Baked Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

 

Baked Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Prep Time: 25minutes mins

Cook Time: 45minutes mins

Total Time: 1hour hr 10minutes mins

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
• 1 ¾ cups milk (preferably not skim; recipe works best with 1%, 2% or whole milk)
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth or stock
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ teaspoon table salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided (see note)
• 2 ½ cups shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese, divided (see note)
• 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
• In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside (lift and separate the noodles a few times so they don't stick as they cool). Don't wash out the pot; just wipe dry, if needed.
• Add the milk, broth, and flour to a blender and process until smooth. Set aside.
• Return the pot to medium heat. Melt the butter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 30-45 seconds, stirring often until the spices are sizzling and smell fragrant.
• Pour the milk mixture into the pot and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened.
• Remove the pot from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 2 cups of the cheddar cheese to the sauce (reserve the rest of the cheese for topping). Stir until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper (important!).
• In a large bowl (or back into the pot, if you prefer), add the cooked spaghetti and chicken. Toss and stir until the noodles and chicken are evenly coated with the sauce.
• Spread the pasta mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the top.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve warm.

Notes

Seasonings: in place of the basil, oregano and thyme, you can sub in 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 teaspoons Italian seasoning.

Cheese: if you have the time, freshly grate block cheese for this recipe (vs using pre-shredded cheese which is coated with a powder substance to prevent it from clumping; but it also prevents it from melting as well). I like to grate the Parmesan on the small holes of the box grater, and I use the large holes of the box grater for the cheddar cheese.

Make-Ahead: this chicken spaghetti can be assembled the night before or the morning of to bake later in the day. It can also be frozen prior to baking. To bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake, covered, for 45 minutes, then uncover, and bake for a few minutes longer until hot and bubbly.

Pumpkin Alfredo

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb fettuccini noodles cooked to package directions
• 8 tablespoons butter
• *5 oz package sage about 1/2 cup, roughly chopped
• 5-6 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1.5-2 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese
• kosher salt to taste

Instructions

• While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large pan. Add chopped sage and cook, stirring lightly for 3-4 minutes until butter is light golden brown and sage is bubbly.  Use a slotted spoon and let butter drip into pan and then place sage on paper towels to drain.  Set aside.
• Add garlic to pan and stir for about 30 seconds on low heat.  Add pumpkin and cream and bring to a simmer.  Whisk in cheese and astir to melt.  Sauce should be bubbling for a few minutes.  If sauce feels too thick, you can always add more cream (or a little pasta water), and if it ends up too thin at any point, just a add a little more pumpkin!  It's very flexible. Taste sauce and add salt to taste.
• Drain noodles and add them to pan with sauce.  Toss.  Top with more parmesan if you like and sprinkle sage on top.

Notes

*Note about sage.  While delicious and fun, you can absolutely skip this step if you like.  Although I love the crunchy fried sage, it doesn't really affect the overall flavor of this dish enough to matter if you skip it.  If I'm making this for company or special occasion I'll include it, but if it's just for family dinner, I'll often just skip it and save a couple dollars on my grocery list!

20 Minute Tomato Pesto Pasta

 

20-MINUTE TOMATO PESTO PASTA

yield: 6 SERVINGS

 

prep time: 10MINUTES MINS

cook time: 10MINUTES MINS

total time: 20MINUTES MINS

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• 10 to 12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, about 2 to 3 cups
• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 medium garlic clove, chopped
• ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound linguine or spaghetti noodles
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
• Fresh basil for garnish, optional

INSTRUCTIONS 

• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the noodles according to package directions.
• While the noodles are boiling, toast the almonds in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly golden and fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
• In a food processor, combine the almonds, tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt. Process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again until the mixture is mostly smooth (there will be small bits of almonds but everything else should be pretty smooth). With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil and mix for 20-30 seconds. Set aside.
• Drain the noodles and return to the pot.
• Pour over the pesto sauce, add the Parmesan cheese, and toss to combine.
• Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.

NOTES

Almonds: don't skip toasting those almonds! It adds a delicious depth of flavor that you don't want to miss.

Creamy Cajun Pasta

 

Creamy Cajun Pasta with Peppers and Smoked Sausage

★★★★★5 from 1 review

• Author: kate jones

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DESCRIPTION

This lightened up version of creamy cajun pasta is full of Louisiana flavor, but packed with veggies, protein, and light on fat!

