Grilled Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Penne

Sometimes I really wish we lived in a location where it was possible to grill year-round. I mean, I know that's what grill pans were invented for...but using a grill pan just isn't the same as cooking on an outdoor grill. But it's hard to cook on an outdoor grill when it's 30 degrees and snowing outside. Such is the plight of Midwestern life.

I love grilling not only because it's a delicious and relatively healthy cooking method, but also because it means that half of the dinner cooking work is my husband's job. And he doesn't complain about it one bit; in fact, he loves to grill. On the night I made this, he took charge of the chicken, while I handled the simple pasta and sauce. And either we're a great cooking team or this is just an awesome recipe (I think it's both!), because this meal was amazing. Absolutely delicious. I can't believe I'd never considered adding pesto to a marinade before, but you can rest assured I'll be doing it constantly from now on. The pesto gave the chicken such a wonderful, earthy flavor, which was nice with the bright flavor of the lemon. The chicken paired perfectly with the creamy tomato sauce. This was a hit with the entire family, and I'll be making it every grilling season from now on for sure!

Grilled Pesto Chicken with Tomato Cream Penne

adapted from Plain Chicken

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup Italian dressing

1/4 cup prepared pesto

Juice of 1 lemon

1 pound penne pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 14.5-ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons prepared pesto

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a plastic bag or sealable container, mix together Italian dressing, pesto, and lemon juice. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight (the longer, the better). Grill the chicken until cooked through.

2. While the chicken is cooking, cook the penne in boiling salted water until al dente; drain.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Stir in chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Heat to boiling, then add tomato sauce and heavy cream. Add sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in the pesto and heat through.

4. Gently stir the pasta into the sauce. Top each serving with sliced chicken.

Ranch Chicken Tacos

It's only Monday, but I can already tell that I'm having one of those weeks in which I just don't want to mess with dinner. I did make a meal plan this week, but I'm not bothering to share it because it's pretty boring: spaghetti, sloppy joes, that sort of thing. I'm in the mood for simple, uncomplicated food. Less time cooking dinner means more time watching the Olympics. I have my priorities!

One of the meals we're having this week includes these ranch chicken tacos, which I've made before and which we all absolutely loved. The ranch flavor works so well with the taco seasoning. We kept our toppings pretty simple: just some shredded cheddar, sliced avocado, chopped lettuce, and a drizzle of ranch -- and I'm making them the same way this time. I'm really excited that we're having these again this week, because they're incredibly delicious!

Ranch Chicken Tacos

adapted from One Day At a Time - From My Kitchen to Yours

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 packet taco seasoning

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1/4 cup water

Flour tortillas

Shredded cheese, avocado, lettuce, and ranch dressing for topping

1. Preheat about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium skillet. Add chicken and, when nearly cooked through, season with taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix. Add water to keep the seasonings from sticking to the bottom of the skillet and stir to evenly combine as the chicken finishes cooking.

2. Serve chicken on flour tortillas topped with desired toppings.

Creamy Succotash with Bacon and Thyme

I think lima beans are one of those vegetables that just get a bad rap. Most people just don't like them, for either their texture or taste. Take my husband, for instance. When I told him we were having succotash for dinner, he definitely made a face. He denied it later (after he tasted how delicious this was), but I saw it. He definitely wrinkled his nose in distaste. I guess I never bought into the lima bean disdain, since I used to eat them all the time at my grandma's house, sauteed with onion, butter, and lots of salt and pepper. This was the first time I'd ever made succotash at home, though, so I wasn't sure how it would turn out.

It turned out amazing. Even the boys devoured it, and Joe completely forgot about his dislike of lima beans the minute he tried it. The thyme and bacon definitely add some delicious flavorful elements to the succotash, and I loved the addition of  the cream -- not too much, just enough to give the whole dish a silky texture. This will be a staple summer side in our house from now on.

