Someone's in the Kitchen: a new start

A friend has suggested that I start blogging my recipes. I use Instagram to post pictures of my homemade food and pretty much all other fun food. So, this is my first official recipe post - and I'm also trying so new products! (Also... this is my first post from the Blogger App on my iPhone!!!)

So, the husband went to Hy-Vee Sunday and took advantage of their $1 sale of Split Chicken Breasts at $1/pound. And Prego sauces were 3 for $5. 

Now, I'm not a fan of Prego, I think it's too acidic. But- it was a good deal. So I picked up some new and unusual flavors. One of which was a Creamy Vodka sauce. I LOVE Vodka Sauce. But let's be honest, I rarely have the time on a week night to make a good one. The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, has one of my favorite recipes, and Bella Italia in Pleasant Hill (Iowa) has my favorite restaurant sauce. Anyway, in my opinion, Vodka Sauce needs a thick al dente noodle to really shine. So I actually decided to try a new-to-me noodle - Barilla's Gemelli - it's a think twisted noodle cut a little shorter than penne.

First things first - preheat the oven to 350°. Rinse and pat dry your chicken breasts. Rub each breast with Olive Oil, sprinkle with Salt, Spanish Paprika, and Italian Seasoning - back first, then the top. I roasted these for 50 mins on a broiler pan. Then I broiled on a low broil for 4 mins to get everything crispy. *Watch while you broil to avoid burning!*

While roasting your chicken, put a pot of salted water onto boil. This pasta took about 13 mins to cook al dente, so time it to be done about 8 mins before the chicken is done. Before dumping the pasta, reserve about a cup of the pasta water.

Turn the stove top down to medium-low. Pour the jar of Prego Creamy Vodka sauce into the pan - Use a little of the pasta water swirled into the jar to get all the sauce into the pan. Warm gently, stirring often.

Take out the chicken when done. Let it rest.

Add a green veggie - I chose broccoli. My favorite is the Steam-in-bag from Sam's Club - it's 4 bags for under $6, and each single bag seems about 25% larger than the Steam Fresh bags from my local grocery. A delicious deal.

Once the sauce is warm, add one Tablespoon of real butter. Let it melt in. This will add a richness to the jarred sauce. I read this somewhere. And let's whisper the truth between us - butter makes everything better - Paula Deen says so. :)

Now a lesson about Vodka Sauce - it always tastes slightly bitter to me when I do a taste test. But once I add the noodles and let them reheat in the sauce and marry all together - I find that the sauce is perfect. No added salt or anything. And I really thought that Prego's was one of the best I've had.

Ok - so portion each onto the plate and add a little Parmesan to the pasta.

And enjoy!

Complete dinner! I debone my chicken breast before sitting down (it's just easier)
and truthfully, I could have split the chicken in half.

***

I thought that the chicken was ok - I think I'd try to get the flavors more into the meat, but really - it wasn't even necessary, the pasta and broccoli were delicious on their own.

Total meal was $7.34 + seasonings for 4 servings.
That's $1.84 per serving, with my lunch not having any chicken.
(The breasts were large enough to cut into 4 servings, but I didn't want any.)

That's a Happy Homemaker win.

Ok, well let me know if you like this post, if you have any suggestions for form or flow.

Thanks for reading!