Pinterest Recipe Review: Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles

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I LOVE Pinterest, especially for finding yummy new recipes! Seriously, if you haven't checked it out yet, request an invite for Pinterest soon.

This was one of the first recipes I found while browsing pins on other people's boards. I made a few changes (as I almost always do). This recipe said it served 4. I beg to differ. As my picture will show, this could easily feed 6.

What's Needed:
6 oz. extra-wide egg noodles
1 2- to 2-1/4-lb. purchased roasted chicken (I used chicken tenders that I had pre-cooked with a little bit of garlic and basil.)
1 cup frozen peas
1.5 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cups 2% milk
1/4 C. Plain Bread crumbs
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Snipped fresh thyme (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450. Bring 6 cups of salted water to boiling; add noodles. Cook 10 minutes or until tender; drain.

2. Remove chicken from bones. Shred chicken.

3. In saucepan, combine chicken, peas, garlic, and milk. Heat through. Cover and keep warm.

4.In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, 1/4 of the Parmesan, and butter.

5. Stir noodles and remaining Parmesan into hot chicken mixture. Heat and stir until bubbly.

6. Put in a 9x13 casserole dish (or divide into 4 small casserole dishes). Top each with the bread crumb mixture. Bake 5 minutes or until top begins to brown.

PointsPlus: 11
Husband's Grade: A

Inspired by: Better Homes and Gardens Recipe, as pinned on Pinterest

Converting a Rachel Ray Soup to Crockpot

I love this soup, but I did not want to come home on a Friday and immediately set to work on making this. To solve my problem, I converted the recipe to a crockpot recipe. Here's the recipe re-done for you. Enjoy!


What's Needed:

4 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 C. shredded carrots
1 dried bay leaf
Salt and black pepper
6 C. chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 C. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 package fresh gnocchi
1 C. frozen peas
Parsley

1. Place chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, nutmeg, egg, bread crumbs, and cheese. Combine chicken mixture with your hands, then roll into walnut-sized meatballs.

2. Add celery, onions, carrots, and bayleaf to crockpot.

3. Add chicken meatballs to crockpot.

4. Add chicken stock.

5. Cook for 7-8 hours on low.

6. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add gnocchi, peas, and parsley.

7. Allow to stand 5 minutes in crockpot to thicken up. Discard the bay leaf.

8. Ladle into bowls. Serves 8

Husband's Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 6

Taken from (and inspired by) Rachael Ray: Just in Time

Ham Mac & Cheese

Mac & cheese is one of my absolute favorite comfort foods. Ask my mom. When most brides are nervously pacing the halls of their home, I was scarfing down my mom's special, homemade mac & cheese.

Any time I see a recipe for mac & cheese, I need to try it. It's not a want--it's a need. I have to make it, mostly to compare it to my favorite family recipe. And while the old family mac & cheese is still my absolute favorite, this is definitely a close second. Leave yourself a lot of time for this one--it took about an hour start to finish. But boy, is it worth it!

What's Needed:
1 1/2 C. dried elbow macaroni (I used 3/4 C. macaroni and 3/4 C. wheat macaroni)
3 C. broccoli florets (I used frozen)
1 ham steak, cooked and then cubed
1 1/2 C. milk (fat-free to reduce points)
4 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 C. cubed Cheddar cheese
1/2 C. soft bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned)
1 T. butter or margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni according to package directions, adding broccoli and bell pepper for the last 2 minutes of cooking; drain.

2. While the macaroni is cooking, start your sauce. In a small saucepan, stir together milk, cornstarch, and black pepper. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add Cheddar cheese; stir until melted.

3. Add macaroni mixture and cooked ham steak to a very large bowl. Stir sauce into macaroni mixture. Spoon into an ungreased 9x13-inch baking pan.

4. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and butter. Uncover casserole; sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Bake about 15 minutes more or until bubbly and crumbs are lightly browned.

Makes 6 servings

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 9 (for 1/6 of the casserole)

Inspired by: Better Homes & Gardens: 9x13 The Pan That Can

Cheese Ravioli Lasagna

Easy and very tastey. This was a win all the way around!

