Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken

Here is a super easy crock pot recipe for you-- buffalo chicken!  I found this on pinterest.com and was not disappointed. http://mykitchenapron.blogspot.com/2011/07/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken.html I decided to make this at the last minute on a Saturday, so I bought chicken breasts that were not frozen and cooked them on high for about 2-3 hours in the buffalo sauce and ranch mix.

Once they were cooked through, I shredded the chicken and added it back to the crock pot to soak up the juice with a little butter.

We enjoyed it on toasted hoagie rolls with pepper jack cheese and blue cheese dressing.  Tots and celery were a must!  It was VERY messy, but super tasty.

The next night, I made a quesadilla with the chicken and I suspect it would be super yummy on chips as a dip or even on a salad.  It's definitely an easy gameday meal or a quick supper solution if you love buffalo anything like me!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

In case you're thinking of baking for the holidays, it doesn't get much better than Tyler Florence's "My Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies." My brother is a cookie monster and would eat a dozen of these daily if his girlfriend and I would keep them stocked.  I follow the recipe for the most part. Definitely do not skip on the sifting.  That's what gives them their perfect texture. The only thing I do differently is that I do not chop up 8oz. of chocolate.  I find that is not nearly enough!  I typically use 1/2 bag of Ghiradelli Cacao chocolate chips and 1/2 bag of Ghiradelli semi-sweet chips.  If you're making them for kiddos, I suggest using a full bag of milk chocolate chips.  The more chocolate the better, I say.  (I use about 12oz total. Sometimes more if I have it!) I like for my dough to look something like this:

I'm also a big fan of having the proper tools, which makes baking them so much easier!  I love love love my Silpat and fancy cookie sheet, which were gifts from my brother (think he was giving me a hint?  MORE COOKIES)!

Tyler calls for you to make them big.  I like using an ice-cream scoop to make smaller cookies so they last longer.  Yum yum yum!  Merry Christmas!

The Saddest Post

I have sad news. Remember this post about my Le Creuset in Caribbean?  Well, it met a tragic end a couple of weeks ago. :(  It was a non-one-potter kind of night where I decided to make a pork roast with baked potatoes and veggies.  I covered my pork roast in fresh herbs and salt and pepper and olive oil and garlic and put it in my favorite dish to roast.  At the last second I remembered some apple cider I had in the fridge, so I poured that in the bottom to keep it extra moist.  This might have been part of my dish's demise.  When my roast was done, there was a sticky black mess coating the casserole dish.  The pork was delicious, so I wrapped the dish in foil with the leftovers and put it in the fridge.  A day later, the bf noticed a sticky mess dripping all into his fridge.  He called and said, "I have bad news."  Bless his heart for breaking the news to me so gently-- the dish had a crack down the middle!  I suspect it was a combo of the extra hot gooey cider and then refrigerating before it had cooled enough.  I found it hard to be too sad because Christmas is oh-so-close and now my brother can just give me the same fabulous gift two years in a row!  Rest in peace, sweet dish. You inspired one full year of delicious one-potters!

The dish's final meal

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I love soup and chicken tortilla is one of my favorites.  I usually make Tyler Florence's version found here.  There are a few things I particularly love about it-- it's totally from scratch, you fry your own tortilla chips, and, since it takes forever and a day to make, you feel like you've really accomplished something once you get to sit down and eat it.

That being said, my mom recommended Rachel Ray's recipe.  I tend to avoid most things Rachel Ray, but it was a Thursday after work, I really wanted soup, and my mom *really* loved it.  It was seriously good!  A couple of things I love about this version-- it is so easy to make without making you feel dumb (the charred corn is an excellent ingredient) and I've now discovered chipotle in adobo peppers.  Where have you been all my life, sweet-smokey-spicy deliciousnesses!?!  It calls for 2, but they were so tiny I put about half the can.  Then I tasted them.... If you don't care for super spicy, just put the two.  Half the can was perfect for my spicy tastes.  The only other thing I did differently was that my grocery store did not have any blue corn chips.  Since I wasn't going to stir in 4 cups like she recommended anyway (holy calories, Batman), I just used a couple of regular tortilla chips as garnish with my cheese, sour cream, avocado, and cilantro (because those are all fat-free, right?!).  Super easy and super good.  Thanks, Mom!

