Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, and Penne

 I just love a good one pot meal. In this case it is a yummy skillet meal with thin slices of chicken, penne pasta, tender-crisp broccoli with an easy and delicious sauce. This meal is easy to put together and perfect for a weeknight dinner. The only problem with this recipe is that the broccoli tends to fall apart a little as you stir the Parmesan into the dish at the finish. So if that bothers you too, you can cook the broccoli separate from this dish. Either way, this is a real tasty meal that I've made several times. Hubby also gives a thumbs up! Here's the recipe.

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, and Penne
Adapted from The Best chicken Recipes, by Cook's Illustrated
I replaced the wine in this recipe with more chicken broth, and used Penne instead of the Ziti that was called for.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
1 medium onion, minced
1/4 salt
6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
8 ounces penne pasta
8 ounces, about 3 cups, broccoli florets
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

Directions:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12 inch skillet(non-stick, if you have one. Mine is stainless steel and it worked ok). Add the sliced chicken and break it up. Don't stir-let the chicken brown for about 1 minute, then stir and break it up. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes until chicken is done. Transfer chicken to a bowl; cover to keep warm.
2. Add 1 more tablespoon oil to the skillet and the onion and about 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat until onion is softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the broth, water and pasta. Increase the heat to high and cook, uncovered, for 12 minutes, stirring often so pasta doesn't stick to pan. Add the broccoli and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until tender crisp and the liquid has thickened some.
3. Return the chicken to the skillet and heat until it is warmed through. Off heat, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the 1 cup of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Great with crusty bread and a salad. Enjoy!

Chicken Cacciatore

 This dish is delicious with tender chicken thighs in a healthy marinara style sauce full of sweet peppers and mushrooms. Yumminess on a plate! I've been wanting to make this dish since I first saw it on Pam's blog, but had kept putting it off with our extremely hot weather. But we've been blessed with much cooler weather this past week. Today it was only about 82 degrees, so I was craving some comfort food. After a long hot summer, I'm finding myself getting anxious for cool weather and the foods that go with it. Pam's Chicken Cacciatore is a fantastic dish and really hit the spot. She found this winning recipe at Cooking Light.

 Chicken thighs are browned in oil in an oven-proof skillet or dutch oven. Then onions, peppers and garlic are cooked and the sauce added. Pam's recipe calls for jarred marinara sauce, but I didn't have any, but I so wanted to make this, so I subbed a large can of crushed tomatoes. It worked very well. I added the tomatoes and herbs and popped it in the oven to cook. After it came out, I topped it with basil and some grated cheese. Outstanding meal! This be going on my rotation as it not only tastes delicious, but it is easy to put together, even for a week-night meal. Hope you give it a try!

Chicken Cacciatore
Adapted from Pam at For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:
about 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil- I may have used little more
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, any fat trimmed off (Pam's recipe uses 4 thighs)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups of baby bell peppers, sliced - I used red, orange and yellow peppers
1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, or 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered or sliced-I used Baby Bellas
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) of good quality crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Season each side of chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Brown for about 4 minutes and turn over; brown for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
3. Add more oil to the skillet; add the onions and mushrooms. Cook for a couple of minutes until mushrooms give off most of liquid. Add the peppers to the skillet; cook 1 minute, then add the garlic. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the canned, crushed tomatoes to the skillet. Stir in the dried oregano and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken back to the skillet. Bring to a simmer and then place pan into the oven. Bake for 30-35minutes until chicken is done. Larger thighs could take a few minutes more.
4. Remove skillet from oven; top with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with pasta if desired. Or just sop up the sauces with crusty bread. Thanks Pam for a delicious dinner-Enjoy!

