Parmesan Bow-Tie Pasta with Ham, Leeks and Peas--My Weekly Menu Plan with All You Magazine

‘This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and All You Magazine, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #lifeforless http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV.”

As a busy mom of four always hungry Little Men and one regular Hubby Man, I am always on the look out for super yummy meals that I can make for a good price and that I can whip up really quickly.

Recently I went to a great source for family and budget friendly recipes, my latest issue of All You Magazine. After running to the oh-so-lovely and forever-my-favorite-store Target to grab the April edition, I poured over all the recipes.

I found a TON of recipes that I instantly wanted to try. One of my favorite set of recipes was the Feed Your Family: 1 Week, 5 Easy Meals.

I picked a few and put them into my Weekly Menu Plan.

The first recipe I tried was this awesome Parmesan Bow-Tie Pasta with Ham, Leeks, and Peas.

 Instant crowd pleaser for my hungry rowdy crowd.

The meal came together SO easy. I mean like WAY easy. I put it all together quick enough that the villagers didn't have hardly any time to raise a famished riot. Then once the villagers were happily devouring their food there was not a single word to be heard. Okay, maybe there were a couple of muffled sounds between bites. After all they are rowdy boys.

I didn't alter the recipe at all. This pasta dish turned out perfectly and it will make it on to the Weekly Menu Plan again. We also made the Baked Chicken Spring Rolls.

Man those were tasty as well.

I love that they have family friendly recipes with a grocery list that went with it.

Not only was I inspired by these yummy recipes from All You Magazine, but I was also inspired to put together a Weekly Menu Plan printable. One I can print out and hang on my fridge.

I typed up my weekly menu onto a blank form.

Blank Weekly Menu Plan download

I know this Parmesan Bow-Tie  Pasta with Ham, Leeks, and Peas will make it back in our menu rotation very soon.

Parmesan Bow-Tie with Ham, Leeks, and Peas
All You Magazine

salt and pepper
12 oz bow-tie pasta
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek, white and light green parts, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1 cup half and half
4 oz deli ham, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add in the peas and half and half and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in ham. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water. Add the pasta into the skillet along with the cheese and toss to coat. Add some of the reserved pasta water if the pasta seems dry.

Serve immediately with  more Parmesan.

I am telling you, you need to try this recipe out. You should also try the Baked Chicken Spring Rolls. Heck, all the recipes in the April All You Magazine look amazing.

Run to Target, like I have to really tell you to do that. So go to Target, like I know you want to anyway, and pick up the April issue of All You Magazine. Print off your $1 off coupon HERE (while supplies last).

Also, since we all love Target how about a little giveaway. You know like a $50 gift card to Target giveaway. Feel free to jump up and down. I won't judge. I mean $50 gift card to Target...that is awesome. AWESOME!

Enter to win below.

Entry-Form

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Slow Cooker Saturday: Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Slow Cooker Saturday has come around once again. Time to get out the crock pots and to make some good old comfort food.

Well comfort food with a twist of course.

I knew I wanted to try and make macaroni and cheese in the crock pot. I also knew I didn't want it to be your regular old mac and cheese.

While my Little men LOVE, and I mean LUHHVVVE macaroni and cheese I tend not to think of it as a meal the whole family enjoys.


I guess I have a hard time thinking of it as the star in the meal time show.

Since this was going to be dinner, I really wanted to make sure that I made an amped up, more main course like mac and cheese.

Challenge extended.
Challenge accepted.
Challenge obliterated.
Boom.
Done.

Meet a little creation I like to call Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese.

This macaroni and cheese is filling, but not too heavy. The lightness of the Monterrey Jack Cheese allows the pasta to be cheesy but not over powering. By marinating the cooked chicken in the sauce before adding it to the mac and cheese, you are assured a sweet yet spicy bite with every spoonful.

The "buffalo" sauce is spicy enough for the adults to notice it, but is perfectly paired with a touch of sweetness so Littles will still enjoy it.

