I'm just another working mom seeking a few moments of Zen and zinfandel between soccer practice and supper. My former beach bartender husband founded 
I’m giving away a beautiful stoneware Deep Dish Baker from The Pampered Chef as featured in this recipe this week on my review blog…check it out!
I was first introduced to the Cult of The Pampered Chef when I was in my late 20s and newly married. I like to call Pampered Chef crack for the kitchen. Here you are with a new mortgage on a condo and a co-worker invites you to a some kitchen party which you agree to go to because you’ve heard there are yummy appetizers and after the demonstrations you get the twitchy need to max out your Visa because you must have a Crinkle Cutter or for the love of God the Suds Pump! Plus you know your husband won’t mind because normally your idea of fancy appetizers consists of jar salsa poured, delicately of course, into a ramekin.
Ahhhh the days of my youth.
Someone representing Pampered Chef e-mailed me this summer about trying their new Deep Dish Baker and it took me about two seconds to respond yes. I need all the motivation in the kitchen I can get.
I’m not the best cook in the world, but I thought I’d share a recipe I made last week with the baker. I love pasta and the fresh garlic and cherry tomatoes made the house smell like an Italian bistro. If you don’t own this deep dish baker you could certainly improvise. This made a ton of pasta and the hubby and I ended up having it as leftovers the next night with a spinach salad…love Marzetti’s Honey Balsamic Dressing, you must try it.
Grilled Chicken Penne al Fresco
Ingredients:
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
3 cups uncooked mezze penne pasta
3 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine such as Chardonnay
1/2 tsp each salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, divided
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup packed)
2 cups diced grilled chicken breasts
Additional grated fresh Parmesan cheese and coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Directions:
1. Spray Deep Covered Baker with olive oil. Slice garlic into baker using a garlic slicer. Add tomatoes. Cover; microwave on HIGH 4-5 minutes or until tomatoes begin to burst, stirring after 2 minutes. Crush tomatoes. Add pasta, broth, wine, salt and black pepper.
2. Return baker to microwave; cover and microwave on HIGH 16-18 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring after 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely chop basil and reserve 2 tbsp for garnish.
3. Carefully remove baker from microwave and remove lid, lifting away from you (very important unless you want to give your face a serious steam treatment). Add remaining basil, cheese and chicken to baker; mix well. Garnish with reserved 2 tbsp basil, additional Parmesan cheese and black pepper, if desired.
You can substitute more chicken broth for wine (I used Smoking Loon Chardonnay, which was recommended to us by the always helpful staff at West Meade Wine & Liquor Mart, also known by the girls as the bottle store.)
Visit Rachel’s blog, A Southern Fairytale, for more Mouthwatering Mondays recipes!
That looks totally yummy. I have that casserole dish and I love it. I used it to roast a chicken the other night and it turned out superb.
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..So much to do =-.
Looks like a yummy dish! I don’t like tomatoes in their original form but hubby does and these would be big enough for me to pick out. And anything that starts with wine has to be yummy!
.-= Michelle Smiles´s last blog ..Donna Reed and Martha Stewart rolled into 1 =-.
It is really yummy. Jennifer I want to roast a chicken in it soon! I am definitely making white chili, too.
Michelle, you pretty much pulverize the tomatoes and then of course all the wine makes you forget the tomatoes.
.-= Jamie´s last blog ..Grilled Chicken Penne Goodness And A Pampered Chef Giveaway =-.
That recipe looks fabulous!
Thank you, from another working mom with limited cooking time!
Looks delicious, even though I’m not a huge basil fan!
.-= Bluegrass Mama´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday: Comfy yet? =-.
THAT looks amazing. I could eat pasta every night. Basil, wine, tomatoes, pasta – I’m all in.
.-= Brigid´s last blog ..Sunday pm =-.
Garlic and Wine. Good.
.-= EG´s last blog ..Man’s Best Friend =-.
What a great find on a day I couldn’t decide what to make for dinner
.-= mysuestories´s last blog ..The Last Dance =-.
The deep dish baker is awesome to do a quick and easy pork loin in the MICROWAVE, too
Can’t believe it? Try it
!
I think my family would love this.
That looks and sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
MomBlog, you continually amaze me… this looks fabo!
