May 31, 2010

Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake

It’s been another jam-packed weekend. On Saturday morning my darling hubby installed a microwave shelf to help me free up some much needed counter space in my tiny kitchen.



Although the shelve was not as easy to assemble as it said on the box (when is it ever?) hubby did a fantastic job and with some rearranging of a few appliances I now feel like I can breath in my kitchen and is actually looking forward to getting stuck in and having some baking fun.

Saturday afternoon we had some friends over with their adorable 10 month old son, he is such a sweetie and it just reminded me again of how small my own kids use to be and how quickly they grow up. To work around the little guys schedule we decided to have a late lunch early supper so I made one of my family’s favorite dishes, Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake. Its super quick and easy but packed full of flavor.


Chicken and Bacon Pasta Bake

1pk pasta of your choice (macaroni, penne, screws, etc)
1 X 250g pkt of streaky bacon cut into cubes
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite size cubes)
1 tin chopped tomatoes (or ratatouille)
2 big handfuls of crated cheddar cheese
Salt, black pepper and herbs to taste (I prefer basil and oregano)
Oil for frying


- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water as per the pkt instructions.
- While pasta is cooking fry the chicken cubes in a little oil till just white.
- Add the bacon to the chicken and continue to fry till it is cooked through.
- Add the tin tomato, and season to taste with salt, black pepper and herbs.
- Drain the pasta and place it in an oven proof dish.
- Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix through.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake in a medium hot oven (180C) till
the cheese is melted and gooey.


Serve the dish on its own or add a big green salad and a garlic flat bread to turn it into a delicious family feast. This dish will easily feed 4 to 5 hungry adults and takes only about 30min to prepare, perfect for weekend get togethers or family suppers.

I love recipes that I can chop and change to fit my mood and the contents of my grocery cupboard. So if you are out of bacon and chicken simply use pork sausages or minute steaks, fried and cut into slices they add a delicious twist to this ever-changing pasta dish.




Thank you to my Facebook friend Aiden for the picture.

May 27, 2010

The start of a new adventure in the kitchen.

After much deliberation, I have decided to follow my heart and take the leap into finally starting my own catering company specialising in cakes, cupcakes and platters. Join me on my adventures (and I’m sure a few misadventures)as I find out what lies ahead on the candy coated road to catering heaven. On the way I will be trying out new recipes, finding out how to best advertise my business and even make time for some general goofing around. Let the baking fun begin!

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