Casserole Break

I've been on a casserole break the past couple of weeks.  The first casserole-free week was because I felt like I needed something a little healthier.  That week it was baked chicken, baked potatoes, and roasted broccoli and cauliflower.

A little note about the broccoli-- my brother makes amazing roasted broccoli.  Apparently he douses it in olive oil, salt, pepper, and sometimes other herbs and garlic.  Then he puts them in a hot oven until they're tender and brown.  Mine never turn out as good as his, but I much prefer this over steamed. So tasty!

A note about these plates.  Ugh.  When my brother moved off to college, my mom went to the outlet to get him dishes and this was the most masculine option.  He hated them.  I hate them.  Are they Santa Fe inspired or what?  However, those heinous black and white dishes my food is normally on belong to the bf.  He moved into a new place, went to Target, those were the cheapest, so he got them.  I hate those too.  Well, one of them broke so we only had 3 plates in the house and that wasn't cutting it.  My mom donated the Santa Fe ones to him.  I'm quite certain I'm in china hell.

That's MY plate. Because I pick out pretty dishes.

This week there was no casserole because the bf suggested the most Southern meal imaginable-- meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, mustard greens, and cornbread.  Hello, delicious.

I more or less make Paula Deen's Basic Meatloaf.  However, as you can see on my plate, it's more like meat-scoop than meat-loaf.  I'm always starving and cut it before it's ready.  It still tastes yummy.

I make mean cornbread and mustard greens, too.  The cornbread is more or less the White Lily recipe and the mustard greens are Rachel Ray's.  Mashed potatoes are always a hit.  I like mine nice and chunky, so I boil the potatoes, drain, add cream and butter, and mash by hand.  Mmm, Southern soul food!

Lasagna

Lasagna was this week's one-potter by request.  For the longest time I didn't believe in making homemade lasagna because Stouffer's is so darn good (and I'm not ashamed to admit I'll still eat those single servings they have if I'm alone).  Once I made a fancy Mario Batali version that involved homemade pasta and a bechamel sauce that nearly killed me- oww my arm!  These days, it's all about my easy little concoction.

What you need:
1. My Brother's Spaghetti sauce
2. Cooked lasagna noodles
3. 2 lbs. ricotta + 4 egg yolks + 1 1/2 cups of Parmesan + salt and pepper
4. 2 cups of mozzarella

Start by making the spaghetti sauce from my previous post.  As that's simmering, cook your noodles.  I suppose you could use those "no boil" noodles, but I kind of hate them.  In my experience, parts always stay crunchy and I miss those old-fashioned crinkled edges.  Mix the 2 lbs. of ricotta with 4 egg yolks (or 3 whole eggs... it doesn't really matter) and 1.5 cups of Parm and some salt and pepper.  Then start assembling!  I've never purchased a rectangle pan large enough, so I swear by those disposable ones you get for $2 at the store.  Plus, you don't have to wash it!  Easy cleanup!  Put some sauce in the bottom so it doesn't stick followed by a layer of pasta topped with the ricotta mixture then mozzarella cheese then sauce.  Repeat and be sure to end with pasta + sauce + the remaining mozzarella.  Bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes!

We enjoyed ours with salad and bread.  I'm always too impatient to let the lasagna set properly, so I end up getting a "scoop" of lasagna instead of a perfectly layered square.  It'll look prettier when I have leftovers tonight, I am sure!

