My little baby child (yes, she’s 16, but she’s still my little baby child!) hasn’t been feeling well. Turns out, she has a sinus infection. Pretty much any time, but especially when they are sick – they ask their mama for something – they get it.
She’s one that loves alfredo – and she prefers it without protein – just sauce and pasta. And, that’s what she wanted for dinner. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough parmesan or cream to do a full recipe – so I did a recipe just for her.
I just used 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp minced garlic, about 1/3 – 1/4 cup of heavy cream and about the same of parmesan cheese. I just melted my butter in a small sauce pan. Then I added in the garlic and let it cook for a couple min, then reduced the heat and added in my cream – then added in the cheese a little bit at a time, stirring as I added it.
Then I just tossed it with a single serving size of fettuccine pasta, topped with some fresh basil – and my baby was happy!
Fettuccine Alfredo for One
Disclaimer: I really didn’t measure, but these are approximate measurements – I tend to eyeball things when I’m just cooking for 1
1 tbsp butter 1 tsp garlic 1/3 – 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 1/3 – 1/4 cup heavy cream single serving of pasta, cooked
Melt butter in small sauce pan
Add in garlic and cook for about 2 minutes
Reduce heat and add in cream
Add in cheese a little at a time, stirring constantly, as the cheese melts
As I didn’t make a homemade crust, I guess this is a cheater chicken pot pie – or, I like Weekday Chicken Pot Pie better, since using a prepared pie crust makes it super easy!
While I didn’t make a homemade pie crust, I did use fresh veggies – carrots, celery, onion and potatoes to be exact. All chopped similar size. I also cooked 2 large chicken breasts, in my instant pot, and shredded them. To make this recipe even easier – you could use frozen veggies and rotisserie chicken!
In a pan, with some butter, I softened the onions – then added the remaining vegetables and seasonings, to cook a bit on the stove.
After cooking for 5-10 minutes, I added in some flour (which will help to thicken the filling as it cooks). I stirred the mixture well, allowing the flour to get well distributed in the pan. Finally, I added in chicken (along with the stock from when I cooked it and shredded it in the instant pot – you can see how I do this, on this post. I will never do shredded chicken any way but this way, ever again! It is so easy and I can start with frozen chicken!!) – and mixed through.
I added in the additional stock and the milk, and mixed well. I allowed the filling to cook until it was the thickness I like for my chicken pot pie.
While the filling was thickening, I prepared my casserole by adding one of the pie crusts to the bottom. I, ultimately, needed to cut a bit off of the other pie crust to ensure that the full casserole was covered.
Once the filling was the appropriate thickness, I removed it from the stove and spooned it into the casserole dish.
Finally, I topped the mixture with the remaining pie crust. I cut a few vents and crimped the edges to create a good seal.
The pot pie is baked for a little more than hour in a 400 degree oven. After 40 minutes, I did end up putting a little bit of melted butter on top – cooking for 10 more minutes, uncovered. Then, for the remaining time, I covered it with tin foil (to avoid too much browning of the crust).
After removing from the oven, I allowed it to sit for about 10 minutes and it was ready to go! Fairly quick, super easy, very delicious Weekday Chicken Pot Pie!
Weekday Chicken Pot Pie
1 box refrigerated pie crusts (for top and bottom) – or make your own pie crust
2 chicken breasts, shredded (reserve stock from cooking)
2 1/2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/4 flour
1/2 cup milk (I used 1/4 cup skim and 1/4 cup heavy cream)
1/2 cup chicken stock (in addition to the stock from when you cooked chicken)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Umami seasoning
Cook and shred chicken breasts, set aside
Chop vegetables to similar size
In large skillet, melt butter and add onions and cook 2-3 minutes
Add in remaining vegetables, along with seasonings and cook until they start to soften (probably 5-10 minutes)
Add in flour and mix well
Add chicken (with stock from cooking chicken) into pan
Add in additonal stock and stir well
Add in milk and allow filling to thicken, slightly
Once filling is desired thickness, add into a casserole dish, which has been lined with one of the pie crusts
Top with remaining pie crust
Vent top of crust and cook for 1 hour (you may want to top with foil after 40 minutes or so, so your crust doesn’t get too brown) @ 400 degrees.
The other night, I made a pork chop skillet, which I served with pan roasted brussel sprouts. We love brussel sprouts and this is a quick and easy way to make them!
We do occasionally buy fresh brussel sprouts, but more times than not I buy frozen ones. On the bag, it says to steam in the microwave (and we do cook them that way a lot), but in my opinion pan roasting them is even better!
Just let them thaw out a little bit, then slice them in half.
In a hot skillet, add the brussel sprouts and some avocado oil, salt and pepper. Let them sit for a bit, to get some browning and then toss them a bit, to allow for more browning. Cook until they are warmed through and have good color.
When making Brunswick Stew, I bought and cooked a 4.5 pound Boston Butt roast, so – clearly, I had leftovers. And, I still had some of Biz’s Skinny Pizza Dough from when I made my Blueberry Pizza. Having both of those things, I decided to make a pulled pork BBQ pizza.
I decided to keep the ingredients pretty simple: Biz’s Skinny Pizza Dough, pulled pork, Alouette Garlic and Herb spreadable cheese, Monterey Jack Cheese and Sweet Baby Ray’s Mustard BBQ sauce.
I rolled the dough out into something, loosely, resembling a circle. Then added the Alouette Garlic and Herb cheese as the base.
Then I added some of the pulled pork. It was cold, fresh from the fridge – no need to heat it up, since it is going into a very hot oven! Next, the pizza was topped with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. And, lastly, drizzled on some of the BBQ sauce.
I cooked it on parchment paper (on top of a pizza stone) in my oven, for 20 minutes, at 500 degrees.
Biz’s dough crisps up so well and really can hold a topping!
The savory flavor of the Alouette garlic and herb cheese, coupled with the tangy sweetness of the BBQ sauce was AMAZING!! So good!!
BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza
Biz’s Skinny Pizza Dough Pulled Pork Alouette Garlic and Herb Spreadable Cheese Monterey Jack Cheese
Roll out the dough (doing it on parchment paper makes it easier to put it in and take it out of the oven)
Add Alouette Garlic and Herb cheese to the top of the dough
Top with pulled pork and Monterey Jack Cheese
Drizzle on the BBQ sauce
Cook for 20 minutes in 500 degree oven
** Note I didn’t measure anything when I was making this, so just kind of eyeball it, depending on how much dough you use.
I’m not a huge pancake person, but my family loves them. We had some bananas that needed to be used, so I thought ‘banana pancakes’ (well, actually, I thought ‘banana pancakes or banana waffles?’ and decided on pancakes.).
Only a handful of ingredients are needed for these pancakes: a banana, 2 eggs, flour, sugar, milk, butter and cinnamon.
Prep started by whisking the eggs and adding in the other wet ingredients and mixing with everything but the flour and bananas.
I, then, mixed in the flour. After the mixture is well incorporated, I whisked in the bananas, making sure to not over mix.
I used a hot griddle and poured the pancake batter out in 1/4 cup portions. I flipped them, once the batter started to bubble and once the bottoms are golden brown, your pancakes are done.
** Note: the extra sugar from the bananas will result in a more golden pancake.
Banana Pancakes
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
Oil for griddle
Mash banana in small bowl
In large bowl, whisk eggs
Add milk, butter cinnamon, sugar and cinnamon to bowl and mix well
Add in the bananas and mix well
On a hot griddle, pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake
Michelle Can Cook! 