Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocchi Veronese

The recipe can be found at Recipe Goldmine.

We didn't make our Gnocchi. I got it at Target and it was wonderful!

Servings: 4

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced (julienned)
1/2 zucchini, sliced (julienned)
Salt to taste
4 chicken breasts, sliced in 1/2-inch strips
2 small branches rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Veronese Sauce:
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
14 fluid ounces heavy cream

Gnocchi:
2 quarts water
6 ounces all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 pounds russet potatoes
2 teaspoons salt
OR
1 pound gnocchi (potato dumplings, cooked
according to package directions

Gnocchi: Wash potatoes and place in water. Cook potatoes until soft (cook time will depend on size of potatoes). Remove potatoes from water and cool in refrigerator.

Peel cooled potatoes and push them through a fine grater (rice grater) until mashed; do not over-mash potatoes or they will get tough.

Combine potatoes, flour and eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix well until dough does not stick to hands (add small amounts of flour at a time if needed).

Divide dough into 4 sections. Roll out each section into a long rope. Cut each rope into 1/2-inch pieces. Push fork tines on each piece for the classic gnocchi appearance.

Bring water to a boil in a sauce pot. Drop in gnocchi and cook until they float.

Chicken and Sauce: Combine garlic, lemon juice, rosemary and chicken slices in a mixing bowl. Let marinate for at least 2 hours.

Combine Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and heavy cream in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Heat saute pan on medium high. Add extra virgin olive oil, onions, bell peppers and zucchini. Saute until onions are translucent (do not brown).

Add marinated chicken slices and cook until slices are brown on all sides and internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Reduce heat and add sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer.

Drain cooked gnocchi and add to pan with chicken, vegetables and sauce. Stir to coat gnocchi with sauce.

White Chicken Chili

Also easy to do in the crockpot but it really takes no time at all on the stove...

2 cups of cooked shredded or cubed leftover chicken
2 or 3 cans of great northern beans (you can use dried if you want to mess with them; it just takes longer).
2 cans chopped green chiles
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups of chicken broth (use less or more depending on how thick you like your chili)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and parsley to taste
2 T olive oil
1 cup corn kernels
1 pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes (low fat is fine)
1 cup cooked white rice (optional - but we love it - definitely thickens it up)

Start off by sauteeing the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the chicken (if you use raw, then cook it through). Add the green chiles, chicken broth, corn, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cream cheese cubes until melted. Stir in the rice and season to taste. My mom always adds coriander but I never seem to have any so I mostly use cumin.

This is super fast if you use canned beans (I buy GV brand) and leftover chicken.

Optional: Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream on top!

Chicken (or beef) Tortilla Casserole

This is super easy and freezes well. I made it for Darrica last week, so she can tell you if it's any good. ;o) I grew up eating it and it was a family fave. There are two versions - chicken or beef (ground or shredded).

I usually cook without measuring, so bear with me! lol...

You will need:
Tortilla chips (I use the white corn - doesn't matter - leftover, stale, it's all good)
cooked shredded or cubed chicken - leftover is fine - about 1 1/2 cups (substitute beef if you want to!)
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom for the beef version)
1 can drained rotel tomatoes (if you don't want the spicy kick, use regular diced canned tomatoes)
1 small bag (approx 8 oz) frozen mixed vegatables - pop 'em in the microwave to thaw. Yes, you can use fresh if you've got the time, but I would steam them first since it doesn't cook long. Any veggies are ok but I like the carrots, peas, and corn mix.
Shredded cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Crush tortilla chips into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Crush enough to cover the bottom.

In a bowl, mix chicken, cream soup, drained tomatoes, steamed veggies, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Spoon over chips.

Cover with more shredded cheese and more crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Freezer alert: If you want to freeze it do so before adding the final layer of tortilla chips on top. You can do it when you are ready to bake it. That way they stay crispy.

This recipe easily doubles and is great with leftovers.

Mozzarella Stuffing Chicken

Soooo, in looking for recipes I could double and freeze, I found this one (copied below) at Kelly's Recipes (author of Kelly's Korner).

****
Mozzarella Stuffing Chicken

4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 slices Mozzarella or Swiss cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup white cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup herb-flavored crushed up Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place uncooked chicken in shallow buttered casserole dish. Layer cheese on top. Mix soup, wine, salt, pepper; pour over cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
****

Her recipe calls for either Mozzarella or Swiss cheese, so I used Mozzarella knowing that my kiddos would eat what I didn't use for the recipe (Swiss is too smelly for them-LOL). I also substituted the white cooking wine with chicken broth. And with the next batch, I will add a bit more than 1 cup of crushed stuffing mix (I *heart* stuffing) just to bulk up the 'gravy'.

IT WAS DELICIOUS! BOTH of my currently very picky eaters gladly ate ALL of it (this is huge). Kelly mentioned in her post that she prepared the recipe as directed and froze it raw before her daughter was born and it was just as delicious....I'm definitely adding this recipe to my baby preparation freezer meal list.