Not a One Potter - Grilled Salmon

I had a very quick, easy, and healthy dinner this week.  Grilled salmon, baked potatoes, and roasted asparagus.  However, I have a confession... I put the baked potatoes in the microwave.  I'm so ashamed.  I needed dinner on the plate in about 10 minutes, so I didn't have time to do it the right way. The great thing about dinners like this is that you can cook them for just 1 or 2 people.

The asparagus was tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper and went into the oven set at 400 for about 10 minutes.  The potatoes were thrown in the microwave for about the same amount of time.  I put olive oil, salt, pepper, some Montreal spicy steak seasoning (I swear by the stuff), and lime juice on the salmon and cooked it on my grill pan for about 8-10 minutes.

I would've been really proud of myself for eating so healthy, but I cooked this after I left a bridal shower where I gorged myself on chips, salsa, guacamole, and cheese dip.  Because of that, I only ate about half of my dinner.  This was OK because the boy got to eat the other half of my potato, which pleased him and I had leftover salmon for the most perfect birthday lunch.

Crock Pot Gumbo

While I enjoy Cajun food, it's typically not something I cook too often.  My brother is the Cajun expert, so I usually enjoy it when he makes it and never have to put forth the effort myself.  But for some reason, a big pot of gumbo was sounding good to me last week.  Gumbo is a food of love and if I cooked gumbo for real on a weeknight, we'd be eating around 10pm and that just wasn't going to cut it.  So I ran to the store on my lunch break and decided to make a mediocre crock pot version.  It would still have gumbo ingredients and the same general feel, but without the hours of love a delicious, authentic pot would require.  If you're from Louisiana, do not judge me. I know this is not the real deal Holyfield, mmkay?

What you need:
-Chicken (I used 1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they were cheap)
-1 lb of sausage
-1/2 lb of shrimp
-Frozen okra
-Can of tomatoes
-Chopped onion, bell pepper, celery
-Chicken stock
-Flour
-Oil
-Seasoning (I used salt, pepper, cayenne, and Emeril's Essence)

I hope I remember what I did... Let's see...

First I made a dark brown roux using 1/3 cup of flour and 1/3 cup of oil.  Just put it in a sauce pan and stir and stir and stir some more until it gets the color you want it to be.

Next, I seasoned the chicken with some salt, pepper, Essence, and cayenne and put it into the crock pot.  I poured about 2 cups or so of chicken broth in and stirred in my roux.  Then I dumped in my chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery.

Next came the can of tomatoes, which I don't think goes in "real gumbo," but whatever.  I turned the crock pot on low and went back to work.  It simmered for probably 5 or 6 hours?

Once I was home from work and facebooked about how delicious the house smelled, I poured in the okra.  I also tasted for my seasonings and likely added more salt, pepper, Essence, and a lot more cayenne.  I like it spicy!

Then while the rice was cooking, I added the shrimp.  (I'd let the okra cook for about the last 45 minutes and the shrimp for about the last 20-30 minutes.)  Time to eat!

 

It wasn't as good as my brother's, but it totally worked for a quick weeknight meal!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Fall finally arrived in Atlanta and brought with it a little cold for yours truly.  When I feel the sore throat and sniffles coming, all I can think about is soup.  So I ran to the store after work, checked the items off my list, and made myself a gigantic pot of homemade chicken noodle soup (and cornbread, because I'm country and that's what we do and because the boy is a big fan).  It hit the spot for days.  When you're sick, there's nothing like it with a glass of OJ.

I use Emeril's recipe found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/simple-chicken-noodle-soup-recipe2/index.html A few things I do different:
-I use old-fashioned egg noodles instead of vermicelli
-I use a whole carton of sliced mushrooms
-I use way more than 1/2 cup of diced onions, carrots, and celery

Why?  I don't really know.  I have a whole onion, why not use it all? Then you bought whole bags of carrots and celery... why not use more of those too?  And before you know it, you have something that no longer resembles soup because you have too much "stuff" and not enough liquid.  So I always try to make more stock than it calls for and have an extra store-bought container on hand, just in case.  As a result, I still have soup in my fridge after having served and eaten approximately 25 bowls. :)  So, I'm sure if you followed Emeril's directions, you'd be just fine!  It's delicious even when you aren't sick.

