Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole

My hubby always teases he will only eat broccoli if it's slathered in cheese. Well his wish was granted when I stumbled upon this recipe from skinnytaste.com. Have you ever been to this website? It's one of my favorites to go to when planning our weekly menu. You just can't beat a delicious meal loaded with flavor, and the fact that it's healthy too? Count me in!

Chicken and Broccoli Noodle CasseroleSkinnytaste.com
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Ronzoni Smart taste noodles (or no-yolk)
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1-3/4 cups fat free chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 12 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
• 4 oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar (Sargento)
• cooking spray
• 3 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs (whole wheat)

Directions:

Cook noodles in salted water until al dente, or slightly undercooked by 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook on medium heat until golden, about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and a little salt, sauté and cover the broccoli for about 3 minutes on medium heat until the broccoli begins to soften. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly spray a 9 x 12 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low heat, when melted add the shallot and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and a pinch of salt and stir well, cooking an additional 2-3 minutes on medium-low heat.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until well combined over medium heat; whisk well for 30 seconds, then add the milk and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium heat, mixing occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes). Remove from heat and add reduced fat sharp cheddar and 1 tablespoon of the parmesan cheese; mix well until the cheese melts.
Add the shredded chicken, noodles and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.

Pour into a casserole dish and top with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes. Place the casserole under the broiler a few minutes to get the crumbs crisp and golden (careful not to burn).

Calories: 313 
Fat: 9.9 g 
Protein: 27.2 g 
Carb: 31.2 g 
Fiber: 4.4 g 
Sugar: 2.6 g
Sodium: 256.7 mg (without salt)

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

This was a really simple meal that came together quickly. I really liked it because it didn't have too much tomato (too much tomato, especially in a sauce, tends to give me bad heartburn), it had a nice crusty top, and the parsley made it taste so fresh. 

photo by food network

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

from Giada de Laurentiis

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)

1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 

Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish (I used a casserole dish). In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

my little cooking partner

Let me introduce you to my cooking partner, Bailey. She is always by my side as soon as I put my apron on. Little Bails will drop anything, and I mean even drop chewing on the big dogs' bones, to come join me in the kitchen. I like to think she's there for moral support but really, she's probably just waiting for me to drop some crumbs on the floor for her to scoop up!

Anyway, with Bailey by my side the other night, I found a Chicken Tikka Masala recipe that I had thought sounded delicious. Well, if you like spicy foods, you'll love this recipe. It was loaded with flavor. I kicked back the heat a ton, but unfortunately it was still too spicy for my husband so I was the only one enjoying this meal that night.
Chicken Tikka Masala (makes 4 servings)
recipe from Blogchef.net

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite sized pieces)
4 long wooden skewers (soaked overnight in water)
¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
Marinade-
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (I used 1/2 tsp)
2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (minced)
4 teaspoons salt (or less, to taste)
Sauce-
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 jalapeño pepper (finely chopped)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoon paprika (I used between 1 - 1.5 tsp)
2 teaspoons salt
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream

• In a large bowl mix yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, ginger, and salt. Add chicken bits and mix well, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. After 1 hour thread chicken bits onto skewers. Discard the marinade.

• Lightly oil grill grates and pre-heat the grill to high heat. Put chicken onto the grill and cook until juices run clear (about 5 minutes on each side).

• In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño peppers and sauté for 1 minute. Add 2 teaspoons of cumin, paprika, and 2 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and heavy cream. Bring to a boil while stirring reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Add grilled chicken to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with white rice and garnish with cilantro.