Lemon Basil Chicken

This recipe was sent in the mail. It was actually an advertisement from a mortgage company, but it had a recipe on the back. (great idea!) I guess if you're going to send advertisements and don't want it thrown in the trash on the way from the mailbox, throw a little recipe on the back and it gets a free pass.

It had some ingredients in it that I don't usually (have probably never) used and others that I thought were surprising in an Italian dish. I had to give it a shot. Well, turns out, it was great!

Something about sautéing garlic and mushrooms, and using fresh basil; it brought out the Italian Chef in me! It just had a fresh, light flavor which is always a nice change from marinara and alfredo sauce.

So go outside the box just a little and give this recipe a try. I hope you liked it like our family did!

1 T virgin olive oil

1 T minced garlic (fresh)

8 oz mushrooms (sliced)

1 lb chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, chunked)

1 t salt & pepper (each)

1/2 C white grape juice

3/4 C fresh lemon juice (4 lemons)

8 Roma tomatoes (chunked)

1/2 C fresh basil leaves (chopped)

1/4 C Asiago cheese (grated)

1 lb penne pasta (cooked)

In a large skillet, brown garlic and mushrooms in oil until golden brown. Add chicken chunks, salt, and pepper and cook until done, about 10 minutes. Add grape juice and simmer 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and tomatoes. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped fresh basil. Serve over pasta and top with Asiago cheese.

Now for my variations: I was worried it would be too lemon-y and didn't want Devin to immediately taste lemon. (Have I mentioned my husband who isn't a big fan of anything too out of the ordinary?) So I only used 2 lemons. I also didn't use all 8 tomatoes, but that's just me. I like tomatoes, just not tons of them. Also looking back I would have dished out my kids plates before adding the tomatoes. (they aren't tomato fans) One more thing: I couldn't find Asiago cheese at the store, so I just used Parmesan cheese and that tasted great too!

Bon Appetite!

Crock Pot Lasagna

This makes lasagna that much easier!

I sampled this recipe at Macey's grocery store. The kids loved it and figured using a crockpot sounded great!

{and I loved that you didn't have to boil the noodles}

1 lb ground beef

1 yellow onion chopped (I only did 1/2 onion and that seemed to be plenty)

2 cloves garlic smashed

1 29 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 16 oz cottage cheese

5 oz grated parmesan cheese

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

16 oz lasagna noodles (uncooked)

1 t dried oregano

Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in fry pan. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt & oregano. Cook until meat sauce if warm.

Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the crock pot. Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit) and top with a layer of the cheeses. Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheeses until all are used up.

Add 1/2 C water around outside edge of lasagna. Cover & cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Serves 6