My Brother's Spaghetti

I feel a little silly doing a post about spaghetti since it's something everyone already has a recipe for, but I think my spaghetti is particularly heavenly so I will share.  This is actually my brother's spaghetti recipe and I'm not sure where he got it from.  However, once I had his spaghetti and got his recipe, I've never looked back.  It's traditional, easy, and delicious.  What more can you ask for?

Ingredients:
-Olive oil
-1 large onion diced
-1 package of sliced white mushrooms
-A few cloves of chopped garlic
-Crushed red pepper flakes
-1 large can of diced tomatoes, drained
-1 large can of tomato sauce
-1 small can of tomato paste
-1 tablespoon of each: oregano, basil, thyme
-1 lb ground beef
-Fresh basil
-Pasta (duh)

In a large pot, saute the chopped onion in olive oil until they begin to sweat.  Season with salt and pepper as you do this.  Add in the mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown.  You may need more olive oil.  I usually add a bit more salt and pepper, seasoning each layer as I go.  Add in the garlic and as much crushed red pepper as you like-- I add a lot.  Saute for a minute or two, careful to not brown the garlic.  Next add in the diced tomatoes for a few minutes, then comes the can of sauce.  I like my sauce thick and meaty, so I add the whole small can of paste, but you might like to use a little less.  Once it starts to bubble, add one tablespoon of dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as you see fit.  Reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes or so.

Once your sauce is simmering, brown your ground beef and get your (salted) spaghetti water boiling.  Add the drained ground beef to the sauce to simmer while you cook your pasta.  My brother and I prefer linguine pasta, but I used angel hair when I made it last night.  To finish it off, I toss in a bunch of chiffonade basil and serve atop the pasta with a little Parmesan and more crushed red pepper flakes.  I like it spicy! Of course a salad and garlic bread are also necessary.  Yum!

Dragon's Breath Chili

Despite my foot stompin' about it, another summer has passed. The chill in the morning air, the fewer hours of sunlight, and the constant football on TV have all made me crave one thing-- CHILI. I think in the past week I've asked "Where's the chili?!" at least 5 times.  Yesterday was the day.  I had to have chili or I would die.  I ignored the fact that my chili is something best made on a weekend when you have lots of time to let it simmer and headed to the store anyway.  Chili would be mine and all would be right in the world.

I'm really not a chili snob.  My sorority did an annual Chili Cook-Off for its fundraiser and I ate all the chili.  Wendy's chili?  Yes, please.  Spicy Hormel chili on a hot dog?  You betcha.  My mom's way of just mixing up some tomatoes, meat, beans, and spices?  Get me a bowl.  We had a cooking contest at work and I made Emeril's chili recipe found here and won. A non-winner said to me, "You know, real chili doesn't have beans." This chili eater says, "My beany chili beat your chili. How ya like them apples?"

Then one day last winter, I found it.  I wanted chili, but I wanted it to be "special."  I searched high and I searched low and I found... Guy Fieri.  :(  I'll be the first to admit I'm not a fan of his.  His whole look just kinda irks me.  I'm more Bobby Flay/ Tyler Florence.  Give me a trained chef over a talented home cook on my TV, please.  But then I got to thinkin'... I bet he's a dude who knows a lot about chili.  It's called "Dragon's Breath" and I want it spicy.  It sounds special-- not just ordinary tomatoes and chili powder. I'll give it a shot.  The chili gods sang to me. This chili is *my* chili.

