Surprise! This week’s “recipe” is actually a review of Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Creations Dinner Kit with a chance to win a “What’s for Dinner” gift basket (includes a sample of the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken Pasta variety, three coupons for you to try the other varieties the next time you visit your local grocer, a colander, serving spoon and cheese grater!)
I’m all for making an easy dinner and if that means it comes from a box once in awhile, so be it. I’ve got two little ones under age two. I can’t always manage making dinner from scratch. My husband is understanding of this but makes it pretty clear that dinner kits aren’t his favorite.
As a Blog Spark participant, I received the same “What’s for Dinner” gift basket that is being given to our winners. I tried the Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken Pasta dinner kit the very day I got it. It was delicious! My hubby thought I had tried a new recipe. As much as I wanted to tell him how much work I put into getting dinner on the table, I had to tell him it was actually a Macaroni Grill Restaurant Creations dinner kit and all I had to do was add some chicken.
I’ve only eaten at the Macaroni Grill Restaurant once so I can’t really compare the kit to the actual dish but I honestly think that it tasted like it could have come directly from the restaurant. I was really surprised!
The kit had several packets- noodles, creamy sauce, parmesan cheese, a seasoning packet and sun dried tomatoes. When I first opened the box I didn’t think it would make enough to feed us because we are big dinner eaters. I added more chicken than was called for and my dad actually ended up at my house for dinner unexpectedly and there was still plenty. From start to finish, it only took about 20 minutes to get a delicious dinner on the table.
I would consider making this for dinner guests and hiding the box 🙂
Macaroni Grill Restaurant Creations are available in four flavors- Garlic & Herb Chicken Penne, Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta, Chicken Alfredo with Linguine and Chicken Marsala with Linguine.
To find out more about Romano’s Macaroni Grill Restaurant Favorites and print a $1 off coupon, visit www.restaurantfavoritesathome.com
Three lucky winners will receive a “What’s for Dinner” gift basket. To enter, fill out the entry form at the bottom of this post (find the link that says “Click Here to Reveal Entry Form”)
Please share one of your favorite recipes on your blog then come back here and leave your name and a link below. I know I could use some new recipes so this should be a nice way for all of us bloggers to share what works for our families!
See all of our other Mmm Monday featured recipes HERE.
Click Here to Reveal Entry Form.
For your daily dose, check out the latest freebies, sweeps & paid surveys
I don’t have a blog, but here’s a quick recipe.
Sauerkraut Casserole
4 cups cooked rice (flavored rice can be used) or cooked instant rice.
1 cup or more drained sauerkraut
1-2 cups of thousand island dressing.
1-2 cups diced cooked meat (best if chicken, ham or lamb is used).
1-2 cups of shredded Swiss Cheese or can use cheese slices to cover the top of the dish.
In a large greased rectangular cake pan layer the rice, sauerkraut, the meat, the dressing and then top with the cheese.
Heat in a 350 degree oven until all ingredients are heated through and the cheese is melted.
I do not have a blog either, but here is a recipe for Mango-Black Bean Salad:
2 medium cans black beans
4 mangoes, peeled and diced
2 cups cooked corn kernels (from cob or frozen)
1 cup minced parsley or cilantro
1 cup chopped scallions
2 red peppers, diced
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic or wine vinegar
Open cans, drain beans, mix with vegetables. Combine oil and vinegar. Mix all together. Can be served with warmed tortillas.
It’s super easy to make and really yummy too!
Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
hurdler4eva(at)gmail(dot)com
love kitchen stuff
I don’t “do” recipes, just pull something from memory each time I cook.
I made this up and call it
Cheesy Mexican
Boil boneless chicken – cube when done
Put Chicken in a deep saute dish with olive oil.
Add:
1 jar salsa
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 can chopped olives (leave a bit of juice in)
1 cup of chicken broth
1 cup quick cook rice
Cook on medium for about 10 minutes till rice is tender
Cover with shredded mexican cheeses and let melt
Its AMAZING
Our favorite thing to talk about at the dinner table is what the kids done at school that day and then what we done, keeps us communicating.
chicken veggie casserole
chicken breast
any veggie you like
chicken broth
flat noodles
cream of mushrooms soup
arrange everything in caasarole
season to you likes and taste
bake in oven til cooked
serve and eat
[email protected]
Double The Love Chocolate Brownies
http://thriftymaven.com/?p=519
here’s a link to my favorite homemade brownies. it’s not what’s for dinner unless you come to my house and we’ll serve it up with some nice healthy cola.
teechbiz at gmail.com
Double The Love Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold margarine or butter
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 8-ounce milk chocolate bar, broken into chunks
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with foil and set aside.
