Italian Stuffed Pork Chops

I came up with this recipe because I just bought a bunch of cool stuff from the grocery store. K loved it! Not only did he eat his whole piece, he had half of another. He never eats that much! Guess this recipe is a keeper. Sorry the measurements are exact but I just do what looks right.

Italian Stuffed Pork Chops:

Boneless pork chops
Mozzarella cheese
Alfredo sauce
Bacon, uncooked
Onion, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
The following ingredients I used the kind that comes minced in a jar:
Shallots
Garlic
Basil
Oregano

Preheat oven to 350. Pound pork chops thin. Take a small amount of shallots, garlic, basil and oregano and rub into one side of the pork chop. Place a thin line of cheese on top of the seasonings and top that with a spoon of Alfredo sauce. Roll pork chop and wrap a piece of bacon around it, securing it with a tooth pick. Repeat with remaining chops. Place chops in a baking dish.

In a pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil and add mushrooms and onions. Cook till onions are tender. Top chops with mushrooms and onions and place in oven. Cook for 30-45 minutes or till chops are done.

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

A certain someone in my house doesn't like red sauce and I wanted to make a lasagna. After doing some research I found a delicious white cheese chicken recipe on Allrecipes. It's so good we both had seconds! I made two small lasagnas instead of one so I could omit the spinach in his. I wish it photographed better because it was absolutely incredible.

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

I cheated a little and used a jar of Alfredo sauce, but hey I was busy today! It was sooooooo good and creamy. I hope you like it, too.

Easy Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

Box of pasta (I chose Penne)
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar alfredo sauce (what ever brand you like)
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
Cheese (whatever you like- I used a three cheese blend)
Broccoli (optional)

Place chicken breasts in crockpot and top with salt, pepper and 1/2 of a can of cream of mushroom soup. Cook on high for 3-4 hours then shred chicken. Add jar of alfredo sauce, stir and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour. Cook pasta and top with meat mixture and cheese. Add broccoli if desired.

Chicken Tomato Pesto Pasta

I was in the mood for a chicken and pasta dish the other night. I found this recipe on Allrecipes and made a few modifications. Below is my version of the dish. I didn't really measure the ingredients when I was making it. I just eyeballed it as I went along ant the below measurements are an approximation. It makes a lot, too. Very nice for lunch the next day. :)

Chicken Tomato Pesto Pasta:

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning
Salt
Pepper
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp Basil Pesto
1 can diced tomatoes, Italian style
1 cup White Wine
Kalamata Olives, pitted
1/2 cup heavy cream
Red Pepper flakes (optional)
Box of Penne Noodles, cooked

Cube the chicken breasts and place in a dish. Lightly coat the chicken with olive oil and season with garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings. Cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes. (You can skip this step if pressed for time)

Heat skillet and add chicken cubes. Cook till no longer pink and juices run clear. Drain tomatoes and add to chicken along with cream, wine, red pepper flakes (if using), and olives. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Toss with pasta and serve.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is my variation for a very popular dish. The whole family enjoyed it. :)

Chicken Cordon Bleu:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 slices deli ham

4 slices mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper

1 can diced Italian style tomatoes

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Pound chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place one slice of cheese and two slices of ham and roll, securing with a tooth pick. Top with canned tomatoes and drizzle it with the evoo. Bake for 30-45 min or till done.

Ground Beef Ricotta Bake

Ground Beef Ricotta Bake:

1/3 box pasta
1 TBS margarine
1 pound lean ground beef
1 TBS minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 c. part skim ricotta
1 TBS dried basil
1 TBS dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 large tomato, chopped
4 TBS ketchup
1/2 c. part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. While waiting, brown ground beef. Drain. Add minced onion, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. After pasta is cooked and drained, add to an 8x8 square baking pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Mix 1 TBS of margarine into spaghetti. Spread in an even layer. Add ricotta to the ground beef in its skillet. Mix well. Spread beef and ricotta mixture evenly over spaghetti. Sprinkle basil, oregano, and rosemary over the top. Cover this layer with chopped tomatoes. Distribute ketchup evenly over tomatoes. Cover it all with the mozzarella cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Serves 4

Calories: 367.5
Fat: 21.2g
Carbohydrates: 20.1g
Protein: 23.1g

Eggplant Parmesan

I was looking for a non-breaded version and came up with this. It is very yummy but it takes a while to prepare.

Eggplant Parmesan:

1 eggplant, cut into 3/4 inch slices
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
8 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces ricotta cheese
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
4 cups pasta sauce

Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant slices with salt. Place slices in a colander, and place a dish underneath the colander to capture liquid that will sweat out of the eggplant. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix in egg and basil.

Rinse the eggplant in cold water until all salt is removed. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Place one layer of eggplant in the pan, brown each side. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, using additional oil if necessary.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish, evenly spread 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange a single layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce. Top the eggplant with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering process until all the eggplant and cheese mixture is used. Pour remaining sauce on top of layers, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbly.

Baked Chicken Parm

Baked Chicken Parm:

3 Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup French's Fried Onions
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup shredded cheese


Preheat oven to 350. Mix bread crumbs and fried onions in a ziplock bag. Add one piece of chicken to mixture and shake. Place chicken in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken. Bake for 30 min. Top with spaghetti sauce and cheese and bake for 10-15 min. I served it with green beans and a side of pasta. Enjoy :)

Servings Per Recipe: 3

Calories: 451.8
Total Fat: 11.2 g
Cholesterol: 147.0 mg
Sodium: 947.3 mg
Total Carbs: 22.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
Protein: 60.9 g

Stuffed Bell Pepper

I love bell peppers. Sometimes I get lucky and find the stoplight peppers (red, yellow, green) on sale at the store. Sometimes I omit the rice if I am watching my carbs. I also sometimes substitute the rice with French's Fried Onions.

Stuffed Bell Peppers:


1 lb lean ground beef
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 cup rice (I use boil-n-bag)
1 can Hunt's Diced tomato w/ Basil, Garlic, & Oregano
4 Bell Peppers (Green or Yellow are good, too)


Preheat oven to 350. Cook rice according to package directions. Brown meat with garlic, onion, soy sauce, Italian seasoning and half of the can of diced tomatoes. Drain fat.Cut off tops of bell peppers and stand upright in a oven safe baking dish. Fill with meat mixture. Cover peppers and cook in preheated oven for 15 min. Remove from oven and top peppers with remaining canned tomatoes. Cover and place in oven for 15 min. Remove and serve.



Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 420.4
Total Fat: 23.8 g
Cholesterol: 85.1 mg
Sodium: 1,053.7 mg
Total Carbs: 27.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.0 g
Protein: 23.2 g