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Pizza Dip

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Any time I make this dish, I get numerous requests for the recipe.  It is a true crowd pleaser. What could be better? Pizza, but in a dip! Make this and please the folks at your next get together.  ~Kathy

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Ingredients: 

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. onion powder

12 – 15 pepperonis, chopped

½ c. pizza sauce

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

2 T. sliced black olives

1 green onion, sliced

Instructions:

Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl. Spread into a small baking dish. Top with chopped pepperonis, pizza sauce, cheese and black olives.

Bake at 350˚F for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and bubbly around the edges. Top with green onions.

Serve with garlic bagel crisps or garlic parmesan pretzel crisps.

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Monterey Chicken

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Posted by Erin

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie… a classic in many restaurants and diners, Monterey Chicken is always a favorite.  It’s so easy to make, there’s no reason you shouldn’t enjoy it at home as well!  This is one of the first dishes I made when Albert and I were newlyweds… or at least one of the first successful dishes.  It’s still on the menu at our house quite often, 14 years later.  It’s a quick and easy meal for a busy night, especially if you have the bacon precooked.  I keep cooked bacon in my freezer all the time (We love bacon!) but, if you don’t have any on hand, you can easily substitute 1 T. pre-packaged real bacon bits per chicken breast.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 6 (approx. 4 ounce each) boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded 1-inch thick
  • 1 tsp. each of cumin, garlic salt, onion powder, and smoked paprika
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 6 T. barbecue sauce
  • 6 thin slices Colby-Jack cheese (such as Sargento Ultra Thin)
  • 6 slices center cut bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled
  • 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
  • 1 green onion, chopped

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Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large oven-safe skillet.

Season chicken breasts with cumin, garlic salt, onion powder, and paprika.

Brown the chicken in the skillet for 3 or 4 minutes on each side until no longer pink; remove from heat.

Top each chicken breast with 1 T. barbecue sauce, 1 slice cheese, and 1 slice crumbled bacon.

Sprinkle evenly with chopped tomatoes and green onions.

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake about 5-8 minutes, until cheese is fully melted.

WW Info.:  6 servings (Each loaded chicken breast is one serving.)

Freestyle points: 5

Old points:  6

Ramen Noodle Salad

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My boys were fortunate enough to go to daycare in the home of a wonderful woman.  Brenda taught them how to tie their shoes and to love foods they wouldn’t otherwise have tried.  If only she could have taught them to take long naps…but, alas, no one could manage that.  One of those foods was what the boys referred to as Ramen Noodle Salad. It’s now a favorite at picnics and family gatherings. ~Tracy

Ramen Noodle Salad Pic 2Ingredients for Salad:

  • 1 bag cole slaw mix
  • 3 to 4 green onions, sliced
  • 2 T. shelled sunflower seeds or toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 pkg. beef Ramen noodles (seasoning and noodles are used separately)

Ingredients for Dressing:

  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • seasoning packet from beef Ramen noodles
  • 2 T. sugar
  • 3 T. white vinegar
  • ½ c. vegetable oil

Instructions: 

Pour cole slaw mix into large mixing bowl.  Add onions and sunflower/sesame seeds. Stir to combine.

In small bowl or a large measuring cup, combine the seasoning packet from the noodles, salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, and oil.  Mix well.  An easy way to perform this step is to place all of the dressing ingredients into a mason jar; seal it tightly and shake well.

Pour the dressing over the cole slaw mixture and stir to combine.

Crush the dry Ramen noodles into small pieces.  Sprinkle crushed noodles* over the slaw mixture and gently fold them in so they’re mixed throughout but not pulverized — you’ll want them to remain intact for the crunch factor.

*If preparing ahead of time, be sure to avoid soggy noodles by adding them to the salad right before serving.

Spicy Italian Chicken & Artichoke Pasta

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All four of us love spicy food, and if you do too, you’ll know how annoying it is that most things marked “spicy” in restaurants are really fairly bland.  After many frustrating Italian restaurant visits (thank goodness for Tiramisu), my husband and I decided to come up with our own perfect pasta.  He tinkered in the kitchen, ending up with a hybrid of some favorite Italian dishes. This creamy, savory pasta is serious comfort food.  And the best part is, we can set some aside for the kids — or guests with low-spice-tolerant palates — and (cayenne!!!) pepper our portions to our hearts’ content.  ~Robin 

Ingredients for Chicken Mixture:

  • 4-6 chicken tenders, depending on size, diced
  • 1/4 cup canned sliced mushrooms, drained (we use Giorgio)
  • 1/2 cup dry, julienned sun dried tomatoes (thoroughly rinsed if packed in oil)*
  • 1 15-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained, then quartered  
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 2 cloves minced fresh garlic (could use jarred garlic, but we prefer fresh)
  • 3 T. butter

Ingredients for Sauce:

  • 1 15-oz. jar roasted garlic Alfredo sauce (We use Classico)
  • 1 ½  cups finely shredded parmesan cheese
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • ¼ to ¾ tsp. of cayenne pepper, aka “red pepper” (depending on heat preference)
  • 8 oz. farfalle (bowtie pasta) — half the box of Barilla that we usually use
  • 3-4 sliced green onions

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*The Bella Sun Luci sun-dried tomatoes pictured here are strongly recommended…far superior to those packed in oil both in terms of mess and flavor as far as we’re concerned, but if you’ve found a favorite that’s in oil, that’ll do too!  We normally do fresh garlic, but this is the jarred brand we use if the pantry is lacking the fresh variety.  If you’ve never bought fresh garlic, it keeps much longer than you’d think.

Instructions:

Prepare farfalle per box instructions.

In a small pot, put all sauce ingredients on low heat, stir occasionally while preparing chicken portion (be sure not to let it stick).  

In a large skillet heat butter and garlic on low. Add chicken and Italian seasoning. Increase heat to medium. When chicken begins to brown, add mushrooms, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes, heat on medium high for two to three minutes. Add sauce. Simmer for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.

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At this point, it’s hard not to just eat this as is, but it’s worth the wait to put it all together.

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Serve over farfalle; top with green onions.  I like to add a little more ground cayenne pepper too, both for a touch of color and, of course, some spice.