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INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound smoked pork sausage, halved and cut into 1/4” slices
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
2 colored bell peppers (I used red and yellow), halved and sliced
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water (high elevations increase to 1 3/4)
8 ounces pasta (I used trottole)
2 cups 1% milk
3 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook 2-3 minutes or until it starts to release oil and is browning. Add the onions and cook until fragrant. Add the garlic and sliced bell peppers and cook until the peppers are tender-crisp. Remove from heat and transfer the sausage and peppers to a large plate. Set aside.

Return the pan to heat and add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then quickly add the pasta, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the liquid is absorbed.

While the pasta is cooking, place the milk, cream cheese, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and flour in the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. Heat the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. When melted, add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes or until tender and fragrant. Add the mixture from the blender and cook until smooth and thickened to where if the back of a spoon is dipped into the sauce, you can trace your finger down the back of the spoon and that spot will stay clean.

Remove the sauce from heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted and smooth.

Add the peppers and sausage to the pasta/tomato mixture and stir to combine. Add the garlic sauce and combine. Season to taste with Cajun seasoning and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni

Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni (aka “Hot Meat Noodle”)

★★★★★5 from 6 reviews

• Author: kate jones

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Description

This quick and easy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni comes together in minutes and has been a HUGE hit with our family! One of their favorite, most-requested meals!

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 pound lean ground beef (I used 93% lean)
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 pound short, dry pasta like cellentani
4 cups water
1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups freshly shredded medium cheddar cheese
1/2 cup half and half

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Instructions

Heat an electric pressure cooker to the sauté setting. When hot, add the butter, stirring until it melts. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until it’s cooked down and broken into pieces. Turn off heat and add the onion and garlic powder, ketchup, mustard, and red wine vinegar. Stir to combine.

Add dry pasta and combine. Add water and salt. Stir, trying to keep as much pasta as possible under the water. Use the manual setting to cook for 5 minutes. When done, use the quick release on the pressure cooker. Remove the lid and turn off the power.

Add the shredded cheese and half and half. Stir until smooth. Lightly cover and let sit for 3 minutes. Season to taste and serve.

Notes

UNTESTED NON-INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS

This is one of the only Instant Pot recipes we have where I’ve never tried making it another way. Usually we like to offer an alternative cooking method because I know not everyone has an Instant Pot, but I haven’t ever made it another way, so I feel uncomfortable giving you very specific directions. However. If I were to make this on the stovetop, I would cook the pasta in salted water while the beef is browning. Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Add the ketchup and seasonings to the beef, combine, add the cheese and half and half, and then if you need to thin things out, add the pasta water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Instant pot Creamy Ziti

 

AMAZING INSTANT POT CREAMY "BAKED" ZITI

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

 

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

 

COOK TIME: 5 MINUTES

 

ADDITIONAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

 

TOTAL TIME: 35 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

•  2 cups broth (I use low-sodium chicken broth)
•  2 cups cream (see note for lightened up substitutions)
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 teaspoon black pepper
•  2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
•  16 ounces uncooked ziti pasta or other tube-shaped pasta
•  15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
•  1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
•  1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
•  1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
•  Fresh basil, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 6-quart Instant Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in the broth and cream and add the salt, pepper and garlic.
2. Add the pasta; don't stir, but if it's mounded in the center, arrange into an even layer. Pour the crushed tomatoes evenly over the pasta and sprinkle the oregano and basil over the top. Don't stir.
3. Secure the lid of the Instant Pot, set the valve to seal, and select "manual" or "pressure cook" and dial up or down to the minutes needed --> take the cooking time on the pasta package directions, cut it in half and subtract two more minutes. So for pasta that cooks to al dente in 12 minutes, the IP cooking time would be 4 minutes (add an extra minute if you like your pasta super soft).
4. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir thoroughly (it's ok if there are some darker, cooked spots on the bottom of the pot/bottom layer of pasta). Serve the ziti immediately with chopped, fresh basil, and additional Parmesan, if desired.

NOTES

Optional: adding a pound of ground beef or Italian sausage is fantastic with this recipe! Cook the meat on the saute function with a little salt and pepper, drain the grease, and proceed with the recipe (just make sure when you add the broth to scrape the bottom of the pot really well before adding the other ingredients).

Lighten it Up: If you want to lighten up the cream a bit, I've had great success making this with 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon cornstarch (whisked together) + 1 cup cream. I haven't tried subbing all the cream for a milk + cornstarch mixture, but you could experiment!

For an Extra Saucy Pasta: add 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra broth, cream or crushed tomatoes. Any variety of tube pasta will work great here! When I can't find ziti, I've used penne or rigatoni. Also, I've subbed in a 15-ounce can diced tomatoes blended with 2 tablespoons tomato paste for the crushed tomatoes with great results.

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