Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

This classic Italian-inspired dish mixes simple

ingredients to create complex flavor without the

fuss.

Prep: 15minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

6 strips bacon (I simplified this and used Kirkland precooked bacon chopped into pieces and fried for a few minutes)

16 ounce spaghetti

 1 cup frozen peas

3 eggs plus one yolk room temperature

1/2 cup plus 2 T shredded parmesan

cheese, divided

3/4 tsp. salt plus more for pasta water divided

1⁄4 tsp. black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a sheet

pan with foil. Bring stockpot of salted water to a

boil.

Step 2

Place bacon on foil-lined sheet pan and

bake 15 minutes (safe internal temp.

145°F).

Step 3

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to

package directions. In final 1-2 minutes of

cooking, add peas.

Step 4

Chop cooked bacon into bite-size

pieces.

Step 5

In small bowl, whisk together eggs, yolk, and 1/2 cup

parmesan. Set aside.

Step 6

Drain pasta, reserving1 cup pasta water.

Return pasta to stockpot followed by

3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 cup pasta water.

Step 7

Slowly stir in egg mixture (a creamy

sauce will start to form). If sauce looks

too thick, add a bit more pasta water.

Step 8

Garnish with remaining 2 Tablespoons

parmesan and serve immediately.

Refrigerate any leftovers.

Copied fro Smith's Food and Drug "mymagazine" March 2026 page 16

Sweet Potato Cookies

 1/4 cup butter

3 T honey

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking powder

cinnamon per preference

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Optional 1/4 cup crushed pecans, 1/4 cup pepitas

sprinkle of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Microwave and mash sweet potatoes.   Melt butter, mix in honey until smooth, and pour into sweet potato mash and mix. Add egg and mix.  Add flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.  Mix.  Fold in chocolate chips, pecans, and pepitas.  

Drop cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 25 minutes (will be soft).  Cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Shared with me by the mom of my students--Carter, Bennett (who said it was his favorite snack), Reid, and Beck.  Bennett brought the recipe to school for me.

Chicken Tacos

 

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Tacos

This recipe for slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken tacos is like a magic trick for your taste buds. With just a few simple steps, you can turn chicken and a few ingredients into something totally delicious.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken Tacos

Prep Time 20minutes minutes

8hours hours 8minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 116kcal

Author Dana DeVolk

Equipment

• slow cooker

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 small bell peppers sliced
• 1 large sweet onion thinly sliced
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 cubes tomato bouillon with chicken flavor
• 1/2 teaspoon adobo all-purpose seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 15 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

• Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil; once hot, add the peppers, onion, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine
  1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 small bell peppers, 1 large sweet onion, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cook until the vegetables are softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Take off the heat.
• Spray an 8-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the chicken into the bottom of the pot.
  2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
• Crumble the bouillon and sprinkle it over the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining garlic powder and onion powder on top. Add the adobo and cumin.
  2 cubes tomato bouillon with chicken flavor, 1/2 teaspoon adobo all-purpose seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pour the chicken broth around the chicken, then add the peppers and onions.
  15 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
• Place the lid on and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 2-4 hours on high.
• Shred the chicken in the pot and mix everything together. Serve in tacos, or however you wish.

Notes

• Use a hand mixer to shred the chicken easily in the slow cooker.
• Add a little bit of hot sauce or chipotle peppers for extra spice.
• For crispy edges, spread the shredded chicken on a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes.
• Make a double batch and freeze half for a quick meal later.
• Serve with a simple side salad or Mexican rice to round out the meal.

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 150mg | Potassium: 397mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 956IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg

Kevin, Andrew, and I all enjoyed this on tortillas or tortilla chips.  It's mild but flavorful. I did put it in the oven to broil for a few minutes to crisp up the edges.

Pesto and Marinara Mozzarella Chicken Bake (melskitchencafe.com)

 

PESTO AND MARINARA MOZZARELLA CHICKEN BAKE

yield: 6 SERVINGS

 

prep time: 15MINUTES MINS

cook time: 25MINUTES MINS

total time: 40MINUTES MINS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ to ½ cup pesto
• 4 cups marinara sauce (see note)
• 8 thick slices mozzarella cheese or freshly grated mozzarella cheese, about 1 to 2 cups
• Hot cooked noodles for serving (optional), cooked noodles for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch (or slightly smaller) baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and lightly season all sides with salt and pepper. Spoon the pesto into the baking dish and toss the chicken with the pesto until evenly covered, arranging them into a single layer.
• Pour the marinara evenly over the top of the chicken. Top with mozzarella slices (or with shredded cheese, if using).
• Cover the dish with lightly greased foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is hot and bubbling.
• Serve over hot, cooked noodles, if desired.

NOTES

Chicken: frozen chicken won't work well here - it will add too much extra liquid to the dish. I have a feeling this dish is super adaptable which means you could probably increase the amount of chicken to three pounds for heartier portions without changing anything else.

Cheese: remember, if using shredded mozzarella cheese in place of the sliced - grating your own mozzarella will make it extra melty and gooey (preshredded cheese is coated with a powdery substance to prevent caking which makes it melt less well than freshly grated cheese). 

Marinara Sauce: as noted in the post and the ingredient list, I like to keep this classic marinara sauce in the freezer to use for dishes like this; you could definitely use your favorite storebought version in place of the homemade. 

Pesto: my favorite storebought brand of pesto is Costco's refrigerated pesto.

©Mel's Kitchen Cafe — https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pesto-and-marinara-mozzarella-chicken-bake/

I made this using 24 ounce jar of Ragu Simply 8 Traditional