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  • Welcome!
  • Air Frying
  • Main Dishes - Menu
  • Appetizers & Beverages
  • Desserts & Sweets
  • Grill Time!
  • Seafood and Fish
  • Side Dishes
  • Soups & Stews
  • Pressure Cooking
  • Contact
My Food Fantasia

Main Dishes

Chicken, Mushroom & Baby Kale Alfredo Casserole

1/29/2016

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I just can't get enough casseroles in the fall and winter! It's so inspiring that there are so many flavor combinations and ingredients just waiting to be melded together into comforting foodie goodness! I really enjoy using my slow cooker to make casseroles sometimes, but there is something a bit more "homey" to me when a lovely casserole is baking away in the oven... the magnificent aromas that soon begin to fill the house... and the beautiful outcome of the browned bits on top of that oven-baked casserole!

This week, I had a bag of curly baby kale and some fresh white button mushrooms in the fridge, and I wanted use them in a casserole of some sort. What resulted was an amazingly DELISH dinner...Chicken, Mushroom & Baby Kale Alfredo Casserole! Along with some other simple ingredients that I always have on hand, this came together quite easily...and the fresh mushrooms, cheese, and Alfredo sent this over-the-top in the flavor department! And the baby kale adds a nice texture...and it's healthy!
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After my hubby and I both enjoyed our first helpings...and then seconds...there was still quite a bit leftover. I wasn't sure how the leftover casserole would reheat, because a lot of pasta dishes do NOT hold up well when reheated (the pasta soaks up all of the sauce and turns kind of "gummy," leaving the casserole a bit sticky and dry). But, I'm happy to report that this was sensational reheated the next day in the microwave!! The flavor and texture were still awesome! If you're looking for mushroomy, chicken, cheesy, pasta goodness, this recipe is for you!!
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Chicken, Mushroom & Baby Kale Alfredo Casserole

12 ounces mini penne pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
16 ounces fresh white/button mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
15-ounce jar light Alfredo sauce (I love Bertolli brand)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups curly baby kale, any thick stems removed and kale roughly chopped
A few splashes of low-fat milk (may be needed to thin Alfredo sauce mixture)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian-blend cheese, divided

​Prepare pasta according to package directions, adding a large pinch of kosher salt and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to the pot of water when preparing. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water (to stop the cooking process), and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toss (to help keep pasta from sticking together).


In a large sauce pan with deep sides, drizzle olive oil into pan and heat to medium-high. Add chicken, stirring occasionally. When chicken is almost cooked through, add mushrooms and garlic and continue to sauté and stir until the mushrooms are tender. Then add all seasonings (salt/pepper through paprika); reduce heat to medium and continue cooking and stirring occasionally to slightly reduce some of the liquid in the pan (which is from the chicken/mushrooms released their juices while cooking).

Reduce heat to medium-low; add Alfredo sauce and stir frequently. If sauce seems to be a bit too thick, add a few splashes of milk to thin to desired consistency. When sauce is warmed through, stir in baby kale; continue stirring until kale begins to slightly wilt. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, add Alfredo mixture and cooked/cooled pasta and mix well. Stir in Parmesan cheese and half of the Italian-blend cheese; stir to combine.


Pour into a 9”x13” casserole dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the top with remaining Italian-blend cheese. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melty and casserole is heated through. Enjoy!
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Easy Cheesy Oven-Baked Chicken Tacos

1/12/2016

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It's Taco Tuesday! I don't always make tacos on Tuesdays because, to be honest, sometimes I forget about it until after I've already planned something else for dinner those days! 

This weekend, I came across some nifty, hard-shell corn "stand and stuff" taco shells in the grocery store. So I was actually thinking about Taco Tuesday several days in advance for a change! Of course, there are "regular" hard-shell corn taco shells, but how cool is it that these will STAND UP, not falling over to spill their yummy contents all over your plate!? 
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My recipe for Easy Cheesy Oven-Baked Chicken Tacos was inspired by several different recipes that I came across. Baking these gives the shells wonderful crispiness...and the melted ooey, gooey cheese over the yummy spicy chicken mixture is SERIOUSLY delicious! Hubby gave these a thumbs up...so I'm thinking that these tacos (or some close variations) will come into rotation here on the dinner menu for Taco Tuesdays...that is, if I can remember! Enjoy!​
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Easy Cheesy Oven-Baked Chicken Tacos

A few drizzles of olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 packet taco seasoning (mild or hot, based on your taste preference)
10 ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained well (if not drained well, tacos will be soggy)
About 1 cup refried beans
5 or 6 each stand and stuff corn taco shells
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 11”x17” baking dish with cooking spray (or use whatever size dish will fit all tacos standing up next to each other).

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Add onion and green pepper to skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. Reduce heat to medium-low and add chicken, taco seasoning, and diced tomatoes. Stir to mix; simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stand the taco shells up in the prepared baking dish. Spoon 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of refried beans into each shell. Then spoon chicken mixture to the shells and top each with a generous amount of shredded cheese.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes, checking frequently at around 10 minutes to make sure the taco shells don’t get too brown. Tacos are ready when cheese is melted and edges of the shells just start to turn light brown.

​Serve with your choice of toppings, such as any refried beans you have leftover, jalapeños, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, hot sauce, salsa, etc.

