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Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti

February 28, 2009 By Kate 28 Comments

I love buffalo chicken dip. When I was trying to come up with a dinner idea last night, I was stuck on the thought of that dip. I knew I couldn’t just serve chip and dips though, at least not on a weeknight when we all look forward to sit down meals. So I decided to see if I could turn a snacky favorite into a substantial dinner.

It worked, and the results were delicious!

Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti

  • 1 lb. spaghetti, fully cooked and drained
  • 1 – 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 2 c. chicken stock
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/4 c. hot sauce (more or less, depending on desired intensity. 1/4 c. will be mild to medium in flavor.)
  • 1 c. Ranch or Bleu cheese dressing

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste. Place in a skillet with chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken and reserve 1/2 c. cooking liquid.

2. In a saucepan, combine the cream cheese, hot sauce and reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium-low heat until the cream cheese is completely melted. While the sauce is cooking, shred or cube the cooked chicken.

3. Add the dressing and chicken to the saucepan, stir to combine, and then toss with the cooked spaghetti.

I tasted this right after I made it and noticed that the heat increased a little after it had been sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours. So if you are making this ahead of time, you might want to keep that in mind.

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Creamed Spinach

February 27, 2009 By Kate 7 Comments

While not entirely traditional, we all thought this version of creamed spinach was delicious, even those of us (namely, our 9 year old) who do not like spinach. I played around with and adjusted things as I went, so the measurements might not be entirely accurate. They should be pretty close though.

Creamed Spinach

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. frozen, chopped spinach
  • 4 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/4 c. milk, as needed

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the frozen spinach and cook until completely thawed, stirring often.

2. Add the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Stir and cook until cheeses are completely melted. Thin to desired consistency with milk, a few splashes at a time.

3. Serve immediately. Or, for stolen moments style, transfer to a small casserole dish and refrigerate. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until heated through.

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Stromboli

February 26, 2009 By Kate 6 Comments

I know these sandwiches are a little different in method from traditional Stromboli, but this is my lazy way of choice to make them for nights when I need a quicker meal. These sandwiches are delicious and so quick to throw together, especially if the fillings are prepped ahead of time.

We like these for family movie or game nights. They’d also be fun food for entertaining. You could slice each loaf into small pieces and serve as an appetizer too. The fillings can easily be adjusted to taste too.

Stromboli

  • 2 loaves Italian bread
  • 1 c. pizza sauce
  • 1 lb. bulk sausage (Italian or plain pork), cooked and drained
  • 15-20 slices pepperoni
  • 1/4 c. sliced black olives
  • 1/4 c. sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded

1. Cut loaves of bread in half horizontally without cutting all the way through. Spread 1/2 c. pizza sauce on the bottom of one side of each loaf.

2. Layer the sausage and pepperoni on top of the pizza sauce.3. Sprinkle the olives and mushrooms on top of the meats.
4. Add the cheese as the final layer.
5. Partially close the sandwiches and place in a 350 degree oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted.

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