Grilled Chicken Pesto Pizza

It's that time of year again!  We love a good pie here a Double the Deliciousness! And so we're having another WEEK OF PIES this year!!  (you can check out last years pies: Blackberry Pie, Lemon Strat Pie, Pecan Brownie Pie, Blueberry Banana Chiffon Pie, and Pumpkin Chiffon Pie)

 

So join us next week EVERYDAY for a new pie recipe. We've already gotten a few knocked out and believe me you're not gonna want to miss them!

And join in the fun with your family and/or friends and have your very own "We're Thankful for Pie Night"!  We hold ours Wednesday Night before Thanksgiving so we can stuff our selves with pie before we're already stuffed with turkey and the goodies of Thansgiving dinner.  Have everyone bring a pie and then go to town.  I suggest cutting slivers or you may end up with your head in the toilet most of the night.  I speak from experience...didn't know if I'd ever be able to eat another piece of pie in my entire life...glad to say I still love pie!:)

So before we get to the week of glorious pie I figured we'd better give you a nice main dish. This one is a keeper, and if you have no self control (finger pointing at myself!) you may end up eating more than you would have liked.  I have problems.

Grilled Chicken Pesto Pizza
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For crust:
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
3 1/2-4 1/2 cups flour

For topping:
Jar of basil pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 large tomato, diced

Combine warm water (I always run the water until it's temperature is hot enough that I can barely keep my finger in it...not very scientific, but it's never failed me!) yeast and sugar and let sit untl yeast is bubbly.  Knead in the flour until a soft dough forms.  In your mixer, add flour until the dough cleans the side of the bowl.  Place dough in a bowl sprayed with cooking spray & cover.  Set aside.

Heat oil in frying pan over medium-high heat.  Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces and grill in hot oil (or you can just grill it outside and then cut into pieces) until cooked through and browning. Add the sliced onion and garlic and sautee until onions are carmelized, about 5-8 minutes. 

While chicken/onion mixture is cooking, spray counter (or rolling surface) with cooking spray and roll out dough into a circular shape. Place on pizza pan and work the dough with your fingers so it covers the entire pan.

Spread a thin layer of pesto over the dough, you will not need to use the entire jar of pesto.  Cover the pesto with the grated cheese.  Top with the chicken/onion mixture and diced tomatoes. 

Bake in the oven at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is melted.

Amazing!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Tony got the cutest Father's Day gift Sunday from our 2 youngest (Eli, 10 & Rhett, 6).  They brought home a DVD from church that their leaders put together for Father's Day.  It was an interview style set-up with one of their leaders asking them questions about their Dad.  It was HILARIOUS!!  They asked what was one thing that your Dad is good at, and then asked them to name one thing that your Dad is not good at.    Eli thought about it for a while and his answer was that "My Mom's never left us alone with my Dad for like more than a day because I think she doesn't think he's too good at cooking because we usually end up getting something store-bought."  Hahahaha!!  Totally crack me up!  Just shows who does most the cooking around our house.  (Although Tony does make a pretty awesome Omelet!)

Well, guess what?  Tony's going to be home with those 2 youngest all week long.  My oldest son is at Scout camp all week and Kyla and I are headed to girls camp today until Friday.  Guess they're going to have a lot of "store-bought" food!:)  

But at least they're last meal before all that "store-bought" stuff was a good one.  Actually, a GREAT one.

I've got a Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole recipe on here, and it is delicious and all, but this one today is THE REAL DEAL!  The addition of the mustard in the egg wash is perfect.  Gives it that little bit of tang that made this dish.  They really are pretty easy to throw together, so don't be scared and jump in...you'll love them!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

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1 sleave Ritz crackers

4 slices whole wheat sandwich bread (homemade or store bought)

6 tablespoons butter, melted

6 slices ham (not too thin, you don't want them tearing when you roll them up)

2 cups shredded swiss cheese

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard

3/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place crackers and bread in a food processor (or blender in my case) until they are ground into coarse crumbs.  While still processing, drizzle in the melted butter until combined.  Place crumbs on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes.  Stir the crumbs around at the half-way mark.  They should be nice and golden brown.  Place in a pie plate and set aside.

