Slow Cooker Olive Garden Chicken Pasta

Source: themagicalslowcooker.com


1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, (1.5-2 pounds works fine)
16 oz. Olive Garden Italian dressing, (or any Italian dressing you like) Note- olive garden dressing is high in sodium and can be salty. Choose a lower sodium dressing if desired.
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper
8 oz. cream cheese

Add these items after cooking time is up:

16 oz. penne pasta, cooked according to package directions and drain well
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions
Add the chicken breasts to the slow cooker.
Pour over the Olive Garden Italian dressing and sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and pepper.

Place the cream cheese on top.
Place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 5-6 hours.
When the cooking time is almost done, start cooking the pasta on the stove top as directed on the package.
Shred the chicken with 2 forks. Drain the pasta and add to the chicken and sauce. Stir. Sprinkle over the remaining parmesan cheese.
 

*This is good! I don't use anywhere near 16 oz. of dressing - that would be so strong!  And thin!  I use closer 1/3 of the bottle.

Easy One Pan Creamy Chicken and Noodles

 Source: jamiecooksitup.net

Ingredients

2 Tb butter
1/2 C onion, diced
2 tsp garlic (bottled is fine)
2 C Half and Half
3 C chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 (16 oz) box medium shell pasta
1 1/2 C parmesan cheese
1 Tb fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried)
2 C rotisserie chicken, chopped
1 tsp parsley, dried is great

Instructions

Grab a large deep skillet and heat it up over medium high heat. Add the butter and allow it to melt. Add your onion and cook, just until he onions become wilted. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute or two more. You don't want the garlic to burn here, make sure it doesn't get too dark.
Add the Half and Half, broth, salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and add in your pasta. Give it all a nice stir to combine. Allow the pasta to simmer away, stirring occasionally, for about 7-8 minutes. Make sure you don't over cook it. We don't want soggy pasta, here. It's best left a bit "al dente" with some good texture to it. Also, it will have a little more time to cook as we add the other ingredients.
When the past is almost done, add the parmesan cheese, chicken, fresh rosemary. Stir it well to combine and allow it to heat through, just for a couple of minutes. The sauce will thicken up a bit with the addition of the cheese.
Quickly remove from the heat. Sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy.

*I really liked this - more than family.

Easy Grilled Chicken Thighs

 Source: ourbestbites.com

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• 3 tablespoons oil avocado oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Instructions

• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and trim off excess fat using a pair of kitchen shears. Place thighs in a bowl.
• Add all remaining ingredients to bowl.
• Use hands (food safe gloves work great here!) to mix everything together and massage seasonings into meat. At this point you can prepare to cook, or cover and chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
• Preheat outdoor grill to medium heat. Oil grates and then add chicken. Cook until char marks appear on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 175-185°. If desired, you can brush with a sauce of your choice in final minutes of cooking.
• While chicken is cooking, have a platter, dish, or baking sheet ready and enough foil to cover tightly. Remove chicken from grill and cover with foil immediately. Let rest for 15 minutes before opening and serving.

Notes

This recipe is batched for a large batch, using 3lbs boneless skinless thighs.  It yields about 8 servings.  For my family, this is a good amount for dinner, plus extras for a few meal prepped lunches after.  If you’d like to cook a smaller batch, use these measurements per 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs:

For every 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs:1/2 teaspoon kosher salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon garlic powder1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika1 tablespoon avocado oil (or oil of choice)1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon soy sauce1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Alternate cooking methods:

Oven:  Use convection if you have it.  cook at 425° for 25-30 minutes, until internal temp reaches 175-185°. 

Air Fryer: Cook at 400° for 14-16 minutes, flipping half way through until internal temp reaches 175-185°

Storage: Store cooked chicken in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.  Freeze individual portions in freezer bags for up to 2-3 months. Eat cold, or reheat gently in microwave or a skillet with a splash of water or broth to keep it moist. 

*My family thought this was fine - nothing great, but fine.  What I like is the idea of cooking chicken ahead of time and then using it throughout the week on salads, wraps, rice bowl etc. I definitely would like it better with chicken breast over thighs.  Going to keep my out for a better recipe, but same usage.

