Chicken, Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake

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Chicken, Spinach, and Artichoke Pasta Bake

Even when the weather is warm, sometimes I still find myself craving a big bowl of comforting baked pasta. But, it’s nice to switch it up from the standard red sauce and ricotta cheese variety. When I came across a recipe a couple of months ago in a recent issue of Taste of Home, I thought I’d give it a try.

I did end up changing it a bit, mainly by adding chicken as well as a dose of homemade Alfredo sauce to the pasta bake. I loved all the flavors together, almost reminiscent of a spinach-artichoke dip. It was pretty easy to bring together too, as it doesn’t require all the layering that something like a traditional lasagna would.

I had leftover roasted chicken from the night before, so I just used that – but a store-bought rotisserie chicken would be ideal for this application. Or you could certainly use boneless skinless chicken breasts that you roasted or sauteed as well. Whatever works best for you!

I kept it simple and just served it with a salad topped with a light lemon vinaigrette. Everyone really enjoyed it, and with most baked pastas the leftovers were even better the next day for lunch.

Chicken, Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Bake

16 oz rigatoni pasta
1 batch Alfredo sauce (or 1 jar of your favorite store-bought brand)
3 cups cooked chicken, roughly chopped or shredded
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach
1 (14 oz) can water-packed quartered artichoke hearts, drained
8 oz whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

Boil a large pot of water and season with 1 Tbsp salt. Add pasta and cook for 7 minutes. Drain and return back to large pot.

Add the sauce, chicken, spinach, artichokes, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper to the pasta. Stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Pour half of the pasta into the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Add the remaining pasta and top with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn on broiler. Remove foil and place pasta under broiler for about 3 minutes or so, until the cheese is browned and bubbly.

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: adapted from Taste of Home Magazine, February/March 2014

Oatmeal Apple Cheesecake Bars

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Apple Oatmeal Cheesecake Bars

We’re officially down to the wire with baby #3, with less than a month to go at this point. Giving my large size and just general uncomfortable nature – I’m not feeling up to cooking and baking as much as I have been in the past few months. But, I did find the time and energy to make these awesome oatmeal bars this week!

I know apple butter may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to spring. But, let me just say that’s the wrong way to think! It’s a delicious base for a barbecue sauce, or smeared onto a crostini and topped with a little blue cheese and a slice of apple for an easy appetizer. Not to mention the classic peanut butter and apple butter sandwich that is my boy’s favorite!

These bars are delicious, and easy to bring together – which automatically means a winner in my kitchen. A quick crumble composed of oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, and butter is used for the base and the topping. And sandwiched in the middle is a layer of apple butter and a cheesecake filling. What’s bad in that equation? All the flavors go together just perfectly.

I hope that everyone is enjoying all the gorgeous weather we’ve been having. Our crew is heading to Ocean City for the weekend – for a little family “babymoon” before our next bundle of joy arrives. Hoping to eat plenty of good food and let the boys have some fun in the sun. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Oatmeal Apple Cheesecake Bars

For the oatmeal crumble:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp butter, melted

For the filling:
1 cup apple butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, then spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.

To make the cheesecake filling, place cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, and beat for 1 minute until smooth and combined. Set aside.

Mix flour, oatmeal, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in butter with a fork until well mixed and clumps form. Spread a little over half the oatmeal mixture over foiled pan bottom, pressing with the bottom of a drinking glass to form a crust.

Pour cheesecake mixture over the crust, using an offset spatula or butter knife to spread out. Then dollop apple butter over the filling evenly. Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal crumble mixture on top.

Bake until crisp and golden brown, about 50 minutes minutes. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing into squares and serving.

Source: adapted from Musselman’s

Disclaimer: I received a jar of apple butter from Musselman’s, as well as a lovely spring bouquet of flowers from FTD for my review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Souvlaki Gyros

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Souvlaki Gyros

Chicken gyros have long been one of my favorite meals to make at home – not to mention one of my most popular posts here on the site. Last summer, at a friend’s cookout, our good friend Pete (who happens to be Greek) make some delicious soulvaki kabobs to throw on the grill and share with everyone. I was completely blown away with the flavor, and couldn’t wait to try them out for myself in place of the chicken in my gyro recipe.

