Chicken Pizzaiolo

Chicken Pizzaiolo is an easy, pizza-inspired dish that can be served alone or over a bed of pasta.

Chicken Pizzaiolo

1 (24-oz.) jar marinara sauce 

1 tsp. dried oregano

6 (4 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or you can use 4 (6 oz.) breasts)
Black pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pepperoni (turkey or regular)

Mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Spread the marinara sauce in a 9x13 glass or ceramic baking dish. Crumble the dried oregano, and sprinkle it over the sauce.
 

2. Cover the chicken breasts in plastic wrap and gently pound to ½-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with desired amount of black pepper.
 

3. Spread the Parmesan in a shallow dish. Roll the chicken in the Parmesan, and lay the breasts on top of the marinara. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
 

4. Remove the chicken from the oven, top with desired amount of pepperoni slices and Mozzarella cheese, and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes.

Candied Carrots

Baby carrots are coated in a buttery brown sugar sauce for a colorful side dish perfect to serve with savory entrees.

Candied Carrots

2 (1 lb.) bags baby carrots
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt + salt for carrots while cooking
1/8 tsp. pepper
Snipped parsley

Place carrots into a large saucepan.  (I use a 5 qt. Dutch oven.) Pour in enough water to cover the carrots by about an inch.  Lightly salt water.  Bring water to a boil; cover and reduce heat to a high simmer.  Cook 20-30 minutes until tender but firm; do not overcook.  Drain carrots well.

In the same saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Stir in brown sugar, salt, and pepper.  Transfer carrots into brown sugar sauce; cook and stir until carrots are glazed with sauce--2 to 3 minutes more.  (Sauce will liquify.)  Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrots to a 1.5 qt. serving bowl pouring a small amount of the sauce over the carrots.  Sprinkle with snipped parsley before serving.

*Carrots will stay warm for several minutes if kept on low and covered.  Do not sprinkle with snipped parsley until ready to serve.

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I have always loved Cheddar's cooked carrots, so I set out to find a copycat recipe but found that none existed.  So I experimented with batch after batch of cooked carrots (to which my friends and family can attest...lol) until I came up with a recipe very close to Cheddar's.