This is a very easy way to make a favorite Italian classic, with some help from Campbell’s Soup 1-2-3 Cooking:

1 pkg italian seasoned boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 pkg fettuccine or other choice of pasta
1 pkg pre-cut broccoli (that can be steamed in the microwave)
1 8 oz pkg pre-cut, pre-wash mushrooms
olive oil
1 can Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom w/ roasted garlic soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare chicken to be baked. Coat baking pan in olive oil and place chicken in a single layer. Bake 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in pasta of choice and prepare per package directions. Begin boiling water just after chicken has been placed in oven.

Saute mushrooms in a large skillet using as much or as little olive oil as desired. Cover and set aside. Combine soup, milk and parmesan cheese in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring frequently. Once thoroughly heated, combine with mushrooms in large skillet, set aside and keep warm.

Drain pasta when tender and combine in skillet with mushroom sauce. Mix well, coating pasta completely. Sprinkle the top with fresh ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon).

Prepare broccoli in microwave as package directs. Either add to pasta and sauce or serve on the side with butter.

Remove chicken from oven and place a chicken breast on each plate and serve with pasta, sauce and broccoli.

Additions/Substitutions:

Since all shapes of pasta taste the same, ANY kind of pasta can be used. Some shapes to try: angel hair, spiral, or bow tie. For a vegetarian options, skip the chicken and add some cheese-stuffed tortellini (prepare according to package directions and add into sauce once cooked).

Other vegetables can be added or substituted as desired, such as peas, green beans, sun-dried tomatoes, peppers or carrots.

Regular condensed mushroom soup can be used instead of the roasted garlic variety, or 1 teaspoon of minced garlic can be added to mushroom soup to create the same effect.

Low-sodium varieties of soup with fat-free milk and light parmesan cheese can turn this alfredo sauce into a healthy meal. Try using part-skim mozzarella cheese, just make sure it melts thoroughly into sauce.

Italian seasoning can be added to the sauce to give it an extra kick, especially if italian seasoned chicken isn’t available. Try two tablespoons of italian seasoning, or a half-teaspoon of each of the following: basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary.

The original recipe came from my Campell’s soup cookbook, with some slight modifications.

4 chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can condensed tomato soup (low sodium)
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
dash salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F

Trim fat off chicken breasts. Coat the bottom of a baking pan with olive oil. Arrange chicken in a single layer.

Combine tomato soup, milk, parmesan cheese, basil, garlic and a generous sprinkling of salt in a small bowl. Mix well and pour over chicken, covering it completely. Top each piece with fresh ground black pepper.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is done. Baste chicken once or twice with tomato mixture while cooking. Serve on top of penne pasta tossed in olive oil and italian seasoning.

*Begin boiling water for pasta once chicken is in the oven and pasta should be cooked by the time the chicken is ready.

Recommended sides: steamed broccoli, red-skinned mashed potatoes, or sauteed green beans and mushrooms (swap vinegar/soy sauce for parmesan cheese).

This is a quick and easy dinner similar to “hamburger helper” but with a more homemade/home-style feel.

1 (8 oz) package elbow macaroni (or other shaped pasta)
1 lb ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Toppings, such as: sour cream, tortilla chips, tomatoes, peppers, onions

Prepare macaroni according to package directions, drain and keep warm.

Brown ground beef in skillet or frying pan until no longer pink and drain. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir over medium-low heat until thoroughly mixed and sauce begins to reduce. Set aside and keep warm.

Melt butter in a large pan over medium, gradually adding flour and whisking constantly to form a sauce. Gradually add milk, while whisking, and simmer for 5-7 minutes until mixture thickens. Decrease heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, stir until cheese is completely melted.

Add macaroni and beef to pan, stirring over low heat. Let cook until mixture begins to simmer and thicken. Remove from heat and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Serve on large plates with toppings on the side. This dish went well with a side of mexican rice and tortilla chips, along with the usual taco toppings. It also made for great left overs!

The sauce in this recipe was hard to thicken, I added an additional tablespoon of flour to thicken it up, but I think less milk could be used (maybe just 1 or 1 1/2 cups instead of 2).

Last night, I tried a new combination and it worked really well. Here is the new recipe:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (these can be cut into thirds if very large, or you can use pre-cut chicken tenders instead)
3 tbps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbps honey, plus extra for drizzling
1 tbp lime juice (fresh, if possible)
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp basil
1/2 tsp minced garlic (or to taste)
dash of salt & fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375F.

Trim fat off chicken and cut if making tenders. Set aside.

Combine oil, honey, lime, thyme and basil in a small bowl. If using a measuring spoon, alternate oil/honey/oil/honey/oil so that the honey doesn’t stick to the spoon, then add lime. Stir in garlic (lime and garlic seem to go well together).

Arrange chicken in a single layer in a baking dish (do not grease). Spoon honey/lime mixture over chicken. If chicken is not completely covered in pan, add extra oil to prevent burning. Drizzle a small amount of honey over the chicken (and lime if desired). Sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper.

Bake 20-35 minutes, depending on size of chicken pieces and type of oven. Stir/rotate chicken every 10 minutes or so, adding oil if sides of dish begin to burn. Chicken is done when the insides are no longer pink.

This went well with steamed broccoli and a dish of Parmesan Herbed Noodles (recipe to be posted soon). Because the noodles have such a strong taste, the spices for the chicken were decresed to allow the honey-lime flavor to come out and mesh well with the noodles.

from Southern Living magazine:

1 lb ground beef
1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup picante sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (24 oz) container low-fat small-curd cottage cheese
2 large eggs
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt
12 (5 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in corn, tomato sauce, picante sauce, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside.

Stir together cottage cheese, eggs, oregano and garlic salt.

Arrange tortillas on bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a lightly greased 13×9 inch baking dish. Spoon half of meat mixture over tortillas; top with cottage cheese mixture. Arrange remaining tortillas over cheese mixture; top with remaining meat mixture.

Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions: serve with a side of mexican rice and toppings such as sour cream, onions, peppers and blue corn tortilla chips.