Who is feeling the Christmas rush? I sure am! I am doing mostly handmade gifts this year and I did not start early enough! I’ve got so much to do and so little time! EEK!
Since it seems everyone is busy this time of year, I thought I’d share my favorite quick dinner. It takes four ingredients and is ready in the time it takes to cook pasta. My favorite part about this dinner is that it’s easy to keep all the ingredients on hand for a dinner emergency.
I ususally buy chicken when the big packages go on sale for a good price. Then I dump the whole package in the crockpot with an onion, cook for 5-6 hours until chicken is done, and freeze individual breasts. Then I always have cooked chicken ready for recipes like this one.
Italian Chicken and Pasta with Vegetables
2 cooked chicken breasts or 2 cups diced ham or whatever you have on hand
1 bag frozen California-style vegetables
16 oz. pasta of your choice (I prefer thicker varieties like penne or shells)
italian dressing 
Start water boiling and cook pasta. Cook vegetables in microwave according to package directions. When the pasta is done, toss in vegetables and meat. Add enough italian dressing to coat everything and you’ve got yourself a delicious, nutritious dinner!
If you have more time and less ingredients, you could try making your Italian dressing from scratch. Here’s my favorite recipe:
Comments & Reviews
I really like your idea of having precooked chicken, etc, handy in the freezer. This makes total sense! My wife and I will frequently be dog tired and not feel like cooking a whole meal. This would save so much time. It would also allow for quick thawing and heating in the microwave more easily. Also, you Italian dressing recipe sounds interesting. I wish you more good food adventures.