Creamy Chicken, Bacon and Broccoli Pasta

I think this is my new favorite pasta dish.  I love this pasta dish because I feel like I'm getting alot of flavor without the loads of fat that you get with an alfredo sauce.  You could put any veggies in this meal.  For the chicken part, I just grabbed some frozen rotisserie chicken that I had in the freezer.  This meal came together very fast, and will be a week night staple in my house.  My kids ate the whole thing, even all the vegetables.  If you hate bacon (which I can't even imagine) leave it out, it will still be good.  You could also just make this vegetarian and put tons of different types of vegetables in it.  It would end up being a like a pasta primavera.
Make sure to salt your pasta water!!!! Super important.  The water should taste like the ocean.  You are using the pasta water for part of the sauce, and it needs to be flavorful!

Creamy Chicken, Bacon and Broccoli Pasta

12 oz. pasta (any shape)
1 c. shredded, cooked chicken
2 heads of broccoli, cut up into florets
1/2 small onion, sliced into 1/2 moons
4 slices of bacon
4 oz. 1/3 less fat cream cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon
Lawry's season salt to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Slice bacon into little pieces.  Cook bacon in a large skillet until golden brown and crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.  Leave all but 1/2 tbs of bacon grease in the skillet.  Start pasta water to boil.  Season with salt when the water comes to a boil, it should taste like the ocean water.  Add pasta, and set the timer for 4 minutes under the time it says to cook it. 
Over medium heat, add onion to the skillet until crisp tender.  Add cream cheese to the skillet, and retrieve about 1- 1 1/2 c. of pasta water from the pot. Add some pasta water to the skillet to loosen up the cream cheese.  Add bacon back to the skillet. 
Once the timer goes off for the pasta, add the broccoli florets to the pasta pot, and set the timer for 3 more minutes.  When it is done, drain, and set aside. 
Add garlic to the skillet, and more pasta water if needed to thin it out. Cook for about 1 minute.  Take skillet off the heat, add broccoli and pasta, shredded chicken, and the juice of one lemon.  Stir all together, adding pasta water to make the sauce thin enough.  Taste pasta, and season with lots of pepper, season salt or regular salt until it suits your taste.  Serve immediately. 

Creamy Garlic Herb Sauce

This recipe is simple yet makes an impact.  This condiment is sooooooo good on top of hamburgers or used as a dip for oven-roasted potatoes or any type of fries.  I had to blog it, because I didn't want to forget the recipe.  It's quick to pull together, and takes your homemade food into something that you would find in an upscale burger place.  I halved the recipe for a family of 4.  The recipe I post makes enough for 8.

Creamy Garlic Herb Sauce

1/2 c mayonnaise
3 tbs sour cream
3 tbs chopped basil (parsley or mint)
1 scallion, chopped
1 garlic clove, quartered
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a food processor or blender.  Puree until creamy and pale green.  Place in a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to use. For burgers put a generous amount on top of the lettuce and tomato.

TDF Chicken Salad

I have been out of the cooking world for sometime now.  Sorry about that.  There has been a certain something growing in my belly that has sucked the life out of me, and turned me off to food this summer.  Yes, I'm expecting in January, and I'm very excited.
I do have a wonderful recipe to share with you.  Do you hate that chicken salad just tastes like mayonnaise?  I do, and that's why I came up with the TDF version, that I absolutely love.  I usually put this on top of lettuce leaves, eat with crackers or for a party you could put on croissants or rolls.  It really is flavorful, and has lots of crunchy goodness in it.  You will love it!

TDF Chicken Salad

2 c boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 green apple, chopped
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
1/3 c dried cranberries, cherries, or apricots, chopped
2 green onion, sliced thinly
1/4 c nuts, any kind, chopped (this is optional)

Dressing:
1/3 c mayonnaise
1/3 c sour cream
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed up
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together, and chill for flavors to meld together.  Serve on top of lettuce or on bread.

Cameron's Ultimate Lemon Cake

My sweet little 4 year old loves lemons.  He loves anything sour.  When we were out shopping the other day, he begged me to buy a lemon cake mix for his birthday, which isn't for another 6 months.  With such excitement in his eyes, I told him we would make a special lemon cake for the family that night.  He was thrilled beyond belief.
A good cake to me needs to be moist, the frosting has to be TDF, and there shouldn't be any dry brown edges.  I set out to accomplish that with this recipe.  This cake is moist, has a lemon syrup drizzled into the cake, as well as a lemon buttercream frosting on top.  It was amazing!  It's not super sour, but the flavor of lemon is prominent in every bite.

Cameron's Ultimate Lemon Cake

1 box Lemon Cake Mix
4 eggs
3/4 c water
3/4 c oil

Lemon glaze:
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1 c powdered sugar

Lemon Buttercream:
4 tbs butter, softened
zest of one lemon
Pinch of salt
2-3 c powdered sugar
milk to desired consistency

Preheat oven to 310 degrees.  Grease a bundt pan or a 9x13, set aside.  Combine all ingredients for the cake, and pour into prepared dish.  Cook for 30-40 minutes or just until done, don't over bake.  Combine ingredients for lemon glaze.  When cake come out of the over, prick several times with a fork, all over, and slowly pour lemon glaze over the whole surface.  Let sit until almost cool.  If using a bunt pan, invert it onto a plate.  Mix lemon buttercream ingredients together until desired frosting consistency.  Frost the top of the cake.  Enjoy!

Fruit Pizza

I love fruit pizza.  This recipe serves alot, and is fast to throw together.  I use the help of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix.
This is my husband and son's favorite dessert that I make.  They are both fruit lovers.  Any fruit you have on hand will work.  Frozen berries, oranges, bananas, peaches, nectarines,

kiwi, fresh or canned pineapple, fresh berries, mandarin oranges, grapes, etc.  If you want to make ahead, use some jam or canned pie filling to top the bananas to prevent them from browning.

Fruit Pizza

1 pkg Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
3/4 c powdered sugar
assorted fresh, canned, or frozen fruit
Jam or pie filling (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix together cookie mix according to package directions.  Press batter onto a greased cookie sheet pan.  Bake for 8-10 minutes it just until slightly golden around edges.  Remove from oven, set aside and let cool completely.  Mix together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until whipped and combined.  Spread evenly on cooled cookie crust.  Top pizza with fruit in whatever design you like.  Serve immediately and refrigerate leftovers.