Skillet Tamale Pie

 If you've followed my blog for awhile, you know that I love skillet meals or other one pot meals. If I can throw everything into a skillet and have a meal, I am so very happy. And if said meal is delicious and my husband likes it, I'm ecstatic! And if this wonderful recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, "The Best Chicken Recipes", that I found last week while shopping at TJ Max for $8.00!!!, then I'm almost ready to do cartwheels. Almost. Good food and good bargains cause me to get excited.
This recipe calls for ground chicken, and I didn't have any, nor did I have ground turkey. But I had a pound of chicken breasts in the fridge, so I figured I'd make it work. I diced the chicken into small pieces. And the recipe said you could use a cornbread mix for the topping. I did as I was lazy in a hurry. I made some minor changes. I used Monterrey Jack cheese, instead of cheddar. I used a bit less garlic, and I added about 3/4 cup of frozen corn that was hanging out in the fridge. I'm adding this to my favorites list as it's easy to prepare, tastes great and it's a perfect week night meal.This is a mild tasting meal so if you like your Mexican style meals spicier, you'll need to add some more heat. We thought it was just spicy enough for the two of us. And the fresh cilantro is really a flavor booster, so try not to leave it out (unless you hate cilantro, that is). I hope you'll give this Skillet Tamale Pie a try. I think you'll love it.

Skillet Tamale Pie
slightly adapted from "The Best Chicken Recipes" form Cook's Illustrated
The recipe calls for ground chicken, but you can substitute ground turkey or lean ground beef.
Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed - recipe calls for 3
1 pound ground chicken- I used breasts that I sliced thin and then diced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 cup frozen corn -my addition
4 ounces, 1 cup, shredded Monterrey Jack cheese - recipe calls for cheddar
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1 (6.5 ounce - 8.5 ounce) package of cornbread mix, made according to package directions - I used Betty Crocker. If you would rather use a homemade topping, I'll include the recipe below. 

1. Place your oven rack in the middle position in your oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic; cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in the chicken and cook until half done at least and then add black beans and tomatoes to the pan. Stir until the meat is no longer pink.. Stir in the corn.
4. Mix corn bread batter to package directions.
5. To the skillet add the cheese and cilantro and mix until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Dollop the cornbread batter over the the filling and spread into an even layer. Bake until the cornbread is baked through, about 10-15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Cornbread Topping
3/4 cup unbleached, all purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 tea. salt
3/4 cup buttermilk3 tablespoons melted butter.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl
In another bowl, mix the buttermilk and egg together. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the melted butter. Spoon over the top of the Tamale Pie and bake as directed above. I have not tried this cornbread topping yet, but this is the topping that was included with Cooks recipe.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Salisbury Steak conjures up images of the TV Dinners that my Mother fed me occasionally, and some school lunches that I ate in grade school. I actually really liked it then, but making your own is much tastier and really easy to do. This dish consists of ground beef with bread crumbs and seasonings added in. I've made my version of this dish for years, but wondered how it got it's name. It was interesting reading several different googled sites. According to Wikipedia and other sources, Salisbury Steak received it's name from an American physician, Dr. James Henry Salisbury, during the Civil War. Dr. Salisbury thought people, especially soldiers, would benefit from eating ground meat 3 times a day for different health problems. Well, I make Salisbury Steak because, it tastes good, and because it makes a very affordable and easy meal. And because my husband loves it! Here's my recipe. SALISBURY STEAK with MUSHROOM GRAVY
from Lynda's Recipe Box
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons oil
1 pound ground beef chuck-80/20 blend
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce, or can use steak sauce
about 1/2 teaspoon salt about
1/4 teaspoon pepper
FOR GRAVY: 1/2 of a medium onion, diced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1- 15 ounces can of beef broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
a couple drops of Kitchen Bouquet, if desired.
In a skillet, saute the onion in the oil until softened. In a large bowl, break up the ground chuck. Add the remaining ingredients and the cooked onion . Stir beef mixture with a fork until combined and then form into patties about 1 inch thick or so. I made 4 patties. Heat the same skillet over medium heat. Add a couple teaspoons of oil if needed, and brown the patties on both sides. (Carefully turn the patties over-they can fall apart easily, and watch closely as the patties can burn because of the bread crumbs and other ingredients).
To make gravy: Make the gravy while the beef patties cook. In a sauce pan, melt the butter and add the sliced mushrooms and diced onion. Saute until all the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the onions are soft. Stir in the flour and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in about half of the beef broth until the gravy is smooth, then add the remaining broth and cook a couple of minutes. Stir in Kitchen Bouquet, if using. Season with salt and pepper. When the beef patties are browned on both sides, pour the gravy over the patties, and cook, covered, for about 5 minutes, until the patties are done. If gravy needs to thicken more, cook a bit longer, or if you need to thin the gravy, add a bit of water. I served this Salisbury Steak with egg noodles this time, but we like it with mashed potatoes the best. Let me know if you give this dish a try. Enjoy!
NOTE: Kitchen Bouquet is a browning and seasoning sauce found in the grocers on the condiment isle. In my store it's next to the steak sauces.