This looks yummy!! I’m adding it to my menu plan next week!
.-= amy2boys´s last blog ..Poor Man’s Cake =-.
this really is up my alley! I LOVE pasta dishes, especially with veggies and garlic. I think the bite of the wine sounds lovely to offset the creaminess
Looks good but I can’t eat garlic,wonder how it would be if I omitted it.
Wow, seems like a lot of wine! I think it likely burns off in the cooking process. Definitely a very nice recipe.
Carol:
It basically “cooks” the wine if that makes sense. You can add more chicken broth instead, though!
And Carol No. 1:
You could do less garlic. It was a lot to me and I LOVE the garlic.
There was a little left even after a second dinner so we added more grilled chicken, Alfredo sauce, and some crumbled cooked bacon for dinner a third night!
Coincidentally, I made this dish last night. I had a Pampered Chef bridal party where I discovered this lovely recipe and deep dish baker. The idea of cooking in the microwave is very appealing! I stick to the recipe except for two things: I put the chicken in the same time I add the pasta AND I add more cherry tomatoes. The hubby and I love tomatoes. I think I might try leaving the cherry tomatoes out next time and instead add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and bacon pieces.
.-= Shelley´s last blog ..Flooding in Central Kentucky =-.
Pasta, my favorite!
.-= joni´s last blog ..Reesi =-.
This recipe looks delicious
!!
Carla
cpullum(at)yahoo(dot)com
This looks really delicious! Yumm!
.-= Rebecca C´s last blog ..Giveaways – September 23, 2009 =-.
Thank you for the recipe. I grill alot of chicken at a time and then use it in different recipes. This looks like one the whole family would eat. Thank you
this sounds delish! Will have to make it this weekend.
Wow, this sounds actually do-able for me! I don’t experiment much, with 3 picky boys. And it looks great, especially considering it was made in the microwave. I will definitely try this – thanks for the recipe!
This sounds delicious – and fairly easy to make, which is even better. I’m a vegetarian, so I’d most likely sub grilled veggies for the chicken and more wine for the chicken broth (no problem there!), and I’m looking forward to trying it out. Thanks!
This looks really great- and since the littles smashed the crap out of my good casserole dish I could so use a PC one. Getting all my entries in for a better chance.
.-= Dddiva´s last blog ..Out of hospital, catching up again. =-.
This sounds and looks like a yummy dish my whole family would enjoy. And it even looks easy enough for me to make! Thanks so much.
I was just going to pour some sauce on pasta tonight, but you’ve inspired me!
This looks delish! My husband’s favorite pasta is penne, so I gotta try this, sans the tomatoes though, he is not a tomato lover (whole that is, he likes marinara sauce and ketchup, go figure?!)
.-= Tammy´s last blog ..Cystex – Help for UTIs – Information and Giveaway =-.
That dish looks yummy and sound easy to make.
Oh gosh, I am so hungry right now and that looks awesome! I would probably leave out the grape tomatoes and sub chicken stock in, but otherwise it looks fabulous.
This looks really good, I can’t wait to to try it! I’m totally addicted to The Pampered Chef even though I only have two pieces so far, this stuff is so durable!
I think our family would like this very much. SImple ingredients and easy to make. My type of dish!
This sounds and looks so good. I’ll have to give it a try.
braaisjo at gmail dot com
Ooh, that looks really good!! I’m definitely gonna have to try this one out…and soon!!
That looks delicious! I love creating new pasta dishes. I am printing this out right away! Thanks for the great recipe idea.
I can’t wait to try this out. Looks great!
Wow, what a great recipe. I love anything that uses big chunks of tomatoes. We used to grow tomatoes and have fresh ones to cook with. I miss that now that I ilve in the desert.
This is a really great recipe. I think that my partner would really enjoy it if I made this for her this weekend.
This sounds so good! I love pasta especially during the Fall. This sounds like such a great dish to curl up with on a chilly evening.
Love pampered chef
love the Trend Lab Baby Cocoa Dots Tulip Tote
Thanks. This dish sounds so tasty. I want to know how to cook it. Is it easy to do? Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing the recipe of this seemingly wonderful dish. Please share the recipes of other dishes you love to cook.