Chicken Bacon Alfredo Gnocchi

We love fettuccine alfredo at our house. I mean, who doesn't, right? Thick strands of pasta drenched in rich, creamy sauce--can it get any better? And alfredo sauce is soooo easy (it's literally like two ingredients,) so I make it all the time. There's only one thing I can think of that could possibly improve on this classic dish. BACON! I also add some chicken for the sake of my meat-loving hubby.

To mix things up a bit, I decided to swap out the noodles for something just as carb-rific as fettuccine--fluffy pillows of potato in the form of gnocchi. Toss in some green beans and you've got a full meal, all in one bowl and ready in less than 30 minutes. Now that's a winner winner chicken dinner!

Chicken Bacon Alfredo Gnocchi

Prep time: 20 mins 

Serves 4

6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 3 thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 lb uncooked potato gnocchi

1 cup frozen cut green beans
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste 

In a deep skillet, over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until it's crispy (about 10 mins.). 

Once the bacon is done, strain it and set the bacon aside, reserving a tablespoon of grease.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper then add to the pan with the reserved bacon grease. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken turns white. Strain off any liquid and return chicken to pan.

Add the garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant.

Reduce the heat to medium then add the chicken broth, cream, Italian seasoning, gnocchi, green beans, and bacon back into the pan. Simmer until gnocchi is tender (about 5 minutes) and sauce has reduced to your liking. 

Stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

518 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Pork Lo Mein

At our house, we love chinese food...well, not exactly at our house, because making good chinese at home has been the bane of my existence as a home cook. No matter how many recipes I've tried, they almost never turn out as good as the chinese restaurant version. But I'm too stubborn to give up, so I keep trying recipe after recipe, subjecting myself to one disappointment after another. But last night, I finally had a breakthrough! 

This lo mein recipe was just as delicious as anything I've ever ordered at any restaurant. The hubs must've said, "This is so good!" at least four times during dinner, and he started talking about having the leftovers for lunch the next day before his plate was even clean.

Like most stir fry recipes, this is very flexible. Don't like pork? Use chicken. Hate cabbage? Leave it out. Have some broccoli lingering in the bottom on your veggie drawer? Toss it in! Obviously, lo mein gets its name from the noodles, but honestly, even those aren't essential; spaghetti works just fine. But do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle of oyster or hoisin sauce. (I like to use some of each.) They're not that exotic--you can find them both at Walmart--but they add that "special something" that really makes this dish.

Pork Lo Mein

Prep time: 15 min Cook Time: 15 min

Serves 5

8 oz Lo Mein egg noodles (or spaghetti)

For meat:
1 lb pork loin (or chicken), cut into thin strips
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp vegetable oil

For main dish:
1-3 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs minced ginger
2 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1/2 cup carrot, cut in thin strips
1 bell pepper, sliced (any color or a mix)
1/2 cup green onion, cut in 2 inch pieces
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1 cup bean sprouts

For sauce:
6 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce or Hoisin sauce (or 1 Tbs of each)
1.5 Tbs Sriracha
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil

Mix meat with salt, soy sauce, cornstarch, and vegetable oil in a large ziptop bag. Let marinate for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package instructions.

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbs sesame oil. Cook meat in small batches until lightly browned, adding more oil as needed for each batch. Set cooked meat aside.

In the same pan, heat 1 Tbs vegetable oil. Add the ginger and garlic and fry just till fragrant. Do not burn or the final dish will turn bitter.

Add all the veggies and cook until crisp tender. Set them aside.

In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Pour over cooked noodles and mix well.

Stir in the cooked veggies and meat. Toss well to mix.