Skillet Lasagna

I needed a quick, hearty and tasty meal last night. My husband had been shoveling snow a big part of the day, and I had helped some also, so I wanted something easy to prepare. I had been wanting to make Skillet Lasagna for a while, and I had most of the ingredients needed. The original recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, so I was reasonably sure it would be good. It was; this lasagna has a wonderful Italian flavor! The whole dish is assembled and cooked in a large skillet and ready to eat in 30-40 minutes, depending on how fast you are. All the flavor of a delicious lasagna, but this dish is so much faster to prepare. The recipe calls for a mix of ground beef and ground pork. I replaced the pork with Italian sausage since I had it on hand. It added great depth of flavor to this dish. You gotta try it! Here's the recipe that I found at Apples and Twinkies.

SKILLET LASAGNA

adapted from Apples and Twinkies and Cook's Illustrated

3 cans (14.5 oz.) whole, peeled tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 medium garlic cloves, pressed- I only used 2

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes- I used a pinch

1/2 pound of ground round beef

1/2 pound ground Italian sausage

10 curly edge lasagna noodles- it is NOT recommended that no-bake noodles be used

1/2 cup (2 ounces) mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

pepper to taste

1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 cup full fat ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Pour the 3 cans of tomatoes into a blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Heat oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet. Add diced onion and salt and cook until softened; stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meats; break up the meat as it cooks. Drain grease from skillet if needed.

Break the lasagna noodles into 2 inch pieces and scatter over the meat in the skillet. Pour the tomatoes over the noodles and sprinkle with the dried basil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (I used a stainless steel skillet, so I stirred the lasagna a couple of times to keep the noodles from sticking).

When done, remove the pan from the burner. Carefully stir the mixture together, taste and add pepper to taste; more salt if needed. Lightly stir in half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheeses over the top. Spoon the ricotta cheese in spoonfuls over the lasagna. Cover skillet with lid and let the cheese melt. I added some chopped fresh parsley also. Serve with some garlic bread and salad if desired. My husband and daughter loved it-it got 2 thumbs up, so I'll be making it again often. Let me know if you give this a try!

Creole Pork Chops and Spicy Rice - from Da Cajn Critter Cookbook

Several weeks ago, I won the cookbook, da cajn critter, The Lifestyles, The Rules, and Makin' Groceries, from Dave at My Year on the Grill. Dave did a great review of this cookbook and made several recipes which you can read about here. Dave and his wife have now moved to the Vigin Islands, and I'm so jealous! But I was excited to add another cookbook to my collection and I eagerly read it when it arrived. This is a fun cookbook to sit down and go through. Written by Pamela D. Lyles, it is a wonderful book for any home cook that enjoys Southern food. At first, I was disappointed because there are no photos, but the recipes in this book have plenty of directions and are easy to make. This is a collection of her families recipes through the years, and I found some that my family also claims.
There are recipes with the relatives name attached to the dish, such as Aunt Pitty Pat's Blinz Casserole, and Pablo Miller's Caesar Be With You salad. I love it! There are a number of grilling recipes, as well as favorites like Sally Rue's Tuna Casserole. Of course there's also Jambalaya, Boiled Shrimp and Crayfish Boil and lots of other Southern favorites. And there's many great sounding desserts, such as Fruity Coconut Pecan Bread Pudding, and Mom Hinnant's Red Velvet Cake. I started with Creole Pork chops and Spicy Rice, as I need a fairly quick meal for my husband and I one hectic day. This was a delicious meal. The pork chops were very moist and wonderfully seasoned from cooking in the spicy rice. I only made half a recipe, since there was just my husband and I. I will be making it again in a couple of days. The chops are browned in a skillet, and then the rice and rest of the ingredients are added. While it is supposed to cook for 45 minutes or so, mine was done in 30. But that could be because I made half of the recipe. I used less oil than called for, and used cayenne pepper in place of hot red pepper sauce. Also, I used canned tomatoes instead of fresh, because tomatoes right now aren't that great. I hope you'll give this dish a try!

