Ingredients:

2 cups penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1 package McCormick® Gourmet Creamy Parmesan & Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Penne
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain well.
Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add Seasoning Mix, tomatoes, cream and cheese. Bring to boil, stirring constantly with wire whisk until well blended. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in pasta; toss gently to coat. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

+ Tips: Shrimp Variation: Use 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, in place of the chicken. Cook and stir shrimp in melted butter 2 minutes. Continue as directed.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded

1 (4.5 ounce) package quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter

2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Smooth Sweet Tea.

Ingredients :

1 pinch baking soda
2 cups boiling water
6 tea bags
3/4 cup white sugar
6 cups cool water

Directions:

Sprinkle a pinch of baking soda into a 64-ounce, heat-proof, glass pitcher. Pour in boiling water, and add tea bags. Cover, and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
Remove tea bags, and discard; stir in sugar until dissolved. Pour in cool water, then refrigerate until cold.

Buttery Soft Pretzels.

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions:

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

Mom's Big Burgers.

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 pinch chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ketchup
1/4 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1 pinch ground black pepper
4 cracked wheat hamburger buns
4 slices pepperjack cheese
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced
1 bunch green onions

Directions:

Preheat the oven's broiler.
In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, water, garlic, hot pepper sauce, chili powder, ketchup, mustard and pepper using your hands. Pat into 4 large thick patties. Place them on a broiler pan.
Broil the burgers for about 15 minutes per side, or until well done. Place buns on the broiler pan and toast briefly. Place whole green onions on the broiler pan at the same time, and just toast until limp.
Place burger patties onto the bottom halves of the buns and top each one with a slice of cheese and some avocado slices. Top with the top buns. Serve with green onions.

Sunshine Toast

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1 slice bread
1 egg
salt to taste

Directions:

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
Using a glass or cookie cutter, create a hole in the middle of the bread, removing the center so it is perfectly circular. Butter the bread lightly on both sides and lightly fry it on one side, and then turn it over. Crack the egg into the hole in the middle of the bread and fry quickly. Be careful that the bread does not burn. Serve warm.

Con amor..Kse ♥

Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen strawberries
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons white sugar
6 ice cubes
1 teaspoon wheat germ (optional)

Directions:

Blend the strawberries, milk, pineapple juice, vanilla yogurt, sugar, ice, and wheat germ in a blender until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender a couple of times. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Con amor..Kse ♥