May 16, 2014

We are finally all feeling better.  Thank goodness!!!!  We had two keepers this week.  The first was the filling for red peppers, a stove top chicken pasta.  We loved the filling, but thought it was  completely unnecessary to stuff the peppers with the filling.  You will notice a mismatch between the photo and the recipe...the recipe I included here is the filling.  My family wants us to make it again, just without the peppers.  Too funny!

The second new keeper recipe was a slow cooker turkey breast.  I absolutely love recipes that go in the slow cooker and end up fabulous!  This was so easy to put together, nothing bad in it and it was really flavorful!  Winner winner turkey dinner :)

I have my eye on a slow cooker bbq pork recipe and a new bread recipe for this upcoming week.  Hopefully we'll have some keepers!

Happy Cooking!

New Recipes
Stove Top Chicken Pasta
Slow Cooker Santa Fe Turkey Breast

Stove top chicken pasta

Ingredients
* 2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 1 small yellow onion, minced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 28 oz petite diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp pepper
* 6-8 oz dried pasta (rotini or shells)
* 1 cup mozzarella
* 1 cup ricotta cheese
* 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
* 1/3 cup half and half


Directions
1. In a  large saucepan heat the oil over medium-low heat and saute the onion and garlic until softened.  Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally.
2. While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta as directed on the package.
3. Add the chicken to the sauce and stir and cook to heat the chicken through, about 4-5 minutes.  Mix the half and half, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in to the sauce.  Stir until the cheese is incorporated.
4. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the pasta.  Serve!

Notes
I tossed my onion and garlic cloves in my small food processor - this made it quick to mince both and saved me from crying my eyes out!

This was originally the stuffing for red bell peppers, but my family enjoyed the filling, and didn't really enjoy the peppers!  So the picture shows it in the peppers, but we are going to keep making this as a stove top pasta dish!  I might even leave out the half & half next time...not sure it needs it!  If you have it on hand, add it, but don't go out and buy it if it isn't already in your fridge.

Slow cooker Santa Fe Turkey Breast

Ingredients
* 1 bone in turkey breast, thawed if frozen (approx 5 lbs)
* 1 cup salsa
* 2 tbsp honey
* 1 tbsp chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (from 7 oz can), optional
* 2 tsp cornstarch
* 2 tbsp water

Directions
1. Spray your slow cooker insert.  Place the turkey breast in the slow cooker.
2. Combine the salsa, honey, and chopped chipotle (if using).  Pour this over the turkey.
3. Cook the turkey on low for 6-7 hours.
4. Remove turkey and take off the skin.  Slice the turkey then keep warm while you make the gravy.
5. To make the gravy, remove 2 cups of the liquid from the slow cooker.  Mix together the cornstarch and water, then add this to the slow cooker liquids.  Cook and stir this over medium high heat in a small sauce pot until thickened.  Serve this gravy with the chicken.

Notes
This was so flavorful, and super easy!  Not everyone tried the gravy, but everyone absolutely loved the turkey!  It gave us leftovers for a future meal which was a great bonus.  But seriously...what a great and easy way to cook a turkey breast.  When the frozen ones go on sale, pick one up, thaw it out in the fridge and then cook it in the slow cooker!  Yum!  The pictures above show it with and without the gravy!  Try this...it was delicious!