Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

This is the perfect summer meal...light, low-fat and delicious. Just feels good on a hot day and doesn't leave you feeling too heavy...The whole family gave this meal a 'thumbs up!'

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
Courtney Horan


3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
2 cups roasted broccoli florets (To oven roast broccoli, spread on a foil lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Using hands, toss the broccoli and oil to ensure an even coating. Sprinkle with kosher salt and ground pepper. Bake on 425 for 15-20 minutes.)
8 ounces fettuccine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup plain FAGE Total 0% greek yogurt  
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan.

Add cooked chicken and broccoli to sauce mixture, followed by the cooked pasta. Toss to combine and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

This pasta dish is heavenly. It looks fancy, tastes amazing and the kids love it. It's a nice meal to serve when you have guests over...and it's easy as can be to put together!

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

Kate Jones & Sara Wells

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 oz. bowtie pasta (a little more than 3 cups) 

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup pesto (I just buy it for a faster meal, but you could make your own if desired)

1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

2. Place tomatoes and mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss with your fingers, making sure everything is coated. Sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt and black pepper. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until tomatoes look plump and some of the skins start to split.

3. When the water comes to a boil, add 2 tsp Kosher salt and pasta to the water and cook according to package directions. 

4. While the pasta is cooking, place the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir frequently until the nuts turn golden brown and look slightly glossy, about 7-9 minutes. 

5. To assemble, toss the hot drained pasta with pesto and Parmesan cheese. Top with tomatoes and mushrooms and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and additional Parmesan cheese if desired. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

Having guests for dinner? Whip up this delicious pasta, pair it with a yummy salad and some garlic bread or rolls and you've got a meal that tastes like you've slaved all day in the kitchen...A big hit with kids and adults alike!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

16 oz Mostaccioli Pasta, cooked as directed.

1 jar White Ragu Classic Alfredo pasta sauce (mixed with 1/2 cup water)

8-12 oz Swiss Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup diced ham or candian bacon

2 cups cooked chicken, diced (about 1 1/2 lbs frozen chicken)

3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (1/2 lb)

3 bunches green onions, chopped

8 oz package fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 small can sliced olives

Mix together and put in greased 9X13 pan. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Tomato Macaroni Soup

A combination between pasta and soup, this healthy meal is something the whole family will love! It's a sweet tomato flavor that will leave you coming back for seconds. Perfect comfort food for a fall night.

Tomato Mac

Cook 1 1/3 cup elbow macaroni until slightly undercooked (al dente) and set aside.

In a large soup pan mix the following ingredients:

1 large (32 oz.) can tomato juice and then a half can of water

1 ½ t. dried parsley flakes

1 t. chili powder

½ c. sugar

2 T butter

½ c. Catalina light dressing

1 pound browned ground beef (salt and pepper to taste)

Heat the above and add cooked macaroni last. Simmer until macaroni is warmed.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Light, refreshing...perfect as a side dish or as your whole meal on one of these last (sniff, sniff) hot summer nights...Especially good with yummy rolls. Note: This makes A LOT of salad...I usually half the recipe for my family and it is still oodles...

Chicken Pasta Salad

Bunni Miller

-2 packages (12 oz) corkscrew colored pasta or rainbow twirls, cooked according to package directions.

-1 envelope Ranch dressing mix, made according to package directions. (Include the 30 minute stand time to allow to thicken.)

-4 cooked chicken breasts, cut up

-1 small can (2 1/4 oz) sliced black olives

-10 oz green peas, left frozen

-2 medium tomatoes, diced

Mix together all above ingredients. Add salt and pepper and lots of garlic salt to taste.

*Best if made the day before or at least several hours before eating.* (I am almost never that on top of it...It is fine served immediately too...)

Mushroom Alfredo

This is a family favorite...My six-year-old requests it on a regular basis. I make this often when I am taking a meal into a family. Add a green salad and some garlic breadsticks and it makes a delicious (and easy!) meal...

Mushroom Alfredo

Susan Eyre

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped green onions

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp flour

8 oz. can of mushrooms ( I use fresh...)

2 cups whipping cream (warmed)

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 lb fettucini

Melt butter on medium heat. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper until tender. Stir in flour and cook one minute. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated. Gradually stir in warmed cream and cheese. Stir constantly until it boils. Cook until thickened.

Lemon Cream Pasta

Do you love lemon pasta, but most recipes are just a little too dry? Or do you think the sound of lemon pasta sounds odd (like I did when I first heard of it)? Well, lucky that you checked this blog today, because this recipe is AWESOME!

Note: The lemon garlic chicken needs to marinate overnight, but if you don't think about it until it is too late, you can make the pasta alone without the chicken and it is still awesome.

Lemon Cream Pasta
(found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

3 cups shredded lemon garlic chicken (recipe below)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cans (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 package tube pasta (rigatoni or penne)
2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cups parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:
*Season broth with garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice and pasta.
*Cook over medium heat, stirring occassionally, until all liquid is absorbed - about 25 minutes.
*Stir chicken into pasta along with cream, parmesan cheese, and lemon zest.
*Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes.
*Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
*Stir thouroughly before serving.

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Lemon Garlic Chicken
Juice of 1 lemon (which will get you approximately 3 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2 medium cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound chicken breasts (cut into thinner/smaller pieces)

Combine all marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and place in fridge OVERNIGHT. Grill (or cook in frying pan).

Pad Thai

We have loved Thai food since we frequented a little hole-in-the-wall Thai place during our first few years of marriage in Provo, Utah. The hubs is usually the Thai cook at our house, but when I solicited some recipes from a friend so I could make a gluten-free recipe for some out of town guests, she sent me this...and we fell in love! Since this was initially a GF recipe, you can use rice noodles if you desire. Our family has opted for linguine instead. Note: peanuts (dry roasted are tasty) and lime add A LOT to this recipe. We also serve it over white rice.

Pad Thai

(Whitney Archibald)

13 oz box linguine...Cooked as package directs, drained and set aside.
(Or 12 oz dried rice noodles, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained.)

4 Tbsp Oil
1 lb. medium shrimp (You can cut them into 1 inch pieces if desired...I don't)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 Tbsp peanuts, chopped (I personally like to go heavy on the peanuts...)
red pepper flakes
green onions
lime slices

Directions:
In a hot wok (or a large frying pan) heat 1 Tbsp oil and add shrimp. Cook until pink. Add garlic and toss; cook 30 seconds. Remove. Lower heat to medium-high and add 1 Tbsp oil to wok. Once hot, add eggs and stir until curds form. Add to shrimp. Add 2 remaining Tbsp oil to wok. Once hot, add noodles. Cook while stirring, two to three minutes. Push noodles to side of pan. Add sugar and fish sauce. Once sugar dissolves, mix with noodles. Add bean sprouts and shrimp mix. Garnish with pepper flakes, peanuts, green onions, and lime slices.