I am not a huge fan of Pampered Chef recipes in general. There are only so many things you can do with cake mix, crescent rolls and refrigerated pizza dough and biscuits lol!
Tho they do have a lot of recipes that actually are pretty much "from scratch cooking" beyond "open can/box". And I have really liked some of those. I hope they do more of it! The one I tried tonite was this. I added 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cubed then tossed with a bit of olive oil and Italian seasoning and browned in a skillet. This was really good! I used the sun-dried tomatoes and added a full 8 ounces of Neufchatel (cream) cheese because I like creamy. Top with shaved Parmesan and basil cut in chiffonade/thin strips.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Creamy One-Pot Pasta
Recipe By :The Pampered Chef Test Kitchens
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main Dishes
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 large garlic cloves -- peeled
1 (7 ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil -- undrained
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth (5-1/4 cups)
1 pound uncooked penne pasta
1 head broccoli (2 cups small florets)
2 medium carrots -- peeled
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil -- optional
Thinly slice garlic using Color Coated Paring Knife. Place garlic and 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes into (8-qt.) Stockpot. Cook garlic over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add broth. Return to burner; increase heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm, stirring occasionally using Mega Scraper. Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets; place into Classic Batter Bowl. Cut carrots in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise on a bias using Santoku Knife. Drain sun-dried tomatoes; pat dry with a paper towel. Slice tomatoes into thin strips. Add carrots and tomatoes to batter bowl. Cut cream cheese into cubes. Add vegetables, cream cheese, salt and black pepper to Stockpot. Stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve immediately in Simple Additions Dots Large Round Bowl. If desired, top with grated fresh Parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil.
Source: "The Pampered Chef"
NOTES : For a heartier version of this recipe, add grilled turkey Italian sausage or sliced grilled chicken breasts to pasta. If desired, 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes can be substituted for the sun-dried tomatoes.