alfredo Archives - The Midnight Baker

Easy Alfredo Chicken Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 23:02:26 +0000

The whole family will love this Alfredo chicken casserole and so will you because it’s so easy!

A Quick Way To Dinner

Who has time anymore on a weeknight to fuss over making dinner? The easy answer is “no one.”

Could also be that you’re just not that into cooking on a particular day–I have quite a few of them now that I’m older. However, you want to eat real and tasty food, not frozen pizza or take-out, even if you don’t feel much like cooking.

This recipe is a godsend for many reasons, one of them being there’s no real fuss involved. About the fussiest thing here is a quick breading and browning, but even that’s relatively fuss-free.

Boneless Chicken Is Your BFF

Boneless chicken parts have become my best friend in recent years.

The number one reason is that boneless chicken cooks quickly. Therefore you can get a very simple meal on the table in about 15-20 minutes.

Since boneless skinless breast goes on sale very often, it’s a good idea to buy in bulk and vacuum seal them individually. I use my Foodsaver for this–another appliance I swear by. Lately, one of my stores had boneless skinless thighs and chicken tenders on buy one get one free. I stocked up!

Since I prefer thighs, I used them in this recipe. However, breasts and tenders work just as well. And if you have chicken breast on hand, use what you have!

Skillet Or Casserole

If you don’t want to dirty another dish, this can also be made top-of-stove in a skillet–the same one you used for browning. I have given directions in the recipe below.

I prefer the slight crunchiness that baking it in the oven produces, so that was the cooking method I chose. But either or works just fine.

A final word about the cheese–I tend to use Romano because it has a more robust flavor. If you don’t care for the additional pungent flavor, then it’s best to stick to Parmesan.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Easy Alfredo Chicken Casserole

If you like chicken Alfredo, you will love this baked casserole version.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: casserole recipe, chicken Alfredo, chicken recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 709kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs see NOTES
1 1/4 cups heavy cream divided
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbs olive oil

For the Cream Sauce:

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp oregano
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a 11 x 7-inch pan or 2-quart casserole.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Pour 1/2 cup of the cream into a pie plate or a dish with sides. Place the breadcrumbs on a plate. Dip the chicken in the cream and let the excess cream drip back into the pie plate; dredge the chicken in the crumbs.
Brown chicken in the skillet on both sides.
Lay the browned chicken in the prepared baking pan.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining cream, cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper and oregano; pour over the chicken.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired.
SKILLET METHOD: Drain the fat out of the skillet and add the chicken back. Prepare the cream sauce as directed in the main recipe. Pour over chicken. Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes and cream sauce is reduced by 25%

Notes

Boneless skinless breasts or chicken tenders may be substituted.

Nutrition

*Post may contain affiliate links

The post Easy Alfredo Chicken Casserole appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Garlic Shrimp Alfredo

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 17 Dec 2017 00:00:46 +0000

What could be better than garlicky shrimp and pasta in a great alfredo sauce?

Garlic Shrimp Alfredo: Perfect For Christmas Eve

I fondly remember Christmas Eves growing up in my native Brooklyn New York. Mostly I remember the big feasts some of my Italian friends used to have. Oh my! The food was spectacular and they always had seafood.

With today’s busy lifestyles, I doubt very many people make these delicacies anymore. Lack of time would be a major reason. However, if you’d like to do a nice meatless meal for Christmas Eve, I can’t think of a better meal than this garlicky shrimp alfredo and pasta casserole.

Easy To Prepare

This delicious casserole is surprisingly easy to prepare! It’s quick too so you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.

I always use easy-peel shrimp because most of the work is already done for you. The shrimp in these recipe photos are big ones–16/20 per pound. That’s what I had so I used it, but I would recommend using medium shrimp because the smaller ones will disperse better and each portion would look as if it had more shrimp.

All you have to do is quickly saute the shrimp and make the sauce–all pretty fast considering. I used instant flour to make the sauce. That way you don’t have to worry about lumps. This is one staple I always recommend everyone have on hand. It’s pricy, but well worth it for sauces and gravies.

Since this goes from stovetop to oven and you use the same pan, the skillet must be ovenproof. Cast iron is an excellent choice. If you don’t have a pan that’s totally ovenproof, you can turn this into a 2-quart baking dish to complete the cooking.

