As a stay-at-home mother of three, whose family is definitely on a budget, I look for every possibility to save money. Dinners are number one in this area. I like to play with ingredients that I usually have sitting around and just see what I can come up with. Sometimes it’s amazing. Sometimes it’s just better to never speak of it again. Example: pork chops and peaches are not such a great combination. I found this out the hard way. Let’s just say, even my family never saw, let alone, tasted this one.
A few have stuck around, though, and have been some of our favorites for many years. One that I am particularly fond of, and even get requests for, is what I call Zesty Italian Chicken Spaghetti. It’s fairly quick and definitely simple.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed (or 8 of the chicken tenders)
- 1 bottle of Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
- 1 small box of spaghetti (cooked according to package directions)
- 1 stick of butter (or more if you prefer)
To start, cut chicken into ½ inch strips. Place Chicken into medium size bowl and pour in enough dressing to cover chicken well. You need to marinate for at least one hour. You can definitely do longer. I usually put mine in overnight, and that just helps me to skip a step the next day.
When chicken is fully marinated, begin heating oil in a sauté pan on the stove top on medium heat. I’ve used both vegetable and olive. It’s really personal preference. When oil is heated, add chicken and begin to sauté until no longer pink in the center. This is also a good time to start your spaghetti. When both are done, toss together in a large bowl.
Place butter in small sauce pan on low to medium heat. Sprinkle in garlic powder (at least 1-2 teaspoons). Again, this comes down to personal preference. Some prefer more, some less. Remember, though, you can always add more, but you can’t take any out. Add just a couple shakes of Italian seasoning and stir until butter is good and melted. It should smell amazing at this point! Pour butter mixture over the tossed chicken and spaghetti and toss some more to make sure it is covered well. Serve garlic bread, top with Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!!!