Copycat Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Source: Camille T.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240 grams
• ▢2 cups bread flour, 240 grams
• ▢2½ teaspoons salt, 15 grams
• ▢2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ▢1¾ teaspoons baking soda
• ▢20 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 284 grams
• ▢1¼ cups brown sugar, 265 grams
• ▢1 cup granulated sugar, 200 grams
• ▢2 large eggs
• ▢2 egg yolks
• ▢4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢4 cups chocolate chips, 680 grams
• ▢1 c. toffee bits

• Mix the two flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl then set aside.
• 
• Using an electric mixer, beat the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract.
  
• Stir in the flour mixture either by hand or on the lowest setting of an electric mixer.
  Stir in the chocolate chips and toffee bits. The dough will be thick, so use a sturdy spatula, clean hands, or keep the mixer on low to finish combining.
• 
• Use a ½-cup measuring cup as a rough guide, then adjust to 6 ounces using a kitchen scale for best results. The dough balls should feel hefty (almost the size of a baseball).
  

  Place the dough balls on a tray or plate and chill them in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours. (It’s much easier to portion the dough while it’s still soft, before chilling.)
  
• Place the balls of dough on a cookie sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.
  

I have tried these at all the temperatures and haven't landed on the perfect one.  375 degrees for 8 minutes is my best, but not perfect.

Next time I make these I want to use the scale for the flour and sugars. Maybe that will help.  Or use the bread flour.

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

 Source:  mom

1 T. yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. warm water
1/4 c. dry powdered milk
1 t. salt
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. oil
1 egg
3 1/2 c. flour

1 stick butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

Mix yeast and 1/4 c. warm water and set aside to dissolve.  Mix water, powdered milk, salt, sugar and oil together in the mixer.  Add yeast mixture.  Add egg and flour.  It will be too sticky to knead dough.  Let rise 1 1/2 hours.  Roll out into 12x8 rectangle.  Spread butter on dough.  Top with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll up the log, using the long side to roll.  Cut into 12 rolls.  Put in 11x14 pan.  Let double in size.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Top with icing.   

Icing:

2 T. butter, softened

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 t. vanilla

2 T. milk

Add more powdered sugar and milk as needed

These can be frozen - after cut into rolls, freeze.  When ready to bake them, take them out and let them thaw and rise - 4ish hours.  The fridge overnight also works. Then bake and top with icing.

Paul's Maca-hammy and Cheese

 Source:  Paul G.

1 lb. dry macaroni

1/2 c. butter

1/3 c. flour

4 c. milk

1 1/2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

1/2 t. garlic powder

1 t. dry mustard

4 c. shredded cheese (16 oz.) - mostly sharp cheddar with a little of others: parmesan, mozzarella, provolone etc.

1/2 lb. deli ham

Chives, finely chopped for garnish

Use butter to grease a deep 9x13 dish.  Use the remianing butter for recipe.  Bring a big pot of water to a boil and salt the water.  Cook macaroni until just under done.

Melt butter in separate pot and whisk in flour.  Cook 1-2 minutes - until bubbly.  Add milk and whisky out lumps.  Cook 5 minutes.

Stir in most grated cheese until melted.  Turn off heat.  Add nearly  cooked macaroni to cheese sauce.  Add ham.  Add salt and pepper as needed.  Put in 9x13 pan.  Add remaining cheese to the top.  Broil 2-3 minutes until golden.  Add chives and the end for garnish. 

*Enjoyed at Thanksgiving 2023 at Robb's house.  Delish!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispys

Source:  justsotasty.com

 

INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 10 oz bag mini marshmallows about 5 cups
½ cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispie cereal*
8 oz chocolate chips about 1 ⅓ cups*
2 teaspoons vegetable oil*

INSTRUCTIONS:
Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
In a large saucepan melt the butter, mini marshmallows and peanut butter together over low heat while stirring gently.
Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies.
Press the mixture into the pan (lightly spray your hands with non-stick cooking spray to avoid the mixture sticking to your hands).
Add the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate) to a medium-sized heatproof bowl. Microwave for 45-second intervals on medium power (not high or standard), stirring in between each burst.
Once almost melted, stir until smooth and stir in the vegetable oil.
Pour the chocolate over the top of the bars and let harden at room temperature (about 2 hours).

*I don't think this makes enough to cover the whole pan, I increase it to 1 2/3 cup chocolate chips and 3 teaspoons vegetable oil.