Skillet Chicken with Broccoli, Pasta & Parmesan

This is the closest thing to Macaroni Grill's Pasta Milano I've tried. The recipe makes it look more difficult than it actually is, I promise. It's really, really good right after you cook it and the leftovers are fantastic.

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 T olive oil
1 onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
12 ounces penne {I used whole wheat}
4 1/4 cup water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli {I used 4 and didn't think it was enough}
{I think I'll add 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms next time}
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed & coarsely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1 1/2 T lemon juice

Season the chicken with salt & pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until most, but not all, of the pink color has disappeared, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the onion and 1/2 tsp salt to the skillet. Return to medium-high heat and cook until the onion is softened. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the pasta, 3 cups of water and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes.

Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, parmesan and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with more parmesan cheese.

I printed this recipe off a blog several months ago but have no idea which one. If I figure it out, I'll update this post to give credit where credit is due.

Fusilli alla Caprese

Another great recipe from Giada. I love how fresh everything is!

Fusilli alla Caprese

• 1 pound fusilli pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

*picture from here

veggie gnocchi

I love, love, love gnocchi and order it whenever I go somewhere that serves it. I tried making homemade gnocchi one time and it wasn't really worth the effort. Then, hallelujah, I found it in the pasta aisle at Wal-Mart. Happy day. This recipe was the perfect dish to make with it. Light, easy, summery and with tasty leftovers. Enjoy.

1 T olive oil
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1 summer squash, quartered lengthwise, and sliced crosswise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 lb. gnocchi
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 T grated Romano cheese
1 T butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet. Toss gnocchi, adding enough cooking liquid to create sauce. Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter, and lemon juice.

Italian Sausage Rotini

I got this recipe from the Kraft website, but ended up changing a few things. It actually tastes a lot like Michelle's cavatini recipe, but wasn't as time-intensive. This is how I made it, and we both loved it. I'm definitely making it again.

3 1/2 cups uncooked wheat rotini {any pasta will really work}
1 lb. bulk sweet italian sausage
2 green peppers, cut into chunks
2 cups spaghetti sauce {plain old traditional Ragu works great}
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta as directed. While that's cooking, brown sausage with green peppers on medium-high heat. Drain excess fat and then add spaghetti sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until heated through. Drain pasta and then add to the skillet. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Serve with steamed veggies and garlic pull-aparts.

**Next time, I'm going to throw in a bunch of sliced mushrooms to cook with the sausage & peppers. Yum!***

Orzo Stuffed Peppers

a Giada recipe, ya really can't go wrong with her!

1 lb. italian sausage {I added this}
1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes
2 zucchini, grated
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

{Cook sausage.} Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish.

Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.

Easy Italian Pasta Bake

This is another recipe from the Kraft Food & Family website. I've decided I'm only going to cook 'fancy' meals once or twice per week and will do easy/cheap meals the other nights. This falls into the latter category.

1 lb. lean ground beef {or turkey or sausage}
3 cups whole wheat penne, cooked & drained {I only boiled mine for 6 mins. b/c it's going to be baked and I didn't want it to get soggy}
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 tsp italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat oven to 375*. Brown meat in large skillet with italian seasoning and garlic. Drain. Add pasta, sauce and 1/2 the parmesan and mix well. Spoon into 9x13 pan and top with remaining cheeses. Bake for 20 mins. I served mine with Rhodes rolls and steamed broccoli. Yummy!

Meatball Subs

For some strange reason, I had a hankering for a meatball sub. I don't think I've ever eaten a meatball sub before, but the craving was still there. I turned to reliable old allrecipes and found a winner.

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T grated parmesan cheese {I left this out to make it non-dairy}
1/2 egg, beaten
1/2 French baguette {I used wheat sub rolls we had on hand}
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pinch salt
7 oz. spaghetti sauce

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, italian seasoning, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese and egg by hand. Shape into 12 meatballs and place into a Pyrex pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through. Meanwhile, cut baguette in half lengthwise and scoop out some of the middle to make a well for the meatballs. Brush with olive oil and season with garlic powder and salt. Slip into the oven for the last five minutes of the meatballs' cooking time, until lightly toasted. Heat up spaghetti sauce in medium bowl in microwave. When meatballs are done, place them in bowl with sauce and mix lightly. Scoop meatballs into baguette. {I topped Matt's with shredded mozzarella cheese and put it back in the oven for a few minutes.} Enjoy!

Blitz bread

I found this recipe here and they got it from another blog. I made it tonight and really liked it. It's actually a lot like garlic pull aparts, but I had much better luck with it. Also a plus for me? No dairy. It's harder than you might think to find recipes without milk of some incarnation. Anyway, this bread was ridiculously easy to make and really tasty.

