and meaty. Sauteed in a little garlic, the mushrooms were the perfect addition to this dish. I used some Parmesan cheese for some of the fontina in the original recipe to give the recipe a little more bite. Topped with buttery, garlic breadcrumbs, Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta is a delicious and sophisticated twist on macaroni and cheese ~ perfect for company or Sunday dinner comfort food.

Looking to use up the leftover mascarpone cheese? Try Porcini Mushroom and Spinach Risotto with Mascarpone

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound medium pasta shells, uncooked (penne or other similar shaped pasta works too)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups skim milk
1¾ cups (6 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
¼ cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
¼ cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (I use baby bellas)
1 clove garlic, minced
Cooking spray
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter (I use light butter)
1 small garlic clove, minced
1½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and keep warm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour and milk in a large sauce pan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk, and cook for about 10 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken.
Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute mushrooms, with a pinch of salt, until softened (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add 1 clove of minced garlic in the last minute, if desired.
Remove milk mixture from heat and add cheeses, whisking until mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Add cooked pasta and mushrooms, stirring to coat and combine.
Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and pour pasta mixture into pan.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Remove from heat and add breadcrumbs, stirring to coat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over pasta mixture.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Adapted from Cooking Light, November, 2006

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baked, cheese, dinner, fontina, mascarpone, mushrooms, parmesan, pasta, shells

easy vegetarian spinach manicotti with no boil noodles

Easy Meatless Manicotti

September 5, 2012 ·

I don’t know about you, but I am very excited for Fall. It is my favorite time of year for cooking and baking, plus I love the cooler temperatures. Even though the season has not technically changed, Labor Day is kind of an unofficial kick off to the Fall season. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. I have already made a pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, chili and cornbread, beef stew, and a few other Fall-inspired goodies to be posted soon. (Ok, confession…I may have done some of this before Labor Day).

In any case, this Easy Meatless Manicotti is one of my favorite dishes and is a perfect comfort food for the cooler temperatures. There are a couple time-saving steps in this recipe to help make it “easy.” First, no boiling of the noodles is required. Not having to boil the noodles is not only a time-saver, but filling firm shells is a whole lot easier than flimsy cooked shells. This recipe also uses a jarred pasta sauce, though if you want to make your own, go for it! The filling is very flexible – I’ve used cottage cheese or ricotta, and either works fine. I have used frozen broccoli in place of the spinach; I have added onions, shredded zucchini, whatever extra vegetables that needs to be used up. Leftovers heat up beautifully, which make for great lunches or quick dinners. Easy Meatless Manicotti is healthy and delicious and a regular in our dinner rotation.

Easy Meatless Manicotti

Yields: 7 servings

Ingredients

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
¼ cup (1 ounce) grated parmesan cheese
16 ounces nonfat cottage cheese
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1½ teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning (or dried oregano)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Cooking Spray
3 cups marinara sauce (or 24-28 ounce jar pasta sauce)
1 package (14 noodles) manicotti noodles - uncooked
½ cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine 1½ cups mozzarella, Parmesan, and cottage cheese, along with the spinach, garlic, Italian herb seasoning, red pepper and salt/pepper to taste.
Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour ½ of the sauce in the baking dish.
Fill the manicotti noodles* with filling mixture until full, about 3 tablespoons.
Pour the remaining sauce over the noodles, making sure the noodles are covered.
Slowly pour ½ cup water around the perimeter of baking dish. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with nonstick foil (or spray foil with cooking spray) and bake for 1 hour. Let sit uncovered for 10 minutes and serve.

Notes

Filling tips: Put filling in a ziploc bag, cut off a corner and fill shells OR I have found an iced tea spoon is the perfect size for spooning the filling in the shells.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2 shells

Adapted from Cooking Light

Filed Under: Featured, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: dinner, easy, make ahead, manicotti, pasta, quick, spinach, vegetable

Ginger Chicken Satay

August 30, 2012 ·

Chicken Satay is one of my favorite chicken dishes. While I doubt there will ever be anything that comes close my favorite recipe, I enjoy experimenting with different versions from time to time. The thing that caught my eye in this particular version was the interesting use of pineapple juice.

