Chicken Spinach Pasta Casserole

This is a variation of a Southern Living recipe I came across not too long ago. I thought it sounded yummy, so I gave it a try with some added ingredients and a little tweaking of the measurements. I was pretty pleased with the result. I hope you enjoy it!

Chicken Spinach Pasta Casserole

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts
2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes, flavored with green pepper and onion
1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon soul seasoning
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation
Prepare pasta according to package directions. While your pasta is cooking, spread oil on the bottom of a baking sheet and add the onion in a single layer. Bake the onion at 375° for 15 minutes or until tender. Transfer onion to a large bowl, and set aside.

Drain your thawed, chopped spinach well by squeezing it between layers of paper towels. Stir together the pasta, spinach, chicken, onion and next 6 ingredients. Spoon the mixture into a greased baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake, covered, at 375° for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

This recipe just makes me happy. Great flavor...pretty colors...total comfort food. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Pork Lo Mein

So, this is not exactly groundbreaking prose, but I wanted to post a favorite recipe that I originally posted on my short-lived cooking blog.  I guess I've had it on the brain lately since I absolutely love Lo Mein, but rarely get the opportunity to make it.  If you've seen this post before, I apologize.  I promise I'll write something original soon.

I love Asian food, and from time to time I will experiment with healthy, at-home Asian recipes of my own. This Lo Mein recipe works in any variation: seafood, pork, vegetable, chicken. My personal choice when I make it at home, however, is a combination of seafood and pork. I hope you like it!

Shrimp and Pork Lo Mein

Ingredients

1 package of Chinese noodles

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 thinly-sliced, boneless pork chops

3-4 green onions, tops only

2 carrots, diced fine

2 stalks celery, diced fine

1 (4 oz.) can of sliced mushrooms

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 cup Soy Sauce

Shrimp Sauce (I use the store-bought kind found near most grocery store seafood counters)

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions. (They usually only need to boil for 3 or 4 minutes). Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. Slice pork chops in long, thin strips and saute in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside, leaving the remaining oil. Add the green onions, carrots and celery, sauteing until just tender. Add mushrooms last and heat through. Add shrimp and allow to cook until shrimp turns pink (about 3-4 minutes). Stir in the pork strips and add the Soy Sauce. Stir continuously for another 1-2 minutes. Finally, add the cooked noodles, allow to heat through, and serve with shrimp sauce.

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite recipes. I associate it with comfort food, probably because of the noodles. If you've never cooked with Chinese noodles, give them a try. They're cheap, versatile, quick to cook and absolutely delicious! Aside from the shrimp sauce (which you can leave off, although I can't imagine why anyone would want to), this is a super healthy meal that cooks up in minutes. I hope you'll give it a try.