Chicken Bacon Alfredo Casserole

 8 oz penne pasta
16 oz jar alfredo sauce
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
8 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.  When pasta is done, drain and dump into large bowl.  Add alfredo sauce and mix together.  Toss with chopped chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, green onions, and 1/2 cup mozzarella.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer mix to 9x9 baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.  Cover with aluminum and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.  

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 tsp thyme
2 cups frozen sweet peas
1 cup frozen homestyle egg noodles 

In crock pot, mix chicken and remaining ingredients except pea and noodles.  Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours.  Shred chicken.  Stir in peas and noodles.  Increase setting to high.  Cover; cook about 30 minutes or until noodles are tender.  

Serves 4

Chinese Dumpling Soup

 8 cups chicken stock
16 oz frozen dumplings 
1/2 cup matchstick carrots
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp thinly sliced red fresno chile
1/4 tsp chinese five spice powder
3 scallions, thinly sliced
4 oz spinach leaves

In a large pot, bring the first 8 ingredients and the scallion whites to a boil.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Off heat, add the spinach and scallion greens and stir until wilted.  

Serves 4

Crunchy Lemonade Chicken Legs

 2 lemons, zest grated and lemon juiced (for a total of 2 Tbsp zest and 1/2 cup juice)
3 Tbsp light brown sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks
Salt and pepper
2 cups panko 
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup mayo
Nonstick cooking spray

Mix 1 Tbsp zest and lemon juice in large bowl.  Add 1 cup water and sugar and whisk to dissolve, then whisk in buttermilk.  Pierce the drumsticks several times with a fork and season with salt and pepper.  Toss in the marinade, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.  Preheat the oven to 400.  Bring chicken to room temperature.  Put the panko, thyme, remaining 1 Tbsp lemon zest, cayenne, 1 tsp salt and black pepper to taste in large resealable bag and shake to mix.  Put the mayo in a bowl.  Set a rack on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.  Remove drumsticks from marinade, dip in the mayo, then drop into the bag and shake to coat; transfer to rack.  Mist the chicken with cooking spray.  Bake until golden, about 35 minutes; flip and bake until browned and crisp, 35-40 minutes more.  165 is fully cooked, but 185 will have fat rendered.  

Serves 4

Lemon Parmesan Crusted Salmon

 2 pounds salmon filet
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup white bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp thinly sliced green onions
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp thyme

Heat oven to 375. Spray shallow baking pan with cooking spray.  Pat salmon dry with paper towel.  Place salmon, skin side down, in pan; brush with 1 1/2 Tbsp butter.  Sprinkle with salt. Mix bread crumbs, cheese, onions, lemon peel and thyme in small bowl.  Stir in remaining butter.  Press bread crumb mixture evenly on salmon.  Bake uncovered 12-20 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork.  

Serves 4

French Onion Scalloped Potatoes

 2 boxes (4.7 oz each) scalloped potatoes
1 pkg (1 oz) ranch salad dressing and seasoning mix
3 1/2 cups boiling water
2 cups half and half
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 can (2.8 oz) french fried onions
2 Tbsp fresh parsley

Heat oven to 400.  In 13x9 glass baking dish, stir together both sauce mixes from potato boxes, ranch dressing mix, boiling water and half and half with wire whisk.  Stir in both potato pouches and the bell pepper.  Bake uncovered 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Top with onions; bake 10 minutes longer.  Sprinkle with parsley before serving.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

Cod Chowder with Bacon, Butternut Squash, and Thyme

4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh thyme

1 small butternut squash, peeled seeded and diced

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup clam juice

1 pound skinless cod filets, cut into large pieces

1/2 cup heavy cream

Pinch cayenne

In large pot, cook bacon until crispy, about 3 minutes.  Add onion, celery, and 1 Tbsp thyme.  Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes.  Stir in the squash and flour and cook, stirring, until the flour begins to brown, about 2 minutes.  Stir in stock and clam juice and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to med-low and simmer the chowder until squash is tender, 10-12 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add cod, cover and simmer until the fish flakes apart easily with a fork, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in cream and cayenne.  Sprinkle with remaining thyme.

Serves 3