In bowl, combine 1 cup flour and the sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press on bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes.
In another bowl, beat milk, cocoa, egg, remaining flour, vanilla and baking powder. Mix in chocolate pieces and nuts. Spread over prepared crust. Bake 20 minutes or until set.
Cool and lift out of pan. Decorate with icing or gels, if desired. Store covered.
I linked my recipe & tweeted! Thanks for the giveaway!!
Macaroni Grill
No blog here either, but here’s a good one:
Taco Skillet
1 lb. ground turkey
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c. salsa
1/2 c. water
6 flour tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. shreddded Mexican blend cheeses
Brown turkey in skillet, crumble meat. Drain fat. Stir in soup, salsa, water and tortila strips. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for five minutes. Stir. Top with cheeses. Serve with sour cream, chopped green onions and choppped tomatoes.
Here’s 2
Shortcakes
http://vickieb52.blogspot.com/2009/04/shortcakes.html
Sugared Jalapenos on Cream Cheese
http://vickieb52.blogspot.com/2009/01/sugared-jalapenos-on-cream-cheese.html
My absolute favorite:
CHICKEN MARSALA RECIPE
Prep: 10 min; Cook: 10 min – Easy
serves 4
4 Boneless chicken breasts sliced in half
1 TBSP good olive oil
2 TBSP Butter
1/4 cup marsala or white wine
1 – 2 TBSP lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground pepper (white or black) to taste
1 TBSP capers, rinsed, as garnish
RINSE chicken breasts under cold running water, drain, put on paper towel. Pat dry (they brown better when dry).
SLICE the chicken breasts to desired thickness.
SPRINKLE lightly with salt and pepper.
HEAT butter and olive oil in sautée pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts. Sautée for about two minutes per side. REMOVE to a warm platter; you can place platter in warm oven.
ADD lemon and wine to pan; DEGLAZE (Dissolve the remaining bits of food) the pan using a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape. This is the basis for your sauce.
BRING to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low.
RETURN chicken breasts to pan for 1/2 minute per side. Remove to warm serving platter.
POUR pan juices over chicken. Garnish with parsley. Serve.
After deglazing
Add 1/2 cup thinly sliced sauteed mushrooms.
WHEN SERVING:
1 TBS Parsley, finely chopped, as garnish.
I WOULD LIKE TO WIN THIS
I have a blog but it is not very pretty.
Plum juice
6 red plums
8 black plums
Blanch the plums in boiling water and then once they are cold, take the pits out.
Put them in blender and make a pulp with lots of water. take a bigger pan and boil with adding more water according to your level of consistency. Add plenty of sugar, salt and black pepper. Once it is chilled, serve with mint leaves. It is such a bliss in summer.
No blog, but here is a recipe for Baked Corn!
1 can corn
1 can creamstyle corn
1 stick butter
1 8oz carton of sour cream
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
Melt the butter and add both cans of corn. Then stir in the sour cream and next stir in the Jiffy. Cook for 45-50 minutes at 350.
Thanks,
selinda_mccumbers at yahoo.com
I like Meatloaf Muffins.
1 pound of ground beef
1 box of stuffing
2 egg whites
1 cup of water
1 tsp of A1 sauce
Separate into muffin pan. Cook in cool oven at 350 for half an hour.
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I like to talk about my day with the family at the table.
My all time favorite recipe that is quick and simple to make is Sausage Balls.
1 package of Sausage
1 jar of Cheez-whiz
2 cups of Bisquick
Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix throughly. On a ungreased cookie sheet. Then round out the mix into 1″ balls and place on the sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for approx. 8-10 minutes…they are yummy 🙂
EASY SHRIMP SCAMPI
Cook noodles of choice… spaghetti or linguine. Set aside.
In a skillet put a Tbs of olive oil and a Tbs of butter and heat.
Add scallions and garlic to taste and throw in a bag of frozen shrimp.
Cook a few minutes until shrimp is cooked, squeeze a lemon over it and serve over the noodles
pamelashockley at netscape dot net
Good tasting
I don’t have a blog either.
Here’s a great recipe for crockpot lasagne from cooks.com:
EASY CROCK POT LASAGNA
1 pound chuck or 1/2 pound chuck
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 28 oz jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
1/3 cup water
8 lasagna noodles
1 4 1/2 oz can mushrooms
1 15 oz carton ricotta cheese (optional)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Brown meat and seasoning, drain.
Mix spaghetti sauce and water. Place 4 uncooked noodles in lightly greased crockpot.
Layer with beef mixture, sauce and mushrooms.
Spread evenly with ricotta cheese and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.
Layer with remaining noodles, meat, sauce mixture, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese.
Cover, cook on high 1 hour.