Turn temperature of oven down to 400 degrees.

Take chicken and cut length wise down the fattest part of the breast, do not cut through, just make a long slender pocket.  Place about 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese in the middle of a slice of ham and roll tightly.  Place rolled ham into the pocket of the chicken and make sure chicken covers all the ham.  Repeat with all 6 chicken breasts.

Place flour in a shallow bowl.  Beat eggs with mustard in another shallow bowl.  Take your chicken and cover in flour, then coat in the egg wash & then dredge in the cracker/bread crumbs.  Make sure the entire chicken is covered with crumbs.  

Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet that has a small lip (you don't want the juices running into your oven).

Place chicken in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (should reach 160 degrees F).

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce (and our diet success..so far!)

As some of you know, my husband and I have been on a diet (I really hate that word, but for lack of a better one...) since February.  It has had it's ups and downs (the downs mostly came during the stressful month of May...and I have learned that I am a stress eater!), but it has been fantastic for us.  I've just briefly mentioned it a few times here on the blog, but went into more detail over at Or So She Says for one of my blog posts there, so if you'd like to know more about it head over there.  Or check it out at dukandiet.com.

We had family pictures taken last week...finally!  It had only been about 3 years since our last ones.  Sheesh!    Anyway, I absolutely LOVE them.  They turned out great!  And they really made me realize how much Tony & I have lost.  I wanted to see the difference side by side so made a "before" and "current...not our "after" just yet!" collage.  

WOW.

I cringe to see what we looked like in our "before" picture.  (That's the whole reason I'm having issues with posting this collage!)  I'm printing it off and hanging it on my fridge for those days (which have been many lately) that I just want a stinkin' brownie!  So here it is in all it's glory...

Okay, glad that's over...now, on to the recipe!

When I stumbled upon this recipe (Thanks Mel...LOVE her site!) I knew it was one that I needed to make and that could be adapted to fit our diet.   It was wonderful!  Just enough spicy for me (and I'm a wimp!) and paired with the cilantro lime dip...oooohhhhhh...divine!

You must try these!

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce
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2-2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (we used equal amount of Stevia)
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (scrape out the seeds unless you like your food pretty spicy!)
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the chipotle chile can
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
skewers, I prefer metal because I always forget to soak the bamboo ones and then they catch on fire!:)

Cilantro Lime Dipping Sauce
3/4 cup fat free sour cream (can use lowfat as well)
1/4 cup lowfat mayonnaise or greek yogurt (we opted for nonfat greek yogurt)
1/4 cup lime juice, from 2-3 limes
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Slice the chicken into 1/2 inch strips.  In a small bowl combine the sugar, cilantro, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, and spices.  Stir to combine.  Toss chicken and sugar mixture in a large ziploc bag until evenly coated.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

About 30 minutes before grilling the skewers, make dipping sauce.  This will give it time in the fridge for all the flavors to mesh together.  In a small bowl combine all ingredients and stir.  Place in fridge until chicken is ready to serve.

If using bamboo skewers, soak for 30 minutes in water before grilling.  Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400 degrees).  Weave chicken onto skewers making a "rolling hill" pattern.  Use about 2-3 strips per skewers, depending on the length of skewer and chicken strips.  Some of mine I even used 4 on.   These tend to stick to my grill so I always use a coat of cooking spray before grilling.  Grill for about 7-9 minutes, turning midway through cooking time, or until cooked through.

Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Looking for a easy, quick and yummy summertime meal to serve your family?  That's what I'm all about during the summer months!  And this one is delicious....kind of reminds me of the Creamy Baked Taquitos I LOVE, but in a shell instead of a tortilla.  And I have just as much love for this one as the taquitos!

