Linguine with Italian Chicken Meatballs & a Product Review!

I was recently contacted by Gold'n Plump Poultry asking if I would be willing to try some of their ground chicken products which have recently started Utah distribution.  Of course I said YES!  I love trying new products, and finding new and exciting family favorites!   And let me be the first to tell you, their new lean ground chicken products are incredible! 


During this time of year, and especially in Utah, many of us start cooking heartier, slow-cook meals that are perfect for ground meat products. This winter as you prepare any ground meat-based recipes, consider trying one of Gold'n Plump's new healthier varieties instead. You will be amazed at how delicious this ground chicken product is!  If you don't believe me, do a "ground-off" to taste and compare different ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey) products. 


The first recipe I tried was the 'ol family stand by, taco salad.  I used the ground chicken from Gold'n Plump just like I would have ground beef.  Added a can of black beans, some taco seasoning and voila!  My family LOVED the replacement of chicken for beef.  It definitely added a different flavor element having ground chicken in the mix, and what a treat!  This will definitely be a do-again!  What I loved the best about it was that the chicken was so incredibly lean (I used the 95/5 variety) that I didn't have to drain it at all and it was still incredibly moist and delicious!

The second meal I made with the Gold'n Plump Poultry was Linguine with Italian Turkey Meatballs...using CHICKEN!  Another winner!!!  We loved the swap using chicken instead of turkey, and again LOVED the lightness that the chicken brought to this meal.  There were so many flavors in the meatballs, that you could've just eaten them plain.  Yumm-O!

Since I know you're going to want to go grab some of this amazing ground chicken, All of Gold'n Plump's products, including its Recipe Ready™ ground chicken, are available at the following stores in Utah: 

Harmons, Dick’s, Lin’s, Marketplace, Fresh Market, Thriftway, Dan’s, Food 4 Less, Family Fresh Foods and Target/SuperTARGET. 

Gold'n Plump's ground chicken products retail for approximately $2.99 to $3.99, per 16-ounce package, and include: 

95/5 ground chicken spaghetti grind (fresh)

93/7 ground chicken chub (fresh and frozen)

90/10 ground chicken spaghetti grind (fresh)

90/10 ground chicken chub (fresh and frozen)

Additional mouth-watering recipes using Gold'n Plump ground chicken can be found right here. 

Grilled Chicken Penne al Fresco

I recently splurged and bought myself a new kitchen gadget.  The Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker.  I'm still experimenting with recipes to make in it and figuring out the conversion from oven to microwave so I've only tried 2 recipes so far.  The first one was a complete miss.  It was AWFUL!!!  This one, on the other hand, was FANTASTIC!!!! 

First there's the cherry tomatoes cooked with garlic to bursting, then smashed and cooked with chicken broth and noodles and seasonings.  Stir in the Grilled chicken, sliced with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese and you've got yourself a delicious dinner without heating up your house AND fast!  Seriously, anything is better with fresh basil from your garden and Parmesan cheese!  I was amazed at how well everything turned out cooking it all in the microwave...especially the noodles!!!!  Absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!

You don't have to have a baker like mine to make this delicious recipe.  Everything could easily be converted to stovetop directions, but for me...I'll continue with the microwave method.  Because I can.

{Recipe for Grilled Chicken Penne al Fresco}

Penne Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Cheesey Garlic Bread

Confession time. I'm a Food Network Junkie. Okay, there. I said it! Though, I don't think my confession to you all will help wean me off that channel any time soon.

My latest recipe I found while watching "Sandra's Money Saving Meals" on Sunday morning (recipe link below last photo). As she was making everything, I couldn't stop DROOLING! I also knew, that this was something that would win the heart (and somach) of my dear hubby...and it did...as well as the rest of my brood. We all scarfed this one down despite the heat from the red pepper flakes (I even used 1/2 of what it called for)! Thankfully, we LOVE spicy foods!

While we were enjoying this delicious meal, I couldn't help but observe how similar it was to something we would order at some fancy Italian restaurant. Well! NO more! This one makes restaurant night at home so do-able and even more affordable!

I don't know about you, but for us, what makes an italian meal come together is the bread. Whether it be a breadstick or a roll or a loaf. There's something about eating Italian that just screams for a bread side, like we really even need it with all the pasta carbs, right!?

Well, in the true spirit of our Italian Restaurant meal, I made a Cheesy Garlic Bread to go with our pasta. In Sandra's recipe, she says to get a store-bought loaf of garlic bread. I didn't. I have so many loaves of Cibatta bread waiting to be used in my freezer that what I did was make a garlic butter spread and then finish with the rest of Sandra's recipe directions.

No matter what you try, you will LOVE this! I know for certain, this meal will become a regular in our menu schedule!!!

Garlic Butter Spread
1/2 stick butter, at room temperature
4 cloves of garlic, or to taste (I LOVE garlic so I could probably have done even more!), grated

Combine well. Spread lightly on bread.



Penne Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe