Recipe Rewind: Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Broccoli

While browsing my archives recently looking for meal ideas, I came across this recipe for creamy tomato tortellini that I posted just about four years ago. In that post, I raved about how delicious it was, but I realized I hadn't made it since -- and I decided I needed to remedy that immediately.

To stretch the meal a bit (since I am now feeding three hungry boys with huge appetites, two more than four years ago!), I added some chicken, which worked wonderfully with the rest of the flavors. I also added some garlic and some chicken stock for another level of flavor. So this has a few more ingredients than the recipe I originally posted, but it's no less easy to prepare.

You guys, this is so good. I'd completely forgotten how good it is! It's been a while since I made a pasta sauce with cream cheese, and I'd forgotten what a creamy, tangy, rich sauce it makes. 

I can guarantee you: I will not be letting another four years go by before I make this again.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini with Chicken and Broccoli

3 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 pound chicken tenders
Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 19-ounce package frozen cheese tortellini
1 package frozen steam-in-a-bag broccoli florets
Parmesan cheese 

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and add to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.

2. In the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock and diced tomatoes and heat through. Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Let cook on low heat until thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cook the tortellini according to package directions; drain. Cook the broccoli in the microwave according to package directions. Chop the reserved chicken.

4. Add the broccoli and chicken to the drained tortellini and pour the sauce over the top, stirring gently to combine. Serve each portion topped with shredded parmesan cheese.
 

Smoky Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes

I've had these sloppy joes saved in my drafts folder for months now, and I have absolutely no idea why it's taken me so long to share them with you. As soon as I saw this recipe in my issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray, I put them on our menu. The very day I'd planned to make them, I was working from home and had Rachael's show on as background noise, and she made them as her meal of the day. From that moment on, I was pretty much salivating and praying for dinner to come very, very quickly.

So, basically: Bacon. Beef. Beer. Cheese. Avocado. Fritos. 

Yep. Months later, just the thought of these still makes me salivate. 

Smoky Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes
adapted from Rachael Ray

4 slices bacon, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 pound ground beef
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 cup beer at room temperature
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Hamburger rolls, toasted
Shredded Monterey jack cheese for topping
Sliced avocado for topping
Crushed Fritos for topping

1. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain.

2. Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until browned, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the pan and add the onion, jalapenos, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened.

3. Add the beer to the meat mixture and cook until reduced, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire, vinegar, and hot sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until thickened.

4. Spoon the mixture onto the roll bottoms. Top each sandwich with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, Fritos, and the roll tops.

Bite-Sized Baked Strawberry Oatmeal Cups

I've been trying to be more efficient on the weekends to make life easier for myself during the week. For example, I've been prepping food for lunches and dinners, laying out the boys' clothes for the week so I'm not pawing through their wardrobe every morning, and preparing their breakfasts ahead of time. They're big fans of pancakes in the mornings, so I usually make a big batch of silver-dollar pancakes on Sunday morning and freeze them for breakfasts throughout the week.

Recently, though, when our neighbor gifted us with five pounds of strawberries from his garden, I thought it would be the perfect time to try out something new. My fellas would eat strawberries and cream instant oatmeal every day if I let them, so I thought they'd enjoy these baked oatmeal cups. Not surprisingly, they did! I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of oatmeal, baked or instant or otherwise (it's a texture thing for me), but I did try one of these and I liked it. These baked oatmeal cups are moist and flavorful and so easy to make. And they're so adaptable; I plan to try a version with bananas and chocolate chips next. 

With two little boys to get washed and dressed and fed every weekday morning, all before 7 AM, anything that makes the breakfast portion of the morning go more quickly gets a huge thumbs-up in my book.

Bite-Sized Baked Strawberry Oatmeal Cups
adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

2 cups oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup honey or agave 
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tray liberally with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, salt, and baking powder. Add honey and stir to combine (it will be sticky, obviously). Add the eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla. The mixture will be runny. Stir in the strawberries.

3. Portion the batter among the mini muffin cups, filling each cup nearly to the top. 

4. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops and edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes in the pan. Once they've cooled slightly, run a knife around the edges and gently remove from the pan. Serve warm or room temperature. Store in an air-tight container.

Burger and Fries Friday: Bacon Cheddar Burgers with Corn and Bacon Relish

It's been a while since I made a recipe that I had to share with you right away, but this burger is definitely one of those recipes. After a long couple of days with Andrew, including a night in the pediatric emergency room due to a high fever (he's on the mend now), I felt like we could all use some comfort food. I made these burgers for dinner last night, and they were everything I was hoping for -- and more. 

The burgers themselves are seasoned simply with just salt and pepper, but then they're topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, and a corn and bacon relish made with jalapenos, red onion, and maple syrup. They're served on toasted buns slathered with avocado mayonnaise. SO GOOD.

The maple syrup may sound like an odd ingredient, but Joe and I both agreed that it was the star of the relish. It served to highlight the sweetness of the corn, the saltiness of the bacon, and the spiciness of the jalapenos, all at once. This relish is hands-down my new favorite condiment, and I'm now on the hunt for ways to use it in many, many other dishes.

Bacon Cheddar Burgers with Corn and Bacon Relish
adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

For the burgers:

4 burger patties
Salt and pepper
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 strips of bacon
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

For the corn and bacon relish:

4 strips of bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
3 ears of fresh sweet corn, with the kernels cut off the cobs
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Half of a red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon maple syrup

For the avocado mayonnaise:

1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise

1. In a large skillet, cook the four strips of bacon for the burger over medium high heat. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season the burger patties with salt and pepper and add to warm bacon drippings. Cook, turning once, until burgers are cooked to desired doneness. Turn the heat off; place cheese slices on top of burgers and one strip of the cooked bacon on top of each slice of cheese. Cover to allow the cheese to melt.

2. Heat a second large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Melt in butter, then add jalapeno and red onion to the skillet. Cook until the onion is softened, then add garlic and cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add the corn and continue to cook until corn is just tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and salt and remove the skillet from the heat.

3. Mash avocado flesh with lemon juice and salt. Add in the mayonnaise. Spread the mixture equally on the bottom of each bun. Top each bun with a cheeseburger patty and sweet corn relish.

Buffalo Chicken Cheddar Bacon Ranch Sandwiches

It's been raining here for two weeks straight. Literally, for two weeks straight. I mean, sure, it's stopped occasionally, but the weather has been so gross (humid and sticky) that I haven't felt like stepping a foot outside. All of the humidity is wreaking havoc on my allergies, too, so I've been pretty miserable lately. With my watery red eyes, itchy stuffy nose, and nearly-constant sinus headaches, I am the absolute picture of summer fun, let me tell you. So, I'm sorry I haven't been around much, but I just haven't been feeling the greatest.

I could certainly use a sandwich like this to clear out my sinuses. The spicy buffalo chicken would definitely do the trick, and not only that, it would be absolutely delicious. If I had to define my perfect sandwich, this one would be it. It's loaded with spicy buffalo chicken strips, cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and a generous drizzle of ranch dressing. 

I mean, come on. Does it get any better than that?

Buffalo Chicken Cheddar Bacon Ranch Sandwiches 

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup all-purpose flour

8 chicken tenders (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot

3 tablespoons melted butter

8 strips of bacon, cooked to desired crispness

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 hoagie rolls, split and toasted

Ranch dressing

1. Place buttermilk and flour in separate bowls; season flour with salt and pepper. Set out a rimmed baking sheet alongside the bowls. 

2. Dip chicken in buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off, then in flour. Shake off the excess flour and place on the baking sheet. 

3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Working in batches, fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. 

4. In a large bowl, stir together the hot sauce and melted butter. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

5. Place two strips of chicken on the bottom of each roll. Top with a slice of cheddar cheese, two slices of bacon, a generous drizzle of ranch dressing, and the roll top.