Best-ever Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Ok, so we came across this recipe that claimed to be the "best ever" Fettuccine Alfredo. My sister was the first one to try it out, she said it was incredible, so I thought I'd give it a shot myself. Let me tell you - this is in fact the absolute best chicken fettuccine alfredo I've EVER had. Try it for yourself.

First you'll need to make your marinade for your chicken breasts. Mix the following ingredients in a plastic bag and put your chicken in for a while and stick in the fridge.

• 1 egg beaten


• cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice


• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  

I did this about an hour or so before I started cooking.

Now, make your bread mix to coat the chicken. Mix the following ingredients together:

• 1 cup flour


• 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1 teaspoon baking powder


• 1 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning

Now remove your chicken from the marinade and coat both sides in the mixture you just stirred up.

Before you start cooking the chicken, you'll want to get your pasta going. I cook about half a box for my husband and I. Boil your water, throw in some salt, and then cook your noodles according to the package instructions.

Now on to the sauce...here's what you'll need:

• 1 cup chicken broth (or white wine...that's what I used)


• 2 cups heavy whipping cream


• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese


• 2-3 cloves minced garlic


• 2 tbsp cornstarch


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp pepper


• 8 basil leaves, chopped (if you don't have fresh, just do a couple tbsp of dry)


• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

In a medium saucepan, heat chicken broth (or wine) over medium high heat, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in heavy cream, cornstarch, and garlic. Bring to a soft boil and whisk for one minute. Reduce heat to low, whisk in parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 mins to melt cheese and thicken.

Now, on a different burner, heat 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on med-high heat. After it gets pretty hot and starts to sizzle, add your chicken breasts. The cook time is going to vary depending on how big/thick your chicken breasts are...anywhere from 5-8 minutes on each side should do it. You want them to be nice and golden brown.

While the chicken is cooking, stir in your herbs (basil & parsley) to the alfredo sauce.

You're all done! Just need to assemble your delicious dinner. Here's how I do it...pasta, sauce, chicken, and more sauce on top! YUM!

Mac & Cheese

Ok so Mac & Cheese is probably my all time favorite food to eat. I'll try a new recipe for this any day. This recipe takes no time to prepare and is deee-lish! I loved it...hubby loved it...you'll love it too!

Ok so boil about 2 cups of pasta...I typically use penne, but use whatever you have on hand. 2 cups makes about 2-3 servings. Now spay a baking dish with Pam and put in half your cooked pasta, about 2 tablespoons of butter cut up, and a generous sprinkle of salt. Top with 1 cup of shredded cheese. Now, do the exact same thing - your remaining pasta, 2 tbsp butter, salt, and then top with 1 cup cheese.


Last step before baking - pour in 3/4 cup of milk until your baking dish is about 1/3 or so full of milk.
Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy!

Espresso-licious Ice Cream

If you're a coffee lover like myself, you will LOVE this Ice Cream. Another Food Network recipe I saw and knew I had to try it for myself.

Ingredients:

3 cups half-and-half
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch salt
2 1/2 tablespoons ground espresso coffee beans
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (Kahlua)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces (1/2 cup) chocolate-covered espresso beans, chopped

Heat the half-and-half until it forms bubbles around the edge of the pan and steam starts to rise. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until mixed. Slowly add the hot half-and-half until combined. Wipe out the pan and pour the mixture back into the clean pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 5 to 10 minutes, until it's thickened and the cream coats the back of the spoon.
Add the ground espresso beans, coffee liqueur, and vanilla and refrigerate until completely chilled.
Pour the espresso cream into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Mix in the chopped espresso beans and grab a bowl!

Witch-Cakes

These are the cutest cupcakes ever to make for Halloween! They're super easy; here's all it is:

Bake and ice the cupcakes of your choice. I'm a fan of vanilla, so that's what I chose. Ohh great tip to make any cake batter 10x better....add a cap or two of Almond Extract. Trust Me. You'll love it. Ok now back to the witches. Get the Fudge Striped cookies and place one on each cupcake. Now, add some icing to the bottom of a Hersheys Kiss and place on top of the cookie.

Happy Halloween!

Monkey Bread

This is just your classic, easy Monkey Bread that I grew up eating as a kid. It's super fun and easy to make. It almost doesn't even qualify as a recipe, but I made it this morning for breakfast and it was too good not to take a picture so I thought why the heck not?! Also, I assumed everyone knew about Monkey Bread, but the first time I made it my husband had never heard of it...thus this gave me another reason to post this. Maybe Monkey Bread is a "Texas" thing...

All I do is melt a couple tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a glass pie dish, grab a can of bisquits and tear 'em up in pieces and then stir them around in your pan so they get coated with butter. Then sprinke some sugar and cinnamon over the top, stick it in your oven and follow the cooking instructions on your bisquit can and you got breakfast!

Cranberry Orange Scones

I saw these scones done on a show on the Food Network and I knew I had to try them. Let me tell you - they are fabulous! Here's what you'll need:4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced (that's 3 sticks my friends. yes you heard me, 3 entire sticks...)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Now...

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.
Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round cutter and cut circles of dough (I actually use a juice glass for this). Place the scones on a sprayed baking pan. Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Now forget about those 3 sticks of butter you used, and enjoy your scones!

Grilled Peach Salad

This is a great way to put a twist on your average dinner salad.

Here's all it is:
1 big peach is enough for 2 salads. Slice your peach and drizzle a dab of olive oil and salt and pepper over all the pieces. I use my griddle pan on the stove to give the peach the "grilled" look. Once the griddle is heated, place the slices on and cook them for a few minutes on each side. Now simply put your grilled peaches over some baby spinach, sprinkle on some Feta cheese and enjoy!
The juice from the peaches usually gives the salad enough "dressing" for me, however I've also made this salad and drizzled a little oil and vinegar on top - it's up to you!

Texas Caviar

This is a great, easy recipe that you can throw together in no time! I first had it from my friend Kacie, and I just made a couple adjustments and came up with the following recipe.All you do is mix all the ingredients below into a bowl and you're done. It's that easy!

2 (15.8 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 can sweet corn, drained
2-3 fresh jalapenos, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

After everything is together, I add a bit more seasoning to taste. Whatever you like; I throw in some more salt and cilantro. Enjoy!

Corn Muffins

These are not your average corn muffins. They're extremely moist and oh-so delicious!

Here's what you'll need:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup medium cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs

Preheat your oven to 350 and spray your muffin pan with Pam. You can also put paper liners in the pan...I just prefer to use spray so I don't have to deal with the muffins sticking to the paper when you go to eat them. Ok so first, mix the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs. Now pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended. That's it - you're done! Simply spoon the batter into your muffin pan and put in the oven for 30 minutes until the tops are crisp and golden brown. They'll rise about an inch to an inch and a half. After eating these muffins, you'll never buy a cornmeal mix again!