Chicken Penne Alfredo with Bacon and Broccoli

Here's our latest favorite! My husband claims this is in my top 10 best recipes and I made it up! Sweet! If you pair this with a fresh Spinach Strawberry Salad, it's a perfect meal of comfort and healthy!

1. Start by boiling water for the pasta. For this recipe, use 1 box of Barilla Penne pasta. Cook till tender (al dente- as directed by the package). Drain and set aside in a large pot or bowl, keeping warm with a lid on.

Meanwhile;

2. Cook 4 pieces of bacon in a large frying pan, reserving bacon grease. (Cover with splatter screen to make it less messy!) Cool on paper towels or paper napkins. Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and add to the pasta pot.

3. Cut 3-4 chicken breasts in bite sized pieces and fry in the bacon grease with seasoning of your choice. I use Pampered Chef's Sun-Dried Tomato Seasoning Mix and Johnny's Seasoning. Add salt if necessary. Cook until lightly browned. Add chicken to the pasta pot, leaving a little grease in the frying pan.

4.  In the pan from the chicken, saute' 4-6 cloves of freshly pressed garlic. This only takes about 30 seconds. Watch it carefully so that it doesn't burn. Use this pan to make the sauce next.

5. To make the sauce: Melt 1/4 cup butter in the frying pan or in a saucepan on medium heat. Take pan off heat and stir in 1/2 cup flour. Slowly pour in 1 pint of cream (heavy cream is richer, 1/2 & 1/2 is good, milk might work but I'd call it low-fat). Return to stove. Stir until it's well combined and then thickened. Once it's a thick sauce, add 1 cup sour cream or 4 oz. cream cheese (for a richer sauce), then pour in the amount of milk you like for how thick you want the sauce. I think I use about 1 1/2-2 cups of 2% milk. Remember that it's better to use less to start with. You can always add more later to thin the sauce. Add salt (to taste, about 1 teaspoon) and a spinkle of pepper. Cook a few minutes longer until it's the consistency you want. Add to the pasta pot.

6. Either between cooking the above things or after, steam 1-2 heads of broccoli. Add to the pasta pot, of course!

7. Stir the pasta pot and serve with a delicious salad! Out kids love this recipe so hopefully yours will too! I used 6 cloves and it wasn't too spicy. Next time I may use more!

*Note: You could also bake this once it's cooked and mixed or keep it warm in an oven-safe pan on low heat.

**Also, I normally add about 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan to my alfredo sauce and that would be wonderful with it. I just didn't have any and it was still loved by all without it! :)

When all in the house is asleep...Mommy's up roasting garlic

No, I'm not just going to tell you how sick and tired I am of being... sick ...and tired. But if ever you feel like me- try roasting garlic. It's good for that yukky sick stuff going around this time of year.



I'm now thinking my "flu" turned into strep throat. What next. Being the 4th day on this roller coaster, I don't think I'm having fun anymore. I pray my kids don't get it! Or my husband! Speaking of them... since my nose cannot smell a whiff of anything- I wonder if they will wake up and smell the garlic roasting in the oven.... at 10:50pm! tee hee.



And speaking of roasted garlic, here's how I do it:









Roasted Garlic

You Will Need:

1 head/flower of garlic- YES! THE WHOLE THING!

1-2 Tablespoons Olive oil- or whatever you have in a hurry- I've used Canola Oil

a dash of salt

a sharp knife

a warm crusty slice of lightly buttered toast

a small pan or small stoneware works awesome

a small piece of foil

an oven...of course! Preheat to 400'.



Tear off some of the peel on the outer edges of the garlic head- but leave it whole. Carefully cut off 1/4 inch of the top ends of the garlic. (The hairy-root side will still be attatched.) Place in your pan. Drizzle olive oil all over the garlic and sprinkle with salt. Cover with piece of foil and bake in oven on 400' until it smells nutty- or about 40 minutes (for those of us who can't smell). Then take off the foil and bake for 5 more minutes. It will be sticky and carmel -looking. Don't let it fool you ~ it's not caramel~.



Pop each of the garlic cloves out and let them cool a few minutes while you make your toast. Be careful- the garlic is HOT! Spread the cloves all over the piece of bread. Enjoy with this drink: hot water with fresh pressed lemon and raw honey.



You might be surprised at how delicious this 'good-for-you-medicine' is!



PS. This can be done the microwave-supposedly- but I do NOT recommend it. I tried it because it's quicker- EW! It was so tough I could hardly cut it with a knife! If you only have a micro and want to try it- leave off the foil- *wink wink* and cook for about 2 minutes, turning it upside -down 3/4 of the way through.