Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Ingredients:

2.5 ounces of precooked bacon, roughly 10 slices

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

pinch of red pepper flakes

3 cups chicken broth (I used 3.5 cups.)

1 pound short cut pasta

1, 1 ounce packet Ranch seasoning

1 cup milk (I used 3/4 cup 2% and 1/4 cup heavy cream.)

4 ounces cream cheese (room temp)

1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon: Air fry a package of pre-cooked bacon (about 10 slices or 2.52 ounces) at 350 degrees for 5 min.  Transfer to paper towel to drain any remaining fat, and then chop when cooled.  Set aside.
2. Sear the chicken: Sprinkle the cubed chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Sear it in one tablespoon of EVOO until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. (It doesn't need to be fully cooked because it will continue to cook with the pasta.)
3. Add the broth: Add the broth (I used 3.5 cups) and ranch seasoning and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Cook the pasta: Turn down the heat to a simmer and add the uncooked pasta.  Cover for 12-14 minutes until the pasta is al dente.  Stop to stir every two minutes or so to make sure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5. Make it creamy: With the pasta over medium-low heat, stir in the milk, cream cheese, cheddar, and parmesan, and stir until melted and thick. Simmer for a few more minutes to combine all ingredients and flavors.
6. Serve: Stir bacon into the cooked pasta and creamy cheese sauce, reserving some for topping when ready to serve. Taste and add more salt as needed. Serve with more crispy bacon bits.

Notes:

To save time, you can use shredded rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breast.  Add the chicken seasoning (from step 2) to the broth with the Ranch seasoning.

If you'd like to make ahead...Follow the directions through step 5.  Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray then transfer the creamy pasta and chopped crispy bacon to the casserole dish. Add an additional cup of shredded cheese to the top. Bake the casserole uncovered at 400°F for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
*Modified from www.whatmollymade.com

Dill Pickle Tuna Pasta Salad

Serves two.

Ingredients:

7 ounces pasta, cooked (Before boiling, I measured 4 oz. UNCOOKED Banza.)

2 cans tuna (I used Safe Catch.)

1/2 cup dill pickles, diced

1/4 cup red onion, finely diced

1/4 cup celery, finely diced (I did not use.)

1/4 cup peas, thawed

2 hard boiled eggs, diced

2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (I just used dried and measured with my heart.)

Dressing:

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons mayo

1 tsp. dried dill

2 tablespoons-1/4 cup of pickle juice, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, and while pasta is cooking, prepare remaining veggies, herbs (if using fresh), and eggs.

In a large bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk to combine.  (Start with 2 tablespoons of pickle juice.  If dressing feels too thick, add more until you reach the desired consistency.)

Drain pasta and allow to cool.  Add to large bowl (that you made dressing in), along with the remaining ingredients.  Gently toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.

*I added a couple pinches of red pepper flakes and more pickle juice at the end, as the pasta soaked up a lot of the dressing!

 

*Modified from @forgetthetakeout (cookbook/IG)

One Pot Broccoli Cheese Orzo

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1 whole sweet onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced (I used frozen Dorot cubes.)
• 1 cup shredded or finely diced carrots
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups finely chopped broccoli
• 1 cup 2% milk 
• 1.5 cups mild cheddar, shredded
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Add olive oil and butter to a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and a good pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Add garlic and shredded carrots and cook down for another 3 minutes or until the garlic starts to get tender and fragrant.
• Add uncooked orzo, stock, and milk, and stir. Once simmering, put the lid on and let cook for about 6 minutes.
• Remove lid , add broccoli, and stir once more. Put the lid back on and let the dish cook for 4 more minutes or until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is tender.
• Add the cheeses and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
  
  
  *Modified from www.grilledcheesesocial.com

One Pot Chicken Pot Pie Orzo

Ingredients: (These have been slightly modified from original recipe.)

2 tablespoons salted butter (If you use unsalted butter, just be prepared to salt veggies a tad more.)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used frozen Dorot cubes.)