Fresh, Fresh, Fresh

As with most herbs, I always recommend that you use fresh.

Parsley is an important part of this garlic shrimp alfredo so please try to refrain from using the stuff in the jar. Italian flat leaf is the best variety to use. You will have to buy a bunch unless you have a year-round herb garden. However, don’t let the rest go to waste! I always chop up most of it and set it on a plate to air dry. That way you can use it in other recipes in the future. It dehydrates nicely if you spread it out on the plate and it stays bright green for a long time.

Same thing with garlic. Don’t be tempted to use garlic powder. This dish needs fresh and freshly minced!

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Garlic Shrimp Alfredo

This delicious shrimp Alfredo casserole is surprisingly easy to prepare! It’s quick too so you can have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Alfredo sauce, casserole recipe, shrimp, shrimp Alfredo, shrimp recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 594kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
8 oz uncooked penne or any tubular pasta
3 tbs butter divided
4 cloves garlic minced
3 tbs fresh chopped parsley divided
1 cup milk
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules OR 1 tsp concentrated chicken stock, like Better Than Bouillon
2 tbs flour
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 small tomatoes seeded and diced
2 tbs Panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare penne per package directions, cooking to al dente stage; drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350℉.
Melt 1 tbs of the butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, shrimp and 2 tbs of the parsley. Cook shrimp until it’s pink on each side, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the shrimp to a plate, keep warm.
Melt the remaining 2 tbs butter in the same pan. Stir in the flour being careful not to let it lump. Cook until the butter/flour mixture is golden.
Add the chicken granules/concentrated stock and stir well.
Gradually add the milk, while stirring, until smooth. Add 3/4 cup of the mozzarella and the grated Parmesan or Romano. Stir until cheeses are melted and smooth. Let this simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the penne, tomato and shrimp to the pan and toss to combine.
Top with the remaining mozzarella and the Panko crumbs.
Bake for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Pop it under the broiler for about 3 minutes to brown the top. Watch this carefully because it can easily burn.
Garnish with remaining parsley.

Nutrition

*Adapted from Delish.com

The post Garlic Shrimp Alfredo appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Chicken Carbonara Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 20 May 2017 23:00:39 +0000

Chicken carbonara alfredo stuffed shells are pure comfort food, and a great way to use leftover chicken too.

Best Of Both Dishes

Can’t decide whether you want chicken carbonara or chicken alfredo?

Chicken carbonara alfredo stuffed shells give you the very best of both dishes. They are also easy to make.

Unlike standard cheese-stuffed shells, the filling is easy to handle and not messy.

Got Leftover Chicken?

These shells are the perfect place to use any leftover chicken you’ve got from another night’s meal.

Roast or rotisserie chicken is perfect. I would suggest using only white meat in these, but that’s a purely personal opinion.

White meat chicken (and turkey) is milder flavored with less fat. Since this stuffed shell filling has other flavorings that need to shine through, the milder the chicken, the better the overall flavor.

About That Sauce

Personally, I’ve never found a store-bought alfredo sauce that I’ve been crazy about. The original recipe called for a 15-ounce jar.

If you have a brand you like, then I suggest using your favorite since it will make this recipe even easier, but if you are like me you will probably prefer making your own.

I’ve provided a link to my quick alfredo sauce here and in the recipe card.

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Chicken Carbonara Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Chicken carbonara alfredo stuffed shells are pure comfort food, and a great way to use leftover chicken too.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Total Time1 5

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Alfredo sauce, chicken carbonara, stuffed shells

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 647kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups quick alfredo sauce -OR- 1 jar about 16 oz store-bought alfredo sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock only if using store-bought sauce
12-15 cooked jumbo shells
additional chopped parsley & crumbled bacon for garnish

FILLING

2 large chicken breasts cooked and shredded
15 oz container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 egg slightly beaten
3 slices crisp cooked bacon crumbled
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Mix all filling ingredients together in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook shells per package directions; drain. Place on a large plate or baking sheet to cool. Toss with about 1 tsp olive oil so the don’t stick to each other or the dish.
Mix the alfredo sauce with the chicken stock—ONLY IF USING STORE-BOUGHT SAUCE. Place about 1/2 cup in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, spreading the sauce to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
Fill shells and place them in the pan on a slight diagonal.
Top with the remaining sauce.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and stuffing is cooked.
Top with additional bacon and parsley

Video

Nutrition

*Adapted from Betty Crocker

The post Chicken Carbonara Alfredo Stuffed Shells appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

One-Skillet Ground Beef Divan

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 13 May 2017 23:00:55 +0000

This delicious ground beef divan dinner takes one skillet and is on the table in 30 minutes. Easy and the family will love it too!

