Parmesan Chicken with Posh Ham and Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Can you really go wrong with a meal that includes Prosciutto Ham? I personally think not. This was my first meal of my Jamie Oliver Meal Plan, I am glad this was my introduction to his style of cooking. This was so AWESOME! I served it with steamed broccoli which I just topped with Lemon Zest and Pepper and Mashed Potatoes that I topped with Grated Parmesan, so it was a nice light meal. It is also a good meal to make if you have some frustrations as Jamie tells you to beat the Chicken with a Sauce Pan- now I have a Mallet, but there is something satisfying about hitting it with a pan. :) I definitely recommend this meal!

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I also felt like I had a little extra time today so decided to attempt my first try at making biscotti. I made a batch of Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti which will be served with my DIY Chocolate Truffles on Friday. I personally am not a huge fan of the incredibly hard, crunchy ones that cut your gums so I under cooked them just slightly so that they still have a tiny bit of give. I also drizzled melted White Chocolate on top and they turned out amazing! The red of the cranberries and the green of the pistachios make them festive indeed and they apparently freeze really well (I will soon find out!), but they sure tasted great fresh!!

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Chinese Chicken with Pineapple

By the name of this meal you'd think it was sweet, but it wasn't; it had just the right amount of zip. It was a super delicious meal that tasted like take-out without being greasy or sweet and a whole lot healthier too. I used Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs instead of Breasts because I always manage to dry out Chicken Breast and the Thighs turned out perfect. I've made this before and I'll do it again - maybe you should give it a try too!
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One Pan Pasta and Meatballs

Possibly the EASIEST meal ever! Literally throw 5 ingredients in a skillet, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. This meal states that it takes 30 minutes to table - I did it in 20. So this is the first meal from my Betty Crocker Meal Plan that took LESS time to cook than stated. It is truly one of the easiest I have ever made, but it also tasted that way, not to sound snobbish, but it tasted pretty amateur. Personally, I would add some spice and veg to the sauce and, if time permitted, make my own meatballs. Then we are looking at a totally different meal so as it stands, I would make this again, but only in a pinch.

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And so concludes my Betty Crocker Meal Plan - I think it was a MASSIVE success and I will be doing another one in the near future, but until then I have some serious Thanksgiving baking to do, and I have a few really fun Meal Plan ideas up my sleeve that are already in the works. 

This experimenting thing is a lot of fun!! :-)

Spicy Skillet Chicken

Yummo! Another meal from my Betty Crocker Meal Plan that lived up to it's 30 minute time frame. I had boneless, skinless, chicken thighs out so I used them instead of the requested breasts and I must say, I think it may have turned out better than if I had. The chicken was super moist! I also added fresh cilantro and shredded cheddar cheese (SHOCKER!!)Yes folks, I am a dairy farmer's dream... I just can't call it a meal without SOME kind of cheese somewhere... it's an affliction that my husband laughs at ALL the time.

So it turns out that we may have a hot dog roast and smores for supper on Saturday as the weather is supposed to continue to be beautiful and we will all be out doing yard work. I'll keep ya posted! 

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Penne with Cheesy Tomato Sausage Sauce

Well, this is the first meal of my Betty Crocker Meal Plan that did not live up to it's "to the table" time allotment. Recipe says 25 minutes to table - we were 35 minutes, which is not horrible as I wanted to sauce to simmer a bit to blend the flavours. 

My husband had picked up hot and spicy sausage so I was worried that my son would not like the heat, so I added a little brown sugar to the sauce as well as about 3/4 Cup finely grated zucchini. The sugar was an AWESOME addition with the spicy sausage.

I found out today that our Thanksgiving weekend plans have changed and that we will be having a Ham dinner on Sunday instead of Turkey and I will be cooking a meal on Saturday... still wracking my brain as to what to cook - I was in dessert mode, now I have to shift my thinking. So I will keep you posted as to what I come up with, I'm hoping something classy yet EASY.

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