15 minute Fettucini Alfredo

This is just easy and delicious. It is for a special occasion though. Beware of the fat it contains!

Fettucini Alfredo

Ingredients:

1 cube or stick of butter

2 cloves garlic

1 pound fettucini noodles

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

what to do:

1. Cook fettucini noodles according to package directions. It's usually 12-15 minutes.

2. In a saucepan put the garlic in and cook on medium about 2 minutes. Add butter and cream, turn to medium-low and stir. Once that is bubbling, add parmesan cheese and mix. Add salt and pepper for taste. If your sauce is thick (mine was a little bit) add about 1/3 cup of the boiling pasta water.

3. Put the cheese sauce in a bowl, and add the fresh hot steamy noodles right after you drain them. Mix around. Add parmesan cheese on top and enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This was delicious. I was in the mood for potato soup today, and luckily for me we have TONS of potatoes! So, I went to my kitchen and started cooking.

YUM. Perfect for the cold weather!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

Potatoes (diced and peeled if you want. Also, I just eyed how many to use, I think it was about 4 potatoes.

1 yellow onion diced

3 T butter

3 T flour

2 cloves minced garlic

1.5 cup diced ham

2 cups chicken broth

4 cups milk

1 T ground mustard powder

salt and pepper to taste (I used a lot!)

1/4 cup ranch

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup cheese

What to do:

1. Cook your potatoes. (Dice them first, then throw into boiling water with a lot of salt and cook about 10 minutes. Until fork tender, but not too soft!) Drain

2. In the same pot, put diced onions, garlic, and butter over medium heat and cook until onions are see through and soft.

3. Add the flour, and stir until its a thick bubbly mess :). Then, add the milk, chicken broth, and potatoes. As that is slowly coming to a boil, make sure you keep stirring. Add the ground mustard.

4. Add the cheese (make sure you slowly add it and stir the whole time, or the cheese won't melt into the soup.) Then add the ham, ranch and sour cream. Let come to a low simmer, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it has thickened up. Add lots of salt and pepper for taste! (I probably use too much! lol. but, I love salt and pepper)

5. Serve in a bowl and add some sour cream and cheese on top! Enjoy!

Tips to Wanna-be-chefs: If you want to use bacon instead of ham definitely do it! All you would do is cook it before the onions, and add the onions once the bacon is almost cooked! I used ham to make it healthier!

Also, I used fat free sour cream, and ranch, low fat cheese, and one percent milk so it wasn't too fatty!

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

This soup was so good! Amazing flavor, variety, and texture. I don't think it was too unhealthy either! No creamy things were added :)

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, chopped (notice I always chop my onions, it's the only way I eat them!)

2 cloves garlic

1 can chili beans

1 can black beans

1 can corn (no salt added)

6 or so pieces of chicken (mine were tenderloins)

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes (petite cut)

1 small can green chilies

1 cup of chicken broth

about half of a taco seasoning packet (Just for thickening up the soup at the end)

What to do:

1. Turn the crockpot on, and put in onion, garlic,tomato sauce chili and black beans, corn, tomatoes, and chilies.

2. Add chicken and make sure its covered. Then add chicken broth and stir until well blended.

3. Cook. (On high cook about three hours, on low cook about 5)

4. Take chicken out and shred it with two forks, put chicken back in, stir in taco seasoning, and cook another hour.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Note: We topped ours with a little bit of tortilla chips. You could also top with sour cream or cheese!

Fat Free Italian Chicken

This was wonderful. Tonight I had a recipe I found online all planned out. It was going to be a chicken and vegetable stir fry. I got home, and all my brown sugar was HARD AS A ROCK. I couldn't get it to break. So, I thought ok, now what? Well, I came up with this recipe and it was so good! If your craving breaded or fried chicken, I say try this chicken instead! Because of my new healthy eating, I also know how many calories and everything it is, so I'll post it on the bottom!

Fat Free Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

6 boneless chicken tenderloins or breasts thawed

1/2 cup of Fat Free Italian Dressing

1/2 cup bread crumbs

pinch of garlic and herb seasoning

what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Put the Italian Dressing in a bowl, and the bread crumbs in another.

2. Take a piece of chicken and dip it in the Italian dressing. Cover it and let it sit there for a couple minutes. Take out and directly put it into the bread crumbs. Flip over to fully coat. Put into greased pan, and repeat until all chicken is done.

3. Put it in the oven for 25 minutes. (If you are using chicken breasts, it will most likely take 35-40 minutes to fully cook chicken)

4. Serve with some vegetables (I did a spinach salad and some corn) and enjoy! This was such an easy fast dinner, and super juicy and yummy!