What's Needed:

2 24 oz. jars pasta sauce with tomato and basil
12 oz. bulk Italian sausage
2 C. chopped tomatoes
1 15-oz. carton ricotta cheese
1/2 C. milk
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 9-oz. packages refrigerated light cheese-filled ravioli
1 1/2 C. shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375. Spread about 1/2 C. of the pasta sauce in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish. Set the remaining pasta sauce aside.

2. In a skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain off fat. Stir the remaining pasta sauce and chopped tomatoes into cooked sausage; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine ricatta cheese, milk, nutmeg; set aside.

4. Layer half of the uncooked ravioli over pasta sauce in baking dish. Spoon half of the sausag emixture over ravioli in dish; sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining ravioli; spoon ricotta mixture over ravioli and top with remaining meat sauce.

5. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes more or until heated through and ravioli is cooked. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, top with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Serves 10.

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 11

Inspired by: 9x13: The Pan That Can

Mac and Cheese

This was good. It would have been better had I not overcalculated the amount of milk needed. I ended up with a very soupy mac and cheese. I have adjusted the recipe accordingly. I must say--this was even BETTER as left-overs.

What's Needed:
1/4 stick butter (2 T.)
1 1/2 C. UNcooked macaroni
3 C. milk
3 C. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Microwave butter for 30 seconds or until melted.

2. Scrape the butter into the crockpot. Add macaroni, milk, cheese, salt, and pepper to the crockpot. Stir well.

3. Cover the crockpot. Cook on LOW for 3 hours.

Husband's Grade: B
PointsPlus: 11 (serves 4)

Inspired by Fix-It and Forget-It Kids Cookbook

Quick Lasagna

Very good, but needed more sauce. I made a change in the recipe for next time to use 2 jars of sauce instead of one.

What's Needed:
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
12-oz. package broad egg noodles
1 C. fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 C. shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 16 oz. jars of spaghetti sauce

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet. Set aside
2. Cook noodles and drain. Toss noodles with cottage, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses.
3. Mix together browned beef and 1 jar of spaghetti sauce.
4. Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker, plus 1/3 of the 2nd jar of spaghetti sauce.
5. Layer in half of the noodles. Repeat layers.
6. Cover. Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours.

Husband's Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 10 for 1/6 of the crockpot

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Summer Edition: Pasta Primavera

What's Needed:
1 tsp. olive oil
2 onions, finelly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green, red, or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced (I use frozen pepper strips instead of fresh)
1 medium cucumber, diced (or you can use zucchini)
1 C. coarsely chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 C. low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. parsley
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
3 C. hot cooked penne or medium pasta shells
1/3 C. shredded smoked provolone (or other smoked cheese)
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat hte oil. Saute the onions, garlic, bell pepper, and zucchini until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, salt, parsley, and oregano. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

4. Pour over penne, then stir in provolone and Parmesan.

Husband's Grade: C
PointsPlus: 6 points (1.5 C. pasta and veggies)

Inspired by: Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

Summer Edition: Chicken-Mozzarella Roll-Ups

This dish does take a bit of prep work, but the results are oh-so delish!

What's needed:
2 T. olive oil
1/3 C. chopped onion
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half
6 mozzarella cheese slices
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 T. dry sherry (or chicken broth)
1/2 C. fine dry bread crumbs
3 T. grated Romano cheese
3/4 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp. onion salt
3 T. butter, melted
1 can pasta sauce (your choice)

1. Preheat oven to 3 75. Grease a 9x13 baking pan; set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Set aside.

3. Place each chicken breast half in a ziploc bag. Using the flat side of a meat mallet and working from the center out, pound each half lightly into a rectangle about 1/8 in. thick. Remove from ziploc bag.

4. Brush tops of chicken breast with the remaining olive oil. On the 'boned-side' of each breast half, place a slice of mozzarella cheese and some of the cooked onion.

5. In a small bowl, combine garlic powder and pepper; sprinkle evenly over cheese and onion on the chicken breast.

6. Roll each piece of chicken breast into a spiral, pressing the edges to seal. Brush the chicken with sherry.

7. Combine bread crumb,s Romano cheese, oregano, and onion salt. Roll chicken roll-ups in bread crumb mixture to coat. Place in prepared pan. Drizzle with melted butter.

8. Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

9. While chicken is cooking, heat the pasta sauce.

A great side with this dish is hot fettuccine.


Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 6 (without the fettuccine).

Inspired by: 9x13 The Pan That Can

Summer Edition: Rotini Chicken Casserole

This was a really good dish, and took practically no time to prepare. This is another dish that, during the school year, I would make ahead the night before so that all the prep work was done.

What's Needed:
2 3/4 C. uncooked tricolor rotini or sprial pasta
3/4 C. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. olive oil
3 C. cubed cooked chicken breast
1 can (10 3/4 oz) reduced-fat, reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 1/2 C. fat-free milk
1 package (16 oz.) frozen Italian-blend vegetables
1 C. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
2 T. minced fresh parsley
1 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
2/3 C. crushed cornflakes

1. Cook pasta. Drain, place in bowl.

2. While waiting for pasta to cook, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender.

3. Add to pasta: onion mixture, chicken, soup, milk, frozen vegetables, cheese parsley, thyme, and salt.

4. Pour into 9 x 13 pan that is sprayed with Pam. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with cornflakes. Bake UNcovered, 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Servings: 8

Husband's Grade: B+
PointsPlus: 7 for 1 1/3 C. serving

Inspired By: Everyday Light Meals

Spaghetti Pie

This is what's left of dinner tonight. Everyone loved it :) What could be better than spaghetti and meatsauce in pie form?

What's Needed:
4 oz. dried spaghetti
1 T butter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. ground beef
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/2 C. chopped green sweet pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 C. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Cook spaghetti; drain. REturn spaghetti to hot saucepan and keep warm.

2. Stir butter into hot pasta until melted. STir in egg and Parmesan cheese; set aside.

3. In a medium skillet, cook ground beef, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic over medium heat until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. STir in tomato sauce and oregano; heat through.

4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. Press spaghetti mixture onto bottom and up sides of pie plate. Sprinkle with 1/2 the mozzerella cheese on the bottom and up the sides of the pasta crust. Spread meat mixture over the cheese. Sprinkle top with more cheese.

5. Bake in a 350 oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubly and heated through. To serve, cut into wedges.

Husband's Grade: B
PointsPlus: 8 points per wedge

Inspired by: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Coq au Vin

What a beautiful dinner this turned out to be. I highly suggest serving it with egg noodles. I served it with wheat penne. It was still good, but I think egg noodles would be better.

What's Needed:

4 slices turkey bacon
1 1/2 C. frozen pearl onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C. dry red wine
3/4 C. fat-free chicken broth
1/4 C. tomato paste
3 T. flour

1. Cook bacon. Crumble after cooking.

2. Layer ingredients in slower cooker: onions, crumbled bacon, garlic, thyme, pepper, chicken, wine, and broth.

3. Cover. Cook on LOW 5-6 hours.

4. Remove chicken and vegetables. Cover and keep warm.

5. Ladle 1/2 C. liquid into bowl. Turn slow cooker to high. Cover.

6. Mix removed liquid, tomato paste, and flour until smooth.

7. Return mixture to slow cooker. Cover. Cook 15 minutes or until thickened.

Husband's Grade: C (I thought it was about a B)
PointsPlus: 6

Inspired by: Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Kitchen Sink Soup

As I was flipping through my many cookbooks, I came across a recipe that I really wanted to try. Unfortunately, I had only a few of the ingredients, so this is one of the first recipes I've done totally off the cuff! (Read--I'm very excited about this). This would also make a GREAT Lenten meal, for those that don't eat meat on Friday.

What's Needed:
1 can (15 oz) light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) sliced stewed tomatoes
1 small onion
1 C. frozen carrots
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1 small bag of small red potatoes, cubed
2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 C. water
1/4 pound uncooked penne pasta
Parmesan cheese

1. Combine beans, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, leeks, carrot, green beans, sage, salt, and pepper in crockpot. Add water. Stir well to combine. Cover; cook on HIGH 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Turn crockpot to LOW. Cook covered 8 hours longer. Stir occasionally.