Serve with some fresh fruit (some kind of melon is my first choice during the summer), and the Best Spanish rice.  One of my favorite meals!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

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2 cups chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 green onions, diced
2 bell peppers, diced (I like color so I do 1/2 of a red, orange, yellow and green pepper, but any variation works!)
1 1/2 blocks (12 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies (Rotel kind)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup picante sauce
1 package pasta shells, cooked al dente
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (sharp or colby jack work well)

Cook pasta shells until al dente (you don't want them too soft they will cook some more in the oven).   Drain and set aside.

Mix chicken, beans, onions and bell peppers in a large bowl.  Set aside.

Beat cream cheese in electric mixer until soft and smooth.  Slowly add the diced tomatoes while continuing to mix.  Add the cumin and mix.

Combine the cream cheese mixture with the chicken mixture and stir until well combined.

Pour the picante sauce on the bottom of  a 9x13 inch baking pan.  Stuff shells generously with filling and place on top of picante sauce in pan.

Sprinkle cheese over top of shells and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Steak Fajitas (or chicken!)

I've been getting some awesome fajita vegetable packs from Bountiful Baskets the last couple of weeks.  So we've been eating a lot of fajitas!  And I'm not complaining.  My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

 

The marinade for the meat is out of this world.  We've used both chicken and steak & I can't decide which I liked better, they are both awesome in the marinade.  And the peppers & onions...oh my!  They are to die for!  I could just eat them without any meat!

 

Steak Fajitas

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1 1/2-2 pounds steak or chicken
1/2 cup lime juice (from the bottle)
2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons canola oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

Cut meat into strips, about 1/2" wide by 3" long...approximately.:)  Combine lime juice, water, oil, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, liquid smoke & spices.  Reserve about 1/4-1/2 cup marinade and keep in the fridge.  Place meat in a large Ziploc bag.  Pour the marinade over the meat and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

Grill meat over medium high heat.  During the summer this is perfect, but during the winter you could use an inside grill (like a George Foreman), or broil them in your oven, or pan fry them.

While the meat is cooking, slice peppers & onions.  Don't they look gorgeous?!

When you're done slicing, begin to saute your peppers & onion in a large skillet with the reserved marinade.  Cook until the peppers are crisp-tender, about 7-9 minutes.

When the meat is done, add it to the peppers & onions.

Serve immediately.

 

 

We love these with some fresh guacamole (my favorite way to make guac is just to mash avocado with some lime juice, salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste!), Garden Fresh Salsa, sour cream, and cheese on either flour or corn tortillas (depending on which child you are:)).  And of course we always serve this with Caleb's (oldest son) favorite Spanish Rice!!



Sweet & Sour Chicken

Remember that Fried Rice we posted from a couple of days ago?  Well, here's the perfect main dish to accompany it!

 

This chicken is a little messy to make, at least for me, because I like to coat the chicken with my hands...it's just so much easier!  But if that grosses you out, you are more than welcome to use whatever utensil you have to help you out.

 

I've realized that most of my recipes are gauged by whether or not "the kid's liked it".  What can I say, I'm a Mom who likes to feed her kids stuff they like (forget about the soup debacle!)  Just in case you didn't catch it, I was typing that last sentence laced with sarcasm.  My kid's eat what I fix or they go hungry.  Mom of the year right here!  I am very blessed that I don't have picky eater children....life would be so bland!

 

Which is NOT at all a word you could use to describe this chicken.  It's just a tad addicting too, so watch out!

 

Sweet & Sour Chicken

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4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1-1 1/2 cups corn starch
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

The sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  While your pan is heating, prepare the chicken by rinsing the chicken breasts in cold water and trimming off any fat.  Cut chicken into cubes about 1" in size.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
 

 

Place corn starch and beaten eggs in small bowls.  Make an assembly line to your pan.  Starting with the chicken farthest from your pan, then the corn starch and then the eggs.