Here's the recipe.  Guy Fieri's Dragon's Breath Chili. Yes, use bacon fat if you have time.  Eat the leftover bacon while you wait for the hours of simmering or bake some potatoes to go with your chili and make them "loaded."  Yes, roast those peppers first.  Don't be silly.  Sometimes I can't find the Anaheim or Poblano and I just substitute with whichever peppers look similar at the store.  Everything else I do the same.  I have never made/ served it with those fries he talks about though.  Last night we had baked potatoes, but I've done twice-baked potatoes (with that extra bacon) before and I've just made cornbread.  PBR was the beer of choice last night, but I just always steal one from whatever the bro or boy has in the fridge.  Don't leave the beer out.  I think that's one of the key ingredients.  I dip it into a bowl and top with a little cheddar, some green onions, and a dollop of sour cream.

Chili was mine and all was right in the world. Enjoy!

Mexi Mix

College football starts this weekend (GO DAWGS!) so this seemed like a good week to make this and share with you my favorite thing I've ever created.  I believe Jason gets the credit for naming it Mexi Mix and it's one of his most favorite things I make.  It would be perfect to serve at a tailgate or football party and I'm really kind of proud of this concoction!

I love, love, love Mexican food so I've made numerous Mexican casseroles in search of the perfect one.  However, it seemed like it was always missing something or had something I didn't quite like.  Normally it was crushed up chips of some sort or mushy tortillas.  No mush allowed!  So I got to thinkin'...  I love burrito bowls, so what if I just mixed up all of the ingredients I like in a burrito and served it alongside chips?  So I hit the store and then the kitchen and the result was just magical.

What You Need:
-1 red (purple?) onion diced
-1 rotisserie chicken (aka chicken carcass) pulled off the bone
-1 pack of taco seasoning
-1 can of black beans
-1 can of corn
-1 can of (spicy) Rotel tomatoes
-1 can of cream of chicken soup
-1 package of cooked Spanish rice
-1 can of olives
-Cilantro
-2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese
-Salsa
-Sour Cream
-Shredded lettuce
-Jalapenos
-Guacamole (I mix avocados with lime, tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, cilantro, salt & pepper)
-Tortilla chips (or you could serve in tacos or burritos- I just eat mine like nachos!)

Here's what you do.  Saute your onion in a little EVOO.  Dump in your pulled chicken and the taco seasoning. Stir until combined.  It will look something like this:

Rinse your can of black beans and your can of corn and drain.  Add to the pot.  Next add your cream of chicken soup, your Rotel tomatoes, and about 1/4 c of salsa.  Stir in your cooked rice (I buy Mahatma and let it cook while I'm chopping and getting everything else going).  Lastly, I add about 1/3 of the bag of cheese and some fresh chopped cilantro.

Now all you have to do is pour it into your casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese and then I decorate mine with sliced black olives.  Into the oven it goes - 350 for 20 minutes or so until it's bubbly!

When you pull it out of the oven, you have magic Mexi Mix deliciousness! I added more cilantro for color.

Now you can build it up like nachos or put it in tortillas as a burrito filling.  Whatever you like, but it makes enough to both feed and please a crowd!  I personally scoop onto a plate and top with shredded lettuce, fresh chopped tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, and jalapenos.  Then I eat it with some chips and I get all full and happy.  I hope you make it this football season and love it as much as I do!

Giada's Stuffed Shells

I made something amazing last week.  Really, truly amazing.  The best part?  It was so easy!  This is one of those dishes that's quick and easy enough that it's not intimidating to the average home cook, but it's also sophisticated and delicious enough that I would happily serve it at the snootiest of dinner parties.  Behold, Giada De Laurentiis' Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce. Get. In. My. Belly.

I more or less followed the recipe to a T.  The exceptions were:
1. Murder Kroger didn't have frozen artichokes, so I used the jarred ones.  Just be sure to rinse them since you'll be adding your own flavors.
2. They also did not have pancetta.  Come to think of it, I don't believe I've ever seen pancetta in a regular grocery store...  So, I used bacon.  Sweet, delicious bacoooonnnn...