Nutritional Info:

for two strips of chicken:

273 calories :)

carbs: 35 g

sodium: 922 mg

cholesterol: 45 mg

Dietary Fiber: 1.8 g

Tips to Wanna-be-Chefs: To tell if chicken is cooked all the way, just take a knife and cut into it. It cannot have ANY pink in it! Also, the juices from the chicken will be clear :) Also, if you have more time, you can marinate the chicken in the italian dressing for 30 minutes before dipping it into the bread crumbs. It will probably even add more flavor! I just didn't have time!

Sad Day.

Due to some health issues and tummy issues...

I need to go on a diet.

Learn to eat...

VEGETABLES.

ew.

So, needless to say, I will be cooking healthier and have to give up my love. THE PIONEER WOMAN. I am so sad. I told Greg we could have her recipes once a month. As a treat.

So, I think this foodblog will now be more of a "healthy food blog"

gross.

but, I think I need the new healthy thing lol

Chicken Pot Pie

Last week, Caroline (my bestest friend) gave me the idea to make chicken pot pies. She said she made it and her husband loved it! She explained how she did it, and I followed suit 3 days later. I screwed it up a little, but it was still good! And, I put the leftover insides in the freezer so after the cruise I will be making these again. I know what I did wrong, so no worries!

Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts

Corn

Onion

Carrots

Potatoes

Chicken Broth (enough to fill the pot of vegies and chicken to cook in)

pre-made pie crust (I accidently bough crescent rolls, and that's why mine didn't work too well)

cream of chicken soup

Some butter

What to do:

1. Boil the chicken and vegies in some chicken broth. (I put in the chicken first because it was frozen, then added the vegies based on time they need to cook. So, carrots and potatoes next, then corn and sliced onion.)

2. When all cooked, drain. Shred chicken and put vegetables and chicken in a bowl and add cream of chicken soup. Mix well.

3. Get pie crust ready and either put it in a big pie pan, or in individual pans (that's what I did). Melt the butter and brush a little on top of the pie crust. Put the empty pie pan (all it has is a layer of pie crust) in the oven for about 8 minutes or until slightly cooked.

4. Take it out, put filling in, then put top pie crust on. Slice some holes in it, just in case it needs to breath :) Cook for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Tips to Wanna-be-Chefs: You can use any kind of vegetables you want. Make it how you like it. I am not a fan of peas, celery, or green beans, so I used the vegies I wanted to!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Man. I am going to be busy this next month. Saturday, I went up to Sandy, to babysit my cousins until Thursday. On Friday, for Greg's birthday, I am taking him to Park City! YAY! Anyways, last night I made pulled pork in the crockpot for my cousins and it was delicious!

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Pork Roast

1/4 cup brown sugar

2T liquid smoke (any kind will do)

1/4 cup water

salt

pepper

2 cloves of garlic minced

what to do: Put it all in the crockpot. Cook on low all day (about 7 hours). Then take out the roast and shred with 2 forks. Let cook another hour or so. Then serve on buns with your favorite barbeque sauce!

tips to wanna be chefs: if you do not like pork, you could do this with chicken or a roast (beef). Still all the same! And delicious. Also, great for busy mom's!

ENJOY!

Creamy Parmesan Chicken

BEST CHICKEN PASTA DISH EVER. That is all. I had my cute little grandparents over for dinner because it's my grandma's birthday! So, I cooked not only for Greg, but them too! They loved my made up dish as well :) Enjoy the recipe:

Creamy Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

flour

1 T garlic and herb seasoning

1/2 yellow onion diced

3 cloves of garlic crushed and diced

2 cans of Hunts Tomato Sauce

1 cup of heavy cream (yes I know, bad)

1 T sugar

4 T butter

1/4 cup of canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound of pasta (I used angel hair, it was what I had around, you can use whatever)

What to do:

1. Put a little olive oil in a pan and saute the onions and garlic. Turn heat to medium-low. Add the tomato sauce. Let simmer for about 25 minutes stirring occasionally.

2. Boil some water in a big pot, getting it ready to cook the noodles.

3. In another pan, put the butter and oil in, and let get REALLY hot. If you splash some water in it, it should bubble! (Watch those pretty hands and wrists of course!) Now, in a bowl, add flour and the herbs. Salt and Pepper the chicken breasts, make sure not to go light! Dip the chicken in it, and coat the chicken in the flour mixture. Now, when the oil is hot enough, throw chicken in (not literally) and cook 3 minutes on each side, until light brown. SO YUMMY!

