#eatathome

Your new go-to for a flavor-packed weeknight meal. 😋

Craving something delicious and quick? This isn't your average takeout. This is a simple, mouthwatering recipe you can make at home that will rival your favorite restaurant dish. 🌶️✨

With tender chicken, crisp peppers, and a savory sauce, this is the perfect meal to impress your taste buds without spending hours in the kitchen. 💖

My prep routine has been changed forever!

So, each week, I marinate pounds and pounds of meat in a variety of different flavors. My number one go to is the Grill Mates line. I use their Wine, Garlic & Herb, Bourbon Brown Sugar, Mojito Lime, Baja Citrus, and Mesquite marinades a few times a month. It’s helpful to have the meat marinated beforehand so that I can pull the meat and the put it right on the heat. 

Inflation

Currently, the marinade packets are $0.99 at my closest grocer- they were $2+ a few months back. The store I shop at the most doesn’t sell these packets for under $3. The stores I frequent for pickups don’t carry these items at all. One day while checking out it hit me, I should begin making my own marinades. The packets aren’t necessarily fresh, I have no control over the ingredients, the cost of EACH packet adds additional costs to EACH meal but didn’t know where to start.

Coconut Aminos to the rescue!

Typically, MOST things require soy as an ingredient, and I cannot have soy. So, I needed to research for a replacement ingredient and was able to find a product that is used as a soy substitute called Coconut Aminos. For some reason the name sounds familiar, but I’d thought I came across it in a hair conditioning recipe- or maybe I’m just thinking about silk aminos LOL. So away with the packets and onto these coconut aminos! 

My marinade faves

I usually like a wine marinade, being from the South I love a smoky marinade, and herby/zesty flavors as well. After researching what I needed for marinades: Acids- I usually use Balsamic, white, and apple cider vinegars. Oil which is basically the fat- I always use Olive oil, and the herbs or spices I’d settled on. For the mesquite I used my dry rub recipe and added it to water and oil since I didn’t need acid for that flavor. Some individuals do add an acid to their BBQ marinades- I didn’t for this particular batch.

The results!

I made the 4 following marinades:

1. An everyday marinade- to be used as my quick go to as I have ALL of these ingredients 100% of the time.

2. Zesty herb marinade- to be used on meats to top salads.

3. Citrus marinade- to be used on meat for “bowl” night.

4. Teriyaki marinade- to be used in stir-fry since I hadn’t been able to have it in so long in an attempt to avoid soy. 

Chicken Bacon Spinach Pasta

Recipe by @thecozycook

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large, boneless skinless chicken breast

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (a combo of thyme, oregano, & basil)

Salt/Pepper, to taste

4 bacon strips

10 oz. penne pasta

Garlic Parmesan Sauce

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 + 1/3 cups half and half

1 + 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 cups uncooked spinach

Cooking Directions:

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat.

Butterfly the chicken breast to create 2 thinner slices, each about an inch thick. Season each side generously with Italian seasoning and desired amounts of salt and pepper.

Sear the chicken in the hot skillet on each side. Refrain from moving the chicken around as it sizzles, it will hinder the nice golden sear color. If the pan gets too hot, reduce the heat to medium. Each side will take 3-5 minutes. Once each side is a nice, golden brown and the middle is cooked, set the chicken aside.

Reduce the heat to medium low and add the bacon to the same skillet. Low and slow is the best way to cook bacon.

While the bacon cooks, prepare the pasta according to package instructions. Once done, drizzle with a little olive oil to prevent sticking, toss, and set aside.

Once the bacon is cooked and crisp on each side, use tongs to remove it from the pan. Leave 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan, and add the garlic. Cook for about 60 seconds.

Increase the heat to medium and gradually add in the flour, whisking constantly.

Temper the half and half by heating it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add the half and half to the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high, stirring constantly. Once it starts to lightly bubble, decrease the heat to low. Mix in the Parmesan cheese. Once well-combined, add the tomatoes, spinach, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes have softened slightly. Use a silicone spatula to gently mix in the penne.

Crumble the cooked bacon, sprinkle it on top of the pasta, and serve!