Creamy Beef and Shells

Ingredients

• 8 oz. medium pasta shells
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. Set aside. 

Add onion to the skillet and cook. Stir frequently until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. 

Gradually whisk in beef stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes. 

Stir in pasta, beef and heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheese until melted. 

Serve immediately. 

Enjoy! 

Oven Baked Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 5-6 chicken breasts
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Toss chicken breasts with olive oil and seasonings. Mix well to coat. 

Place on a lightly greased pan and bake 22-26 minutes or until temperature reaches 165 degrees F. 

Rest 5 minutes before serving :). 

Creamy Stovetop Mushroom Orzo

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (more as needed)
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup petite frozen peas 

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are tender. Add in garlic and oregano and cook for 30 seconds. 

Add in the orzo pasta, chicken stock, half and half, and stir to combine. 

Lower the heat to medium and let the mixture lightly simmer until the pasta is cooked al dente, about 10-15 minutes. (You don't want the mixture to boil rapidly as it will scorch the dairy). If the pasta is not fully cooked and the mixture is low on liquid, add a little more chicken stock to help cook the pasta. 

Once cooked, remove pan from the heat and stir in parmesan cheese, frozen peas and salt & pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!

*Great add ins: baked chicken breasts or garlic shrimp. Recipe can also be doubled to feed a crowd or if serving as an entree. 

Easy BBQ Chicken

Ingredients 

• 10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 bottles of BBQ sauce
• 1 cup of water (omit if you like thicker sauce)

Add all ingredients into Croc-Pot and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.

After chicken is finished cooking, use two forks to shred. Add more sauce to achieve your favorite consistency. *For quicker shredding, put cooked chicken into a Kitchen Aid and beet for a minute or so for perfectly shredded chicken. 

Use this chicken for sandwiches, burritos, soup, BBQ chicken pizza or topped on cheesy nachos.

Enjoy!