4. Right as you are about to start cooking chicken, cook the pasta according to package. Angel Hair only takes 5 minutes to cook!

5. While chicken is cooking, add one cup of HEAVY CREAM (sooooo divine) into the sauce. Stir it around, the sauce will be done in 5 minutes!

6. It should all be done! Put a chicken breast on a plate, along with some pasta, and pour some creamy sauce all over the chicken and pasta.

Serve with a salad and rolls and you have the most tasty, colorful meal! DELISH!

tips to wanna-be-chefs: If you cook all the chicken at once, it will help the oil from not turning brown or black. Also, the chicken shouldn't have a thick coat of flour on it (like in deep fried chicken) just a brushed layer. And remember, there is a lot of pans out at once, but it still is very easy, and is done in about 30 minutes! :)

Spice up a Brownie Box.

For this post, I am going to teach you how to spice up a Brownie Mix from a Box. Seriously. This way is my favorite...

GOOEY Caramel Goodness Brownies

Ingredients:

1 box of brownie mix (and whatever it calls for on the box; i.e. eggs, water, oil, etc.)

1/4 cup of caramel

1 bag heath bar pieces

What to do:

Prepare brownies like it says on the box. Add the Heath pieces, and stir into brownie mix. Pour into pan. Then, drizzle the caramel on top. Cook according to box. And serve. Really good with ice cream :)

Tips to wanna be chefs: You can add anything to spice up a cake mix, I like to add chocolate chips, reeses. hot fudge... be creative!

Fast, Easy, Moist, Yummy Tacos

Seriously. Probably the best tacos I've ever made.

Total time it took to make: 20 minutes. Easy easy easy.

What a great Sunday dinner.

No hassle.

Fast, Easy Moist, Yummy Tacos!

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground meat

clove of garlic

1/4 onion (diced)

some of your favorite taco sauce

1 T chili powder

a dash of paprika

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

What to do:

1. Put the garlic and onions into a skillet and start cooking it. Throw in the the meat and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat.

2. Now, add the paprika and chili powder. Mix it around REAL good. Then, add some of your favorite taco sauce. I used about half the jar. Just put enough in to make it moist. YUM. Here is my favorite, I don't like spice! So Mild works for me.3. Now add the black beans. If you don't like beans, that's fine! Just leave them out! I only added about half the can of black beans, you can add as much as you want. Then turn heat on low and let simmer for a few minutes while you get the toppings ready! Some recommended toppings include:

Sour Cream

Lettuce

Onions

Cheese

Rice

Tomatoes

and don't forget...

some yummmmmy guacamole. :)

Tips to wannabe chefs: If you don't love black beans but love refried beans, skip the bean step, open a can of refried beans, heat it on the stove, pour a little shredded cheese into it, mix around. Cheesy refried beans = delicious. Also, you can use hard shells or some flour tortillas or both! Great for picky eaters, just set it up buffet style, and let everyone serve themselves!

Enjoy!

Busy week, easy meal!

My mother was in town, so I didn't get to cook for a few days.

She took us out a lot!

So, I had a busy week this week, and haven't really had time to cook, so decided to be a good wife and cook something up tonight.

This is an EASY, fast recipe, and I had all the ingredients right in the fridge/pantry!

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (I used 6 chicken tenders because that is what I had on hand)

slices of ham or turkey sandwich meat

sliced provolone or american or swiss cheese

seasoned bread crumbs (I didn't use more than about a half cup)

1 egg beaten

some butter

toothpicks

salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Put the beaten egg in one bowl, and the bread crumbs in another. Pound chicken until about 1/2 inch thick. Then salt and pepper the chicken.

2. Lay a piece of ham and a piece of cheese across the chicken, and then roll the chicken from one side to the other. Then secure shut with a toothpick.

3. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the seasoned bread crumbs, then put into a dish.

4. Repeat to each chicken breast.

5. When done, put about a teaspoon of butter on top of each chicken breast (on top of the bread crumbs and everything)

6. Cook for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

ENJOY! YUMMMMM.

Tips for wannabe chefs: Seriously this is a VERY easy recipe! It's super moist too! If you don't have a meat pounder, just put a piece of saran wrap over the chicken and use your palm. That's what I did!

Sorry I didn't take pictures, I am a slacker today!

Potato Chili Corn Chowder

So, tonight I came across a recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website. It was a corn chowder with chilies. It looked sooooo good. So, I looked at it, and thought, I could make that! Well, I changed it up just a bit, and added potatoes. And I have to say it was quite delicious! AND super easy. SUPER EASY. My husband just said, "This is the best chowder I have ever had. I don't even need crackers!" So, I guess that's success.