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Mexican Ravioli Lasagna

1/7/2016

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I've made ravioli lasagna before, and I've made Mexican lasagna, too...so why not combine the two and make Mexican Ravioli Lasagna? Using ravioli brings cheesy goodness, similar to that of ricotta cheese...and you won't miss the fact that there aren't lasagna noodles in this dish. Plus, there's no need to pre-cook the ravioli! How awesome is that?!  :)  The family loved this, and it was equally delicious the next day as leftovers. Enjoy!
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Mexican Ravioli Lasagna​

1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried cilantro
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water
16 ounces mild thick & chunky salsa (or use hotter salsa, but always use "chunky")
1 can (10 ounces) mild enchilada sauce
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with jalapeño, drained
1 bag (36 ounces) frozen three-cheese ravioli 
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (4 ounces) sliced black olives, drained
2 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese


Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a deep-sided 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray.


Drizzle olive oil into a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently (about 8-10 minutes). Add ground turkey, breaking up pieces to crumble. Add all spices (chili powder through black pepper) and water. Continue cooking and stirring until turkey is completely browned/cooked through. (There won’t be much resulting fat after cooking with ground turkey, so no need to drain.) Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, mix salsa, enchilada sauce, and diced tomatoes. Spread just enough of the salsa mixture in the baking dish to coat the bottom. Then add a layer of the frozen ravioli (do not over lap; lay them side by side so they are touching). Add half of the turkey mixture. Sprinkle with half each of the black beans, corn, and black olives. Add half of the shredded cheese, and then pour half of the remaining salsa mixture over the top. Add another layer of frozen ravioli, and then the remaining turkey mixture. Add the remaining black beans, corn, and black olives; pour the remaining salsa mixture evenly on the top. Finally, sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake, covered with foil (coat the inside of the foil with cooking spray to keep it from sticking), for 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for about 15 minutes longer, or until ravioli is tender and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.​

Optional accompaniments when serving: chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped jalapeños, reduced-fat sour cream, shredded lettuce, hot sauce, and guacamole.
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MMMMM....EGGPLANT PARMESAN!

1/6/2016

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This past summer, I finally had a garden after decades of being garden-less, and one of my favorite garden goodies was my eggplants! They do take awhile to mature from their beautiful lavender flower blossoms...but I loved watching them grow. I was inspired by these beautiful purple gems and put together this DELICIOUS Eggplant Parmesan recipe!

I took a shortcut and used a jar of ready-made pasta sauce that I doctored up. Incorporating Japanese panko breadcrumbs makes for a lighter, fluffier crust on the eggplant than regular breadcrumbs. Oven-frying the breaded eggplant rather than frying in oil is much healthier and very easy. Served over angel hair pasta…all I can say is YUM!!! There are a lot of steps involved but none are difficult. It takes a bit time to prepare, but the end result is so worth it!


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Mmmmm...Eggplant Parmesan!

2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/4” slices
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Japanese panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
24 ounce jar tomato-basil pasta sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1-1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp granulated sugar
A few splashes of balsamic vinegar
1 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese
Cooked, hot pasta of your choice to accompany (I like to use angel hair pasta)

Using cookie sheets lined with paper towels, place peeled/sliced eggplant on the sheets and very lightly sprinkle with salt (to draw some of the moisture out of the eggplant). Let set for about 20 minutes, then turn eggplant slices over and lightly sprinkle again with salt; let set about 20 additional minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and coat one or two cookie sheets with cooking spray (depending on how much eggplant you have). To bread eggplant, place beaten eggs in a shallow dish; then combine panko and Italian breadcrumbs in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant, one slice at a time, into the egg; then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, pressing to adhere breadcrumbs and shaking off any excess. Place eggplant slices side by side (do not overlap) on cookie sheet(s); lightly spray tops of eggplant with additional cooking spray. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, turn once, and bake again for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside while preparing the tomato sauce. Reduce oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.


For the tomato sauce component, combine pasta sauce and the next 10 ingredients (through balsamic vinegar). Then spread about 3/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of baking dish. Layer with half of the eggplant slices (overlapping slightly if needed to make them fit). Then spread about another cup of tomato sauce over the eggplant layer. Layer on half of the mozzarella slices. Repeat with a second layer of remaining eggplant slices and then the remaining tomato sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella slices and then sprinkle with shredded Italian-blend cheese. Bake in 375 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and cheese starts to turn golden. Let set about 5 minutes before serving over hot cooked pasta.

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Easy One-Pot Chicken Lo Mein

1/4/2016

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I've become a HUGE fan of one-pot meals because they are quick and easy! I do really enjoy cooking meals that require a lot of prep/cook time (I call it my "kitchen therapy"), but one-pot meals are a great go-to and can be a real timesaver! I've come across many different cuisine types for one-pot goodness, ranging from Italian, Cajun, Mexican, and Asian. 

I've made this Easy One-Pot Chicken Lo Mein several times. It's a simple, fresh meal that only takes about 15 minutes to cook. Yummy!! I'll be sharing more of these one-pot recipe wonders...so please stay tuned!


1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
​16 ounces linguini, broken in half
2 handfuls baby carrots, cut into strips
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin 3" long strips
1 bunch green onions (green parts cut into 2" long strips, white parts chopped)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to add more "heat/zip")
4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a dutch oven (or large stockpot), add the chicken, pasta, and then the remaining ingredients. Cover with lid and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir and then reduce heat to medium-low.


Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (making sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot), until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the lid and let the dish set for 5 minutes before serving.

Note: To add a tasty "crunch" when serving, sprinkle with crunchy chow mein noodles.
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