Chicken Pasta

A few days ago, my aunt shared a recipe with me, and I wanted to try it.  It turned out great, so here is my version of the chicken pasta.  It's incredibly easy, and you can even cook it in the slow cooker! 


First, bake and cube two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Also, cook a box of pasta (I used bow-tie) to al dente.  In a bowl, mix the chicken, pasta, half a block of velveeta (chopped up), a can of rotell, half a bag of shredded taco flavored cheese, and a can of cream of mushroom (or cream of chicken).  Mix it all together.  Cook it in a casserole dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the top begins to brown and then add some shredded cheddar cheese on top, continue cooking until the cheese  melts.  You can also cook it in the slow cooker on low for several hours.  The end result looks something like this, and tastes delicious! Enjoy!

 

Deer? Yes, Dear

A lot of the free meat in our freezer is deer meat.  Being from the country, meat like deer, quail, squirrel, and rabbit is a little more acceptable for my palate than it is for others.  I happen to love eating all of those things, and thankfully, my husband does as well. 

Deer steak is what was on the menu for supper one night.  If you don't like, or have this, you can easily use some round steak, or other type of beef.

Take the thawed meat and rub it with some salt, pepper,and other seasonings of choice.  I used a steak rub that was delicious!  After the meat has been rubbed, add a little bit of water, just to cover the bottom of the pan (so the meat doesn't dry out), and cover with a piece of foil.  Place it in the oven at 350.  Each meat will cook for a different amount of time depending on size, thickness, etc...  Cook all the way through. 

A quick and delicious dish to enjoy with the meat is a broccoli casserole.  Take some frozen broccoli and pour into a bowl (one that will go into the microwave and the oven).  Thaw out the broccoli in the microwave.  When this is done, into the bowl pour a box of Stove-top stuffing.  Add a can of cream of mushroom soup and half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and mix everything together. Stick the casserole into the oven and cook until it is hot all the way through.  The casserole will start to get a little crispy on top.  Enjoy!

Pop It In The Oven

Sometimes, "pop it in" meals are my favorite.  You make a casserole or other dish in advance, and when the time comes all you have to do is "pop in in" the oven.  I especially like doing this on days that my husband is gone.  I can out everything together, and when he gets home and ready, it's easy to just pop the meal into the oven.

It's always fun for me to "create" a new casserole recipe.  Tuesday's was exceptionally tasty, in my opinion.

First, bake two boneless skinless chicken breasts.  When they are cooked, cut them into little pieces and line the bottom of a casserole dish with them. 

While the chicken is cooking, cook a box of macaroni according to the instructions.  When the noodles are cooked and drained, add 1/5 of a box of velveta (chopped), a can of cream of  mushroom soup, and broccoli.

Stir the mixture until everything is melted and warm.  (You might add some milk if it looks like it is getting too dry.)  I also added some mushrooms, because, I LOVE mushrooms!  When it all gets mixed and melted together, it looks like this.

Then pour the macaroni mixture over the chicken.

Not all of my cheese got melted in the pan, and it still tasted ok, but it would have been better all melted and mixed in.  After watching Emeril that day (one of my new favorites) I decided to try making a bread crumb topping.  It was delicious!

Simply tear bread (I used 3 pieces) into little bitty bits.  Then mix in parmesan cheese and parsley.

Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the casserole and then bake until the crumbs start to get crispy and the middle of the casserole is hot.

Enjoy!