The result was a subtle yet delicious Ginger Chicken Satay. The flavors are mild yet interesting. The pineapple juice isn’t obvious, but was indeed a tasty addition. The heat can obviously be adjusted to taste with the crushed red pepper. I’m not really a skewer fan, so I just grill the chicken directly instead of threading it on skewers. If you want to do skewers, then cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before marinating. Then thread the chicken on the skewers once you are ready to fire up the grill.

Ginger Chicken Satay

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 cup pineapple juice
6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Crushed red pepper, adjust to taste

Instructions

Put the chicken in Ziploc bag.
In medium bowl, combine pineapple juice, peanut butter, sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper. Pour the marinade over chicken in the Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
Preheat grill (or grill pan) to medium high. Cook chicken 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve with additional crushed red pepper, if desired.

Adapted from Fitness, May, 2011

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: chicken, dinner, grilled, peanut butter, pineapple, satay, summer

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Parsley Sauce

August 15, 2012 ·

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Parsley Sauce is a light and healthy dish that tastes like summer. Plus it’s a great way to use some of the parsley that may be taking over your herb garden! The lemon in the chicken is subtle and fresh tasting, which serves as a nice contrast to the tangy parsley sauce. The marinade is quick and easy to make, using simple ingredients, and then pop the chicken in the refrigerator until you’re ready to grill. As with any citrus marinade, it acts quickly so can be grilled within 15 minutes. I’ve also let the chicken marinate overnight, and that works fine too. For the parsley sauce, I just toss everything in my Magic Bullet (which I love any excuse to use!), and it’s done in a minute. Easy!

Grilled Lemon Chicken with Parsley Sauce

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

Chicken:
zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts (4 4-ounce breasts)
Sauce:
⅔ cup parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Prepare marinade: In a bowl, whisk together zest, juice, oil, garlic, salt, pepper and sugar until combined.
Put chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Shake to coat and put in the refrigerator to marinate until ready to use (at least 15 minutes to overnight).
Prepare sauce: In a blender, add parsley, oil, shallot, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and juice. Blend until smooth (about 1 minute).
Preheat grill. Place chicken on grill (discard marinade) and cook chicken on 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until thoroughly cooked.
Serve chicken with a drizzle of sauce and garnish as desired. (Store any leftover marinade in the refrigerator).

Adapted from Health, July, 2006

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: chicken, dinner, easy, grilled, lemon, marinade, parsley, sauce, summer

Chicken and Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette

July 31, 2012 ·

With temperatures hitting record highs this summer, I am always happy to be able to cook a quick and healthy dinner that does require turning on the oven. This Chicken and Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette can be made on the stovetop in less than 30 minutes. It’s served over a bed of fresh baby spinach, making it healthy and delicious. I’d say this dish fits the bill of quick and healthy, making it a perfect dinner!

I actually found this recipe in a magazine at least 10 years ago and gave it to my mom. She has made it regularly ever since, and everybody is happy when she has it on the menu. This salad became an instant family favorite! While the original recipe calls for rotisserie chicken, my mom bakes chicken breasts and shreds them. In this recipe, I poached the chicken. The original recipe calls for watercress, but the spinach gives the salad a bit more substance. Arugula would also be a tasty substitution. Basically what I’m telling you is that this recipe is flexible. Go with what works for you to make this a family favorite of your own.

Chicken and Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 pound small red potatoes
salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon honey
black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
10 ounces fresh baby spinach

Instructions

Put chicken in a large sauce pan and then add enough water to cover the chicken. Add a couple pinches of salt. Bring liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Then cover, remove from heat and let sit for 12 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
While the chicken is cooking, put potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
While chicken and potatoes are cooking, whisk together mustard, vinegar, garlic, honey, and pepper in a small bowl. Gradually add oil, whisking constantly until incorporated. (Note: I then pour vinaigrette into a cruet for ease of pouring).
Once chicken is cooked, transfer to a separate bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons vinaigrette over warm chicken and let sit for a minute to soak in. Then use 2 forks to shred chicken.
Cut cooked potatoes into quarters (or halves, depending on size).
Place spinach in a large serving bowl. Add potatoes and chicken, and toss to combine. Serve immediately, drizzling with additional vinaigrette as desired.

