Tortellini Soup

It was supposed to snow yesterday. Everyone said it was going to snow. When I made the menu last week I put down tortellini soup for Wednesday because it was going to snow and nothing is better on a snowy day than hot soup for dinner. It never snowed. I still made the soup and it was delicious but it would have been better with some snow. 

I love tortellini! I love pasta in general but it's extra good when stuffed with cheese or the like. Yum! Is there anything better than tortellini? I think not! When I came across this recipe I knew I had to make it simply because it had tortellini and I have a slight obsession with tortellini. Mmm!

Tortellini Soup by The Well-Fed Newlyweds

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 whole small onion, minced
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 qt low-sodium chicken broth
• 15oz can of whole tomatoes
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 9oz tortellini (fresh or frozen)
• 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Cook until the onion is softened and the garlic has turned light gold, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the oregano, broth, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. (You can break up the tomatoes with your fingers as you add them to the pot, or break them up with a spoon once you’ve added them to the soup.)
3. Bring the soup to a boil and add the tortellini. Cook according to the package directions.
4. One minute before the tortellini are done, add the spinach. Stir to combine.
5. When the tortellini are cooked, remove the pot from the heat immediately so they do not overcook. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
6. Serve the soup immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Pantry Pasta for Two

Another one of Pioneer Woman's delicious pasta recipes! This past week I was in the mood for pasta so on the menu for this week is 3 pasta dishes (technically 4 if you count the tortellini soup). This cold weather we have been having has made me crave comfort food and what better comfort food than pasta? I decided to give this a whirl and we enjoyed it last night at dinner. My favorite part was the olives, next time I am adding a bunch more because I am an olive lover. We ended up cubing the chicken after it was cooked to make it easier for the kids to eat (we used more than 2 pieces). I think I prefer it this way, though I have nothing to compare it to so what do I know!

Pantry Pasta for  Two by The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ whole Red Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (14.5 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
• ⅓ cups Assorted Olives, Pitted And Roughly Chopped
• ⅓ cups White Wine
• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Pounded To Even Thickness
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• ½ pounds Linguine, Cooked Al Dente And Drained
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Directions

1. Heat medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil. When warm add diced red onion and stir. Cook slowly for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, then stir and cook for one minute. Pour in diced tomatoes with their juice. Add chopped olives. Stir and cook for a minute or two. 
2. Splash in wine, then stir and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While sauce is cooking, sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper over the chicken breasts. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a separate skillet. Cook on both sides until golden brown and done. Set aside. 
4.  Toss cooked linguine in olive oil and arrange on a small platter. Spoon 3/4 of the sauce over the pasta. Place chicken on top, then spoon remaining sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle on grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Is there a pasta dish by Pioneer Woman that I do not love? I highly doubt it! When it comes to pasta, Ree knows her stuff! I think my obsession with her pasta dishes come from an obsession of fatty products (butter, heavy cream & wine!). It's not a PW recipe if it does not contain butter! 

Growing up in an Italian family pasta was pretty much a novelty. We had pasta at least twice a week and always on the holidays (along with an assortment of meat). But the kicker is, I dont really like "pasta". Sure, I love noodles (carbs anyone?) but when it comes to the sauce, I am not a huge fan. Not only do I not really care for the sauce, the smell is almost nauseating to me. So I avoid pasta usually because that marinara smell does not my mouth water. I dont enjoy homemade sauce, nor do I enjoy the jarred stuff.

This dish however is delicious, its like pasta for grown-ups, except my kids love it to! I could live on this pasta, it's that delicious (as are all her other pasta dishes). What makes it so different? The butter, the cream, and the lack of thick, pasty, tomato sauce. 

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce by The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
• Fresh Basil, Chopped
• 1-½ pound Fettuccine (I used penne in the picture but have used fettuccine in the past)

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

One of my most favorite things to eat at college were the buffalo chicken wraps. The actual cafeteria food was less than desirable but in the student center there was this place to order food that we called the crack shack. You could buy all types of snack food and drinks but they also made food, mostly teenager food (hamburgers, french friends, chicken tenders, philly cheese steaks, ect). Their buffalo chicken wraps were a favorite and I am pretty sure I ate one almost every day. I would rotate between the buffalo chicken wraps and the chicken cesear wraps, so yummy! 


It's been a while since I was out of college so I was looking for an old time favorite to make at home. I came across this recipe on eating well and decided to try it out. Holy goodness! Beware though, it's incredibly spicy! My mouth was on fire after eating this delicacy.


Buffalo Chicken Wraps by EatingWell.com
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 large tomato, diced

Directions

1. Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well.
3. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese.
4. To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce and top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery and tomato. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl and roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I've had this recipe for a few years but cant recall where exactly I got it from. Its really delicious and easy to make! I love chicken cordon bleu but sometimes I dont have enough time on a weeknight to put it together. This casserole taste just like it but is a lot quicker and easy to do after working all day. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Ingredients

•  2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into chunks
• Bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 8oz swiss chesse, cubed
• 8oz ham, diced
• 1 can cream of chicken soup

Directions

1. Whisk together the egg and 1/2 cup of milk. Dip chunks of chicken into egg mixture, then into bread crumbs, coating well. Brown in a little oil until golden.
2. Place chunks in baking dish, add cubes of swiss cheese and diced ham.
3. Mix cream of chicken soup with 1 cup of milk; mix well and pour over. Bake about 30 minutes at 350 F or until tender and bubbly.