Those two ingredients are at the top of my list of Foods I WOULD Die for. Literally, would die if someone told me I couldn't have them anymore.
Drama Queen.
If you're like me, and you ADORE Pesto and Peanut Butter (not together), then you've come to the RIGHT place!!
My sweet hubby is working day shift this month and doesn't get home until late, so I had the WHOLE day to plan a scrumptious meal for the two of us.
I also made sure that I went to the grocery store today and stocked up on tons of healthy snacks so the big man won't get hungry between meals.
This recipe is a mutt of various other recipes...from http://www.howsweeteats.com, http://www.onceamonthmom.com, and PINTEREST!
The Ingredients
1/2 pound whole wheat linguine noodles (or other slim pasta of your choosing)
8-16 ounces of Basil Pesto (home-made or store bought)
3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (these are healthier than their skin-on, bone-in cousins)
12-15 Basil leaves, salt and pepper
1/3 C low fat half and half
1/2 C skim milk
1/2 T unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 T flour
3 T Parmesan cheese
handful of Mozzarella Cheese
How To: Pesto Baked Chicken
Begin by cutting your chicken breasts into strips. This allows for the chicken to get soaked with the pesto! SOOOO delicious.
Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray then layer a baking pan with 1/2 of the Pesto sauce.
Lie the chicken strips on top of the Pesto, then cover with the remaining Pesto.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake on 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Do not bake more than this amount of time. It will go back in later and you don't want it to overcook.
When it comes out of the oven, remove the foil, sprinkle it with mozzarella cheese and return it to the oven for 10-12 minutes.
I wanted my cheese to brown a little, so I turned on broil after the 10 minutes and let it get toasty!
How To: Creamy Basil Pasta
Boil the 1/2 pound of noodles according to package instructions. Drain.
Start the sauce by browning minced garlic and butter in a saute pan. I started with med-high heat.
Once it's brown, add in flour and whisk until mixed.
Let that get brown, then add milk and half and half, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down to medium so your milk doesn't scorch.
Allow the sauce to thicken, turn heat down to medium-low and add basil and Parmesan cheese.
Toss the pasta and the sauce together and serve immediately.
How To: Baked Asparagus
Spray some aluminum foil with non-stick spray. Add as many asparagus stalks as you like. Mine were HUGE (from Sam's)
Spray the asparagus with the non-stick spray and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.
Put the asparagus in the oven with the chicken for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your asparagus.
Unwrap them when the chicken goes on broil and allow the asparagus to get brown and crispy.
The Results
Hubby was blown away by this dinner. He didn't talk much while he ate, either because he was starving or because it was insanely good.
I like to think it was the latter.
I served this dinner with the Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip brownies and I think he died and went to Heaven for a minute. Or two.
He ate so much of the brownies that he literally quoted Adam Sandler..."I'm chocolate wasted." And then he went to bed not long after.
Another success.
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