Blackened Chicken with Garlic Alredo

Little man loves pasta, so we have it often. Browsing Pinterest I came across this recipe for Blackened Chicken with Garlic Alfredo, it looked good, so we gave it a try.  The original recipe calls for a Creole seasoning from Pampered Chef, but I don't have that so I made a few changes. 

Blackened Chicken with Garlic Alfredo

Ingredients:

Bow Tie Pasta (or your favorite)

Tony Chachers Creole Seasoning

salt & pepper

Garlic Alfredo Sauce

olive oil

chicken Breast

broccoli (optional)

Directions:

1. Pound chicken breast to an even thickness.  Drizzle olive oil over chicken breast to lightly coat.  Sprinkle creole seasoning over both sides of the chicken.
2. Heat skillet on medium-high and add chicken.  Cook 3 minutes on each side
3. While chicken is cooking, cook pasta.  Add broccoli during the last 2 minutes.  Drain and toss with Alfredo sauce, heat over low heat.
4. Place chicken on top of pasta.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Final Product

Foil Packets

This might be one of my new favorites!  Easy prep, easy cook, easy cleanup...what's not to like!

Foil Packets

Ingredients:

Your favorite veggies (I used green peppers, zucchini, broccoli, onions, carrots, and potatoes)

Kilbasa (or chicken, steak, pork chops)

olive oil

salt & pepper

garlic powder

foil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  While the oven is preheating, start chopping those veggies. Slice meat.
2. If using chicken, steak, or pork cook meat over medium heat for 5 minutes in olive oil and garlic.  Just long enough to get the pink out.
3. Add all ingredients to Freezer bag and mix well.  Make sure everything is covered with the oil.
4. Dump bag into foil packet and place on cookie sheet.  Bake for 40 minutes.

Note: I was out of foil so I used an aluminum pan, covered with another aluminum pan.  

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

My husband loves St. Patrick's Day and all that comes with it.  Corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread, Shepherd's Pie, you name it, he loves it!  A few years ago we started having a few friends over for an Irish feast and I needed a dessert.  I came across a recipe for an Irish Cream Bundt cake and everyone fell in love with it.  They all request the "Butt Cake" that I make on St. Patrick's day year round.  (Boys have no clue what a Bundt cake is, so Butt cake it is...)

Irish Cream Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pecans (optional, but highly recommended!)

1 (18.25 oz) package yellow cake mix

1 (.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1/4 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup Irish Cream liqueur

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.  Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over bottom of pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix.  Mix in eggs, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup oil and 3/4 cup Irish cream liqueur.  Beat for 5 minutes at high speed.   Pour batter over nuts in pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto the serving dish.  Prick top and sides of cake.  Spoon glaze over top and brush onto sides of cake, Allow to absorb glaze and repeat until all glaze is used up.
4. To make the glaze: In a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar.  Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup Irish cream.

the finished product (before the glaze)

What is your favorite Irish Dessert?