Ground Beef Divan To The Rescue

If you’ve had a busy day and want something simple, this meal is just what the doctor ordered.

There’s not many of us who don’t have ground beef on hand, and here’s a great way to use it. This skillet dinner also relies on a couple of convenient pantry staples so it comes together quickly and easily.

Kid Pleasing Dinner

This is one meal the kiddos will love–grown-ups too!

It has a mild flavor. There’s nothing in it that will shock the taste buds or bite you in the butt. In other words, this is comfort food. Who doesn’t love a nice plate of comfort?

Even fussy eaters will enjoy this and it’s a complete meal in itself because it contains the spaghetti, meat and veggies.

Substitutions Make It Different

The recipe calls for store-bought alfredo sauce, but if you don’t have that on hand you can make your own, of course!

However, it’s equally as good when you substitute your own condensed cream of mushroom soup and even the canned variety will do. If you’re a fan of golden mushroom soup, that gives this a wonderful flavor as well.

Have Leftover Pasta?

This is also a great way to use up leftover spaghetti–or any pasta.

So if you have spaghetti or any pasta-style dinner in your meal plan and also plan to make this recipe in the same week, make a “planned over” from the pasta-based dinner to make this meal. The leftovers will soak up the flavors of the sauce so pre-cooked pasta won’t have any off flavors nor texture.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

One-Skillet Ground Beef Divan

This delicious ground beef divan dinner takes one skillet and is on the table in 30 minutes. Easy and the family will love it too!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: beef, Everyday Meals, skillet dinners

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Alfredo sauce, ground beef divan, ground beef recipe, one skillet dinners

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 885kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 oz uncooked spaghetti broken into 2-inch pieces (see NOTES)
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
3 cups frozen or fresh broccoli florets
1 jar about 16 oz prepared Alfredo sauce (see NOTES)
4 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
1/4 cup cream or milk
4 oz can sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cook pasta per package directions. Add the broccoli in the last minute of cooking; drain and set aside.
Brown ground beef in a large skillet; drain fat. Add the cream cheese, alfredo sauce and cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring until cream cheese is melted.
Add the mushrooms, pasta and broccoli, stirring to combine, and heat through.
Top with the shredded cheddar cheese.

Notes

You can also use leftover pasta.
You may substitute 10 oz homemade condensed cream of mushroom or the store-bought variety for the alfredo sauce and mushrooms.

Nutrition

*Adapted from Betty Crocker

The post One-Skillet Ground Beef Divan appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 23:00:13 +0000

Have leftover chicken? Then these easy lasagna rolls in an easy and rich alfredo sauce are perfect!

Got Leftover Chicken? Make Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls!

I bet everyone does have leftover chicken and often too.

Since I eat a lot of chicken, I have almost constant leftovers. As a rule, I don’t care for chicken when it’s reheated, especially roast chicken for some reason. But I often get tired of my usual chicken salad for what I have left, so I’m always trying to think of new ways to use what I have.

Now That Box Of Lasagna…

Does anyone ever use the entire box of lasagna? Most people I know use nine noodles. I’m extravagant and use 12, but I still have orphans that remain in the box.

These rolls are an excellent way to use those orphaned noodles. You may only have 3-4 noodles, but that will probably be enough to serve 4 regular appetites or 2 large ones.

The filling will be enough to fill 6 noodle rolls. At least that’s what I got out of it and I did have an unopened box of lasagna in the pantry so I was able to make more. However, if you only have your orphans, you can reduce the filling recipe by half.

Alfredo Sauce–Rich But Easy

If you don’t want to fuss or buy the ingredients if you don’t have them, then you can use a jar of commercial Alfredo sauce. It makes the whole meal easier, but I will say that I haven’t found a commercial sauce that I’ve liked, so I make my own.