I used a boneless pork butt that I trimmed and cut down into bite-sized pieces, but a tenderloin would be fine as well – if you wanted a little less prep work. It’s a very basic marinade of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, plenty of garlic and oregano, and olive oil. It requires a longer soak time than the chicken, but the tenderness of the meat and flavor you get in the end product are well worth it in the long run!

It’s skewered then thrown on the grill. Once the meat was cooked we piled it into warm homemade pita bread, topped with a cool and creamy tzatziki sauce, and topped with lots of fresh veggies. We all agreed that we liked it as much, if not more, than the chicken version. It’s something fun and different for cookouts this summer, and one that I know we’ll be making again and again. Opa!

Souvlaki Gyros

3 lb boneless pork shoulder or butt
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 batch tzatziki sauce
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
sliced cucumbers
lettuce
Pocketless pita bread (whole wheat version found here)

Trim the pork of most of the visible fat, and cut down into 1-inch chunks. Place in a gallon-sized reasealable plastic bag.

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and pour over the pork. Seal up and squeeze the bag to distribute the marinade and coat the pork. Place in the refrigerator and allow to marinade at least 6 hours, or up to overnight.

Preheat the grill (or pan, or broiler) to medium-high heat. Place pork onto skewers (metal or wooden skewers that have been soaked) and place on hot grill. Cook for about about 10 minutes per side, until nicely charred on the outside and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from grill to a serving platter, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm your pita bread on the grill or in the oven. Top the pita with the pork, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and lettuce.

Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

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Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Guys, this is one of my favorite side dishes of all time – and frankly I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share it here on the blog. Slow roasted garlic, butter, fresh parsley, and tender red potatoes mashed up into a delicious heap of goodness.

It’s a nice change of pace from the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy, and the flavor is just wonderful. It takes a little bit more time and forethought, as you have to roast the garlic ahead of time before mashing the potatoes – but trust me, it’s worth it! Roasting the garlic, as opposed to just using garlic powder, really mellows and deepens the flavor – so it doesn’t have that harsh bite that many garlic mashed potatoes have.

I like to add parsley, for a little pop of color and bright flavor, but it’s great with other herbs as well – I’ve used some chopped rosemary and thyme in the past, and both were wonderful. This side dish would be great on your Easter table, paired with ham or turkey. Or, it’s always my go-to side to serve with a homey traditional dish like meatloaf. It’s a favorite in my family, and I know it will be one in yours as well.

Roasted Garlic Smashed Potatoes

10-15 cloves garlic (about 1/4 cup), peeled
2 tsp olive oil
2 lbs red potatoes, washed and scrubbed
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup half and half
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place garlic cloves in a shallow ramekin or baking dish with the olive oil. Toss to coat. Place in oven and roast for about 30 minutes, until garlic is golden brown. Remove from oven and turn off heat. When cool enough to handle, chop into relatively small pieces and set aside.

While garlic is roasting, prepare the potatoes. Fill a large dutch oven or saucepan with water, add 1 Tbsp of kosher salt and stir to combine. Using a potato peeler, remove about half of the skin from each potato. I usually take the strip off of the center, leaving some skin at the top and bottom. Cut potatoes in half vertically and place in the pot of water.

Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife – about 20 minutes. Remove to a colander and drain, then return to the pot and let sit on the stove, uncovered, for a few minutes to dry out.

Place the butter and half and half in a microwave-safe dish. Place in microwave and warm until butter is just melted – about 45 seconds.

Add the roasted garlic, as well as the melted butter mixture to the potatoes. Using a potato masher or pastry cutter, gently smash up the potatoes. You want them cohesive, but still a little but chunky. Add about 1 tsp of kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper, as well as the chopped parsley. Using a rubber spatula, mix to combine. Season to taste with additonal salt and pepper if necessary before serving.