Cheesy Tomato-Chicken Skillet

Per Anna's request, one of my faves! :)  This one came from one of those little Pillsbury magazine-like cookbooks you see in the checkout line at the grocery store.  The link to the original recipe is HERE.

Here is my modified version:
(Photo courtesy of Pillsbury.com)

Cheesy Tomato-Chicken Skillet
Serves 4

2 cups bowtie pasta
3/4 lb. chicken breast chunks
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3-4 Roma tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 cup Italian blend cheese

1.  Cook pasta as directed on package.  Drain & cover to keep warm.
2.  Meanwhile, spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
3.  Add chicken and cook 4-6 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.
4.  Reduce heat to medium & add soup, tomatoes, milk, & basil.
5.  Mix well and cook & stir until bubbly.
6.  Add pasta and mix well.
7.  Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese on top, and cover for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Now go enjoy your ooey, gooey goodness! :)

Creamy Mac & Cheese

OK...so I have to admit, I have no tried & true "family tradition" recipe for macaroni & cheese.  So a couple of weeks ago I spent some time combing the internet for ideas.  I really hate when you get the crusty hard noodles around the edges...the texture absolutely grosses me out.  So I searched for a recipe with some sort of breading on top because I thought that might seal in the moisture and keep the edges from getting too crunchy.  I eventually stumbled upon the following recipe from about.com.  I mean, mac & cheese and croissants in the same recipe???  Say it ain't so!!

I thought mac & cheese would be the perfect dinner on a cold, rainy day like yesterday...so I decided it was time to give it a try!  Here she is:

Creamy Mac & Cheese
Serves 6-8

8 oz. macaroni
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 1/2 c. half & half
1 tsp. dijon mustard (I used spicy brown b/c that's what I had on hand)
3 c. shredded cheese (recipe called for 1/2 american & 1/2 cheddar, but I used a mixture of sharp cheddar and monterey jack)
1 c. croissant crumbs (about 1 large croissant) tossed with 2 tbsp. melted butter

1.  Grease a 2 qt. baking dish & heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Cook macaroni as directed on package, drain, & rinse with hot water.
3.  Melt butter in medium saucepan until foamy.
4.  Stir in flower & heat until bubbly.
5.  Add milk, cream, salt, pepper, and mustard.
6.  Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (almost a runny-ish pudding-like consistency).
7.  Stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted.
8.  Add macaroni to mixture, blend well, & pour into baking dish.
9.  Top with remaining cheese and buttered croissant crumbs.
10.  Bake 25-35 min. until bubbly & nicely browned.

YUM!  YUM!  YUM!!!!

A couple of notes for next time...
1.  Will probably add a little more salt next time.
2.  I bet throwing some cream cheese in there somewhere would make it even more awesome!