August 17, 2022

With Apologies To Rachel Ray

 


I am a meal planner by nature. Every Saturday, I check the calendar for the upcoming week, look around and see what we have in the pantry and the fridge, and decide on what meals to make. Usually. Sometimes I don't. Those days, I throw something together at the last minute so we don't resort to takeout again. (Trust me. We do that too.)

This meal is one I often make when I need something quick and easy. And good. It is a simple tortellini alfredo with chicken. The express version! I made it last night when I looked at the clock and realized what time it was! I had a couple bags of Barilla Cheese Tortellini and two jars of Bertolli Alfredo Sauce in the pantry. I stock up when they are on sale for just this reason. I grabbed a bag of fully cooked chicken breast strips from the freezer and heated them with the sauce while the pasta boiled. When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it to the sauce. I added some frozen broccoli and fresh Italian bread, and we had dinner in less than thirty minutes! 

Do you have a favorite quick meal to share? 
Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friends.

Oh! In the interest of full disclosure, I must add that we like this dish better when I make it with shrimp! 

Billie Jo


22 comments:

  1. This is a great recipe and a staple in my home as well!

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  2. That was quick! I wish I was as organized as you, generally with just me in the apartment it's quick but I find myself not having what I need so I resort to a sandwich. That's not good. It's hard to cook for one.

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  3. My favorite quick and easy summer time meal is a nice BLT sandwich. In fact, that's what Dan and I had last night. YUM!

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  4. Ohhh! This looks great! I'm definitely going to add those ingredients to my cart and give it a try. I am seeking out quick and easy meals I can throw together without waiting for meat to thaw, etc. and this looks perfect!

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    1. Easy is terrific. I sometimes make spaghetti with jarred sauce, spaghetti, and fried hamburger. If I have the French or Italian bread, that's perfect for garlic bread. Changing my eating habits a bit, so I've got to find new quick favorites.

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  6. Would you believe my beautiful children won't eat alfredo sauce?! It drives me nuts because I love it so much and it's basically mac and cheese but... alas. But I still love this and want this in my life. Our best "fast" meal is ham and cheese sliders. We almost always have everything we need and even if in fact someone needs to stop off for Hawaiian rolls on the way home, if the sauce is prepped and the over in preheated we can still get the going within a matter of minutes.

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    1. * The oven is preheated. Gosh, I am a mess.

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    2. I hadn't thought about it, but that would be a sauce that would be easy to prep and keep in the fridge a few days. Great idea!

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  7. Your meal looks delish!!
    BLT's in the summer and Maya Kaimal sauces for chicken and rice in the winter are a couple of my go to fast and easy meals.

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    1. Loving the BLT idea. Now that it's just my husband and I, we could afford that!

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  8. Hi Billie Jo~ I am trying to be better at meal planning, it's such a good habit to get into! Your chicken alfredo looks delish! One of my favorite go to, quick meals is stir-fry. I buy the frozen bags of stir-fry veggies from, Sam's Club, add a protein...sometimes, mix them with a sugar free teriyaki sauce and put it over rice. It's delicious and always makes me feel healthy ;0) I love easy meals! Hugs, Barb

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  9. I can do a shrimp pasta in about 30 minutes. Put shrimp in water to cook while pasta cooks, make a butter and cooking wine reduction with fresh mushrooms, then add shrimp as I peel it, stir andadd to noodles. So good.

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    1. What time is supper? That's a pretty luxurious quick meal. I love the idea.

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  10. I do something similar although I use fettucine and during the last minute or two of boiling, I add the broccoli (usually fresh) to the boiling water. It is then cooked enough to eat with the pasta and sauce and chicken.

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  11. One of my old reliables was a one pot pasta dish, using leftover chicken, ham or sausage with a pasta, broccoli (usually frozen tossed into the boiling pasta water in the last few minutes of cooking) tossed with butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic.

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  12. What a delicious, quick and easy dinner! Thanks for the idea!

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  13. Oh, your meal looks delicious! And my favorite is chicken alfredo! That's smart of you to stock up on things when you find them on sale. You will always have something handy to make on those hectic days. And broccoli on the side is so good for you. I get it at the store every week. You take such nice photos of your dishes. I love food, so I want to dive in, and somehow my food pics aren't the best haha.

    ~Sheri

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  14. My quick meals of late are usually Naan Bread Pizza. I just use jarred spaghetti sauce and whatever we have on hand to top it with. We usually have mozzarella cheese in the fridge.

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  15. This sounds and looks incredible. I am all for easy especially since I am not a cook.

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Thanks so much for saying hello!

Billie Jo