All it takes is cream, milk, Parmesan cheese and egg yolks. The sauce is actually a custard. I give my recipe in the recipe card and the best thing about that recipe, besides tasting awesome, is that it keeps well. I’ve kept it in the coldest part of my fridge for close to a month. You may have to thin it with some additional milk for it’s second use.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls

Have leftover chicken? Then these easy lasagna rolls in an easy and rich alfredo sauce are perfect!

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Alfredo sauce, chicken, pasta

Servings: 6

Calories: 736kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

FILLING

8 oz cream cheese softened
3 cups finely shredded white meal chicken
2 cups baby spinach shredded
1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
6 cooked lasagna noodles
extra Parmesan cheese

ALFREDO SAUCE

1 1/2 cups White Milk
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 cups Imported Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 cups Imported Romano Cheese, grated
6 Egg yolks fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 11 x 7-inch pan.
Rolls:
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Fold in the cheeses and shredded spinach; blend well
Divide chicken mixture into 6 equal portions. Spread onto lasagna noodles and roll up. Place in pan seam side down in prepared pan.
Pour about 1 cup of the Alfredo sauce over the rolls and sprinkle with some extra Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and sauce is bubbly.
Alfredo Sauce:
Heat the milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it comes to a simmer.
Slowly whip in all the cheese, then remove from heat.
In a separate bowl, place the egg yolks and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture.
Slowly add the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining cream mixture.
(This will increase the temperature of the egg yolks which is called tempering).
Season to taste with the salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Refrigerate until needed.

Nutrition

The post Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Rolls appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Kale & Tortellini Alfredo

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Kale & Tortellini Alfredo

Tortellini and kale in a bacon-flavored cheese sauce is a perfect quickie dinner.

Here’s a tasty and easy meal for empty nesters!

Although there’s a few steps in this dish, they are not difficult and the whole shebang is ready in less than 30 minutes.

Perfect dinner for 2

I used kale because I bought a big bag weeks ago, blanched the lot of it and froze it. If you don’t have frozen kale (which is already processed) on hand and want to use fresh kale, it’s necessary to blanche it first. Don’t eliminate this step!! It’s necessary to eliminate some of the waxiness of the vegetable and it also takes away a lot of the bitterness.

It’s perfectly OK to use fresh baby spinach in this. In fact, it’s what the original recipe on cooking.com calls for. I just happened to have kale and thought it would be a better choice for my taste–even though I love spinach too.

A feast for the eyes too!

My recipe also differs from the original in that I use more cheese, less bacon, eliminated spices that I thought were weird with this and also used frozen tortellini.

The recipe serves 2 but it can be easily doubled to serve 4.

Kale & Tortellini Alfredo
1 bag (16 oz) frozen 3-cheese tortellini
2 cups chopped blanched kale*
4 slices bacon
3 tbs flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano Cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

*Fresh baby spinach may be substituted. If using fresh kale, it is important to blanche it first by submerging in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then submerging in ice water, draining and patting dry. Frozen kale has already been blanched and may also be substituted if you wish to use kale and not spinach.

Cook tortellini per package directions; drain and set aside.

Roughly chop bacon.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp and brown. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.

Whisk the flour into the bacon drippings, stirring to eliminate any lumps.

Whisk the milk into the flour/drippings mixture gradually to prevent lumps. Add the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to thicken–about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in the cheese. Add the kale in small portions and cook until kale (or spinach) is wilted.

Stir in the cooked tortellini until it’s coated evenly with sauce; heat through.

Top with reserved bacon.

Serves 2

Kale & Tortellini Alfredo

Follow The Midnight Baker’s board The Midnight Baker on Pinterest.

The post Kale & Tortellini Alfredo appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Skillet Sausage & Spinach Alfredo

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Skillet Sausage & Spinach Alfredo

This quick skillet alfredo is a great way to use that one lone sausage that’s always left over. Nice meal for singles and empty-nesters!

Here’s a tasty dinner that uses leftover sausage. I always end up with one lone sausage left over that I hate to admit, I usually end up forgetting about and throwing it out!

This is also a nice meal for just 2 people or a single person with another serving left over. The recipe can be doubled easily to serve 4 people.