 A tip and a thought:
1. Do follow directions and cook the shells for only 4-5 minutes.  I imagine a minute longer would ruin the dish and turn your shells to mush.  I also always buy Barilla pastas.
2. Next time I might try beef.  Ground turkey is no better for you than lean ground beef and I tend to think beef has more flavor.  I'd be curious to taste the difference.

It was heavenly and this recipe will be put into regular rotation!

Not a One-Potter

Last Wednesday I had the joy of getting my wisdom teeth removed.  I knew my mom would be bringing me chicken and dumplings to eat during my recovery, so I wanted my last meal before surgery to be something with texture, nutrition, and substance since I'd be on a mush diet for the next week or so.  Honestly, I was also getting a little bored with casseroles and wanted to have a few pots on the stove at the same time for a change.  I decided to make baked lemon chicken with baked potatoes, asparagus, and kale.  I mostly used Ina Garten's Lemon Chicken Breasts recipe found here. The only difference was that Kroger had chicken breasts on the bone on sale and I used those instead.

The best way to make baked potatoes, I've found, is the Alton Brown way.  My mom is an amazing cook, but the joke growing up was that she "doesn't know a damn thing about baked potatoes."  Microwaving them doesn't give them that crisp skin and since they're easy, no one really wants to wait an hour (plus some) to get one out of the oven.  But just do it, ok?  Cook them the Alton way.  I sauteed the asparagus-- salt, pepper, and EVOO.  The kale was cooked down in some chicken broth with salt and pepper.  Simple, quick dinner and I felt good eating it.

I'm happy to report that my surgery was a breeze.  I'm still struggling to eat things with texture, so I'm thinking about some stuffed shells for dinner tonight...

Le Creuset in Caribbean

It's been a crazy week with extra long work hours for me and Jason has been traveling anyways, so there's not been a lot of cooking taking place.  No one wants a post on the chili dogs I made for dinner on Sunday or the joy of $5 Moe's Mondays or the deliciousness that is Cameli's Greek salad.  So remember in my last post when I said, "Pour into your casserole dish (I'll blog about *that* topic later), top with the remaining cheese, and bake at 350 until nice and bubbly"?  Well, here we go!

My love for casseroles truly started this past Christmas when my brother got me this Le Creuset 14 inch oval casserole dish in Caribbean.  I knew Jason liked his food mixed together and topped with cheese and I obliged time after time, but there is something about this dish that makes my heart smile and makes me want to cook stuff to put in it.  I wanted to take a picture of me hugging it and post it for my readers, but it is so rarely empty that I'm afraid I would make a total mess if I tried!

Take a moment to look at the entire line in Caribbean.  I want every single pot, pan, skillet, bowl, casserole, utensil, stockpot, platter, wok, pitcher, kettle, etc. All shapes and sizes, please.  I would line them all up on the counter and sit and stare at them over a glass of wine.  So beautiful!

Here it is housing a homemade peach cobbler I made at 11pm one night because something needed to be in my dish stat!

Another awesome thing about my fabulous casserole dish?  It came in a box labeled "fra-gee-lay!"  It must be Italian!  (If you've never seen A Christmas Story and don't get that quote, shame on you!)

That's me opening it on Christmas morning 2010.

The moral of the story is, a yummy casserole is a yummy casserole.  But a casserole in a truly gorgeous dish that makes your heart smile is something special.  Find your perfect dish and the one pot shots will follow!

Chicken and Orzo

It was time for my weekly one-potter last night.  I'd been craving orzo, probably because over the weekend the bro made Chef John Besh's Silver Queen Corn, Orzo, and Crab Macque Choux (with gluten-free pasta instead of orzo due to his girlfriend's very sad food allergies).  It was so good, but I was left thinking about orzo.  Sweet, tiny, delicious orzo!  Now, I've made my fair share of one-potters with just about every type of pasta since pasta = love.  I've also made my fair share of one-potters with all types of rice since the boyfriend loves rice.  But pasta shaped like rice?! Winning!

