Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad

I may have overdone it a bit in Vegas.  How many people do you think have said that before?  Cliché.

But this wasn't in the gambling or typical Sin City way.  While traveling for work (apparently it is possible to work while in Vegas... who knew), I perhaps went a little overboard in the eating department.  The restaurants there are just sooo good.  We were lucky enough to discover Pub 1842 on their 8th day of business.  The burger you see above is their Peanut Butter Crunch burger, which consists of the best prepared patty I've ever had, crunchy peanut butter, bacon jam and a potato chip topping.  Pause for effect.  It was insanely good and I will have food dreams about it for years to come.  To drink I had "The Heist" with Bulleit bourbon, strawberry-pepper syrup, vanilla and fresh lemon juice.  Needless to say, I called my husband and told him we'd be stopping here every Vegas trip we will ever make for the rest of our lives.

After a few days of overdoing it, I always crave something quick, fresh and easy to make at home while I detox.  This Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad fits the bill.  It's super easy and quick for a weeknight, tasty and filling enough to leave you satisfied and pretty cheap to make.  I use light Caesar dressing so it's not horrible in the calorie department, which makes this a great option when trying to recover from a particularly damaging weekend (or week in Vegas).  The cheesy pasta and chicken are served warm with a Caesar dressing and the crisp lettuce and crunchy croutons all work together to create interest and texture. 

Caesar Chicken Tortellini Dinner Salad:
Serves 2-4

1 (8.8 oz) package of cheese and spinach or three cheese tortellini
Fresh romaine lettuce, washed and ready to use
3/4 cup fat-free herb seasoned croutons
2/3 cup bottled light Caesar dressing, divided
2 chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with salt and pepper

Cook tortellini according to package directions. At the same time, cook diced chicken in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  While your pasta and chicken are cooking, toss salad greens in a bowl with half the salad dressing.  Drain pasta when done.  In another bowl, toss remaining dressing with the hot pasta until it is well coated.  To assemble each serving: place the lettuce on each plate, top with pasta mixture and then cooked chicken.  Sprinkle croutons on top and serve with fruit or crusty bread.

Balsamic Chicken with Caprese Asparagus

Summer has finally come to PA.  We sort of fast forwarded through the Spring part, but hey... at least it's not snowing.

Summertime means lighter meals, colder drinks, and lots of time spent in front of the grill.  This is the quintessential summer weeknight meal.  It's light, healthy, delicious and packed with nutrients.  While pretty enough for company, it takes about 30 minutes start to finish for those lazy summer nights when it's too muggy to move.  It may not be a true caprese (where's the basil?!) but I took a little creative liberty with the recipe title.  So, what are you waiting for?  Get grillin'!

Balsamic Chicken with Caprese Asparagus:
Serves 2-4

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bunch asparagus
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
4 oz reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Slice chicken breasts in half to create four thin chicken cutlets.  In a large Ziploc bag, combine 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar with 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic powder and pepper.  Add chicken to the bag and marinate for 30 minutes up to overnight. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Place asparagus on the sheet and drizzle with olive oil (I used my Misto) and garlic salt.  Bake for 8-10 minutes until the asparagus is tender.

When asparagus is placed in the oven, start to grill your chicken until done (165 degrees internal temperature).  While the chicken and asparagus are cooking, place sliced grape tomatoes and remaining 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a frying pan.  Cook on medium-low heat until soft, stirring occasionally. 

When everything is done cooking, place chicken and asparagus on plates and top with tomatoes and mozzarella.

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili

Hello, Monday. We meet again. You would think I'd be used to you, but after lovely weekends like this past one, you're even tougher to handle than usual.  Maybe like a I-need-four-cups-of-coffee-morning kind of tough.

Greg and I decided to finally take a day trip to Baltimore to walk the inner harbor shops and visit the aquarium, which I haven't gotten to do in years.  It's amazing how some prolonged whining and hint-dropping can wear down a husband! We topped off our fabulous date-day with an amazing dinner with friends who live in the area (helloooo crab cake heaven! Umm, best ever).  What is it about a good meal at the end of an even better day that puts you in a state of pure bliss?

You would think I would have a Maryland theme-y recipe for you today like crab cakes, fried oysters or some other seafood, but.... no.  Unfortunately, I am not that organized and that idea didn't hit me until right now.  But I do have a fabulous Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili for you!  It's yummy enough that you will forgive me, promise.

 

I found this recipe via Stacy (another fabulous Pinterest find!) and was instantly intrigued.  Did you ever read through a recipe and just know it was going to be good?  We like our spicy food at the Buttercream Is Better house, and Jalapeño Poppers are one of my favorite appetizers.  It has the the usual popper ingredients (jalapeños, cream cheese, cheddar cheese) with the addition of red bell pepper, onion, chicken, classic chili spices, beans, corn and other fabulous ingredients.  This is filling enough to have as a main dish and could easily be doubled for a large gathering or game day. 