Nice dinner for couples or singles

With this, I cooked the pasta in the rice cooker, but if you want to do it all in 1 skillet to avoid extra dishes to wash, then add 1 cup of uncooked pasta and about 1 cup of water to the skillet after the mushrooms have sauteed. Bring the water to a boil, cover the skillet, reduce the heat and cook for about 8 minutes (or until the water is absorbed), then carry on with making the sauce as per the directions in the recipe.

Just make sure the pasta is pretty much submerged in the water. If it’s still too hard after the water is absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook until the additional water is absorbed. You should be OK with the 1 cup of water though–it’s a bit of a learning curve cooking it this way, but to me it’s worth it not to wait for big pots of water to boil and then having to drain it.

Skillet Sausage & Spinach Alfredo

1 cooked hot or sweet Italian sausage, sliced thinly
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups cream (light cream is fine)
1/3 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 cups cooked gemelli (or any cooked pasta shape)
1 cup baby spinach, shredded
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Saute mushrooms in butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Add the sliced sausage; heat through. Add the cream and heat through.

Stir in the cheese and stir until smooth. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder–add more of any if necessary.

Reduce the sauce by 1/4 (about 3 minutes).

Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Skillet Sausage & Spinach Alfredo

Follow The Midnight Baker’s board The Midnight Baker on Pinterest.

The post Skillet Sausage & Spinach Alfredo appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Cajun Smoked Sausage Alfredo

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Cajun Smoked Sausage Alfredo

This Cajun-flavored sausage alfredo is dinner in a dash! This skillet dinner is roughly 15 minutes from start to finish.

Here’s a quick and tasty dinner for those days you just have no time but want to eat something homemade and real!

This is ready in roughly 15 minutes, but if you happen to have any leftover pasta–this is a 5-minute dish!

The Cajun spice gives a new dimension to this quick alfredo sauce. Blends nicely with the flavor of the smoked sausage. Kielbasa can be substituted here too, and andouille sausage would be out of this world–however, it’d take longer to make since you have to cook that sausage; it’s not ready to eat.

Tasty and on the table quickly

I gave directions to use heavy cream, but I did cheat a bit and used about 1/4 cup of light cream just to use up the container in the fridge. I would not suggest using a majority of light cream nor half and half; the sauce will be too thin. This isn’t a diet dish, so I wouldn’t attempt to make it into one–there may be some disappointment with the final product, mainly consistency of the sauce. So use cream and go back on your diet tomorrow LOL!!!

Not only is this meal absolutely delicious for such a quick meal, the vibrant colors of everything that goes into it makes for great visual appeal.

This one’s a keeper!

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Cajun Smoked Sausage Alfredo

This Cajun-flavored sausage alfredo is dinner in a dash! This skillet dinner is roughly 15 minutes from start to finish.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Pork, skillet dinners

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Alfredo sauce, Cajun, smoked sausage

Servings: 4

Calories: 1157kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb smoked sausage or kielbasa
1 1/2 cups tubular pasta like penne or elbows
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp cajun/creole seasoning
1/2 cup frozen peas defrosted
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 green onion sliced
1/2 cup grape tomatoes

Instructions

Slice sausage in 1/4-inch slices.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown sausage well. Remove from pan; set aside.
Return pan to heat and deglaze pan with the 1 1/2 cups water. Add the pasta. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook until water is absorbed by pasta (about 8 minutes).
Add the cream, peas, parmesan and cajun seasoning to the pan; stir well. Add the browned sausage back to the pan; heat through.
Top with sliced green onion and grape tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Serves 2-4, depending on appetite and accompanying dishes.

Nutrition

Cajun Smoked Sausage Alfredo

Follow The Midnight Baker’s board The Midnight Baker on Pinterest.

The post Cajun Smoked Sausage Alfredo appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Shrimp Asiago Alfredo

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 15 May 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Shrimp Asiago Alfredo

Baked spaghetti gets the gourmet touch in this shrimp and pasta casserole with a hearty asiago cream sauce.

Here’s another quick and easy dish that’s full of flavor!

Personally, I prefer asiago to parmesan or romano cheese in these kind of sauces. Asiago seems to have more body–plus it doesn’t make the sauce grainy as the harder, grating cheeses tend to do. I know if you’re a purest, then it’s not really an authentic alfredo, but it’s like the old saying about not knowing about art but knowing what you like!

