Paper Paint and Pine: April 2015

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Casserole

Don't you love the smell of wing sauce? I know I do but I don't eat wings because I just can't bring myself to eat meat from a bone. I do love pasta though so this mixes a couple awesome flavors to make an incredibly pleasing casserole. It even is a hit with my picky eater so that makes me happy. I am sure if you like Wings or the flavor of Wings you will really enjoy this recipe!

I have made this a couple times now and each time it is a hit! My mom actually came across this recipe and she made it for Super Bowl and it was gobbled up immediately. Then I made it and the guys loved it and so did I so I now have added it to my favorite meals category.

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You will need:

3 Cups shredded cooked chicken
1/3 Cup Frank's Wing Sauce
1/3 Cup Ranch dressing
6 to 8 ounces Egg noodles or pasta of your choice
1 14oz Jar of Alfredo sauce
1/4 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
6 slices of Provolone cheese for top
Optional: Blue Cheese crumbles

Prepare your noodles and drain. Also prepare your chicken--shredded or chunks of chicken work well in this recipe. Place your Wing sauce, Ranch dressing, Alredo sauce, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in a bowl and mix well. *If you are using Blue Cheese add it to the casserole instead of just on top or if you have some that like it and some that don't just serve it on the side. Add chicken and combine. Add in prepared and drained noodles and make sure everything is well coated in your sauce mixture.

Pour into a greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheddar and provolone cheeses. I use my food processor and chop up my slices of Provolone but you wouldn't have to do this step. Bake at 350 for about 20 to 30 minutes until bubbly and browned on top.

Serve with some chopped green onions, a salad and some fresh bread and you are all set. Add a little extra wing sauce if you want a bit more of a kick!

As you can tell from the photos I have made this several times and each time it is a hit! The photo above was made with chunks of chicken instead of shredded chicken and parsley instead of green onions. Either way has been a hit with us!

What's not to love--pasta, wing sauce, cheese and chicken!

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Simply Delicious Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

I just absolutely love Crockpot cooking. It makes life so much easier and almost every meal comes out perfectly. As a mom I am always looking for simple recipes that everyone in our house will eat.

At our house we are all huge fans of Chicken Fajitas from Chili's so when I was trying to think of a recipe to use up some chicken I decided to give Crockpot Chicken Fajitas a try and we are all glad I did! This turned out so good--not the same flavor as Chili's but still really good! I have made fajitas over the years using different spices but we have never been thrilled with the end result but now I have my go to recipe for them because this was a hit!

You will need:

Simply Delicious Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

5-6 boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, frozen

1 onion, cut into slices

1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper and 1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 can Ro-tel or a can of diced tomatoes and chiles.

1 packet of taco seasoning

Flour tortillas or serve over a bed of rice

For toppings you may want lettuce, salsa, cheese, sour cream, guacamole etc.

Place the chicken tenderloins, onion, peppers, Ro-tel and taco seasoning in a crockpot and set to low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. I always start mine on high and then after a couple hours turn it down to low for the remainder of the day but if you aren't home to do this I would just set it on low.

Once the chicken is cooked through take 2 forks to shred it up a little while still in the crockpot and then serve on a tortilla shell with your favorite toppings and if you would prefer to skip the shell this is great over rice!