CREOLE PORK CHOPS and SPICY RICE

from da cajn critter, The Lifestyles, The Rules, and The Makin Groceries

4 tablespoons oil, divided - recipe calls for 1/2 cup oil

1 cup uncooked white rice

3 cups canned diced tomatoes - recipe calls for fresh tomatoes

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fleshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper- recipe uses 1/2-1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce.

6 pork chops, cur 1 inch thick- make sure you use thick ones!

salt and pepper for seasoning the pork chops

1/4 cup water- I used more water, about 3/4 cup

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the rice and reduce heat to medium. Saute rice for a minute or so, till golden. Stir constantly. Remove rice to large bowl and stir in the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and the hot sauce. Return skillet to burner over high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper; add 2 tables oil to skillet. Brown chops in hot skillet about 3 minutes per side, until brown. Spoon the rice mixture over and around the pork chops. Add the water. Cover pan and simmer for 45-55 minutes until rice is tender. I served this with green beans and rolls. Enjoy this tasty skillet meal!

Quick Rigatoni with Italian Sausage - A Skillet Meal

Our family loves pasta, especially my daughter and I, so I make it almost weekly. I don't always have time to make a sauce that requires a long cooking time. Actually, a quick, light sauce can be just as flavorful as one that has cooked much longer. I have found that putting canned tomatoes in a blender and pulsing a few times, gives you a quick sauce to work with. I learned this trick out of necessity, because my boys would not eat a tomato based sauce that had chunks in it. So I've used the blender to just break up the tomatoes, whole or diced, but not puree them. It really works.

The other evening, I needed a quick meal as I had 5 people to feed, instead of just my daughter and I. So, I turned to this quick pasta dish. This sauce is not a heavy, gravy type that I would use for spaghetti, but is a light sauce that clings well to the pasta. The Italian Sausage adds wonderful spicy flavor to this dish, filling each pasta tube with its goodness. Ground beef could be used instead, but it won't have as much flavor. The only thing I missed was fresh basil, but since my plants are long gone, and my grocery store didn't have any, I had to use dried. Can't wait for gardening weather! Let me show you how to make this delicious skillet dinner.

QUICK RIGATONI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

from Lynda's Recipe Box

12 ounces Rigatoni or other tube pasta - can use Penne

1 pound Italian Sausage, casings removed ( I used mild Italian sausage)

3 cans (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes, pulsed in the blender

NOTE: If you like chunky sauce, don't pulse the tomatoes.

2 tablespoons tomato paste, or 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 onion, diced - about 1 1/2 cups

3 cloves minced garlic

2 1/2 teaspoons dried Basil, or 3-4 tablespoons fresh chopped Basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil, or more if needed

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions. Add salt to the cooking water. When done, drain in a colander and put aside.

While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon, or more of olive oil. Break up the sausage in the skillet with a fork or spatula and let the meat start to brown. Add the onion and stir and let the meat and onion cook together. Lower the heat if the sausage begins to burn. Cook until the onion is soft, then add the minced garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 or 2 minutes more. Add in the canned tomatoes that have been pulsed in the blender, and the tomato paste or sauce. Add the Basil, oregano and sugar; mix well and simmer on low heat, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the cooked rigatoni and top with the cheeses. Remove the pan from the hot burner. Place lid back on pan and let it set for 5minutes or so, to let the cheese melt. Serve with salad and a good crusty bread. Enjoy!

The Italian sausage adds so much flavor to this dish that little, if any salt and pepper is needed, in my opinion. But be sure to taste before adding the cheese to adjust the seasonings.

If using fresh herbs, add them at the END of the cooking time for full flavor.

Braised Chicken and Vegetable Skillet Dinner

I love making one pan meals. Everything is in one pot and there's less clean up. What's not to love? I've made this dish for years and don't remember the source- a magazine, I believe, but which one is any ones guess. I usually cut up a whole chicken for this dish, but you can buy whatever pieces you prefer. Dark meat works the best, because it doesn't dry out as quick as the white meat. But, if you watch it, you can remove the white meat a little early to prevent overcooking. I prefer about 3 pounds of chicken, so that the meal will be done in 40-45 minutes. I use the veggies that I have on hand, but my favorites are red or yellow small potatoes, carrots, green beans and onion. Add some Thyme and it's really good. Just add some good crusty bread and you've got a great comfort meal!