Tangy asiago cheese makes a smooth sauce

I used smaller cooked shrimp in this, but you could certainly use uncooked, peeled and de-veined in this. In fact, if you have any leftover cooked shrimp (leftover shrimp???? I’ve never heard of it, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist), this is a good place to use it.

Loaded with shrimp

The sauce sort of makes itself. I just stirred the shredded asiago into the milk/cream and voila, it made itself. Sure it was a little thin, but after the pasta cooked some more in the oven and absorbed some sauce–and flavor–it was the perfect consistency.

The Recipe

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Shrimp Asiago Alfredo

Baked spaghetti gets the gourmet touch in this shrimp and pasta casserole with a hearty asiago cream sauce.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Asiago, shrimp Alfredo

Servings: 2

Calories: 1208kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked linguine
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp finely diced green pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
2 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
8 oz small peeled & cooked shrimp
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs

Instructions

Prepare linguine as per package directions. Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 1.5 qt baker or gratin.
Melt butter in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and mushrooms. Cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the milk, cream, oregano, pepper flakes, black pepper & salt; stir well to combine. Continue to heat over medium-low heat until milk mixture is hot, but not boiling. Stir in asiago cheese and stir until cheese is melted.
Add linguine and shrimp. Toss to coat well.
Turn into prepared pan and top with panko bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown and sauce bubbles.
Serves 2

Nutrition

Shrimp Asiago Alfredo

Follow The Midnight Baker Food, Glorious Food #7 on Pinterest

The post Shrimp Asiago Alfredo appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Easter Leftover Favorites

Judith Hannemann — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Here are some great ways to use those Easter ham or turkey leftovers!

Creamy Chicken (or Turkey) Rollups

Clean The Fridge Quiche

Two-Cheese Baked Chicken (or Turkey) Alfredo

Cheesy Lasagna Rolls (Meat Version)

Classic Split Pea with Ham Soup

Cream of Turkey with Brown Rice Soup

Cream of Ham and Potato Soup

Lo Mein

Ham Alfredo

Egg Baskets (Great for Easter Breakfast or Brunch)

Use those ham leftovers!

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Easter Leftover Favorites

Here are some great ways to use those Easter ham or turkey leftovers!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Chicken, Dinner, pasta, Pork, soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicen, ham, Leftover favorites, pasta, pork,, soups, turkey

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 1014kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
Water to cover macaroni about 1/4-inch above the macaroni in the rice cooker pot
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp oil or butter

SAUCE

1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups whole milk I generally mix 1 1/2 cups milk with 1/2 cup half and half cream
1 cup cubed Velveeta
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
2 cups diced cooked ham
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

TOPPING

1 cup soft breadcrumbs
1 tbsp butter melted

Instructions

Place the macaroni, water, salt and oil in bowl of 7-cup rice cooker. Set rice cooker to COOK. Check macaroni in about 10 minute. If water is almost absorbed, switch cooker to WARM. When water is absorbed, the cooker will automatically switch to keep warm mode, but it's better in this case to catch this before it does. However, if it has already gone to keep warm, it's no tragedy, but some elbows on the bottom may have started to brown (which is perfectly OK). Leave the cooked elbows in the rice cooker's pot.
Add sauce ingredients to cooked macaroni in the rice cooker's pot. Switch cooker to COOK and with lid open, stir until cheeses are melted. Add the ham and peas. Close lid and cook for about 5 minutes, or until sauce is reduced by 25%.
While sauce is reducing, mix breadcrumbs with the melted butter. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease a 1.5 quart deep casserole.
Add macaroni and sauce to prepared baking dish. Top with buttered bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until sauce bubbles along the edges and the crumbs are nicely browned.
Serves 4-6
**For Conventional Cooking**
Cook elbows as per package directions; drain and set aside.
In a medium saucepan ,combine sauce ingredients. Stir constantly over medium heat until cheeses are melted.
Reduce heat and stir constantly until sauce is slightly reduced (about 25%). Add the ham, peas and cooked, drained macaroni. Proceed from here as in the directions above.

Nutrition

Follow The Midnight Baker Food, Glorious Food #7 on Pinterest

The post Easter Leftover Favorites appeared first on The Midnight Baker.