Then of course because we are talking about buffalo chicken, there needed to be a tad of blue cheese mixed in.

All said and done this recipe makes a creamy macaroni and cheese with a touch of something special. Making not your regular run-of-the-mill mac and cheese.

No regular for us, we will take the Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese.

Give it a try. It might just rock your world.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Printable Recipe

2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken)
1  cup brown sugar
5 Tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce
2  Tablespoons water
2-12 oz cans evaporated milk
2-11oz cans of cheddar cheese soup
2 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup crumbled blue cheese (plus extra for garnish)
1 pound elbow macaroni

Make the sauce for marinating the chicken by combining the brown sugar, hot sauce, and water in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium high heat, stirring regularly, until brown sugar dissolves.

Put the shredded chicken in a gallon ziploc bag. Add all but 1/4 cup of sauce. Put chicken in the fridge and let rest for at least 2 hours. Set reserved sauce aside.

In a large sauce pan combine the evaporated milk, cheddar soup, water, salt, pepper, and some of the reserved sauce. Start with 2 tablespoons and work up to the heat level you desire. 2 tablespoons was perfect for our kids.

Bring the mixture to a simmer. Slowly add in the cheeses. Stirring constantly until the cheese is melted and fully incorporated in. Turn off heat.

Add in and stir the macaroni.

Spray the bowl with cooking spray. Then pour in the cheese macaroni mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.

At the end of two hours, stir the macaroni. It it is appearing too thick add in just a little bit of hot water. Then gently fold in the cooked marinated chicken.

Cover and cook on high for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is warmed through.

Serve with a sprinkling of more blue cheese.

Thanks for stopping by Slow Cooker Saturday. Have a wonderful weekend!

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Chicken Carbonara with Spinach

Oh Summer, you are kickin' my fanny. Kickin' it real good.

Some days it is a good kind of busy.

Then there are days I walk past a mirror at the end of the marathon struggle of putting four Little Men to bed after a rowdy day and see mascara streaks underneath a pair of very tired eyes.

How long has that mess been there? Oh probably long enough that the store clerk thought Alice Cooper was frequenting the local Walmart.

Well I guess I am just gonna have to embrace the crazy.

You know what helps the crazy?

An easy meal. A meal that is so good that the whole family loves it. A big bowl of pasta with creamy sauce and bacon.

My boys actually come running to the smell of bacon...you know that Beggin' Strip commercial with the dog...

Yes I just compared my boys to bacon lovin' puppies. I call it like I see it.

When they came in the door the last time I made this, first they cheered at the smell of bacon. Then when I told them what was for dinner (besides bacon), they pretty much all said, "YES! That is my favorite. We love that dinner!"

Pretty much.

I will have you know they don't even pick out the spinach. I am not gonna lie, I am not sure they even see it past the bacon.

Thank you again bacon for saving my crazy Summer day.

Chicken Carbonara with Spinach
adapted from Lovin' From the Oven


Ingredients:
10-12 oz linguine
2 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
4 strips of bacon, cooked and cut up
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups spinach, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon. Remove and set aside. Go ahead and cook up that chicken in the same pan the bacon just cooked in. Yup, cook up the chicken in the bacon drippings. Just trust me.

Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes and then add in the garlic. Cook until chicken is done. Set aside but keep it in the skillet.

Whisk together the yolks, cream, milk, and cheese.

Cook the pasta in boiling water. Cook until just before al dente. At this point put the skillet with the chicken bacon on medium heat and add the bacon. Then scoop out the pasta from the water with tongs or a pasta spoon, and add it to the skillet. Make sure some of the pasta water makes it to the skillet too. The pasta water will help thicken the sauce.

Pour the cream mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle the spinach over the top. Gently toss the pasta so that the sauce evenly covers all the pasta. Do not overheat the pasta and sauce will get thick and a little lumpy.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy!