Chicken Tortellini Salad with Grapes and Pineapple

Ingredients:

2 9oz packages refrigerated tortellini (any flavor - I used cheese ones and sausage ones and they both taste great)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can crushed pineapple
1 cup mayonnaise
1 rib celery, finely diced
3 green onions, finely sliced
1 cup grapes, halved
2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Add to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook through (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, in the bottom of a large mixing bowl, stir together the pineapple, mayonnaise, sage, thyme, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Cut the green onions, celery and grapes and add them to the bowl.

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and rinse it under cold water. Add the pasta and the cooled chicken to the bowl. Stir all together. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Cranberry Orange Pork Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 16oz bottle Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (I used Kraft)

1 pound pork tenderloin

1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced

1 cup dried cranberries

2 oranges

2 crowns broccoli

12 oz penne rigate pasta

1 /2 cup chopped walnuts

1 Tbs vegetable oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Pour 1/2 of the bottle of salad dressing into a small bowl with a lid. Zest the 2 oranges and add the zest to the vinaigrette. Place the pork in the dressing, turning to coat (if it isn't completely submerged). Marinate over night in the refrigerator.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Salt the water and drop the pasta. Cook according to package directions until al dente (do not over cook!). Drain, but do not rinse the pasta.

Cut the broccoli crowns into small florets. Steam for 5 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with vegetable oil. Quarter and thinly slice the onion and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until lightly caramelized.

While the onions are cooking, remove the pork from the marinade (discard the marinade) and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Add the pork to the pan with the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook until done (about 5 minutes).

To the bottom of a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing and the juice of both oranges. While the pasta is still warm, add it to the dressing and toss to coat. Stir in the dried cranberries. It will seem like a lot of dressing, but the pasta will absorb it, giving the pasta a lot of great flavor. The dried cranberries will also absorb some of the liquid and will plump up nicely.

When the pork and onions and the broccoli are done, stir them in to the pasta as well.

Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Stir in the walnuts right before serving.

Serves 4 as an entree (It keeps great in the fridge)

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

Asparagus and Herbed Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into thin strips

1 lb spaghetti (I use whole grain)

1 bundle asparagus

2 packages Weber White Wine and Herbs marinade mix

20 - 30 cherries, pitted and quartered (5 per serving)

1/4 cup water

2 Tbs Olive oil

salt

Directions:

Place 1 packet of the marinade mix into a small mixing bowl. Stir in water and olive oil. Place sliced chicken breasts into marinade and toss to coat. Allow to sit for 1 hour in refrigerator.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Salt the water. Drop the pasta and cook according to package directions (do not over cook!)

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and marinade to pan and cook until chicken is done (about 5 minutes).

While chicken and pasta is cooking, pit and chop the cherries and cut the asparagus - cut each spear into thirds on a heavy angle. Add the asparagus to the pasta water during the last minute of cooking (allow to cook for 1 minute).

When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid before draining. Drain the pasta and asparagus. Add the cooking liquid back into the pot. Stir in the 2nd marinade packet until dissolved. Add the asparagus and pasta back to the pot and toss until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the chicken strips. Portion onto plates and garnish with cherries.

Serves 4-6

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

See more tasty recipes over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday carnival

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb penne rigate pasta (I used whole grain)

1 16oz bottle Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (Kraft)

3.5 oz package Sun Dried Tomatoes, julienne cut

2 crowns broccoli

4 oz sliced salami or pepperoni

1 large onion, finely diced

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

3 Tbs Olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs olive oil. Finely chop the onion and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to cook until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Once onions are caramelized, pour in the balsamic vinegar. Allow the vinegar to reduce down so that it is a thick glaze on the onions.

While the onions are cooking, pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim the broccoli crowns into small florets. Toss them with 2 Tbs olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them out on a sheet pan, making sure they touch as little as possible. Roast for about 10 minutes, until slightly browned. Remove from oven.

While the broccoli is roasting, fill a large pot with water and set over high heat. Once water is boiling, salt it and drop the pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Do not over cook.

While the broccoli, onions and pasta are cooking, prepare the rest of the salad. Empty the bottle of salad dressing into a large mixing bowl. Add the sun dried tomatoes to the bowl (if you can't find pre-cut julienne ones, thinly slice them). Thinly slice the salami and add it to the bowl as well.

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the bowl. Toss well - the pasta should be evenly coated with the dressing. When the broccoli and onions are done, add them as well. Toss all the ingredients together. Chill at least 2 hours before serving (I make it in the morning for dinner that evening)

Serves 6 as an entree, 12 as a side dish

To see what I spent on this recipe, visit my other blog here.

I'm participating in 5 dollar dinners $5 dinner challenge.

Honey Mustard Salmon Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb farfalle (bow tie) pasta
1 lb salmon fillet
1 16oz bottle Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing (I used Kraft)
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced

cooking spray

salt and pepper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 360 degrees. Place salmon fillet in a greased baking dish, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until internal temperature is 140 degrees (about 10 minutes).