Potato Chili Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

4 pieces of bacon

2 cups of diced potatoes (I cheated and used frozen hashbrowns because I was tired :) )

4 cups of frozen corn

2 T butter

4 cups of chicken broth

1 1/2 cup Heavy Whipped Cream

1/2 onion- diced

4 T cornmeal

1/4 cup water

1 4oz can diced green chilies

1 can chipotle peppers in adobe sauce

salt

pepper

Directions:

1. Cut up the bacon and throw it into a big pot and let it cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the diced onions and saute for another 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the butter, let it melt. Then add the chicken broth and potatoes. Let come to a boil, then let cook about 3 or 4 minutes. While it is bubbling, open the can of adobe chilies, and chop some up small. I only chopped up about 1 Tablespoon of them, and I think next time I will add just a little more. Add the can of green chilies, and the chipotle chilies. Then add the whipping cream, and add some salt and pepper. Let all come to a boil again.

3. While it's slowly heating up, mix the cornmeal with the water in a bowl, and throw that into the pot. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Stir, then let simmer without lid on for another 10 minutes.

Your soup is now done. TADA!

Tips to wanna-be-chefs: If you don't have cornmeal around, you could always thicken the soup up in step one. After adding butter, you can add 2 Tablespoons of flour, and stir for about 1-2 minutes. Also, you could add chicken to this soup if you wanted. And if you like spice, add as many chipotle peppers as you want! I just am not good with spice!

Hope you all enjoy this recipe! I seriously LOVED it. And, I get to take the leftovers to the office the rest of the week! :)

My disastrous meatloaf experience.

So. I have never eaten meatloaf in my life.

Well, I have an addiction to Pioneer Woman, and she has this supposedly amazing meatloaf.

So, I thought, why not?

So, I defrost 2 lbs of meat.

And get started.

The first step said to soak 6 peices of bread in some milk. So I did it.

Then it said to mix soaked bread with meat, parmesan cheese, and some other stuff.

Well. Chelsy didn't read this piece of information. And threw the meat into the bowl with the milk.

And I started mixing.

And it turned into a bowl of MUSH.

it was disgusting.

So, there went dinner

and 2 lbs of meat.

which is a lot of money for a college student.

So, we had quesadillas.

That was my first real EPIC fail in the kitchen.

I'm sure there will be more!

Rookie.

I am definitely a rookie at this whole blogging thing.

And at the cooking thing.

But, I love to do both, so decided on a whim today that I am starting a food blog.

Mostly for myself.

I doubt anyone will read it.

But, I would like to record my successes and disasters in the kitchen.

So it begins. With...

Italian Sausage Three Cheese Stuffed Shells.

Ingredients:

1 box of Jumbo Shells

1 pound Italian Sausage

1/2 yellow onion diced

1 clove of garlic

2 jars of favorite spaghetti sauce

2 lbs Ricotta Cheese

1 cup Romano Cheese-shredded

1 cup Parmesan Cheese-shredded

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon oregano

salt

pepper

2 eggs

What to do:

1. Brown Italian Sausage in skillet. Add garlic and onion. Saute until onion is slightly colored. Turn down the heat, and add two big glass jars of your favorite Spaghetti Sauce. Mine is Ragu Roasted Garlic Sauce. YUM. Cover and let it simmer.

2. In a large pot, cook the shells as directed on the box. Mine was for 10 minutes.
3. While the shells are cooking, and the sauce is simmering, it's now time to make the cheese stuffing. Combine all cheeses, eggs, parsley, and oregano in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Add a dash of salt and pepper.
4. Now your shells should be about done. Drain them. and leave them to cool. Get a large Pyrex dish out and spray the bottom of it. Pour some of the sauce on the bottom of the pan (just enough to cover the bottom). Now we start stuffing! Get a spoon, and spoon the cheese mixture into the shells individually. Then put shells in the pan. I usually put them very close together, because dang this makes a lot of food. After all shells are stuffed, pour the rest of the sauce on until they are all nicely drenched. Don't forget to sprinkle a little (or a lot in my case) cheese on top!!! Throw it in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the red sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted. WHALA! Your stuffed shells. I served with a little corn on the cob, fruit salad, and rolls. Pretty awesome meal if you ask me.

Tips to wanna-be-chefs: If you have never stuffed shells, I just use a small spoon and put a spoonful in. Not too much that the shell won't close, but enough to make it hard for the shell to close. Does that make sense? And don't forget to get your hands dirty!

Enjoy.