main dishes Archives - Page 2 of 12

Mesquite Chicken Alfredo {One Pot Recipe!}

March 9, 2015 by Aliesha

I’ve always been skeptical of one pot pasta dishes, but this one turned out beautifully and was a definite winner! We enjoyed it for Tad’s birthday last week and we’ll be making it again in the future, I’m sure!

This is a great way to use leftover chicken! I used chicken that I had cooked in the slow cooker, so it was really moist. I usually have most of these ingredients on hand, so it’s a good one for the dinner rotation.

My kids enjoyed it too, so it wasn’t too spicy. Just the right amount of flavor! (If you like more “heat,” you can add more cayenne to the mesquite seasoning.)

It all comes together really fast, so it’s helpful to have all of the ingredients out on the counter, prepped, and ready to go before you start.

Mesquite Chicken Alfredo

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

One pot and a few everyday ingredients transform pasta and chicken into something special! Just the right amount of flavor while still being kid-friendly!

Author: Aliesha @ Feathers in Our Nest

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
4 tsp. mesquite seasoning (see below)
12 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken stock (homemade if possible)
2 cups whole milk
1 lb. fettuccini pasta
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

In a large stock pot, add olive oil and heat over medium-high.
Add garlic and stir while cooking for 1 minute.
Throw in the chicken, seasoning, stock, and milk. Break the fettuccini in half and add it to the pot as well. Cover and bring to a rolling boil, stirring every few minutes. (Watch carefully so it doesn't boil over.)
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer pasta (covered) for 8-13 minutes. Stir every few minutes so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
Continue cooking until there is ½ inch of liquid in the bottom of the stock pot.
Remove from heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Mesquite Seasoning:
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. sage
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. brown sugar
shake of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. salt
Mix well to combine! Yield: 3 Tbsp.

Original recipe here.

We served this with delicious roasted broccoli.

Hope you enjoy making this dish!

For more of our family’s favorite recipes, visit the Recipe Page!

Fried Rice {Quick & Easy!}

December 31, 2014 by Aliesha

This post was originally published on Money Saving Mom back in August!

My family had a tradition of eating Chinese food on New Year’s Eve, and we have continued that in our family (most years) as well! Now I always associate New Year’s Eve with fried rice, General Tsao’s Chicken, and fried wontons! Totally craving some right now…

Restaurant-style fried rice is easy to make at home! This is a frugal recipe to serve for lunch (or alongside some homemade Asian food) and it is great for incorporating sale produce or using up veggies in your fridge that are about to go bad. This recipe is very flexible – just use what you have on hand and adapt it to your family’s taste preferences! We like to make it using leftover rice from another meal, but you can definitely cook rice specifically for this recipe.

Fried Rice {Quick & Easy!}

This recipe is quick and delicious, and a wonderful way to use up leftover veggies and rice!

Author: Aliesha @ Feathers in Our Nest

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1-2 cups vegetables, cut in small pieces (such as carrots, broccoli, peas, mushrooms, etc.)
4 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
4 Tbsp. soy sauce (more or less to taste)
2 eggs
(optional) 1 cup leftover cooked chicken

Instructions

Heat coconut oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
Add diced onion and the veggies that take longer to cook (like carrots). Saute for a few minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
Add in the other veggies and saute.
Add rice and stir thoroughly and quickly.
Pour some soy sauce in and stir. Add more soy sauce until desired flavor is achieved.
Using the wooden spoon, make a "hole" in the center of the fried rice, exposing the bottom of the wok. Crack in 2 eggs (depending on the amount of fried rice you're making) and stir quickly to scramble. Mix in scrambled eggs with the rest of the fried rice.
If desired, mix in leftover cooked chicken as well.
Taste, and add more soy sauce if desired!
Enjoy!

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Delicious Stir Fry – Our Go-To Recipe!

August 13, 2014 by Aliesha

We love to eat stir fry, but many pre-made stir-fry kits and sauces contain large amounts of sodium and sugar. Restaurant food certainly does! I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and it always is a hit!

We love it with broccoli, but as you can see in the modifications below, you can use other veggies too!

It doesn’t taste as good as takeout – it is MUCH better!

adapted from Taste of Home Sept/Oct ’13

Delicious Stir Fry - Our Go-To Recipe!

Author: Aliesha @ Feathers in Our Nest

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Asian

Serves: 6+ servings

Ingredients

½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, divided (may also use canola oil)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 beef steak, 1.5 lbs. (I buy it on sale), thinly sliced
½ lb. sliced fresh mushrooms (or whole mushrooms, sliced)
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 large head of broccoli, cut into small pieces (or 3 broccoli crowns, cut up)
hot cooked rice

Instructions

Cut the steak into thin slices.
In a glass measuring cup, whisk together soy sauce, water, arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), and sugar. In a large bowl, combine sliced steak with ¼ cup of soy sauce mixture. Stir in 1 Tbsp. coconut oil and garlic. Toss to coat, then let stand while you continue with the recipe.
Chop veggies as directed.
Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add half of the marinated beef. After 1-2 minutes of cooking/stirring, remove from wok and repeat with the rest of the beef. Place cooked beef in a bowl and cover with foil.
Heat remaining coconut oil (1 Tbsp.) in the wok (still over medium-high heat), then add broccoli and onions. Cook until onions are tender, then add the mushrooms.
Stir the reserved soy sauce mixture and pour it into the wok. Bring to a boil and cook/stir as it thickens.
Add beef back into wok and heat through.
Serve the stir fry over hot cooked rice (brown or white).
Enjoy!

Modifications: I have made this with other combinations of veggies, including snow peas instead of broccoli and leaving out the mushrooms entirely. I have also used chicken instead of beef, and it still tastes great! Also, I always use a wok, but you could use a large skillet instead!

This serves our family (2 adults and 2 preschoolers) for dinner and lunch the next day!