By: Jessica DiRamio

I am not a good cook, but on occasion I knock one out of the park.  Last night I definitely had a home run! Three kids were for more and I even caught my husband licking his bowl!  My concoction was entirely based on my favorite meal to order at a restaurant:  chicken, ziti and broccoli!  I've never tried to make it at home because, quite honestly, I didn't think I could.  Encouraged by the hubs to try it, I did and WOWZA! It came out great! Below is a picture of what I hoped my dish would look like. It definitely resembled it!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of raw chicken tenders
  • 1 bag of broccoli florets
  • 1 jar of alfredo sauce
  • 1 box of ziti
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Onion Powder
  • Paprika

Cut up the raw chicken into smaller than bite size pieces; get rid of any fat, etc.  This is the grossest thing I have ever done but I'm pretty proud of myself for getting through it with just a few gags.  So gross…  Flavor the chicken with dashes (or maybe a little more), of salt, peper, paprika and onion powder.  I think the paprika is what made this dish outstanding.

While the ziti is boiling, cook the chicken pieces in a small amount of vegetable oil until desired "doneness" is achieved.  I like my chicken browned, but my girls prefer it a little softer. Steam the broccoli and warm the alfredo sauce in a separate sauce pan. I added a bit of water to the sauce make it a little thinner.

After all components are cooked, combine and enjoy!

My family loved the dish so much that we plan to have it again later this week!  Home run!