Creamy Succotash with Bacon and Thyme

adapted from Allrecipes

4 strips bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 10-ounce package frozen baby lima beans

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup water

1 10-ounce package frozen sweet corn

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease and discard the rest.

2. Melt the butter with the remaining bacon grease in the same skillet. Add onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are softened.

3. Stir in the lima beans and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 7 minutes. Add corn, heavy cream, and thyme leaves and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in reserved bacon and serve.

Smoky Chicken and White Bean Chili

I know you're probably scoffing at me right now. "Chili? In July?" you're asking. And the answer is yes, folks, chili in July! I'm one of those people who enjoys soup year-round. Think about it for a minute. Soup is cooked on the stove-top, so it doesn't require an oven heating up the house. And since practically everyone eats a hot dinner, even in the summer, I don't see what the difference is between having soup in July and soup in January.

If my faultless (ha) logic hasn't convinced you, you'll be completely convinced when you try it. This chili is so good. The fire-roasted tomatoes, bacon, and smoked paprika give it such a wonderful smoky flavor. Since it's more smoky than spicy, even the boys enjoyed it. And it comes together in no time, and it's relatively healthy. I'll take a big bowl of this chili any day of the year!

Smoky Chicken and White Bean Chili

adapted from Tasty Kitchen

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups shredded chicken

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 quart chicken stock

2 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes

2 14.5-ounce cans cannelini or Great Northern beans

7 ounces fire-roasted diced green chilies

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded cheese for topping

1. In a hot Dutch oven, cook bacon for about 3 minutes.

2. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon. Lower the heat to medium low and cover pot. Cook, stirring as needed until the onions are translucent and just starting to caramelize.

3. Add the chicken, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and chili powder to the pot and continue to cook for 10 minutes, covered.

4. Stir in the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, white beans, and green chiles. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a slow boil and cook, uncovered, stirring as needed until the liquid has reduced to your preferred thickness. Top each serving with shredded cheese.

Weekly Meal Planning, Week of 7.23.12

I'm hoping to get back on track this week with posting, since I slacked last week. Sometimes it's hard for me to balance all of my various responsibilities, and sometimes the blog, unfortunately, falls to the bottom of the list. I've been making lots of delicious things, though, that I'm really excited to share with you.

I can't believe this is the last meal plan for the month of July. This month passed by so quickly, and it's been a really busy month too. Hopefully August will be the month we're able to slow down a bit!

I'm trying something different this week: a whole week of meatless meals. Well, almost a whole week, since we're going to a cookout on Sunday and there will be lots of grilled meats to enjoy. There's no real reason for this (I'm not planning to become a vegetarian or anything like that); I just thought it would be fun to try something a little different. I'm not telling Joe about my plan, and am going to see how long it takes him to notice the lack of meat in his meals!

Monday: Cruncy black bean tacos and Mexican rice. I didn't get around to making this meal this week, so I'm excited to have it tomorrow night.

Tuesday: Sweet potato corn cakes, spinach salad with strawberries, avocado, feta, cashews, and strawberry-lime vinaigrette. I think these sweet potato cakes will be a huge hit, since we are a yam-loving family. The salad is one I've never tried, but I think the combination sounds delicious; we'll see how it turns out.

Wednesday: Roasted poblano quesadillas, elote. To say I'm excited to try this method for corn on the cob would be a massive understatement.

Thursday: Joe has a softball game.

Friday: Pasta with Tex-Mex pepper cream sauce, Mexican-style garlic bread. This pasta is another dish I had on our meal plan previously but didn't get around to making. I'll use roasted red peppers, because I have a jar on hand.

Saturday: Bacon pierogi bake, minus the bacon, plus broccoli and maybe some other stuff. (I know, that sounds way professional.)

Sunday: My cooking club is meeting, but we're getting everyone together (significant others, kids, etc.) to have a cookout and pool party. We'll be having delicious barbecued foods. I'm responsible for bringing dessert, so I'll be taking peanut butter pie and s'mores whoopie pies.