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Chili:

Recipe from Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Serves 4-6

 

3-4 T olive oil

1 small onion

1 red bell pepper

4 fresh jalapeños

4 cloves of garlic

sea salt

black pepper

1.25 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 (15oz) can diced or chopped tomatoes in juice

2 cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed

2 cups frozen corn

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

8 oz cream cheese

5 slices bacon

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

handful of sliced green onions or a few extra jalapeño slices, for garnish

 

Cut the stem end off of your jalapeños.  You can also remove the seeds if you want to lessen the spiciness, or leave them if you like it kicked up a notch.  Cut your onion in half and set aside.  Cut the stem off your red pepper, remove the seeds and membrane, and cut into quarters.  Pop the jalapeños, onion, red pepper and garlic cloves into a food processor and pulse until finely minced.  If you do not have a food processor, you could do this with a sharp knife (it just takes longer and I do not have the patience nor ninja knife skills).

 

In a very large pot, sauté the vegetable mixture in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally and until softened, about five minutes.  While the veggies are sautéing, cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.  Push the vegetables to one side of the pot and add your chicken pieces.  Lightly brown the chicken pieces on all sides.  Add the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika and stir until thoroughly combined.

 

Add the diced tomatoes, cannellini beans and corn to the pot.  Stir well and add the chicken broth.  Let this mixture start to bubble, then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  While your chili is simmering, fry your bacon until crispy, drain on a paper towel and chop.

 

Cut your cream cheese into small pieces (to help it melt faster) and add to the pot.  Add about half the cheddar cheese.  Stir constantly until the cheeses are completely melted, about five minutes.  Remove from heat.  Ladle into serving bowls and top with remaining cheddar, bacon, and green onions or jalapeño slices, if desired. 

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups

Some people call these Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes.... I refuse.  It's a principle thing.  It really goes against everything in my being.  Look at my site's name - I clearly take my desserts pretty seriously.  Savory ingredients?  Not a cupcake.  No frosting?  Nope, not a cupcake.  You won't change my mind.  It's a thing I have.

I do, however, love miniature things... so I won't hold the fact that some people incorrectly label these Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups against them.  Look how cute they are!  They have all the flavors of a classic pot pie, are so easy and are fast enough to satisfy a weeknight comfort food craving.  Plus, they have portion control working for them and are lighter on the calories than their original counterpart. (If you do have the time and/or calories to spare, I highly recommend this recipe for full-on chicken pot pie with a puff pastry crust... it's our favorite).  I've actually served these Pot Pie Cups at a baby shower because they are filling but small, easy to eat, and really tasty.  Plus, what is it about serving mini things at showers?  It's pretty much required.  But since Mondays are generally pretty rough, you don't need to wait for a special occasion.  You deserve something fast & satisfying... like these in all of their miniature glory.

Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups:

Original recipe from between3sisters found here

 

1 can reduced-fat biscuits (10-count)

1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced

1 (10.5oz) can reduced fat cream of chicken soup

2/3 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

1 cup frozen mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, corn, peas, etc)

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan, separate the biscuits and place each biscuit into a cup of the muffin pan.  Press the dough down and up the sides of each cup.  In a medium bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. 

 

Evenly distribute the chicken mixture into each biscuit cup.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges of the cups are golden brown.  Serve hot. 

 

You can find the nutritional information on the original website here.

 

Skinny Jalapeño Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken

We are reaching the point with our weather in PA where we are all starting to get a little sick of being cold all the time.  Since daylight savings was just last week, it's even more of a tease that we longer days filled with sunlight, but it's still 30 freaking degrees.  Spring is definitely close, but there is still some time for some comfort food.  And since Summer and bathing suit season directly follow Spring, it's probably better if we start making that comfort food healthified!

That's when I turn to Gina from skinnytaste.com™.  She's amazing.  She pulls a mulligan on some of my favorite things to eat and gives them a healthy makeover.  And who doesn't love jalapeño poppers?  Those delicious, cheesy peppers that some people I myself have been guilty of making wrapped in bacon on multiple occasions.  This dinner combines all the flavors of the decadent appetizer into a pretty healthy main dish.  You get the creaminess of the spicy cheddar jack cheese and cream cheese, mixed with the kick of the fresh jalapeños and brightness from the lime juice it gets dunked in.  This is definitely one of my favorite dinners to make at home and made our regular rotation.  A serving is 2 pieces so it's perfect served with a side salad or some beans & rice. 


They may look like porcupines, but those toothpicks keep the spicy, cheesy goodness from escaping too soon.

I have made these without the scallions and swapped the cheddar jack for pepper jack and it's still mouthwateringly good.  To see the finished product and get the recipe (with nutrition facts) head over to see Gina at skinnytaste.com™!