Begin by browning the chicken pieces in a little oil, skin side first. Turn over and repeat.

Add red potatoes, carrots, salt and pepper and some fresh Thyme. Pour in some chicken broth and cover pan with a tight fitting lid. Cook about 25-30 minutes.

Add fresh green beans the last 15 minutes of cooking. Only 45 minutes for a great comfort meal!

Braised Chicken and Vegetable Skillet Dinner

1- 3 1/2 pound chicken cut up, or equivalent amount of chicken pieces

small red or yellow potatoes, cut in half or fourths

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces

about 1 pound of fresh green beans (or frozen)

1 small onion, cut into wedges

1/2 cup chicken broth, or water

about 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp. dried)

salt and pepper

Add 1 T. oil to a large, deep skillet with a tight fitting lid. Heat over medium high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken. Add chicken pieces, skin side down and brown for about 5 minutes until golden. Turn over the chicken and brown on other side. Add the potatoes and carrots to the skillet. Pour the chicken broth in the skillet and sprinkle about 1 teaspoon thyme leaves over all. Add salt and pepper to the veggies. Cover pan with lid and simmer on low heat for about 25-30 minutes. Add green beans and onion to skillet and another teaspoon of thyme, if desired. Don't let the pan get dry, so add more broth if needed. Replace the lid and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until chicken is done and veggies are tender. Enjoy!

This delicious dish is one of my husbands favorite meals! Sometimes the easy meals taste the best, and I certainly don't mind not having a huge mess to clean up. I'd rather hold my Granddaughter than do dishes!

Easy Paella

Have you ever eaten Paella? This is not authentic Spanish Paella, but an easy version of the classic Spanish dish that is easy enough to prepare for a weeknight dinner, but delicious enough to serve to company, if desired. Traditional Paella is a rice dish that has many versions, depending on the region that it is from. Paella can contain seafood with the rice, or meat and beans and of course, vegetables, in a saffron flavored rice. I have not had the actual traditional version, but it sounds delicious. I found this easy version in a 1997 Southern Living Cookbook, and have seen other versions elsewhere, even on Epicurious. This recipe uses a saffron rice mix, that you can find by the other rices mixes in your local grocery store. I have used both Vigo, and Mahatma brands equally well. This saffron rice is in a foil packet, not a box like other rice mixes. I don't use mixes too often, as I find them too salty, but I make an exception for this dish. Sausage, chicken and shrimp are suggested for this dish and that may sound like a lot, but you actually need only about 1 1/2 pounds of meat altogether to feed 6 adults. The sausage adds great flavor to this dish so I recommend that you don't omit it. If I omit any of the meat, it will be the shrimp, and I'll substitute it with more chicken. I use the smoked sausage, but chorizo or a lean turkey sausage would also work. After cutting up the sausage and the chicken, brown it in hot oil in a large skillet and then remove it to a plate. Leave the drippings from the meat in the skillet to flavor the dish. Next you will saute the pepper and onion, if using.

I used a red bell pepper, a little onion and garlic, which I forgot to show. Only saute lightly, then add in the rice mix, water and other seasonings. Cover and simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Add the cooked meat back into the pan along with peas and uncooked shrimp. Let cook another 5 minutes. I used precooked, frozen shrimp and added it at the end.

This will be a very flavorful dish and a tad spicy with the addition of ground red pepper, but it helps make the dish. Don't leave it out completely, unless you really don't like it, or it's too hot for your children. We love this dish with the mellow rice, the spiciness of the sausage and all of the other additions. It's a great warm weather meal which takes only about 30 minutes from start to finish. Let's make this;

EASY PAELLA

1 T. olive oil

1/2 pound smoked sausage or sausage of choice,

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1/2 pound, peeled, deveined shrimp- I used frozen, cooked shrimp

1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup diced onion, if desired

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper- I only use 1/8-1/4 tsp.

