Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

I came across this recipe and thought it looked amazing. Guess what? I was right!!! This is total comfort food. You can justify it being healthy by considering the fact that it contains all the food groups! Joe and I ended up eating almost half of the casserole just for dinner. We couldn't stop going back for more. I made a few adjustments from the original recipe that I found, but it still turned out awesome. You can have fun with the chicken to pasta ratio. Next time I think I will add more chicken to mine. My stomach is gurgling while typing this!

Here's what you need:

2 or 3 cooked chicken breasts, cubed

4 or 5 handfuls of whole wheat rigatoni

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed

8 oz chive and onion cream cheese

1 can (14 oz) of Italian style diced tomatoes, do not drain

shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper

 Preheat oven to 375. Cook the pasta according to directions. Combine in a large bowl cubed chicken, throughly drained spinach, cream cheese, can of tomatoes (do not drain), and the pasta (cooked and drained). Add a few dashes of salt and pepper to taste and stir it all up until consistent. Grease a 9 x 12in casserole dish and pour in the mixture from the bowl. Top casserole with shredded mozzarella cheese and cover with tinfoil. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. 

**The original recipe called for onions: About one cup of chopped onions, cook in the casserole dish on 375 for about 15 minutes with olive oil, then combine the onions with the rest of the ingredients in the bowl.

**I think one of the secrets to success was the cooked chicken. I baked two chicken breasts, coated in olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bake on 350 for 15 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the middle. 

Mini [Turkey] Meatloaves

I've never made a meatloaf before, and I wanted to try it out so bad! In order to make it a little more healthy, I used ground turkey. Although through research I've found that using ground turkey is equivalent to using super lean ground beef.  This recipe originated from Real Simple Magazine. It was so good! The secret is the cheddar cheese and horseradish. And also keeps well for left overs. Each loaf (if made with ground sirloin) contains 256 Calories, 11.6g of Fat, 28.5g of Protein, 11.6g Carbs, and 620g Sodium. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

You will need:

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs 

cooking spray

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup, divided

3 ounces white cheddar cheese, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 pound ground sirloin (I used ground turkey)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. While the breadcrumbs cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining ingredients. Shape into 6 (4x2 inch) loaves on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray [broiler pan may not be necessary if you use turkey since it is so lean]; spread 2 teaspoons ketchup over each.  Bake for 25 minutes or until done. I served mine with asparagus and mashed potatoes. 

**Toasting breadcrumbs make them sturdy, hearty, and nutty-tasting. 

**Omit horseradish for a sweeter meat loaf

**The diced cheese melts into pockets as the meat cooks. So amazing!!

Ramen Noodle Salad

This is an amazing side salad for the summer time. It also refrigerates nicely so you can have leftovers. It goes great with seafood! Nothing say summer like a good crab pickin'.

You will need:

2 packages of ramen noodles (any flavor)

1 package broccoli coleslaw mix

1/2 bunch of green onions, sliced

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

Break noodles into small pieces. Set aside 1 flavor packet for another use. Mix ingredients listed, noodles through almonds in a large bowl. In a small bowl or jar add 1 flavor packet, oil, vinegar, and sugar.  Shake until all is dissolved. Pour over coleslaw mix. Best is served the following day. 

Salad pictured here with our seafood feast featuring steamed crab, steamed shrimp, steamed clams, fried flounder, soft shelled crabs, chicken tenders, french fries, and hushpuppies. OH MY!!

**This is one of my mom's recipes. Enjoy!

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