Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese

16 oz elbow macaroni (or other tubular pasta)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 C all purpose flour
3 C whole milk
1 C heavy whipping cream
4 C sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 C Gruyere cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 C panko crumbs
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 C Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease a large 3 or 4 qt baking dish and set aside. Combine shredded cheeses (cheddar and Gruyere) in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl. Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat. Set aside to cool.
3. Melt butter in a deep saucepan, dutch oven, or stock pot. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
4. Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.
5. Add 2 C of the shredded cheese mixture and whisk until smooth. Add additional 2 C of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.
6. Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
7. Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 C of shredded cheese and then add the remainder of the pasta.
8. In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe from: www.momontimeout.com

Mom's Powdered Sugar Frosting

1 lb powdered sugar
6 tbsp margarine or butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp milk
food coloring, as desired

Combine all ingredients and beat with electric mixer until fluffy. Amount of powered sugar or milk can be adjusted slightly for desired consistency.

Rolled Sugar Cookies

Cookies:
1 1/2 C butter, softened
2 C white sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Icing:
Powdered sugar
milk

1. IN a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400°.  Roll out dough (in batches) on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6-8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
4. Mix Powdered sugar (approx 2 C) and milk (a few tablespoons) together according to desired consistency and ice cookies.

Mediterranean Chicken

Chicken:
2-3 lbs chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste
avocado oil

Sauce:
4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into half moon shapes
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper, to taste
basil or parsley, finely chopped

1. Cut chicken breasts into strips. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss to coat evenly.
2. Slice tomatoes and chop garlic.
3. Preheat large non-stick skillet on medium heat and swirl a bit of oil to coat. Cook the chicken in batches, as necessary, for 5 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Transfer to a separate dish.
4. When all chicken has been cooked and set aside, reduce heat to low, add garlic and 1/2 tsp oregano. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Layer tomatoes on top, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Turn up heat to medium and cook tomatoes for about 5 minutes, gently tossing them around. A splash of water can be added if necessary.
5. When tomatoes have released their juices and turned into fresh tomato sauce, turn off the heat and return chicken back to skillet. Gently tuck chicken between tomatoes, sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley, and serve warm with whole wheat spaghetti, quinoa, brown rice or buckwheat.

Recipe from: ifoodreal.com Chef Olena

Stove Top Chicken and Rice

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken pieces
salt
pepper
McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground oregano
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 C chicken broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 C uncooked basmati rice

1. Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Montreal Chicken Seasoning. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine paprika, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne. Set aside.
3. Heat pan and vegetable oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Add chicken in batches and brown both sides. (No need to cook it through.) Remove chicken to a separate dish and set aside.
4. After all chicken has been browned, leave the pan on the stove but turn off the heat. Add the spice mixture to the oil and juices that are left in the pan. Gently toast spices in the residual heat. Once spices are combined and toasted, turn the heat back on and slowly pour in the chicken broth to fully deglaze the pan, craping up any final brown bits stuck to the bottom.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and add rice, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil then layer in the chicken and turn heat down to the lowest possible setting.
6. Cook the chicken and rice, covered, for 25 minutes or until rice is done.

Recipe from noblepig.com.

Party Chicken

8 chicken breasts, boneless
1 4 oz. jar chipped beef, rinsed
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
8 oz. sour cream
8 bacon strips

Wrap each chicken breast with a piece of bacon. Cover bottom of greased baking dish (8x12x2) with chipped beef. Arrange chicken on beef. Mix soup and sour cream and spread over chicken. Bake at 275° for 3 hours uncovered. Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated or frozen.

Creamy Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
flour for dredging
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, divided
1 whole head garlic cloves, peeled (or minced garlic)
1/2 C chicken broth or stock
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 C heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper
parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions:
1. Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 smaller cutlets. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper then coat with flour.
2. Add the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, sauté chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until it's golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium (or med-low if using cast iron) and melt rest of the butter to the pan. Add garlic cloves and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often until their lightly browned.
4. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic powder to the pan. Let it bubble for around 4 minutes or until the liquid is noticeably reduced.
5. Stir in the cream and add the chicken back into the pan. Let it cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the sauce is reduced and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with pasta and freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Recipe from https://www.saltandlavender.com/.