1 1/2 cups warm water
3 T. olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 T. yeast
3 tsp. italian seasoning

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and drizzle 1 to 2 T. olive oil in the bottom. Combine all of the ingredients together and beat at high speed for 60 seconds. {I used my Bosch and I actually put the yeast into the warm water with a bit of sugar to let the yeast get going before adding it to everything else.} {The original recipe also says you can add 1 cup crumbled feta cheese to the batter here, but I didn't try that.} Scoop the very sticky batter into the 9x13 pan, cover and let rise for an hour. Preheat the oven to 375*. Poke the dough all over with your index finger and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle more italian seasoning over the top. Bake the bread 35-40 minutes and enjoy!

Vegetable Lasagna

6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 onion, diced
1 c. (about 2 1/2 oz.) fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 med. zucchini, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. water
1 c. lowfat part skim ricotta or cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1 (9 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 egg whites
1 (14 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
3 oz. (3/4 c.) shredded lowfat part skim mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna noodles to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; rinse with hot water.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray medium nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, mushrooms, zucchini and garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add water; cover and cook 3-4 minutes until crisp tender.

In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, carrot, spinach and egg whites; mix well. In an ungreased 12 x 8 inch (2 quart) baking dish, layer half of cooked noodles, half of sauce, half of mushroom mixture and half of ricotta cheese mixture; repeat layers. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pork Chops Italiano

This is another Michelle original and a new Sunday favorite at the Kotter household.


4 chops, 1 inch thick (season with salt & pepper on both sides)
½ lb sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 green pepper, cut into strips
23 oz. tomato sauce (one 15-oz and one 8-oz can)
1 bay leaf
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp sage
1 tsp oregeno
1 tsp basil


Season pork chops and lay in bottom of crock pot. Layer mushrooms, onions and green pepper on top. In separate bowl, combine tomato sauce, garlic lemon juice and seasonings, and pour over pork and veggies. Cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.


This is fantastic served with {real} mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.

Capellini Pomodoro

This is my favorite dish from the Olive Garden -- it's so light and easy and tasty, and the leftovers are fantastic.

14 oz angel hair (I use whole wheat)
8 med. tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
11 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook capellini pasta according to package directions. Mix diced tomatoes, chopped basil, garlic & oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drain pasta. Toss pasta with tomato mixture in a sauté pan and heat throughout. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

This will serve 4 hungry people, especially if served with salad and parmesan popovers.

Chicken Parmesan

Once a month I get together with my mother-in-law (Julie) and sister-in-law (Jenn) and we have a luncheon. We each make dishes we have never tried before. One person makes a dessert, another a salad (fruit or veggie) and the person making the main dish has the luncheon at their home. Today it was my turn to be the hostess. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but it was meant for the Microwave. I baked it in the oven instead and it turned out to be an 'A' on my rating scale. I will definately make it again.

Ingredients for TWO people:
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce (consider doubling sauce if you are a sauce person)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed)
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Combine tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Simmer on stove. Set aside
2. In a bowl, combine the crumbs, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Dip the chicken into the egg, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place in a lightly greased glass baking dish. Bake at 375* for 30 minutes, uncovered, turning over each chicken breast after 15 minutes.
3. Pour tomato mixture over chicken when there are about 7-10 minutes remaining; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until meat juices run clear.

Serve with pasta, salad (or veggies) and bread sticks.

I did not have any Italian seasoning, but again found a recipe for Italian seasoning on allrecipes.com:

1 TBSP basil
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP rosemary
1 TBSP marjoram
1 TBSP thyme

I used our hand wheat grinder to grind it up. Wow! It is potent - tastes fresh too.

Anyone Like the Olive Garden?

I stumbled onto this website -- it is the actual Olive Garden Website, with a collection of their recipes. My family loves Italian -- so we will be trying a number of these I'm sure! Check it out! http://www.olivegarden.com/recipes/

Italian Chicken Chili With Pancetta Croutons

SOOO GOOD!!

· 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
· 1/3 pound pancetta, sliced 1/8 inch thick and finely chopped {italian bacon, if you can't find that, use regular bacon - that's all I've ever used}
· 3 pounds ground chicken
· 2 onions, chopped
· 2 carrots, peeled and grated
· 6 large cloves garlic, 3 grated and 3 crushed, divided
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
· 1 bay leaf
· 4 jarred roasted red peppers, drained
· 1 quart chicken broth
· 4 to 5 sprigs thyme
· 2 tablespoons (a couple palmfuls) chili powder
· 2 teaspoons (2/3 palmful) sweet, smoked paprika
· 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (eyeball it)
· 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
· 1 loaf crusty bread (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch squares
· 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place a large, heavy pot over high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add the pancetta and cook until brown and crispy, 3-5 minutes. Remove pancetta with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.

Add ground chicken to the pot with the pancetta drippings and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon.

Add the onions, carrots, grated garlic and bay leaf to the pot and cook until browned, about 8 minutes more. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then stir in the balsamic vinegar, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.

While the veggies are browning, puree the roasted peppers in a food processor. Stir the puree into the pot then add the chicken broth, thyme sprigs, chili powder, paprika and allspice, and season with salt and pepper. Bring up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the fat from the surface, if desired.