 

First place the chicken in the corn starch and mix around until coated.

 

Then place in the egg mixture and coat.  This is where it gets messy for me.  By the time I'm done with all the chicken my fingers are 3 times their size because they are coated as well!:)

 

Now throw that chicken into your hot oiled pan.

 

Cook chicken stirring occasionally until it the outside is browned but not cooked through.  Place in a 9 x 13 greased baking pan.

 

Mix all the sauce ingredients together & then pour over the chicken pieces.

 

Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  I set my timer for 15 minutes or else I forget to stir, and just keep doing that for 1 hour.:)  The sauce will thicken towards the end of the cooking & you'll have an awesome dish that your family (or whomever you are making it for) will LOVE!!

 



Country Club Chicken

Anyone else lovin' the Olympics?

I am glued to the TV every evening from 7:00 to 11:00 watching them.

My kiddo's are getting into them as well.  Now they all have the goal of one day competing in the Olympics!  I always wanted to go to the Olympics in gymnastics...just didn't work out!:)

And, of course, they love cheering for the U.S.A!!  I Love it!!

Make this for dinner and then enjoy the evening watching the Olympics...it will make for one amazing night!

Country Club Chicken

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1 box (16 oz.) spaghetti

4 large chicken breasts

1 large onion

8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

8 slices bacon

1/2 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)

1 apple (red or yellow delicious)

2 Tablespoons butter

salt & pepper

Cook bacon in a large saute pan.  Drain on paper towels. 

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Using the same pan you cooked the bacon in, brown the chicken breasts on both sides over medium-high heat.  Transfer the chicken to a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Add the butter to the same pan that cooked the chicken & bacon.  Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook for an additional 3 minutes.  Then add the apples and cook for another 3 minutes.  Pour in the chicken broth, soup, bacon, and cheese.  Mix well.

Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Make sure the chicken is done and the sauce is bubbly.

While the chicken is cooking, cook the spaghetti according to package directions.

Place spaghetti on large platter, top with chicken and then clover with sauce. 

Serve & enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

Is it unbearably warm in anyone else's part of the country right now?  We've had a couple of days of really warm weather.  (I realize some of you may have way hotter weather than I do, so I'm sorry to complain, but I'm a wimp when it comes to heat!) 

We broke down and installed our swamp cooler on Saturday, and boy am I glad we did!  (A little less sweat dripping down my back is a good thing!)

Which brings me to this recipe.  It's a crockpot recipe which allows you to not have to heat up your oven & consequetnly your kitchen. 

Yeah for the crockpot during the hot months!

Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

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4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup Caesar dressing (use your favorite brand...low fat works too)

1 cup cup freshly grated Paremesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon pepper

lettuce (iceberg, leaf, or romaine)

6 hamburger buns

butter or cooking spray

Place chicken in crockpot along with 2 cups of water.  Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

Remove the chicken to a plate and then drain the water from the crockpot.  Shred chicken, discarding any fat.

Place the chicken back in the crockpot and add the dressing, 3/4 cup of the parmesan, parsley, and pepper.  Stir until combined.  Cook for an additional 30 minutes on high heat, or until mixture is hot.

When the chicken is about finished, spread butter on both sides of each hamburger bun.  (You can also just spray them with cooking spray to cut on some calories if you'd like)  Place on a cookie sheet and put in your oven with the broiler on.  Mine only took about 1 minutes to brown nicely, so you just need to keep an eye on them so that they don't turn black (yes, I have done that before!). 

Spoon chicken onto toasted buns, top with leftover Parmesan and the lettuce of your choice.

Taco Seasoning Mix & Chicken Soft Tacos

We love hearing from our readers.  In comments, e-mails, through facebook, in person, you name it!!  Even if it's just a little hello, it really makes our day!