Notes

You can add the vinaigrette to the serving bowl and toss, but I prefer to let others control the amount of dressing on their salad. For me, a little goes a long way!

Adapted from Real Simple

Filed Under: gluten free, healthy, main dishes, Recipes, salad Tagged With: chicken, dinner, mustard, poach, potatoes, spinach, stovetop, summer, vinaigrette

Light Chicken Parmesan

June 19, 2012 ·

This Light Chicken Parmesan is a delicious and healthy spin on a classic favorite. There are a few tricks that helped with the lightening up of this dish. Baking the chicken results in moist meat without having to use any extra fat. By breading only one side of the chicken, you get the benefit of the delicious breadcrumb/cheese mixture without the excess. Using part-skim mozzarella cheese helps keep the fat and calories down without sacrificing taste.

The sauce can easily be substituted with your favorite marinara (use jarred for a time saver) – simply skip to step 5. We enjoyed Light Chicken Parmesan with a mixed green side salad for a light, healthy dinner. Spaghetti tossed a little olive oil, herbs and red pepper flakes would also be a delicious accompaniment to this dish.

Light Chicken Parmesan

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

½ tablespoon olive oil
½ yellow onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, adjust to taste
½ teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 slices whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg white
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 to 6 ounces each)
¾ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)

Instructions

Make Sauce: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender (about 8 minutes). Add garlic, pepper flakes, and Italian herb seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cover, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Uncover and reduce heat to medium low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors combine (about 30 minutes).
Add vinegar and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until slightly cooled.
Using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor, puree sauce until smooth.
Make Chicken: Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in upper third. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.
In a food processor, combine bread, Parmesan, oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until mixture becomes coarse crumbs; transfer to a shallow bowl.
Place flour in a separate shallow bowl, season with salt and pepper. Place egg white in a third shallow bowl, and beat with fork until frothy.
Dip top side of chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess. Dip same side in egg white, letting excess drip off. Then dip in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere. Place on prepared baking sheet, breaded side up (Note: you only bread one side). Repeat with remaining chicken.
Bake until breadcrumbs are browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with mozzarella. Continue baking until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Serve chicken with a generous amount of sauce.

Light Chicken Parmesan

Source: Chicken from Everyday Food Light; Sauce adapted slightly from Clean Eating, March, 2012

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: baked, chicken, dinner, easy, italian, light, sauce, tomato

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

June 8, 2012 ·

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese is a delicious, cheesy, veggie-filled baked pasta with a Mexican twist. It is made with three different cheeses (yum!) and lots of vegetables (yum!). The chipotle chiles add a nice smokiness and spice which, along with the chili powder, balance nicely with the tomatoes and cheeses. Black beans give a protein and fiber boost while adding a nice color contrast to the rest of the dish. A traditional breadcrumb topping is sprinkled over the top before baking.

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese is very easy to prepare and the result is no ordinary mac ‘n cheese, that’s for sure. This recipe makes plenty, and the leftovers heat up nicely for lunches the next day.

Chipotle Macaroni and Cheese

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups dry whole wheat elbow macaroni (or other short pasta)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
1 (14½ ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, including juices
1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from can of chipotle chiles)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1 cup skim milk
¼ cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting fat and salt.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chiles, onion, and bell pepper, and cook 4 minutes, or until onion is tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant, stirring frequently.
Sprinkle with flour and chili powder, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes, or until mixture is thickened.
Add adobo sauce, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan and egg, stirring until combined and cheese is melted. Add cooked pasta and black beans, stirring until combined.
Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Adapted from Cooking Light