Mac and Cheese Casserole

I based this off of a recipe I saw on the cooking channel. (It also reminds me of the casseroles my grandma used to make). I was watching Giada, and she made a simple dish for a kids recipe. I got inspired and decided to make a "grown up" version. I think it turned out great! I'm sorry, I haven't been able to find the original recipe since I was watching a rerun of Giada on TV, and when I tried to look it up on her website, couldn't find it. (Wish I had written the name down!) So...here's my version!

Mac and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients:
- "Tiny" pasta (just mini noodles of any kind)
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 3 or 4 Zucchini
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes (I used "wood fired" with garlic added)
- Fresh Basil, chopped
- Mozzarella Cheese (as much or as little as you like)
- Parmesan Cheese
- Romano Cheese
- Bread Crumbs


Directions:
Start cooking the pasta according to the package directions. Cut the chicken in to bite-sized cubes and cook on the stove top on medium heat in a pan with olive oil. When the chicken is finished, add in the chopped/sliced zucchini to heat up. Drain the pasta and place in a large mixing bowl. Dump in the tomatoes (juice and all), cooked chicken, zucchini, and mozzarella cheese. Mix all together and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and Parmesan and Romano cheeses on top. Cover with foil.

Bake at 400* for 30 minutes. I removed the foil at about 25 minutes so the top would be nice and crispy and "mealty".

Super easy and super yummy!!!

(sorry for the small/bad picture...I only took one with my phone)

Crockpot Italian Chicken

In the summer, especially when it hits 100+ which it was today, I try to use the crockpot to make dinner so I don't need to turn on the oven. I grabbed this little seasoning packet by McCormick while grocery shopping yesterday. I had most of the ingredients on hand at home, but had I bought them it probably would have been about $5.00. I was very pleased with how this meal turned out. Bonus: the house smelled yummy all day while it was cooking, and I didn't do much except throw everything in the crockpot! I served mine over whole wheat pasta. (Tip: you can buy whole wheat pasta at Trader Joe's for about $1.25)






Slow Cookers Italian Herb Chicken

Makes 8 servings.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH


INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken parts, skin removed (I used about 10-12 "chicken tenders")
1 package (8 ounces) mushrooms, halved or sliced
1 package McCormick® Slow Cookers Italian Herb Chicken Seasoning
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste


DIRECTIONS
1. Place chicken and mushrooms in slow cooker.
2. Mix Seasoning, tomatoes and tomato paste until blended. Pour over chicken and mushrooms. Cover. I added one cup of water to the mixture. It was really thick, and I didn't want the chicken to burn in the crock pot. I'm glad I didn't, because it turned out perfect!
3. Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. I cooked mine on high for 7 hours, and then let it thicken up for an hour since I added water. Remove chicken and vegetables to serving platter. Stir sauce before serving. Serve over hot cooked pasta, if desired.



NUTRITION INFORMATION
per serving
Calories: 271
Fat: 11 g
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Cholesterol: 77 mg
Sodium: 648 mg
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 27 g

Lettuce Wraps

Here's another recipe I can't take credit for. I got it from my friend, Shawn. They are really good, and so easy to make! I'm sure I'll be making these a lot this summer. The perfect meal when it's hot outside! They're also low carb...and high protein.

Lettuce Wraps
Serves 4

1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce
1 Bag of Broccoli ColeSlaw
2 Tablespoons of Sesame Seeds
1/2 Jar of "Litehouse- Toasted Sesame Ginger Dressing, Sauce, & Marinade"
1 Rotisserie Chicken (from the grocery store)

Take the meat off of the rotisserie chicken, and break into small pieces with your hands. (This part is kind of messy, but it's faster with your fingers). Mix Broccoli Slaw, Dressing, Chicken, and Sesame Seeds in a large bowl. Spoon into a leaf of lettuce, and roll lettuce up, like a burrito. Eat immediately.

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

One of my best friends, and former roommate gave me this recipe. Rachel used to make it ALL the time when we lived together...and it is one of my absolute FAVORITE meals!!!


Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. Olive Oil, divided
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 carrot, sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch pieces
1 (10 oz.) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. angel hair pasta
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add chicken. Cook, stirring, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.

2. Heat remaining oil in same skillet. Begin heating water for pasta. Add carrot to skillet, cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add broccoli and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions (be careful not to overcook - angel hair pasta cooks fast). While pasta is cooking, add chicken broth, basil and Parmesan to skillet. Stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes.

4. Drain pasta. Place in a large serving bowl. Top with chicken and vegetable mixture. Serve immediately.
Serves 4