This last week we received an e-mail from a reader that just sent us over the moon!  Some of the things she shared in her e-mail were perfectly stated that I just had to share! (with her permission)

These are her words: 

"I've lived away from my family (who love food) for most of my adult life after leaving for college and I often find myself on the phone with my Mom asking her for a recipe of a favorite dish.  If I can learn how to make it, I can recreate a sense of home no matter where I happen to be. I think a culinary legacy is a very important part of family life not only to draw from in the present but also to connect us with our past as well as to pass on to future generations....I think it's terrific that your culinary legacy is being created and shared from generation to generation.  Our food tells the story of who we are."

Sounds a lot like me.  If you've been a follower of this blog for a while you know I'm always calling home getting recipes from my Mom as well. 

There are just certain dishes that will always remind me of a loved one.  Carrot Pudding with Lemon Sauce (Grandma Wilson), Aloha-Soyu Marinade (Brother Jared and wife Candy), Frape (my Dad), Mom's famous Spudnuts (my Mom), Jello Poke Cake (brother Chad), and the list could go on and on and on. 

Thanks Blayne for your wonderful words and for letting me share them with our readers!!

Taco Seasoning Mix & Chicken soft Tacos

Budget Dinner Totals: Chicken for tacos=$5.21 and makes about 12 tacos, which equals 43 cents per taco. (tortilla, rice, cheese, lettuce, sour cream & any other ingredients you stuff in there are not included in this total.)

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  For the Taco Seasoning Mix:

2 teaspoons onion powder

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tablespoons salt

4 teaspoons cornstartch

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons beef bullion granules

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

Combine all ingredient and mix together.  Store in an airtight container for up to a year.  (I did the best I could figuring out how much the seasoning would cost.  From my estimations this recipe would cost you about 36 cents.  That means every tablespoon of seasoning mix you use is gonna cost you a whoppin' .06 cents...that's 1/6th of a penny!!!)

For the chicken:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup water

Cut chicken into bite size pieces.  Heat oil in large frying pan.  Add the chicken and cook until browned and chicken is cooked through.  Add the water and taco seasoning and stir to combine. 

Serve in warm tortillas with Spanish Rice, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes. 

Bourbon Chicken over Rice

I hate it when I have an awesome recipe to share & I just sit here in front of the computer with no idea what to write!  Gotta be honest....it happens quite often.  I'd say I have writers block, but I'm not a writer.  Have never been any good at it, so what do you call it?  Maybe a course in writing is needed.  I'm getting kind of sick of writing "This is good...try it" or "Delicious" or "We loved this one" (these are all phrases found quite often here!)  Hmmmm.

So anyway....here goes!:)

When I found this recipe I knew it would be something that I would love.  And I figured the rest of the family would as well since we are all rice lovers. (Hawaiian Haystacks, Spanish Rice, etc.)

So.....it not only is delicious, but it also made it on to our Budget Dinners list.  Very affordable to make since it uses small amounts of items most everyone has on hand.  Hope you enjoy!

Bourbon Chicken over Rice

Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

Budget Dinner Totals: Feeds 6 for $8.45.  That's $1.40 a person!

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5 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup pineapple juice or apple juice

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup soy sauce

pinch red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until chicken starts browning. 

In a bowl, combine the garlic, pineapple or apple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, water, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch.  Whisk it all together until the cornstarch is dissolved.

When the chicken is browned pour the sauce over the chicken and stir to coat.  Reduce heat to low and cover with lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice.

Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pot Pie

This recipe is AMAZING!  I so loved it as did the family so I'm super excited to share it with you!

It was one of those, "what in the world am I going to make for dinner" nights.  (Honestly, I have those nights FAR TOO OFTEN!)  So I started looking in the fridge and noticed I had some pie crusts that needed to be used, and although I'd love to just eat some good ol' delicious pie for dinner, I figured it had better be something with some substance and nutrition.  (If I didn't have my kiddo's to worry about I just may have had a Banana Custard Pie for dinner!)

