Hey y'all! Today I had full intentions of marinating chicken tenderloin strips and adding them to bow tie pasta with salad dressing. That simple. But as I was taking out my pans, my creative juices began to flow. I thought... "why don't I add some onion and garlic". And so it began. So I started to cook in the most unorganized fashion ever. I'm going to share with you my recipe for my newly founded "Santa Fe Chicken Pasta". Warning... I have no exact measurements it's all to your own taste. I also did some things out of order and will try to correct it best I can. Also... if you make this PLEASE use a stainless steel skillet or cast iron because it will taste so much better. I'll explain later.

First things first. Marinate that chicken for a couple hours. Longer the better, you know the drill! This is the dressing I used. This is my FAVORITE salad dressing brand. The flavor is Santa Fe blend... which gives hint to my title!

Next Cut up some red onion, tomato and then cut your chicken into bite size pieces (which I didn't do and in fact didn't cook my chicken all the way through and had to remove everything from my pan to recook)

Using a stainless steel or cast iron skillet (which I didn't do) heat up some butter and get your pan really hot. Throw the chicken on your pan and get it dark. As the pioneer women would say, "dark and butter go together". Remove chicken when it's cooked.

Here is my chicken which at the time wasn't cooked all the way.

Then add a bit more butter and add the onions and some minced garlic and get them going then add the tomato and cook a minute longer. Get them brown. I used a fun orange tomato from the farmer's market. So sweet! When they are soft and brown remove them from the pan.

Now, this is where I tell you why to use a cast iron or stainless pan. They hold more brown and juices from the chicken and veggies. Which is about to be loosened. There isn't quite as much goodness to work with when you use a non stick so once again... use what kind of pan???

OK... now add some cooking white wine and scrape up all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Then add some of the salad dressing you used to marinate the chicken with. Let it cook for a min. or so stirring. Now I know they say there isn't a point to cooking wine but when you don't know anything about real wine and can't afford the real stuff.... the cooking kind is good enough for me.

Next add some cream and keep stirring. Just add however much looks good to you. I realized my cream was frozen.... my fridge was turned up all the way from when I made jello salad on labor day. So I used half and half and milk instead. Don't know if you should do that but I was working fast and not thinking too much. Anyways... keep stirring it and let it thicken.

Then add the veggies and chicken

Then add the noodles which you've been cooking right??? Let them sit in the sauce all together for a while. Remove to a platter and sprinkle generously with chopped parsley.

Then enjoy!!!

I used a whole wheat pasta and it was delicious and hearty. The colors make it a warm and colorful fall meal.

Have a great week!!!!

Santa Fe Chicken Pasta

From K. Marie's Kitchen

Chicken tenderloin strips

A yummy salad dressing

Garlic

Red Onion

Tomato

Cooking white wine.... or the real stuff if you know enough about it to justify what it costs (I don't have knowledge or the funds)

Cream

Pasta of your choice

BUTTER!!! Real butter!

Fresh Parsley

1. Marinate chicken in dressing for several hours

2. Chop veggies and chicken

3. Heat butter on pan and cook chicken; Remove to plate

4. Add more butter and let it brown then add onions and garlic, a min later add tomatoes and cook until soft and browned; Remove to plate

5. Add cooking wine and scrape bits off bottom of pan then add some more dressing; cook for a min or so

6. Add cream and stir/ whisk it around till it thickens

7. Add veggies and chicken

8. Add cooked noodles and let sit on low heat for a couple min.

9. Remove to platter; top with parsley