While the chili is simmering, place a small skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter and crushed garlic cloves, and cook 2-3 minutes.

Place bread in a large bowl. Pour the garlic butter evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the reserved pancetta, Pecorino, rosemary and lots of pepper over the bread and toss to coat. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until golden and crunchy, tossing occasionally. Remove from oven and let cool.

To serve, remove bay leaf and thyme springs from the pot. Ladle chili bowls and top with a handful of the pancetta croutons.

Yields: 6 servings {I needed to serve more, so I added 4 more cups of chicken broth to the above ingredients and it still came out perfect! seasonings and all...}
Rachael Ray

Parmesan Chicken

When Matt requested parmesan chicken, I looked on allrecipes.com and found this one. I made it Friday and it was really easy and really good.

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 egg
1 1/2 tsp melted butter

Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil and melted butter. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with crumb mixture. Place in glass baking dish sprayed with Pam. Cook at 375 for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with whole wheat pasta and marinara sauce. **This recipe is for two people, so adjust for your family!**

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

This is another Giada. Love her!

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound whole wheat penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

Classic Manicotti with Marinara Sauce

Here's a recipe that I patched together using recipes from Giada De Laurentis, Mario Borgatti and the back of the Bertolli box -- it turned out great!!! Enjoy!

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
1 pound ground Italian sausage (if you don't like sausage that well, use ground beef or a half pound ground beef and half pound sausage)
Salt and fresh ground pepper
12 (8 oz package) manicotti
15 oz whole milk ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves
3 cups marinara sauce (recipe to follow -- or just use a jar of Prego)
2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Brown sausage and onion in a skillet over medium heat with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Cook until onions are translucent and meat is browned. Remove from heat and cool.

Brush 1 Tablespoon olive oil over a large cookie sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite (4-6 minutes). Using a slotted spoon remove the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Combine the ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan and parsley. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste and mix, stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture. Make sure the meat mixture is cool, or it makes for difficult transfer to the manicotti tubes!

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 9 x 13 pan. Spoon half of the marinara over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the meat/cheese mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the top. ** Stuffing the manicotti can be a real pain, but I found that if I put all the filling in a gallon Ziploc bag and then cut off one of the bottom corners, I could shoot it right in, it made it a lot easier!

Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese, then the remaining Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot the entire dish with the putter pieces. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, or until heated through. Let manicotti sit for 5 minutes and then serve.

Marinara Sauce

1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and fresh ground pepper
2 quarts canned tomatoes, mostly drained (or 2-28 oz cans crushed tomatoes)
10 basil leaves (fresh is best)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
** You can add other spices that meet your individual tastes, but this gives you a good base to begin with.

Saute the garlic with the oil until tender. Add remaining ingredients, then raise the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer for 30+ minutes or until it is reduced to the consistency you prefer. The sauce can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer. Yields 5 cups.

Parmesan Popovers

3 eggs
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence **
4 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 cups whole milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (about 5 ounces)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

~In a blender, combine eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and herbs, milk, and cheese. Blend on medium speed.
~Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full.
~Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
~Remove popovers from muffin tin and cool on a wire rack.

From: Giada De Laurentiis

**Herbs de Provence contains thyme (mostly), rosemary, marjoram, basil, and bay leaf if you don’t have the actual mixture.

Baked Chicken Parmesan Ricotta Bowls

This is a Robin Miller recipe -- I just love Food Network! {The recipe says to make these in 8 mini-muffin cups, but I didn't think I'd get much filling in such a small space so I made them in 4 regular muffin cups. Sadly, they were pretty hard to get out of the pan, so I'll probably just make this is a big pie next time!}

1 9-inch refrigerated pie crust
2 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Divide crust into 8 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Press the balls into the bottom and up the sides of an 8-cup mini muffin tin. Set aside. {Obviously, only divide the crust into 4 pieces for regular muffin-size and leave intact for a whole pie}

In a large bowl, combine chicken, ricotta, Cheddar, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, eggs, Dijon, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared muffin cups and top with remaining Parmesan. Bake 20 minutes, until a knife inserted near the center of 1 cup comes out clean and crust is golden brown.

Italian Baked Chicken

I found this recipe online (it's a Giada De Laurentiis) and made it tonight for the first time. It was really good and I wanted the share the wealth:

1 cup small pasta {I used small shells}
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. cubed chicken
1/2 c. diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced (I used the bottled stuff)
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. bread crumbs {I made mine by putting a slice of wheat bread in the blender and pulsing}
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1 T. butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl. While the pasta is cooking, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. {It took me more like 7-8 to finish cooking the chicken} Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Pour into a greased 8x8 Pyrex pan. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture and dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

I served it with a broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mixture with parmesan and mozzarella and would have also had garlic bread, but we didn't have any. Let me know how it turns out for you!