1 cup carrots, shredded or finely chopped

1 cup celery, finely chopped

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup uncooked orzo

2 cups chicken broth/stock

1 cup rotisserie chicken, roughly chopped or shredded

1 cup milk (I used 2%.)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, add butter and olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pan.  Once hot, add onion, carrots, celery, and a generous pinch of salt.  Cook for 4-5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, frozen peas, thyme, and another pinch of salt.  Cook down for another few minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and veggies are warmed through.

3. Add uncooked orzo and broth/stock and stir.  Once simmering, cover and let cook (on low heat) for about 6 minutes.

4. Remove lid and add chicken and milk; stir once more.  Cover and cook for 4 minutes more or until the pasta is al dente.

5. The dish will still look a little liquidy.  Simply remove the lid and allow to cook for a few more minutes to allow the liquid to evaporate.

6. Stir in Parmesan.  With time, the pasta will soak up the liquid and dish will thicken.  Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

*www.grilledcheesesocial.com

Yummiest Tuna Pasta Salad (*but see notes to swap out tuna if you're not a fan)

 

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 1 ½ cups cooked pasta (250 grams COOKED)
• 4 (5 oz. each) cans of albacore tuna (I like Wild Planet.)
• ⅔ cup cucumbers, finely diced
• ½ cup jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
• ½ cup jarred pepperoncinis, chopped (I used banana peppers.)
• ½ cup red bell peppers, diced
• ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
• ½ cup basil (I didn't bother using.)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh dill or parsley, chopped (I used parsley.)
• 3 cups arugula, roughly chopped
• 2 oz. crumbled feta
• I added 1 seeded jalapeño too!

For the dressing:

• 3 Tbsp. light balsamic vinegar (I used a lemon infused white balsamic.  My fave is the Baker and Olive brand.)
• 3 Tbsp. lite mayo (I used Chosen Foods brand.)
• 1 lemon, squeezed
• ½ Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 frozen garlic cube (or minced clove)
• 2 tsp. honey mustard
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

• Cook 125 grams of pasta if you want just enough for this recipe. It will grow into 250 grams of cooked pasta.
• To a large bowl, add cooked pasta along with the rest of the salad ingredients. Break up the tuna so you don’t have any huge chunks.
• Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss well. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Tip: If it’s drier than you prefer, add a little juice from the pepperoncini (banana pepper) jar or additional vinegar.
• Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge for your meal prep!

Notes:

GF/DF: Make sure to use gluten-free pasta and dairy-free cheese. 

Pasta: Cook a whole box and save the leftovers.  The cooked and dry weight pasta measurements are included in recipe.

Vinegar: Feel free to use any light balsamic or champagne vinegar.  My favorite is a fruit-infused white balsamic by Baker and Olive for that sweet kick! You can also do half of a normal vinegar and half of the fruit infused for balance.

Tuna: If you're not a fan of tuna, feel free to swap in chicken of course! Use the same 420 grams of chicken for the following macros: 

• Grilled chicken:  402 calories, 11 fat, 33 carbs, 36 protein, 2.2 fiber
• Rotisserie chicken breast: 388 calories, 12 fat, 32 carbs, 34 protein, 2.2 fiber

*www.lillieeatsandtells.com

One Pot Sausage + Spinach Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 package 8 oz.  Banza pasta (I used mini farfalle (bow ties)).
• 14 oz. mild Italian pork sausage (casings removed)
• 1 small sweet onion 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 frozen Dorot cubes.)
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (I used additional for topping!)
• 1 1/2 cups vodka sauce (I used Whole Foods 365 brand, and used closer to 1 3/4 cups.)
• 2 large handfuls fresh spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (+ more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. (*To prepare, I roughly chopped onion and put it into my food processor to finely chop.  I set aside (with the frozen garlic), and then used the food processor to finely chop the two handfuls of spinach.  Set aside.  Grate Parmesan.  Remove and discard casings from sausage and set aside.)  
2. Dice onion and mince garlic.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot.  Add minced garlic and onion to sauté. (I lightly seasoned with s + p.)
3. To the pot, add mild Italian pork sausage to brown. 
4. Once browned, add 2 cups water and 8 oz. desired pasta to pot. 
5. Immediately following, add vodka sauce and bring to a boil. Continually stir so pasta shells don't stick. 
6. Reduce heat to simmer and add in grated Parmesan, fresh spinach, and sea salt. Continue to stir. 
7. Once spinach has wilted and pasta has thickened, remove from heat. 
8. Top with additional grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes (if desired). Enjoy!

