Creamy Pesto Chicken and Pasta

This was a huge hit all around. Very quick, simple, and healthy to boot! Even better...This is probably about a 20 minute start to finish recipe.

Creamy Pesto Chicken and Pasta
Serves 4

1 lb chicken breasts, cubed
1 T olive oil
1 can RF cream of chicken soup
1/2-3/4 cup FF milk
1 package Knorr Basil Pesto sauce mix
8 oz uncooked pasta (I used mini penne)

Prepare pasta according to box directions.

While pasta is cooking, season chicken with salt and pepper and brown in skillet in olive oil. Add soup and 1/2 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add sauce mix and stir. Now, when it starts to get bubbly, you may have to add more milk b/c the sauce mix thickens. Then, mix the pasta with the chicken and sauce.

WW points: 8

Shrimp Scampi-ish

This is kinda a "fly by the seat of your pants" recipe. I don't really like to cook on Sundays, so I just throw something together. I call it "scampi-ish" b/c I'm not using lemon, adding some tomatoes, and serving it over couscous.

Shrimp Scampi-ish
Serves 2

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled an deveined
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
sprinkle of crushed red pepper
couple dashes of salt
1/2 cup couscous
chicken broth

Prepare couscous according to directions, substituting chicken broth for the water. While couscous is sitting, heat butter and garlic in skillet over medium heat just until it starts to bubble. Add tomatoes, shrimp, salt, and red pepper and cook until shrimp are opaque.

Fluff couscous with a fork. Serve shrimp and sauce on top.

Chicken Spaghetti and Grandma's Squash

These are two of my old favorites from growing up. Well, I guess mom started making the spaghetti when I was around 13 or so, but what can get better than pasta, cream sauce, cheese, and a little bit of spice? Oh, and it's so freaking easy. I'll be serving it with green beans, my grandma's squash recipe (dad's side), and a salad...mainly 3 veggies b/c my dear hubby will not eat squash. But, this recipe has been known to turn squash haters into squash lovers!

And, Nicky liked both dishes! Well, he didn't want the pasta, just the chicken and tomatoes, but he couldn't get enough of those. But, the kicker...he ate squash. That's a vegetable people, a vegetable!

Chicken Spaghetti
Serves 4

1 rotissere chicken, meat picked off and chopped up
1 can Ro*tel (tomatoes with diced chilis), drained
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes (use crushed for a thinner texture)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz velveeta
1/2 box spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Combine the Ro*tel, tomatoes, and soup. Heat until bubbly. Melt in the velveeta. Add the chicken and pasta. Toss and serve.

Grandma's Squash
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, cleaned and cut into rounds
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
4 oz velveeta
1 egg

Boil squash in water until way overdone. Drain and mash lightly with the back of a spoon to make sure all of the water is out of the squash. In the pot you boiled the squash in, heat butter and velveeta over medium heat until melted. Add mashed up squash and stir. Crack the egg into the squash mixture and whip, whip, whip. The squash gets really fluffy and yummy! Cover and let sit for a few minutes. Salt and pepper to your liking.