1 (10 oz.) package saffron yellow rice mix

2 1/2 cups water

2 cups frozen peas

No salt needed (in my opinion; the rice is salty, but taste and use your own judgement)

Heat oil in a large skillet; add sliced sausage and chicken. Cook about 5 minutes until browned, then remove meat from skillet with a slotted spoon to a plate. In the drippings, saute the red pepper, onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add ground red pepper, rice mix and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Return the sausage and chicken to the skillet along with the peas and uncooked shrimp, if using. Cover and simmer another 5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pick. I just serve it from the skillet with a good salad and some bread. I hadn't made this in quite awhile, but my daughter really likes this dish and will remind me every so often to make Easy Paella. It's one of her favorites! It is good-Give it a try!

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Skillet Dinner

I don't know about you, but I love making skillet meals, you know, where everything goes in the skillet and and it's done, except for making a salad! I came up with this dish years ago as something quick to make on really busy nights. It started as a side dish and then I decided to add chicken to it and it became a main dish! I've also used ground beef in place of the chicken, but we really prefer the chicken. You need to chop the onion, garlic and peppers before beginning and cut the chicken into about 1 inch pieces. I sometimes slice a carrot and add to the mix too. Heat oil in a large skillet; add the onion, peppers, garlic and chicken and saute til chicken is about half cooked- then add spices, corn, broth, salsa and rice. Cover pan with lid and cook 15 minutes on low heat.

Take off lid and add black beans and stir gently with a fork. Put cheese on top and lid back on the pan for another 5 minutes with the heat on low. Remove pan from heat.

And you are now ready to eat! It cooks in 15-20 minutes, so this is about a thirty minute meal by the time you chop the veggies! That's easy enough! Serve with a salad and maybe some tortillas or cornbread. My husband loves the leftovers rolled up in a tortilla with lettuce and tomato, and more cheese of course!

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN and RICE SKILLET DINNER

From Lynda's Recipe Box
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup white rice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1 poblano pepper, diced, or you may use bell peppers or jalapeno or any you want, really

1 carrot, peeled and sliced, optional

1 cup of frozen or fresh corn

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups chicken broth, low sodium if possible

1 cup Pace salsa or picante sauce

1 1/2 ts. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. sea salt

2 T. oil

1 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat the oil and add the diced onion, minced garlic and the chicken pieces and stir around until chicken is beginning to turn white. Add the chili powder, cumin, corn, diced peppers and salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth and the salsa. Next add the rice, but don't stir. Put lid on pan and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Remove lid and add black beans to mixture in the pan and stir gently with a fork. Really, you just want to distribute the beans evenly without stirring very much. Stirring the rice at this point can result in mush! After adding the beans, sprinkle 1 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese over the rice and cover pan with lid and let set another 5 minutes. Dinner is now served! Sprinkle with cilantro or chopped green onions, if desired. Hope you enjoy!

NOTE: This is a mildly flavored dish. For more heat/spice, use hot peppers like jalapeno, more garlic and maybe a spicier salsa.

I am submitting this recipe to Patsy, at Family, Friends and Food, where she is having a contest sponsored by Pace. If you have a recipe that used Pace salsas, head over to Patsy's blog and enter your recipe. You could win free Specialty Salsas! Submit your recipe by this Saturday!

Spring Vegetable Frittata

When I found this recipe for Spring Vegetable Frittata, I knew I had to try it soon, and not add it to my ever increasing " to try" list! I knew also, that a certain picky son would not even try it, but that my husband would, and hopefully my daughter. I love the textures and flavors of this wonderful dish! You have the creamy, buttery Yukon gold potatoes with the fresh spring asparagus, the eggs, herbs and of course, cheese. It's perfect for any meal of the day. I forgot

to take pictures of the diced potatoes cooking, but you brown them first in the oil, then you saute the asparagus, onions and garlic until tender. Add in the eggs, cheeses, herbs and cook on top of the stove for a few minutes before sticking the pan in the oven to finish.

It's supposed to go under the broiler, but I didn't. You're supposed to use a non stick pan, but I didn't. It did stick a little, but I ran a knife around the inside of the skillet, cut it into wedges and removed each piece with a pie server onto a plate. It tastes amazing, so you must make this! I made it for a late breakfast, but it would be great for any meal. And it reheated just fine for leftovers. I personally love leftovers! It' like getting a free meal that you don't have to cook!