I knew I wanted chicken and orzo, but what else would taste good?  I almost always use onions and mushrooms.  Colorful food is important, so for some green I chose little green peas and the red was going to come from tomatoes.  What would hold it together?  I went old school family reunion mushy casserole style and grabbed a can of cream of mushroom soup and lots and lots of delicious Monterey Jack cheese.

TIP #1: As I was tearing apart the rotisserie chicken (aka chicken carcass), the boyfriend asked, "Why do you buy a chicken carcass instead of cooking your own chicken?"  Good question, Jason! You'll see that the chicken was on sale for $3.99.  Not only is that way cheaper, but the work is already done for you!  I mean, Big Brother was coming on at 8 and I didn't get started cooking until 6:30.  Rotisserie chicken usually equals money and time saved!

Step 1: Put a big pot of salted water on to boil while you get all of the chicken off the bone and chop your vegetables

Step 2: Saute the chopped onion in a tablespoon or two of butter or olive oil (I used butter last night) and season with salt, pepper, and whatever else you like.  I put a bit of seasoned salt because I felt like it.  Once the onions are soft and sweaty, add mushrooms and saute until those are soft and sweaty. After that, dump in a little chopped garlic and diced jalapeno for some spice.  Next add the tomatoes until they are warm and then the frozen green peas until they are warm.  Lastly, add the can of cream of mushroom soup and let the flavors meld while your orzo cooks.  Get your oven preheated to 350, too!

TIP #2: I always cook my pasta slightly under the al dente recommendation on the box.  You're going to bake it in the oven for a while and reheat it for leftovers later and the last thing you want is mushy pasta!

Step 3: Drain the pasta and mix it in with the vegetable concoction.  Stir in the chicken.  Add in a few handfuls of Monterey Jack cheese, leaving enough in the bag to top your casserole with.  Pour into your casserole dish (I'll blog about *that* topic later), top with the remaining cheese, and bake at 350 until nice and bubbly!

Since I realize that a big dish of ooey gooey cheesy pasta deliciousness isn't exactly the healthiest of dinners, I always throw together a salad.  Jason and I need our veggies and I always hope that if I eat a giant salad first, my portion of ooey gooey cheesy carby deliciousness will be less than Olive Garden size (it doesn't always work, but hey, I try).

I also roasted some asparagus to serve alongside the chicken and orzo.  Jason's dumb oven only has one rack, so I couldn't put it in the oven like I wanted.  Instead I sauteed it with olive oil, salt, and pepper until nice and tender.  Dinner time!

I think this one pot shot of chicken and orzo was a success.  If I make it again, I think I'll add more tomatoes and Jason requested less onions, but that's a common request of his.  Onions aren't his fav, but I continue to try to sneak them in because they add so much flavor!

Foodie to One Pot Shot

I come from a long line of excellent cooks.  When I first began cooking, I watched Food Network for ideas, printed the recipes I saw, then cooked and devoured them. Rinse, digest, and repeat.  I've tackled everything from Julia Childs' souffles to Bobby Flay's grilled lamb with fig-cascabel sauce and everything in between.  Then life intervenes.  Work days become longer, weekends shorter, and you get a boyfriend who appreciates delicious, fancy food but really just wants something he can dump on a plate and reheat for leftovers throughout the week.  And that, friends, is how this One Pot Shot came to be.

Each week I rack my brain on what I can throw together in one pot for the boyfriend.  I won't leave work until after 5.  I might want to squeeze in a quick workout at the gym.  Then I'll need to run to the store.  How can I get dinner on the plate before my trashy 8pm reality TV starts?  Mix some stuff together, top with cheese, and bake!

I'll keep track of my creations here and share some tips and tricks along the way.  Despite these soccer mom meals I'm still a foodie at heart, so I'm sure there will be some 5 star culinary adventure posts along the way too!