While salmon is cooking, fill a large pot with water and place over high heat. Once water is boiling, salt the water and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions (do not over cook).

Empty the bottle of dressing into a serving bowl. Peel, seed and chop the cucumber. Peel and grate the carrots. Slice the green onions. Add the veggies to the dressing.

Once the pasta is done, drain it and add to the dressing. Toss.

When the salmon is done, allow it to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Flake it into chunks (keep in mind that the chunks will get smaller as you toss them in with the pasta). Add the salmon to the pasta, toss. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Serves 6

To see what I spent on this recipe visit my other blog here.

I am participating in 5 dollar dinners $5 dollar dinner challenge

Pasta and Chicken in a Chive Cream Sauce with Cherries and Pecans

It looks like dessert doesn't it. And it probably sounds a little odd, but trust me it's yummy! The tangy / sweet cherries cut through the rich sauce and the nuts add a nice crunch.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
10 oz Farafalle (bow tie) pasta
8 oz Onion & Chive cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 pound cherries, pitted and quartered
1/4 cup chopped pecans
salt and pepper
1 Tbs vegetable oil


Directions:

Fill a large pot with water and place over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, salt the water and cook the pasta according to package directions.

While the water is coming up to a boil, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Thinly slice the chicken breasts. Add them to the pan and salt and pepper them. Cook until done, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan, set aside.

Add milk to large skillet that the chicken was in. Once the milk is bubbling, whisk in the cream cheese until smooth. Lower heat to med-low and simmer for a couple minutes, to thicken the sauce. Season with pepper.

While the pasta is cooking and the sauce is simmering, pit and quarter the cherries.

Once the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet with the sauce. Add the chicken and stir until coated in the sauce. Serve with nuts and cherries on top.


Serves 4


To see what I spent on this recipe and the story behind it, visit my other blog here.

I'm participating in 5dollardinners.com $5 dinner challenge.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Lo Mein Noodles

I realize this recipe is nothing even close to authentic, but I wanted to utilize ingredients that I have in my pantry and that I bought at rock bottom prices.

Ingredients:

1 cup Russian Salad Dressing

1/2 cup Asian (sesame ginger) salad dressing

8 oz whole grain spaghetti

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can pineapple tidbits (juice and fruit)

2 Tbs soy sauce

1 lb bag of cole slaw mix

1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced

3 green onions, thinly sliced.

2 Tbs vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Thinly slice the chicken. Add to skillet. Salt and Pepper. Cook until cooked through (5-7 minutes). Remove chicken from pan, set aside.

In the same pan, add the Russian dressing, juice from the canned pineapple and pepper. Heat over medium heat. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes - you want it nice and thick so that it will coat the chicken nicely.

While chicken is cooking, fill a large pot with water and place over high heat. Once water is boiling, salt it, and add the pasta. Cook until al-dente (do not over cook!)

Once you have added the pasta to the water, heat another large skillet over medium heat with 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Add the cole slaw mix, green onion and celery to the pan. Salt and pepper. Stir fry the veggies until wilted - about 5 minutes.

Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it and return it to the pot. Add the Asian salad dressing and stir until it is absorbed. Add the sauteed veggies to the pot and stir all together.

Stir the soy sauce into the Russian dressing sauce. Add the chicken back into the pan with the sauce just long enough to re-heat it.

Serve the noodles with the chicken and pineapple on the side.

Serves 4

To see what I spent on this meal, visit my other blog here.

Pineapple Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb Barrilla Piccolini Mini Farfalle Pasta
1 16oz bottle Kraft Creamy Poppy seed Salad Dressing
1 20oz can Crushed Pineapple, drained
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 large ribs of celery, chopped (use 8 ribs if using, pre-trimmed stalks from the heart)
1 whole chicken, roasted and chopped

Directions:

If you are roasting your own chicken, cook at 350 degrees until and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. After you remove it from the oven, allow to cool for about 30-45 minutes before pulling and chopping the meat. If you are using a rotisserie chicken, simply pull and chop the meat and set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Be sure to salt the water - the dressing is sweet, so you need the pasta to be seasoned well, to balance the flavors. You should put in about a handful of salt into the boiling water. Do not over cook the pasta - it will absorb the dressing once the salad is all assembled. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.

While pasta is cooking, slice the green onions and celery. Keep in mind that you are using small, dainty pasta, so you want the chicken and celery pieces scaled accordingly - about 1/4 inch chop on the celery and 1/2 - 1 inch chop on the chicken.

Toss all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Chill at least an hour before serving.

Serves 6 (It keeps great in the fridge, so even if you don't have 6 in your family, make the whole recipe and eat it for lunches the next day)


To find out how I made this dish frugally, check out the post on my other blog here.

Check out more chicken recipes at Life as MOM's Ultimate Recipe Swap