Pizza Chicken with Spinach Alfredo
This is a colorful and new way to enjoy a Chicken Parmesean type of dish! It isn't an easy recipe, and its definitely NOT very waistline friendly, but its a great splurge once in a while!
For the chicken:
4 Chicken breasts boneless and skinless
1 tbs of dry ranch dressing mix
1 tsp pepper
1 tbs olive oil
In a small bowl combine the pepper and tbs of ranch dressing mix with the oil. Stir until well combined. Spread over all of the chicken breasts and let the rest for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
When Ready to cook... Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken into a greased baking dish. Top with the pepperoni slices. Bake 30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Pour the red sauce over the top and add a spoonful of alfredo to each. bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
Sauces:
Red Sauce:
1 large can of tomato sauce
1 tbs of italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs sugar
1/2 an onion grated finely
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbs of olive oil
In a medium sauce pan saute the onion and garlic in the oil until fragrant. Add the sauce, seasoning, sugar, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes on medium low.
Alfredo sauce:
1/2 stick of butter
2 tbs flour
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup of grated parmesesan
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of half and half
In a medium sauce pan melt butter and stir in the flour. Cook over medium heat until the flour doesn't have a raw smell anymore. (if you don't know what that means, Smell the flour before you cook it, if it smells like that, and not a nutty smell, then its still raw.) Add in the garlic and cook about a minute or until you really start smelling the garlic. Slowly pour in the cream and half and half. You will need to stir this constantly with a wisk until it thickens up a bit. Remove it from the heat and add in the salt pepper and cheese.
Pasta
1 package of any type of pasta you like
2 cups of fresh spinach leaves cut into strips
1/2 a red onion sliced thinly
1/2 a red bell pepper sliced thinly
1 package of fresh mushrooms washed and sliced
1 package of cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbs of freshly diced basil leaves
1 small can of sliced black olives
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs of olive oil with more for garnish
In a large pot bring about 10 cups of salted (like the salty ocean) water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook until aldente... about 8-10 minutes.
In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced red onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook until tender and soft. Add in the garlic, basil, and tomatoes saute for about two minutes. add the spinach leaves in, the mushrooms and tomatoes will have released enough juice to steam them. Cover the skillet with a lid or round pizza pan. Let them steam for a few minutes. All you want them to do is wilt not cook. Remove from the heat and toss with the alfredo sauce and olives.
For the chicken:
4 Chicken breasts boneless and skinless
1 tbs of dry ranch dressing mix
1 tsp pepper
1 tbs olive oil
In a small bowl combine the pepper and tbs of ranch dressing mix with the oil. Stir until well combined. Spread over all of the chicken breasts and let the rest for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
When Ready to cook... Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken into a greased baking dish. Top with the pepperoni slices. Bake 30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Pour the red sauce over the top and add a spoonful of alfredo to each. bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
Sauces:
Red Sauce:
1 large can of tomato sauce
1 tbs of italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs sugar
1/2 an onion grated finely
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbs of olive oil
In a medium sauce pan saute the onion and garlic in the oil until fragrant. Add the sauce, seasoning, sugar, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes on medium low.
Alfredo sauce:
1/2 stick of butter
2 tbs flour
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup of grated parmesesan
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of half and half
In a medium sauce pan melt butter and stir in the flour. Cook over medium heat until the flour doesn't have a raw smell anymore. (if you don't know what that means, Smell the flour before you cook it, if it smells like that, and not a nutty smell, then its still raw.) Add in the garlic and cook about a minute or until you really start smelling the garlic. Slowly pour in the cream and half and half. You will need to stir this constantly with a wisk until it thickens up a bit. Remove it from the heat and add in the salt pepper and cheese.
Pasta
1 package of any type of pasta you like
2 cups of fresh spinach leaves cut into strips
1/2 a red onion sliced thinly
1/2 a red bell pepper sliced thinly
1 package of fresh mushrooms washed and sliced
1 package of cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbs of freshly diced basil leaves
1 small can of sliced black olives
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs of olive oil with more for garnish
In a large pot bring about 10 cups of salted (like the salty ocean) water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook until aldente... about 8-10 minutes.
In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the sliced red onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook until tender and soft. Add in the garlic, basil, and tomatoes saute for about two minutes. add the spinach leaves in, the mushrooms and tomatoes will have released enough juice to steam them. Cover the skillet with a lid or round pizza pan. Let them steam for a few minutes. All you want them to do is wilt not cook. Remove from the heat and toss with the alfredo sauce and olives.