Everything is better with bacon!

I bet you're wondering if we got the house that I've been blabbering about? Well, we didn't get it. I know, I know.  I'm the bearer of bad news, but it happens. I have decided to trust that if it's meant to be, it will happen. If we don't get in a house, it just isn't the house for us. Today, I had jury duty. We sat there for an hour doing the routine first day jury stuff and then were told to go home because the trial from this morning was taking longer than expected. So, I got paid $12 for one hour of sitting in a chair. Not bad, not bad. I have to go back tomorrow morning and we shall see what happens next. 

     This is a surprisingly creamy dish, even though there isn't any heavy cream. Using an entire package of the ranch mix is a bit overpowering, so I would recommend doing this part to taste. I actually used all but 1 tablespoon of the package. It is definitely very tasty and rich, and I would suggest using a rotini or penne pasta, so all the sauce can run throughout!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

Yields: 2-3 servings

1/2 lb uncooked pasta, your choice

6 strips bacon, diced

1 Tbsp butter

2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 packet ranch dressing mix

2 cups milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

    

Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain, return to pot, and keep warm. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but one tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings, then add the chicken to the same skillet. Cook until tender, no longer pink, and slightly browned. Sprinkle the flour and ranch dressing mix over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly.Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar cheese and bacon; cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve over cooked pasta and enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 586.3

• Total Fat: 17.9 g
• Cholesterol: 112.0 mg
• Sodium: 643.6 mg
• Total Carbs: 56.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g
• Protein: 45.0 g

Pasta problems.

     For lunch, sometimes I don't eat meat. Instead, I'll get my protein in other ways (peanut butter, yogurt, etc.). I decided on making some pasta! I am okay with eating any kind of pasta with a tomato or meat sauce ANYTIME! I was already about 4 minutes into the process of boiling the rotini when I grabbed my jarred (shh!) spaghetti sauce from the refrigerator. That's when my lunch idea took a turn for the worst.
     The spaghetti sauce was bad! I had a mini panic attack as I tried to figure out what to do next. Olive oil and garlic? No, I have that pretty often. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar? I was out of tomatoes and really prefer the tomatoes with the vinegar and oil. What do I do?! I opened the refrigerator and saw butter and parmesan cheese- gulp. I know that isn't the smartest meal option, but it was a quick fix for my pasta predicament! It was so good, that I decided to make it the next day for Michael and I for dinner, but I added meat! As always, you're the boss of your recipes, so feel free to change up the pasta, type of cheese, etc. This was fabulous!

Garlic Butter Chicken Rotini
Yields: 3-4 servings

2 8oz. boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups uncooked rotini, cooked and drained
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cook rotini in well-salted water. Drain and set aside. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and brown/cook chicken. Set aside in a bowl. In a skillet that has not been heated, add 2 tbsp. olive oil and minced garlic. Heat the two together over low heat and stir frequently. This will infuse the olive oil with the flavor of the garlic. Be careful not to burn any of the pieces of garlic as they will become bitter. Remove from heat and place butter in pan. Swirl the pan to encourage melting. Once the butter is melted, add parmesan cheese and gently stir until melted. In large pot, add rotini, chicken breast, and parmesan mixture. Stir well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.