Who wants Macaroni Grill?

*If you want a yummy recipe, read this post. If you want cute kid pictures, go to next post!*

We had the most DELICIOUS meal tonight for dinner. Since both our husbands have been in class 2 nights a week, my neighbor Julie and I have been having dinner together those nights and just making enough for the boys when they get home late. A few weeks ago she made this DIVINE chicken marsala. I was seriously in heaven. I had to have the recipe and it is supposedly the Macaroni Grill recipe. Then I remembered my sis-in-law, Jill, had sent me the Macaroni Grill bread recipe a long time ago. 'Why not have Macaroni Grill for dinner?' I thought to myself. So I whipped both up with a salad and it was wonderful. I thought I might share the wealth of deliciousness with everyone. They were both very easy (because everything I make is easy) so don't be fooled by the pasta recipe.

Macaroni Grill Chicken Milano
2 T. olive oil
1 chicken breast
2 T. butter
1 c. chicken broth
2 cloves garlic
2 c. fresh mushrooms sliced (we left these out, yuck. But you may like them...)
1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes, chopped (found in a small bag next to tomato sauces)
1/4 c. cooking wine - or more chicken broth :)
2 T. flour
1 c. whipping cream
1 pkg bow tie pasta (I didn't quite use the whole box)
parsley or basil and parmasan for garnish

Cook pasta and drain. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, cook chicken and set aside. In same skillet add butter and 1/4 c. chicken broth and deglaze pan. Add garlic, mushrooms, and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Reduce, then add wine. Reduce again. Sprinkle with flour and cook for a minute to get rid of 'flour' taste. Add rest of broth and cream. Let it combine for a couple minutes, stirring constantly. Mix sauce mixture, chicken, and noodles together and let it thicken for just a minute longer. Sprinkle with basil (or parsley) and serve with parmasan.

*Julie had to tell me what to do to 'reduce' it. You just cook it on medium heat until there's not very much liquid left. I have a gas stove so it's hard to cook things on a low temp. I'll admit I got as far as adding the garlic and tomatoes and I TOTALLY burnt it all. I had to dump it out and start over - and it was still worth it! :)

Macaroni Grill Bread

1 T. yeast
1 T. sugar
1 c. WARM water
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 T. rosemary
1 T. butter

Disolve yeast, sugar, and water in mixer. Add butter, salt, and 2 c. flour, and mix. Add rosemary and rest of the flour. Mix 5 min. Let rise for 1 hour. Split in half and put on cookie sheet. Let rise another 30 min. Bake at 375 for 15-20 min. Top with some butter. Enjoy!

*Jill said she liked to double it and do two big loaves on the cookie sheet so that's what I did. It definitely made two big loaves. I think next time I'll double it but still make 4 small loaves. YUM!!!

Really, I suck at making bread so if I can do it, anyone can do it! Eat up!