Reduce heat and cook on low 5 hrs.
Yield: 4 servings
My favorite quick meal to make for the family is "Firecracker Fish". I use tilapia. Put a sleeve of saltine crackers in a bag and pound with mallet. Flour fish filets and put a thin coating of mayo on top side of each. Cover with crackers (pushing down a bit so the crackers stick). Turn over & repeat process. Sprinkle Emeril's southwest essence over the top to add a spicy "kick". Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
No blog but would love to win.
Here is one of my favorites~
Baked Ziti
Layers of ziti pasta, beefy tomato sauce, sour cream and Italian cheeses get a final dash of flavor with a generous sprinkling of chopped fresh basil before baking.
Prep Time: 20m
Cook Time: 30m
Ready in: 50m
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (28 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender. Drain off fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. In a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place about half of the pasta; top with a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices. Spread on a layer of half the spaghetti sauce mixture and sour cream.
5. Cover with remaining pasta, cheese and sauce; sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly; serve.
count me in to won this is great
Delicious
Everyone is giving some great recipes!
I love Macaroni Grill and I’ll bet their packaged products are really good too.
No blog but I would love to win.
michele3873[at]msn[dot]com
Not sure where my entry is .. but I forgot to add that I don’t have a blog… so I put my recipe here.
Thanks again!!!
most of my recipes are just whatever i have and i go form there i have never been to MACARONI GRILL sounds like a great Restuarant
All the recipes sound really good tasting. My favorite of course is something that is already cooked by someone else. I love to make meatballs filled with rice or cheese covered with sauce on pasta or put in a roll for a messy but great tasting hot sandwich.
Here is a link to one of my favorite recipes. In fact when my son got married he showed his wife how to make it and he said she made it so often he really doesn’t like it any more.
http://beascreations.blogspot.com/2009/04/hamburger-pie-one-of-my-favorite-easy.html
I would love this
We take a box (or two) of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese prepared normally, then add a little extra skim milk and one-third to one-half pound of Velveeta. So thick you'll be tempted to eat it with a fork, but use a spoon… you'll want to get every cheesiest bite! 😉
[email protected]
I don’t have a blog.
Here’s my recipe:
FRIED RICE
1 Tbls. butter or margarine
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp. butter or nargarine
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cups rice prepared and cooled
1/3 cup prok or chicken
1/4 cup soy sauce
Melt 1 Tbls. butter in skillet or wok.
Scramble eggs in butter, breaking up the cooked eggs into small pieces. Set aside.
Saute onions in butter for 3 minutes.
Combine eggs, onions, rice, and meat.
Stir in soy sauce until color of rice is uniform.
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients:
(2-1/2- to 3-pound) broiler/fryer
2 Quarts water
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Cups All-purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Shortening
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
Preparation:
Place chicken in a Dutch oven or large kettle; add water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat,and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove chicken; let it cool slightly. Bone chicken, cutting meat into bite-size pieces; set aside. Bring broth to a boil; add pepper. Combine flour, soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead lightly 4 or 5 times. For drop dumplings, pat dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Pinch off dough in 1 1/2-inch pieces, and drop into boiling broth. To make rolled dumplings, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into 4- x 1/2-inch pieces. Drop dough, one piece at a time, into boiling broth, carefully stirring after each addition. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 8 to 10 minutes or to desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken.
Serves 4 to 6.
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yummy meatloaf
meat, stovetop stuffin one egg. Combine all bake at 350 for 1 hour and voila!
I would love the chance to win, thanks.
[email protected]
Not sure how much of a recipe you wanted but for great spagetti
1 BX of Kraft Spagetti and Mix
1lb of Hamburger
1/2 Small sweet vidalia onion
Brown the hamburger along with a chopped onion. Drain. Add a Jar of Prego Sauce and Spagetti Seasoning from box of Kraft.
Boil Water add a pinch of salt
add the noodles once the water is boiling. When noodles become soft and tender, time to drain
Then add a bit of sauce to the noodles but not all, just enough to redden the noodles. When time to serve add a spoonful of sauce on top of the noodles and sprinkle with cheese.
Mr Linky isn’t working so here is a nice recipe or too…
http://weeshenanigans.blogspot.com/2009/03/little-orange-monster.html
recipe help really stall
I don’t have a blog, but here is one of my recipes:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Community/Gianna-s-Pasta-with-Arugula
ty 4 the entry into this awesome giveaway:)
No blog here either!
Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe 2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans green beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 (4-ounce) jar pimentos
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (6-ounce) box long-grain wild rice, cooked according to package directions
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
Pinch salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat butter or oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix together until thoroughly combined. Pour into a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.
Thank you for the opportunity to win!