So this was made with what I had on hand, and I hadn't been grocery shopping for........a while!  (Just can't get into the swing of things still...January is kickin' my boo-tay!)  It's pretty easy to throw together and the results are filling and delicious!  Let me know what you think!

Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pot Pie

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1/2-1 package (12 oz.) bacon (turkey is yummy!)

4 medium potatoes

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

Alfredo:

2 cups milk (anything from skim to whole works)

3 oz. cream cheese

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff...fresh is best!)

2 Pie crusts (homemade or store bought...just need one for the top & bottom)

Cook bacon until crisp-tender.  Lay on a paper-towel lined plate to drain grease.  When cooled crumble and place in a large bowl.

Peel potatoes and cut into bite-size pieces (1/2 inch squared works).   Cover with water in a large saucepan & boil for 15 minutes.  Drain and add potatoes to large bowl with bacon.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and cook in oil until cooked through and lightly browned.  If there are any juices, drain and then add to the potato & bacon bowl.  Add the spinach to the bowl now as well.

Now to make the alfredo.  This is my favortie Alfredo recipe (from Our Best Bites), IT IS SO GOOD!  But if you feel inclined to use a store bought one I guess that would work too!

In a blender, blend the milk, cream cheese, flour and salt until smooth.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter on medium-high heat and then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds stirring constantly.  Add the milk mixture and stir constantly until mixture begins to boil.  Once it starts boiling time it for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to thicken. 

Remove from the heat & whisk in the Parmesan cheese.  Cover with a lid and let sit for 10 minutes.  Pour over the potato, bacon, chicken mixture and carefully mix to combine.

Place an uncooked pie crust on the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.  Pour in the filling mixture.  (you may have some leftover depending on the deepness of your pie plate...the leftovers are so good just eaten with a fork...and yes I know this from experience!)  Take the other uncooked pie crust and cover the filling.  Pinch pie crusts together to create an air-tight seem and flute the edges (or anyother decorative edge you'd like to make).  Slit an "X" into the middle of the pie crust.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
 

Angel Hair Pasta & Chicken Bowl

We're back!  Our trip was great!  There are so many great memories to look back on!  So glad we were able to take our kiddo's and let them see where their Grandma grew up!

And....we got to eat at Hillbilly Hot Dogs!!  We ordered the Single Wide Burger (5 pounds of burger) and boy was it awesome!  Looked fantastic & tasted fantastic as well!  Also, loved the fried macaroni and cheese wedges.  I tell ya, they can fry anything! (Go to the end of the post if you'd like to see the hubby and son Rhett with the Single Wide!)

So anyway, we know we promised some Budget Dinners, and we're here to deliver.  And this is a good one!

Angel Hair Pasta & Chicken Bowl

Budget Dinner totals:  Feeds 6 for $6.50 which equals $1.08 a bowl!

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2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 2 chicken breasts)

2 carrots, sliced diagonally into 1/4 inch pieces

1 (16 oz.) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz package Angel Hair pasta

2/3 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the chicken and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
 

Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels. 

Heat remaining oil in same skillet.  Begin heating the water for the pasta.  Add the carrots to the skillet, cook while stirring for 4 minutes.
 

Add the broccoli and garlic to skillet and cook while stirring for 2 minutes longer.
 

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While pasta is cooking, add the chicken broth, basil and Parmesan cheese to skillet.  Stir to combine.
 

 Return the chicken to the skillet and reduce the heat and simmer for 4 minutes.
 

Drain pasta and place in a large serving bowl.  Top with chicken and vegetables and stir to combine.  Serve Immediately.
 

Enjoy!

Here's a couple pictures of the Single Wide...IT. WAS. HUGE!!!

It looks even bigger next to my 4 year old!
 

 

 We fed 8 people with that burger & boy was it yummy!!