Pampered Chef Easy Pasta Carbonara

1/2  of a 12-oz (350-g) pkg uncooked turkey bacon (see Cook’s Tip)
1  medium onion
4  garlic cloves
1/2  tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1  pkg (14.5 oz or 411 g) uncooked multigrain bow-tie pasta (5 cups/1.25 L)

1  carton (32 oz/1 L) unsalted chicken stock
1  can (12 oz or 370 mL) fat-free evaporated milk
1  oz (30 g) fresh Parmesan cheese
4  oz (125 g) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1 1/2  cups (375 mL) frozen peas, thawed
Directions:
1. Stack bacon and cut in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise using Santoku Knife.
2. Cook bacon in 11- or 12-in. (28- or 30-cm) Skillet over medium heat 4–5 minutes or until browned. Meanwhile, finely chop onion using Food Chopper.
3. Add onion, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and pepper flakes to Skillet. Cook another 3–4 minutes or until onion is tender.
4. Add pasta, stock and evaporated milk. Cover and bring to a simmer. (Do not boil.) Simmer 12–14 minutes or until pasta is still a little firm, stirring occasionally.
5. Grate Parmesan using Rotary Grater. Remove Skillet from heat. Stir in cream cheese, peas and Parmesan.
6. Let stand, covered, 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and creamy.

This is the recipe available on the Pampered Chef website. I don't use the fat free or light ingredients. I also don't care for Turkey bacon, so I usually do a maple bacon. The Pampered Chef consultant that did the party I attended made this recipe with frozen asparagus instead of the peas. This is now I prefer to make it.

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta from Pampered Chef

Recently went to another Pampered Chef party. I know, I sound like I'm addicted or something but they are all fundraisers for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I do have a shopping list a mile long but that will be over time. I have plenty of Pampered Chef parties in my future. The consultant made this wonderful pasta dish that everyone said would be something my husband would love. He usually makes a bruschetta every time we have a party so everyone associates bruschetta with my husband. Here is the Pampered Chef recipe for Chicken Bruschetta Pasta.

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta Ingredients:

 2 Chicken Breast
3-4 Plum Tomatoes
3/4 c. Olive Oil
2-3 Cans of chicken broth *to cover pasta in DCB
1 lb. Farfalle
4-6 Leaves of fresh Basil
3 Cloves of fresh garlic
1 Tbsp Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Mix
Salt and Pepper (dash of each)
fresh Parmesan Cheese

Place chicken breast into a large ziplock bag and flatten them with meat tenderizer. This will allow them to cook more quickly and evenly. After flattening them, place them in the deep covered baker with some PC Italian Seasoning.

 Cook for 8-10 minutes (longer if not flattened). Chop with salad chopper and remove from baker.

 Break pasta in half, put in baker. Pour chicken broth over spaghetti until it is covered. Microwave for approx. 16-17 minutes, mixing a 8 minutes. Add fresh basil, a little olive oil into manual food processor.

Use garlic press to mince 3 cloves of garlic into manual food processor. Slice tomatoes into wedges (veggie wedger works wonders!) and add to manual food processor. Add salt and pepper.

 Drain pasta from DCB. Mix chopped chicken, pasta and olive oil mixture together, grate parmesan cheese on top and serve!

Well of course I don't have every thing pampered chef but I do have plenty of cooking supplies that can get the job done just as well. So don't think you need the deep covered baker or the manual food processor (though those are both great products that I would love to have) you can substitute with your own items. I used a blender instead of the food processor. Would of been better to have the manual food processor and any food processor than a blender but it got done. I also used my Corningware to cook this in instead of the deep covered baker. My substitute was a package of Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Mix was a package of Wishbone Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix.

Hope you enjoy this one, my hubby certainly did.

My Wicked Easy Alfredo

I love easy meals, I'm not much of a cook. I do hate packaged meals so when there is a need for an easy meal, its got to be at least semi homemade. I like to make the sauce ahead of time and put it in the freezer. Fridays are always so busy with dance class after school that dinner has to be made quickly. I take out the sauce before Morrigan gets off the school bus and it defrosts while we are at dance. I throw on some water when we get back, put in the pasta after the water boils for 9 minutes. I put the sauce in a sauce pan and heat it up. I love those Perdue Short Cuts Italian flavored chicken strips. I heat those up in the microwave. Also, Morrigan loves broccoli so I heat up frozen spears in my Pampered Chef Microwave Steamer (if you don't have one of these, go buy one, now!) In some water for 4 minutes. I bowl the pasta, throw on top the broccoli and the chicken, pour the sauce on top, sprinkle some parmesan cheese and nutmeg and you have yourself a quick and easy dinner that should of taken you a lot more time and effort.
The sauce....
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.)Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Just cut up the cream cheese into cubes and throw into a sauce pan. Cut up butter as well. Add the parmesan, milk, butter, pepper, and garlic powder and heat it on low until all is melted. You got yourself an Alfredo sauce, it's that easy! You can put the sauce in either a plastic container or just in a freezer bag and freeze it to be used later. I also like to freeze them into cubes in a ice cube tray for easy single servings. I eat Alfredo with pasta for lunch sometimes. To change it up, I also heat up some carrots and peas in with the broccoli and leave out the chicken as a quick lunch. 9 minutes to prepare the pasta and I have an awesome lunch. Its as easy as making a box of Mac and cheese.
Give it a try, play round with it. I wouldn't mind seeing what a little parsley and/or cayenne pepper might taste like in this sauce.