Pesto Pasta with Chicken and SQUASH

This year for St. Patrick's Day, I made Pesto for the first time ever. I was a little worried that my kids wouldn't eat it (it is GREEN after all!) but much to my surprise they loved it and it has become a household favorite and staple.

Now, here comes the embarrassing part. When I make my Pesto, I make it from a packet. I'm so sorry if that disappoints (or disgusts) you, but that's just how it is. Maybe one of these days, I'll make the real deal and make it from scratch. But for now, I'm just enjoying that it can be a simple, last minute meal that I have all the ingredients on hand for and that I know my whole family will love.

This is the packet/brand that I use:

 

And this is what I do:

Pesto Pasta

1. Cut chicken breasts/tenders into bite size chunks.

2. Cook chicken in olive oil and fresh minced garlic. I also add a favorite garlic salt.

3. Cook through.

4. Meanwhile cook whole wheat pasta. I typically use spaghetti noodles because that's what I have on hand.

5. Follow the directions on the Pesto packet to mix your sauce.

6. Toss cooked chicken and spaghetti with the pesto sauce.

7. Serve and ENJOY!

**I like this recipe with bite size chunks/slices of SQUASH.  I add them to the cooked chicken and steam them for a few minutes until cooked through. This is a great meal to add veggies to because they kind of get "lost" in the sea of GREEN and you can "trick" your kids into eating them. (Though, at some point I always try and point out what they JUST ate. That way they can learn that veggies really aren't that bad!) You could add most any veggie; cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, shredded cabbage......It's kinda like this recipe. 

* This is such a simple idea that it almost seems silly to write down the "recipe," but I just LOVE meals like this. So simple, yet a healthy and delicious meal for your family in minutes. I hope you'll give it a try this week!

A bounty of recipes for ACORN SQUASH

I hope you find one that suits your fancy!

Click on the link for a whole list of Acorn Squash recipes. 

ACORN SQUASH

All recipes in link from allrecipes.com 

A great resource to find a great recipe for anything!

I think this one sounds good: 

Try one out and let us know what you think.

And don't forget...you can always bake, mash and freeze your squash to use in this recipe and others. 

Not Just for Thanksgiving Anymore...SWEET POTATOES/YAMS

 

Meet my husband. Mr. Meat and Potatoes himself. As you could probably guess, he loves a meal loaded with protein (of the MEAT variety!) And he doesn't like sweet potatoes. AT ALL. But, guess what? He loves these Sweet Potato Burritos. So, if you're hesitant about trying them, take it from this guy...they're amazing!

Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos

Serves/Yields: 12 huge burritos
Prep. Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups canned kidney beans or black beans, rinsed drained and mashed (I prefer black)
1 cup broth
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons prepared mustard, brown or Dijon is best
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes or yams
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas, warmed
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and sauté onion and garlic until soft. Stir in chili powder, cayenne pepper and cumin. Then stir in mashed beans. Gradually stir in broth mashing and combining, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in mustard, and soy sauce. Combine with sweet potatoes.

3. Place mixture on warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese. Fold up tortillas burrito style, and place on a baking sheet. Brush with oil.

4. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

These burritos freeze amazingly. Wrap in tin foil and freeze. When ready to cook from frozen, bake in a 350* oven for 30 minutes, while still wrapped in foil. Then unwrap and bake for another 10-15 minutes to crisp up.

A few hints:

*It takes a lot of sweet potatoes to get four cups. Depending on the size, I'd say anywhere from 8-12.  

*To get the cooked and mashed potatoes/yams, bake them in a 400* oven for about 45 minutes. Cut them in half and the insides will scoop right out. Mash.

*You can freeze the mashed sweet potatoes or yams to use another time. I store mine in the snack size ziplock bags in about one cup servings. 
*You could use any type of squash in this recipe and get very similar and fabulous results.