*www.onebalancedlife.com

One Pot Easy Deconstructed Chicken "Lasagna"

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 pound (454 g) bowtie pasta (mini bowtie works well for littles)

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup cubed or grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• In a 5 or 6-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot. Season the cubed chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot in a single layer and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden. Flip and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, 2-3 minutes more. Remove the chicken to a plate (keeping as much oil/liquid in the pan as possible).
• Keep the pot over medium heat and add the onions and garlic (add another little drizzle of oil if the pan is dry). Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, 2-3 minutes. 
• Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, pasta, basil, oregano, salt, thyme, and pepper. Stir to combine. 
• Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the pasta is tender, 15-17 minutes, stirring often and moderating the heat so the pasta doesn't stick. 
• Off the heat, add the reserved chicken, mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan. Stir to incorporate. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
• Serve warm with additional ricotta and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
  *www.melskitchencafe.com

Instant Pot Creamy Baked Ziti

Prepping and portioning the measured ingredients ahead of time takes minutes,

which then makes it a breeze at dinner time to throw together and walk away!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or two frozen Dorot cubes).  You can also use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
• 16 ounces uncooked ziti pasta or other tube-shaped pasta (I used rigatoni.)
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (Technically, you only need a 14.5 oz. can, but I like to use 16-18 oz. in the recipe to make it a bit "saucier," especially for leftovers or added ingredients (like veggies/meat)).
• 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1.5 teaspoons dried basil
*Instead of the oregano and basil, I omitted entirely and instead used 3 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning.
• 1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
•  Fresh basil, optional 

Directions:

*If you're adding meat to this recipe, which I highly encourage, see "optional" notes at the bottom and begin with that.  If not, proceed with steps below:

 

• Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 6-quart Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the broth (first) and cream (second) and add the salt, pepper, and garlic. Then, add the pasta; don't stir, but if it's mounded in the center, arrange into an even layer. 
  
• Pour the crushed tomatoes (again, I used 16-18 oz.) evenly over the pasta and sprinkle the oregano and basil (or Italian Seasoning) over the top. Don't stir.
• Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, and select "manual" or "pressure cook."  Dial up or down to the minutes needed as follows: Take the cooking time on the pasta package directions, cut it in half and subtract two additional minutes. For example, for pasta that cooks to al dente in 12 minutes, the Instant Pot cooking time would be 4 minutes (half of 12 is six, minus two additional minutes).  
  
• Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes (meaning, set a personal timer and leave it ALONE for 10 minutes after the timer has ended), and then quick release the remaining pressure (meaning, manually open the valve to allow remaining pressure to release). Open lid and stir.  If adding a veggie, add during this step.  I left a 3/4 cup of peas out to thaw during the pasta's cooking process and they warmed immediately when adding to the finished, hot pasta.  This is when the added crushed tomatoes helps!
• The original recipe suggests adding the Parmesan into the Instant Pot and stirring thoroughly, but I didn't want to deal with hardened cheese aftermath in the Instant Pot. Instead, I added the Parmesan to each individual bowl after portioning.  Serve immediately with chopped, fresh basil, if desired.
  

Optional: Adding a pound of ground beef or Italian sausage is fantastic with this recipe (I used sweet Italian sausage).  Cook the meat in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting with a little salt and pepper, drain the grease, and proceed with the recipe.  (Just make sure when you add the broth in step one, scrape the bottom of the pot really well before adding the other ingredients.)

*www.melskitchencafe.com