homemade Rice-A-Roni with chicken

05/02/2012 by · Leave a Comment

Does anyone else love Rice-A-Roni as much as we do?

Whenever we buy a rotisserie chicken from the store to have for dinner one night, the next night’s leftovers are almost always paired with Rice-A-Roni.

But as much as I love it, I absolutely hate all the unnecessary stuff in the boxed mixes.

I don’t really know why it took me so long to decide to make my own from scratch… It’s such a simple, delicious meal, and you won’t miss the boxed stuff at all!

—-

This will be my last recipe post for a week or so, while we are on our little roadtrip down to Mexico… but I will hopefully get to post a bit while we’re on the road!

Maybe I’ll just show you all the In-N-Out we will end up eating on this trip? ;o)

I’m sure I will be having complete kitchen withdrawals by the time we get home and will be anxious to get right back into the swing of things!!

Homemade Rice-A-Roni with Chicken Recipe
adapted from Simply Scratch
serves 4-6

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup long-grain rice
1 cup broken spaghetti noodles
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2-3 cups cooked chicken

Directions:
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice & noodles and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are golden and the butter is fragrant.

Stir in the chicken stock and spices and bring to a boil. Stir in the chicken if it’s cold, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed.

Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for about 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork, taste for seasonings and serve!

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - dinner, recipes - kids, recipes - pasta ·

creamy stove-top mac & cheese for two

04/06/2012 by · 2 Comments

This easy, rich and creamy mac & cheese is a treat that is simple to throw together on a moments notice.

You know, like when the kids are finally asleep and you just want to crack open a bottle of wine and enjoy some yummy carbs in peace… Or something like that!

Of course you can double this recipe for 4-6 people, but if there’s only 2 of you sometimes and you’re anything like me… you will probably eat what you make, so why not help yourself out ahead of time!

This is one of my all-time favorite mac & cheese recipes.

I have a lot of favorites. And a lot of recipes.

But when I am craving a good, rich, homemade mac & cheese for myself… this is the recipe I turn to about 99% of the time!

I especially love the chicken stock in this recipe. There is just a little more… umami… in this recipe because of it. A rich savoriness and layer of flavor that you don’t usually find in mac & cheese.

It definitely makes this version stand apart! (Give it a try and let me know what you think!!)

creamy stove-top mac & cheese for two

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound penne or other short pasta
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 - 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups, or so, shredded cheddar cheese
  • pinch of dry mustard powder
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/8-1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne pepper, to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Boil the noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onions and sauté until soft and translucent.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly until lightly golden and smooth.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the chicken stock, starting with 1 cup, letting the sauce simmer and thicken. If it gets too thick for your licking, stir in a bit more chicken stock, but remember you are about to add some cream too!

Stir in the cream, spices and cheese until melted and smooth. Taste and add more seasonings if needed.

Toss with the noodles and serve immediately!

(You could, of course, throw this into a casserole dish at this point and bake it for a few minutes if you prefer a baked mac & cheese!)

http://sweetannas.com/2012/04/creamy-stove-top-mac-cheese-for-two.html

 

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - dinner, recipes - kids, recipes - pasta ·

fresh & hearty tomato pasta

04/02/2012 by · Leave a Comment

a.k.a. Spaghetti Without the Sauce!

I had a bunch of ripe tomatoes sitting on my counter and I needed to use them up before they went bad.

And with the week we’ve had with our little pneumonia boy, I just couldn’t do anything fancy…

(That reminds me, I want to apologize for the lack of posts lately and possibly for the next several days! Bjørn, my almost 3 year old, came down with pneumonia last week… we spent a few days in the hospital and we’re home now but he’s still recovering and it’s been a slow road. I am beyond exhausted and the kitchen is just not getting the attention it’s used to!)

Anyways, back to this pasta… I have been thinking about trying a fresh spaghetti sauce, instead of using a rich jarred spaghetti sauce, for quite a while and decided this was the perfect time.

And boy was it a winner!

I loved the lightness and brightness of this meal… it is a perfect way to enjoy a hearty winter dish in the spring or summer. We will definitely be having this again whenever we have fresh tomatoes!!

fresh & hearty tomato pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 lb noodles
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2-3 large tomatoes, chopped
  • fresh chopped basil
  • fresh chopped italian parsley
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Cook the noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large pan brown the ground beef and onions over medium-high heat until cooked through, seasoning with salt & pepper while they cook. Once the meat is cooked through, drain off any excess fat, if necessary.

Add in the olive oil and sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes for a few seconds before stirring in the oregano & tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes, allowing the tomatoes to sauté and break down a bit.

When the noodles are done, drain them well and toss them into the pan with the sauce. Stir well to coat and toss in the basil, parsley & cheese. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if needed. Serve with additional parmesan cheese, if you'd like!

http://sweetannas.com/2012/04/fresh-hearty-tomato-pasta.html

Filed Under: recipes, recipes - dinner, recipes - pasta ·
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