Pasta with Grilled Chicken, Tomatoes, and Black Olives - Creative Cooking

I've been craving carbs like crazy. Sometimes a girl just wants her pasta.  We also had leftover grilled chicken.  What better way to get my carb fix than to whip up a tomatoey sauce for spaghetti along with the grilled chicken?  I can't think of much better than that! 

If we're having a busy week or, as in this week I've been sick, the hubster sometimes buys a giant pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and grills all of them at once so that we can store them in the fridge.  We warm them up, slice them up into sandwiches, or, as in this case, add them to other dishes.  I love combining them with other ingredients to make stir fry or toppings for pasta.  

These were ingredients I had in my pantry.  I made this because I wanted a sauce that was on the lighter side.  I also wasn't in the mood for a creamy sauce, so this is what I made.  It came out very well!

PASTA WITH CHICKEN, TOMATOES, AND BLACK OLIVES

1-2 grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced

1 tablespoon cooking oil such as olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 medium onion, chopped 

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon basil 

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 can (14 oz?) Italian flavored diced tomatoes, drained (usually says flavored with basil, oregano, and onion)

sliced black olives

parmesan cheese to taste

 4-6 servings of spaghetti or other pasta, cooked

Place oil in large skillet and heat.  Add garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes.  Stir for a few seconds to heat and saturate spices.  Add chicken breast and onion. Stir to coat, and allow chicken to heat through, 1-2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, stir, then allow any liquid from the tomatoes to reduce down.  Serve over spaghetti, top with black olives, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with crusty bread and salad.

Freezer to Crockpot - Mexican Casserole

This is a fun, simple, and easy Mexican casserole that tastes great.  It's easy to throw together, and it works great for a freezer to crockpot recipe.  It's spicy comfort food that's a hot, filling meal.  

We usually make this in the oven, but our schedules have been so busy lately that the crock pot has been our go-to cooking venue.  I decided to try this for the crock, and it was easy as making it in the oven*.  

MEXICAN CASSEROLE 

1 to 1.5 pounds ground beef, browned, drained, and rinsed 

1 15-17 oz. can Ranch Style beans

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 14 oz. can RoTel tomatoes ( or diced tomatoes with green chiles)

When ready to cook, about 1-2 cups crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa. Do not put the tortilla chips in until right before you're ready to serve.  Otherwise, you'll end up with a soggy mess! 

Brown ground beef, drain, and rinse.  In 1 gallon zippered freezer bag, place ground beef, ranch style beans, chicken soup, and tomatoes.  Squeeze out air and seal, then "massage" bag to mix ingredients well.  

When ready to cook, place mixture in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Approximately 10 minutes before serving, top with crushed tortilla chips.  Serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa.  

*The oven version of this is the same, except when you're ready to cook it, divide the crushed tortilla chips and place a layer on the bottom of the pan, top with casserole mixture, then top with more crushed tortilla chips.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, top with cheese, then return to the oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese melts.