Tasty Weeknight Meal

This is one of the dinner staples in our house. It is a great dish to make during the summer so as to take advantage of ripe tomatoes and basil (which is easy to grow yourself). You do not have to use fresh Parm, the green container stuff is fine. I add chicken to the meal, but you can leave it without for an easy vegetarian meal or side dish. The leftovers are even better!

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Basil

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound of penne or fusilli pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put tomato halves into a large greased casserole dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Spoon evenly over the tomatoes. Spoon the olive oil evenly over the mixture.
3. Roast the tomatoes 30-35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly, browned, and slightly thickened.
4. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta as directed, until al dente. Drain.
5. Add the pasta and cooked chicken to the tomato mixture. Add the fresh basil and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

I serve with: garlic french bread and good red wine.

Super Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

While on vacation, I attended a baby shower and had the most delectable stuffed mushrooms. Not only were they tasty, but my friend Rebecca said they are incredibly easy too!

Super Easy Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:
One package Boursin cheese
1 package white button mushrooms
breadcrumbs (as much as desired)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean mushrooms, take off stems (or trunks, not sure what that part of the mushroom is called!). Lay on a cookie sheet, tops down. Stuff with enough boursin cheese to fill. Dip boursin side down into breadcrumbs. Return to cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until tops start to brown and bubble and filling is hot. Cool 3-5 minutes and serve!

Any Time of Day Tomato Grits

My mother-in-law made these grits for breakfast this week, but I think you could probably have them anytime of day. We had them with cinnamon rolls, but you could also serve them with shrimp or chicken.

Tomato Grits

Ingredients
2 cups of water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 t salt
1 cup quick cooking grits
1/2 cup plus one T of butter
1/3 cup diced green onions
4 ounces Velveeta
1/4 t garlic powder
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies (Ro-tel)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, bring water and milk to a boil. Add salt and slowly add the grits, return to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 3 minutes. While stirring the grits, add the 1/2 cup of butter and stir until butter is melted.

Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or until grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using a skillet, saute the onions in the remaining T of butter for one minute. Add Velveeta, garlic powder, 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese and onions to grits, stirring until cheese is melted. Add tomatoes and mix well.

Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over the casserole for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.