Chicken Caprese Pasta Recipe

Chicken Caprese Pasta Recipe

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time:  20 Minutes
Difficulty:  Easy

Happy Spring friends!  Old man winter has finally loosened his grasp here in Pennsylvania, and signs of warmer weather are emerging everywhere...the Forsythia are awakening, the daffodils are smiling, the birds are playing, and the weather people are forecasting summer-like temperatures this weekend.  Amen!  To celebrate the return of Spring and warmth, I am excited to share this quick and easy, summer-like Chicken Caprese Pasta Recipe.

Nothing screams warm weather like juicy ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and savory basil (aka Caprese).  I absolutely love this refreshing combination and by adding leftover chicken and pasta to the mix, dinner is easy peasy.  So if you want to tantalize your family's taste buds with an easy meal and celebrate the fresh taste of summer, grab some plump juicy tomatoes, Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz Seasoning, fresh mozzarella cheese, and create this deliciously satisfying summer-like dish.  Your family will thank you.  

Let us know how you liked this dish and as always, thank you for visiting our blog!  

Ingredients

• 1 package of spaghetti, cooked according to directions
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup diced fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup light cream
• 1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto (or make it homemade with our Perfect Pesto Recipe)
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced (cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or leftover chicken would work really well here)
• 1 Tablespoon Tbsp) fresh chopped basil for garnish

Preparation
Cook spaghetti according to package directions in salted water, and drain.  Rinse, dry, and slice cherry or grape tomatoes in half and set aside.

While spaghetti is cooking, prepare the sauce.   In a large skillet, add the cream cheese, light cream, pesto, and Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz.  Cook on low for 5 minutes.  The sauce should begin to thicken.  Add the tomatoes, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses to the sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.  Towards the end of the cooking process, add the diced cooked chicken. 

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain the pasta and add to the skillet with the cheese mixture.  Cook for a couple of minutes.  Garnish with fresh basil and dinner is ready in under 30 minutes!

Bon appetito!

Chicken Caprese Pasta Recipe

Cobb Salad With Brown Derby Dressing Recipe

Cobb Salad With Derby Dressing Recipe

One of my favorite salads in the whole world is The Cobb Salad.  Who can resist crisp greens, creamy avocado, tomatoes, eggs, scallions, bacon, and leftover chicken?  I surely cannot. Did you know this famous salad originated in Hollywood, back in the 1920's?  

Here's some trivia for you:

The Cobb Salad got its name from Robert Cobb, an owner of the once famous Brown Derby Restaurant in Los Angeles. To quote marriedatthemovies.com: “As the story goes, late one night, [Cobb] prepared himself a salad of chopped leftover chicken with some other ingredients.  Four of his pals dropped by the restaurant after a movie preview, just as Bob was enjoying his homemade supper.  One asked what he was eating, and that salad became known as Bob’s ‘Cobb Salad.’ When the Hollywood Brown Derby opened in 1929, The Cobb Salad, with its homemade Derby French Dressing appeared as an official fixture on the menu.  To this day, the salad appears on menus throughout the country" (marriedatthemovies.com).  For the full history and original recipe, check out marriedatthemovies.com.  

Cool, huh?

Now I feel privileged to eat such a prestigious salad!  Our version is close to the original recipe, and surely one you will love. Another great line from marriedatthemovies.com: "At the Brown Derby, the Cobb Salad was presented to the guests with all the toppings lined up vertically over the salad greens, and tossed well with the Old Fashioned French Dressing, tableside." (www.marriedatthemovies.com).  The original Derby French Dressing recipe, according to Sally Cobb, called for English mustard, but we substituted Cherchies® Champagne Mustard and added Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning to the mix.  This recipe serves 6, but feel free to scale it down to your liking.  

We would love to hear your comments on this recipe and as always thank you for visiting our blog!   Enjoy!

Salad Ingredients

• 6 cups shredded mixed greens

• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken

•  1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes

• 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

• 6 slices of bacon, cooked, crispy, and crumbled

• 3 hard-boiled eggs, thinly sliced

• 1 avocado, seeded, peeled, and diced

• 2 green onions (green part only), chopped

• Brown Derby French Dressing

Brown Derby French Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) sugar

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (Substitute Cherchies Hot Banana Pepper Mustard for a spicier palate)

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

• 1 green onion (green part only), chopped

Preparation

Prepare the salad dressing.  Add the salad dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid.  Tightly close the lid and shake the ingredients until combined.  Set aside.

Arrange the lettuce on a large platter.  As true to the original recipe, except for the green onions, place all the ingredients vertically over the salad.   We opted to arrange the ingredients in a star shape.

Garnish with the green onions and serve with The Brown Derby French Dressing.  Toss.

Enjoy!

Cobb Salad With Brown Derby Dressing Recipe

Champagne Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

Champagne Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

Prep Time:  30 minutes

Cook Time:  20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Do you need a food hug?  What's that you ask?  It is a food so comforting that it feels like a warm hug from a friend.  Last night, as I watched the pending weather forecast predict our fourth nor'easter in three weeks, I knew what was on the menu...one of my all-time favorite comfort foods, Chicken Tetrazzini. 

Days like this call for a food hug and our Champagne Chicken Tetrazzini will warm your soul! What's not to love about roast chicken, garlicky mushrooms, and silky noodles all smothered in a buttery wine, cheese sauce? 

I have made variations to this classic dish over the years, but this adaptation to The Pioneer Woman's Turkey Tetrazzini is one of my favorites.  The secret ingredient that adds that "Je ne sais quoi" (fancy for an indefinable quality) to this dish, is Cherchies® award-winning Champagne Mustard.  This recipe is so creamy, cheesy, and comforting that you will want to make this recipe again and again! It makes a large quantity, so you can always divide half of the mixture into a smaller pan and freeze the other half for later; or share the love with someone you hold dear.

We would love to hear your comments on this dish!  As always, thank you for visiting our blog.  

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. Spaghetti
• 4 Tablespoons (Tbsp) butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning or Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs Seasoning
• 1 lb. baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (tsp) Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend
• 1/3 cup flour
• 4 cups of turkey or chicken broth
• 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, room temperature, cut into pieces
• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard
• 3 cups cooked (leftover) chicken or turkey, diced or shredded
• 1 14 oz. package of frozen peas
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and broken into bits
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• Extra Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning and pepper to taste
• Extra broth or water to thin mixture if needed
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (we used homemade bread crumbs, but panko would be just fine too)

Preparation  
Cook pasta according to package directions until almost done (al dente).  The pasta will finish cooking in the oven.  Drain and rinse the pasta.  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

In a large pot, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, onions, and Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning.  After a couple of minutes, add the garlic and saute until onions are translucent.  Add the white wine and allow the mushroom/onion mixture to cook for several minutes, or until the liquid reduces by half.

Sprinkle the flour and Cherchies Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend over the mushroom/onion mixture and stir until mixture thickens.  Add the chicken broth and cook for an additional few minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low.   Add the cream cheese pieces to the pot, the Champagne Mustard, and stir to melt.  It may take a little while for the cream cheese pieces to melt, but they eventually will. 

Add the turkey or chicken, the peas, the bacon and the cheeses.  Stir to combine, adding more Garlic Seasoning and pepper to taste.

Add the cooked spaghetti and stir to combine.  Add more broth or water if needed to thin mixture.  It needs to be a bit soupy.  Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish and sprinkle with a little more Cherchies® Select Grilling Rub & Seasoning Blend, followed by the breadcrumbs.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until casserole is bubbly and golden brown.

Enjoy a nice warm comforting food hug!

Champagne Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe

The Real Deal "Shepherd's Pie" Recipe

The "Real Deal" Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends! What better way to celebrate the day than to share this lovely Shepherd's Pie recipe? I have been waiting to post this recipe, and today could not be more perfect for paying homage to Ireland and our new Irish friend.

Did you know? Traditional Shepherd's Pie consists of Lamb, and according to our Irish friend, "Cottage Pie" is the correct name for the ground beef version we know in the United States. And apparently, "we do everything backward in the United States" (a little Irish joke).

My new love for Ireland and St. Patrick's Day blossomed last summer when I first traveled to this beautiful, peaceful country to celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss with my dear hubby;). We had the most fantastic time. We toured Southern Ireland, enjoyed new foods, learned about the country's traditions, and laughed until we cried with our new funny friend, Dave, from Dove Chauffer Drive. (He's "a bit of a leprechaun," as he will tell you himself). He's witty and a wisecracker but a lovely new friend and an excellent tour guide. Consider looking him up if you travel to Ireland. He had a lot of funny quotes and stories, and he proudly shared his recipe for Shepherd's Pie and permitted me to add my Cherchies® touches.

Dave, I hope I did your recipe justice! Friends, this recipe is the real deal if you want to make an authentic, savory Irish Shepherd's Pie! It will become one of your favorite dishes you can enjoy anytime.

Comment below and let us know your thoughts on this delicious Irish recipe.

Thanks for stopping by, and we hope you visit again!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground lamb (ground beef for a cottage pie)

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) olive oil

• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Minor's Beef Base

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Worcestershire Sauce

• 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard

• 2 teaspoons (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) pepper

• 1 can (14.5 oz.) of diced tomatoes

• 1 large carrot, finely sliced

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 2 teaspoons (tsp) Cherchies Basil Pizzazz

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Marjoram

• 1 Bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon (tsp) Thyme

• 6-8 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed

• 4 Tablespoons (Tbsp) salted butter

• 2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Half and half or milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and peel the potatoes.  Boil the potatoes until thoroughly cooked (prick with a fork to check). While potatoes are cooking, dice the onion and slice the carrots.  In a medium skillet, cook the onion in oil until they are translucent.  Add the ground meat, 1 teaspoon Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, pepper, and beef base to the skillet.  Stir.

When the meat is brown, drain the meat. Return the meat to the skillet and add the canned tomatoes, Worcestershire Sauce, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard, water, the rest of the Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, Cherchies® Basil Pizzazz, Marjoram, Thyme, bay leaf, carrots, and peas.  Simmer for ten minutes or until carrots are cooked. 

While the meat is cooking, prepare the potatoes.  Drain the potatoes.  Add butter to the pan and mash the potatoes with a fork.  I usually use a hand mixer to do the rest of the mixing.  Add the milk, a little at a time, until the potatoes have a thick consistency.  Set aside.

Pour cooked meat and vegetables into a small casserole dish.  Spoon the mashed potatoes over the meat and vegetables.  Place the Shepherd's Pie in the oven and cook until potatoes are a lovely golden brown. 

Enjoy!

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