Spring Vegetable Frittata

8 large eggs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tsp. fresh chives, snipped

kosher salt and black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne

2-3 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium Yukon Gold potato; about 1/2 pound, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch dice(1-1/2c.)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, chives, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper and the Cayenne.

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a 10 inch, ovenproof, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the diced potatoes and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

add 1 Tbs.more of oil and saute the onion, and asparagus for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic and stir until asparagus is crisp tender. Add the potatoes back to the pan along with 1/4tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp.more of pepper. Lower the heat if needed and add the egg mixture to the skillet and stir until combined. Add the cheddar cheese and stir. Cook without stirring for about 10 minutes until the eggs are almost set. the center will still be wet, but bubbly. Position the oven rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Put the skillet under the broiler for about 1-3 minute, until eggs are set and top of frittata is golden. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minutes and then transfer to a plate to cut into wedges. Enjoy!

This recipe is slightly adapted from Fine Cooking. I gave the cooking times that they recommended, since I didn't use the correct pan. My frittata cooked quicker than what theirs did, apparently. I will definitely make this again! Do you like frittatas?

Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

I love skillet meals, the ones that all the ingredients go in one pan and it cooks rather quickly. Clean up is easy too! On busy nights one pan meals have been a life saver for me. This particular recipe is adapted from from an older Southern Living cookbook and is so flavorful and easy. You can sit down to eat in 30 minutes, unless of course you have interruptions! If you have children

there will be interruptions! I used larger pork chops than I needed, but I had purchased these pork sirloin chops on sale for $1.69 per lb., so this was a very economical meal. I browned them for a couple of minutes longer so they would get done. The recipe calls for apple cider, but I substituted apple juice and it was delicious. Hope you enjoy!

Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples

4 boneless pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick

1 cup apple cider or apple juice, divided

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. slices

2 green onions, sliced ( I used 1/2 cup diced yellow onion and it was really yummy)

1 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 large sweet cooking apples, (I used Gala), cored and sliced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 T. oil. Brown chops on both sides; remove chops from pan and set aside. Pour 3/4 cup of the apple juice in skillet along with the next 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover pan with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add pork chops back to the skillet along with the apple slices. Cover and simmer for another 10- 15 min. until sweet potatoes are tender and chops are done. The apples should be done but not mushy. Remove the pork chops, sweet potatoes and apples to a serving platter, reserving the drippings in skillet. Combine the reserved 1/4 cup apple juice and the cornstarch and stir until smooth; stir into drippings in skillet. Stir constantly until mixture thickens and boils. If the sauce gets too thick add a little more apple juice. Boil 1 minute and then pour over pork chops. We love the flavor of the sauce. The onions soften and kind of caramelize in the juices which adds a delicious sweetness to the dish. This time I also served green beans and crusty bread with the meal, as my husband was really hungry! Do you like to fix one pan meals?

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Some recipes stand the test of time and are as good now as when you first made them. Spanish Chicken and Rice is one such recipe. It was given to me by a friend many years ago, who has since moved far away. We have tried to stay in touch, if only with a card at Christmas. The last few years the cards have come less often, but I think fondly of her when I fix this dish. This is comfort food. Even my children ate this when they were small!

You can use a whole chicken, cut up, or just the pieces that you like, such as all thighs. It is best to use bone-in pieces, as I tried boneless chicken breastpieces and they turned out too dry.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a medium hot 12 in. skillet and add the chicken, browning quickly and turning over to brown the other side. This should take about 5 or 6 min. To the pan add ;

1. 1 can of stewed tomatoes or 1 can of diced tomatoes

2. 1 can of low sodium chicken broth

3. 1 cup of uncooked rice

4. 1/2 cup of chopped onion

5. 1 clove of minced garlic

6. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

7. 1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

8. 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas, added in the last 5 min.

9. 1/2 - 1 cup of water if needed during cooking

Cover pan with lid and simmer for 30 min. Check to see if most of liquid isabsorbed; you may have to add 1/2 cup water at this time. Simmer for 10min; add peas and finish cooking. (I used 4 thighs and 4 legs.)