Chicken Ole'

I got this in an email forever ago. My kids actually ate seconds and thirds. Whoa.

Chicken Olé

From the Kitchen of: Chris
Source: MasterCook

You might want to double this because it is never enough.

12 corn tortillas, torn into pieces
2 lbs. cooked chicken, coarsely chopped
103/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
103/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
7 oz. can green chili salsa
8 oz. sour cream
1 tbsp. onion, grated
11/2 c. Cheddar cheese, grated


Lightly grease sides and bottom of Crockery Pot.

In a separate bowl, mix together the soups, salsa, sour cream and onion.

In a Crockery Pot, arrange alternate layers of the tortillas, chicken pieces and soup mixture, ending with soup mixture on top.

Cover and cook on low 4 - 5 hours.

Sprinkle with Cheddar and cook for another 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I got this from Reader's Digest. I am telling you ladies, I am totally in love with it. But my kids didn't like it at all. I went a little crazy with the lime juice though. :o) It really is yummy.

You Will Need

3 corn tortillas (6 inches each), cut into 1/4-inch strips

4 tsp. olive oil, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 large onion, chopped

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup frozen corn

1 can (4 1/2 oz.) chopped green chilies

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 tbs. lime juice


What to Do

1. In large resealable plastic bag, combine tortilla strips, 1 tsp. oil, and salt. Seal bag and shake to coat. Arrange tortilla strips on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp, turning once. Remove to paper towels to cool.

2. In large saucepan, sauté chicken in remaining oil until lightly browned. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add corn, chilies, cilantro, and pepper, and heat through. Stir in lime juice. Top each serving with tortilla strips.

Yield: 6 servings ($1.62 per serving)


-- M. M., Traverse City, Michigan

Nutrition Facts: One serving (1 1/2 cups) equals 221 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 33 mg cholesterol, 757 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 19 g protein.

Chicken Makhani (Butter Chicken)

I'm only posting it for Avi. I only dream of having these kinds of recipes. :o)

********
So, unfortunately, because there are 1,000 spices we use in Indian cooking, I would have a tendency to just mix everything together…and everything would taste the same. So, my cheat sheet recipe book is called Complete Indian Cooking.” (On Amazon, there are used versions of the book for $6!)

This book totally gets my Indian approval if you are looking for an Indian cookbook. It has vegetarian dishes, lamb dishes, desserts, appetizers...and very large, colorful pictures of the food. Okay, moving on…:o)

Ingredients for Chicken Makhani
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 2 inch pieces)
Vegetable oil

Marinade
3 large red chilies, seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves (I use garlic paste)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds crushed
1 teaspoon garam masala
0.5 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is always best)
.75 cup plain yogurt
(Note--I've been able to find all of these spices at regular grocery stores, by the way. :-D)

Sauce
3 lbs ripe tomatoes, quartered
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt

Marinade - Place the ingredients in a food processor (I use a blender) briefly to produce a paste. Transfer the marinade into a nonmetallic bowl with the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. (I never do that because I don’t have time, by the way, but you can.)

Sauce - While the chicken is marinading, place the tomatoes into a large saucepan and cook them gently with no added water for about 20 minutes, until they are tender. Rub them through a fine strainer into a clean saucepan. Simmer the tomato pulp on medium heat for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally until it is thick and reduced. Stir in the butter, stir often, and let it cook for a further 30 minutes. Stir in the cream and heat it through. Taste and adjust the amount of salt if necessary. Put aside.

Heat oil in a large pan, pour chicken into pan and cook on high heat. Add the tomato sauce to the pan and cook until chicken is cooked through. Serve with a swirl of cream and cilantro sprig to garnish. You can serve it with rice or naan.

Notes about this recipe--just as the book states perfectly, I tend to spice the food that I cook a lot more than what they recommend and I never use measuring spoons. I add in chilli powder, some red peppers, more cilantro and garam masala…so, have fun with it! :-D Also, I usually double the recipe... (Click here if you want to see a picture of the finished product and my messy kitchen.)

Lemon chicken with veggies

This is an easy, go-to, Thursday night meal at our house.  I've modified it from the book "mom-a-licious" by Domenica Catelli (a pretty good one).  You don't have to add an additional side dish. It's a one dish meal.  Enjoy!

1 pound chicken tenders (or boneless, skinless breast cut into 1 inch strips)

2-3 Tbsp minced garlic

2-3 cups vegetables of you choice, cut into small bite sized pieces (sweet potatoes, celery, carrots, broccoli, etc. - we usually use sweet potato and broccoli)

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

pinch salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken, garlic and veggies in a 9X13 baking dish.  (I like to steam the veggies for a few minutes in the microwave before I add them to the dish.)

Drizzle with lemon juice and EVOO.  Mix in the salt and pepper.

Top with the Parmesan cheese and bake 20-25 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!