Rotty's Everything-but -the-kitchen-sink Pasta Salad

hahahaha! I basically lived off this in the summer time back home. We were super broke and didn't have AC in out 2nd story apartment. In the peak heat of the season it was hard to function let alone cook. So I took a recipe my mom used to make and a salad my husband made once to make this recipe!

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Pasta Salad Ingredients:
1 box of your choice of pasta - my go to pasta is bow-tie, but what ever you have on hand is just spiffy.
2 sweet peppers
1/2 red onion
2 cucumbers
cherry tomatoes or 2 roma tomatoes (or whatever floats your boat tomatoes)
some turkey-peperoni
mozzarella
1 jar olives
1 bottle fat free Italian dressing
Parmesan cheese.

1) chop the ingredients and toss in a bowl

(I normally do the peppers first. No, the colors don't matter. I just like to switch it up for color)
(next I add the cucumbers, you can leave the skin on if you want. tomatoes, and onion. Bri prefers red onion.)
(Next I add the peperoni, I quarter them, makes for easier bites)

(next I cube the mozzarella. I use non fat part skim mozzarella to take the calories down)
(next add the olives)

2) meanwhile, boil the pasta till tender. drain, and rinse with cold water till cool to the touch.
place in bowl with veggies
3) Poor in Italian Dressing

4) add a fair amount of parmesian cheese.
5) Toss


Now you have the best pasta salad ever!!! It makes for good left overs the next day. but day 2 is a little soggy.
ENJOY!!!

Italian Herb Baked Chicken

This recipe is a re-do/adaptation from one I've done before. This is also a non-recipe recipe. This one came about from when B and I were really poor and couldn't afford much. Most of our groceries came from my parents, or gift cards from friends. We also could only really heat our tiny apartment with our oven. So anything I could bake, I would.

Ingredients
4-6 chicken breasts
1 bottle of Italian dressing (we used the lightest, low calorie version)
3 medium-large Red Potatoes
1/2 red onion (or however you feel is 'enough')
1-2 sweet peppers

-Preheat oven to 350*-

1) place chicken breasts in bowl. season with pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder, and a hearty helping of Italian seasoning. Toss until evenly coated. pour about 1/4 of the bottle of Italian dressing over the chicken. Put in fridge to sit for about an hour.

2) Cut up veggies. I keep the potatoes kind of thin. and the sweet peppers I cut in strips, and then the strips in half. I kept the red onion pretty large (strips).

3) place the veggies on the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish. Pour a little bit of the Italian dressing over the veggies, stir to coat.

4) place chicken breasts over veggies. If you have any left over veggies, you can place them around the chicken on top. I also sprinkle a little bit more italian seasoning over the top before I bake it.

5) bake chicken for 45-55 minutes

(This looks a little different because i had several small chicken cuts that i placed in the center)
(my husbands plate)
(my plate, it has a side of little green giant cauliflower 40 calories)

I don't have a per serving nutrition for this.

Italian Potatoes & Chicken

So I don't remember where I found this 'recipe' or if i just made it up. Either way its good. This wasn't on my menu for the week. But, B really wanted it and I had all the ingredients except for the potatoes, so I went ahead and made it

Italian Potatoes & Chicken

I diced up roughly 8-10 red potatoes. We use more because B LOVES him some tatters

I had 5 thin sliced chicken breasts in the freezer

I stab the chicken breasts a bunch then pour the Italian Dressing over the chicken breasts
I had 2 partials bottles in the fridge

I used the red pepper Italian dressing to soak the chicken in
Then I stabbed the chicken a bit more.
I used my go to dish. My 13 x 9 glass dish
I poured a bit of the original Italian dressing to the bottom of the pan
Then I tossed about 3/4 of the potatoes on the bottom.

Next, I placed the chicken on top of the potatoes, and poured the rest of the dressing they were soaked in on top. Next I added the rest of the potatoes around the edges of the chicken

Then the cheeeeeeeeeseeeeeeeeeeeee... mmmmm. I love me some cheese. I used shredded parmesan. But I have also used mozzarella.

Then I placed it in the oven at 350 for 45-60 min. I'm still getting used to this oven, So I think after all was said and done it was over 60 min in the oven. and I ended up turning the temp up to 400* and putting tin foil over it. for the last 10 minutes.

It was so good, and we were so hungry... I forgot to get pictures of it before we ate it

but here it is after we were done stuffing our faces

It is seriously so good. We use this dish about every other week. SO nummmy.

Spicy Ranch Chicken

Spicy Ranch Chicken

2 packets Hidden Valley Spice Ranch dressing mix
1 box Italian bread crumbs
1 package chicken

I found a non specific recipe on cooks.com and made it work for me.

I used 'chicken tenders' chicken from walmart

1) spray non stick spray on bottom of cooking dish
2) coat with bread crumbs
3) mix bread crumbs and ranch mix
4) coat both sides of chicken with ranch-crumb mix
5) lay in pan
6) cook uncovered at 350 for 30-60 min.

I cooked ours for 30 and it turned out perfect. with the smaller pieces it was done quicker than if it was a full on chicken breast.

I served it with boxed rice pilaf. just original style. With so much going on with the chicken I wanted to keep the side dish plain.

It was seriously SO good.
B doesn't normally eat 'breaded' chicken and he loved it.