Chicken Alfredo Bake

See original recipe on Spend with Pennies

On May 13, 2023 we made a six times recipe for a total of 2 - 9x12 pans and 8 - 9x9 pans.  This recipe was mostly successful.

We all agreed that the flavours of this dish were on point, but there are things we would change if we made it again.  Hopefully the notes below include all the changes we would make.

9 lbs of chicken breasts, cubed, cooked (an approximate.  We wanted more than the six lbs called for)

30 cups of short pasta, cooked al dente  (approximately 1800 gr)

9 cups mozzarella cheese (this is a guess.  We needed more than the 6 cups it called for)

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Alfredo Sauce

1½ cups butter

1¼ cups flour

10 cups milk

10 cups half and half

1 T salt

2 T Italian seasoning

¾ tsp pepper

1½ cups parmesan cheese

2 T minced garlic

Method

Melt butter. 
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. 
Add flour to create a roux, cook for approximately 2 minutes.

Mix in the milk and cream, whisking very often.
Stir in the salt, Italian seasoning, pepper and Parmesan.
Continue whisk over medium low heat until thickened and smooth.

Layer pasta, chicken, sauce, mozzarella and Parm in the pan.

Thaw in fridge for a day or two if the dish has been frozen.
375F covered with foil for 20 - 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Broil to brown the cheese.

Fresh Veggie Pasta

This pasta is faintly based on a recipe from Chef John

But almost none of the ingredients are the same:

I started with mostly cooked bacon (I keep it in the freezer).  I diced it fine and started frying it.

Next, diced onions and peppers were added - doing the blotting thing with the towel.

When they were cooked, in went the mostly cooked penne.

Coffee cream, frozen corn and fresh ground pepper went in next.

When the cream was mostly soaked into the penne, tomatoes, fresh basil and parsley were stirred in.

I forgot the parm.  I meant to parm.

*shrug*  It tasted really good without it.

Sausage Pepper Spaghetti

I adapted this recipe from a Catelli spaghetti box.  It is such a quick, easy meal!  Serves four.


Heat in a heavy sauce pan:
½ cup olive oil
½ tsp chili pepper flakes
1 tsp dried rosemary (a sprig or two fresh)
Cook for 15 minutes, strain and discard solids.


Meanwhile, prepare your favourite pasta - I used whole wheat spaghetti.


In a large skillet saute for five minutes:
The flavoured oil you just made
1 each sliced red, orange and yellow sweet peppers
1 diced length of farmer sausage (6 or 8 inches worth)

Add and saute briefly:
4 cloves of garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
A little lemon zest

Toss with spaghetti, garnish with Parmesan

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This recipe is adapted from a pasta-less recipe in Canadian Living's Rush Hour Cooking.  The Smaller One and I inhaled this.  The other two had reservations.  *rolls eyes*


Boil and chill your favourite pasta.  I think I used about three cups dried.

In the bottom of your large salad bowl, toss:
1 T minced fresh basil (I've been using freeze dried and I'm loving it)
2 T minced red onion
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half if they are larger
Feta cheese, diced (the original recipe said 2 oz.  I did not measure)
If you toss these together first, they will start making their own little yummy heaven.  The smell is so good.  I have a feta-ish (haha) for tomatoes, basil and feta.


Add to bowl:
1 chopped coloured pepper (yellow / orange are best for colour contrast)
1 chopped cucumber
People who enjoy olives may want to add ½ cup of black.  Shudder.


Salad Dressing (mix in a measuring up)
1 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
3 T fresh minced basil
1/3 cup olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
40 turns of the pepper mill
2 green onions, chopped
The dressing should resemble a runny pesto with all the yummy basil in it.


Take your now-chilled pasta from the fridge and toss it and the salad dressing with your veggies.  The ratio of veggies to pasta should be at least 1:1.

Enjoy.  This is seriously yummy. I'm telling myself not to run to the fridge to devour the leftovers.

Pasta Carbonara

We have this at least once or twice a month.  It's so quick.  Put your pasta on to boil when starting the onions.  They will be ready to serve at the same time.  I originally got this recipe off www.nestle.ca.

Pre-cooked bacon or ham
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can evaporated milk
1 lb spaghetti or linguine
1/3 c Parmesan cheese
3 T chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta as per usual.

Saute onion and garlic until softened (use bacon fat if you just cooked it).  Stir in evaporated milk.  ring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Add bacon or ham, heat through

Drain pasta and return to pot.  Stir in sauce, cheese, parsley.

Serve

Grandma's Hamburger Helper

Grandma used to make this when I lived with them in Outlook. I've made it ever since.

1) Brown some ground beef, drain (1 - 1½ lbs)

2) Add diced onions and celery

3) Stir in a can of diced tomatoes

4) Add water (I usually fill the tomato can as a measurement)

5) Dump in some of your favorite pasta. 

6) Bring to a boil then simmer until the pasta is done.

7) Stir in a package of onion soup mix 

8) Grate in some cheddar cheese

9) Stir

10) Serve 

Balsamic Angel Hair Pomodoro

I found this recipe shortly after I went on mat leave with Rebecca. Regis & Kelly were having some kind of contest that was being judged by famous chefs like Emeril. One of the top 5 was this recipe, which the contestant called Chicken Ben Conti. She named it after a football player, I think. A stupid name for an amazing dish.

4 - 5 vine tomatoes, seeded & diced
10 basil leaves, shredded or cut or whatever
1 red onion, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
5-6 strips of cooked bacon, chopped up
1 lb chicken breasts, cut in to nugget sized pieces
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
½ pkg of angel hair pasta
Parmesan

• Mix tomatoes, basil & vinegar in bowl
• Saute onion and garlic in olive oil, add to tomatoes
• Mix flour and Italian seasoning
• Dip chicken into beaten egg, then dredge in flour
• Start water boiling for pasta
• Fry chicken in a little olive oil until done, then set aside. Cover in foil or place in warm oven.
• Warm up bacon in frying pan
• Add tomatoes mixture to the bacon at the same time that you add the pasta to the water. They both want to be cooked for about 3 minutes.
• Drain angel hair, add to tomatoes, turn up the heat a bit and give 'er a couple more minutes. Toss well.
• Sprinkle Parmesan over the chicken. Serve the chicken on top of the pasta.