2. Turn crockpot to HIGH. Add pasta. Cover; cook 30 minutes or until pasta is done.

3. To serve, garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings
Husband's Grade:B
WW Points:

Inspired by: Crockpot: The Original Slow Cooker

Chicken 'Fettuccine'

I haven't posted in a while--we've been eating the frozen left-overs of my steady cooking. Good news is--they're just as good the second time around ;)

What's Needed:
1 T. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 C. cooked chicken, cut in strips
1 can condensed broccoli cheese soup
1 C. milk
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
3 C. hot cooked fettuccine

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook garlic in butter 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Stir in chicken, soup, milk, and cheese. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. To serve, pour over fettuccine; toss to coat.

Husband's Rating: A
PointsPlus: 10 (1 1/4 C. serving)

Inspired by: Treasury of Campbell's Recipes

Italian Chicken with Pasta

What's Needed:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 9-oz. package frozen green beans
1 small onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 14.5 oz. can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 6 oz. can Italian-style tomato paste
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. fettuccine, cooked and drained
3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cut chicken into 1-in. pieces; set aside.

2. Place green beans and onion in the crockpot. Place chicken on top of vegetables.

3. In small bowl, combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Pour over chicken.

4. Cover; cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 2.5-3 hours. Serve over hot cooked fettuccine. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Husband Rating: A
PointsPlus: 10 (1 chicken breast, 1.5 oz. fettuccine, and small ladle of sauce)

Inspired by:
Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

Chicken Parmesan

I decided I had the time and the energy to make a meal on the stovetop :)



What's Needed:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. dry bread crumbs (Italian style work best)
2 T. butter
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 T. Parmesan cheese
1 C. Mozzerella cheese
Spaghetti and spaghetti sauce (any brand) as a side

1. Dip each chicken breast into egg; coat with bread crumbs

2. Put butter into a large skillet on medium-high heat. Wait to add chicken until butter is melted.

3. Add chicken. Cook chicken 10 minutes on both sides. Place chken on a baking pan. Add mozzerella cheese to each chicken breast. Top that with one tomato slice. Sprinkle the top of the tomato with parmesan cheese.

4. Position baking pan in broiler so top of chicken is 6 inches from heat. Broil 5 minutes or until topping is hot and bubling.

5. Place chicken on top of a bed of spaghetti topped with sauce. Serves 4.

Husband Rating: B- (He's not a fan of chicken parmesan)
PointsPlus: 8 for the chicken, 6 for the spaghetti and sauce

Chicken with Peas, Prosciutto and Cream

A crockpot recipe in three parts. Luckily, the other two parts don't take a whole lot of time, so this could easily be done on a workday. It was absolutely delicious!

What's Needed:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and black pepper, to taste
5 oz. prosciutto, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 C. dry white wine
1 package (10 oz) frozen peas
1/2 C. heavy cream
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
4 C. farfalle (bowtie) pasta, cooked al dente

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place in crockpot with prosciutto, onion, and wine. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 1/2 to 4 hours or on LOW 8 to 10 hours, until chicken is no longer pink in center.

2. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add frozen peas and heavy cream to crockpot.

3. Remove chicken. Carve meat and set aside.

4. Combine cornstarch and water. Add to crockpot. Cover; cook on HIGH 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened.

5. Put pasta on plates. Place chicken on top of pasta. Top with sauce.

Husband Rating: A+

PointsPlus: 12 for 3/4 C. pasta, 1/2 chicken breast, and sauce.

Inspired by:
Crockpot: The Original Slow Cooker
Chicken Cookbook

Another Oven Meal: Three-Cheese Chicken and Pasta Bake

Did a lot of 'sprucing' up to this recipe. The result was yummy!

What's Needed:
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 can Campbell's condensed Broccoli Cheddar Soup
3/4 C. milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C. frozen broccoli
6 cups cooked mostaccioli
2 T. grated Parmsean cheese
2 T. dry bread crumbs
1 T. butter, melted
Fresh tomato slices for garnish (I used about 1/2 a medium tomato)

1. In large bowl, mix together soup, milk, and pepper. Stir in mozzarella cheese. Add mostaccioli, broccoli, and chicken and stir to coat. Put mixture into a 2 quart baking dish.

2. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over mixture. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle crumb mixture over the cheese.

3. Bake a 375 F. for 35 minutes. Top with fresh tomato slices.

Husband Rating: A

PointsPlus: 9

Inspired by: Treasury of Campbell's Recipes