Green beans along can be bland and boring, but with the right additions they can be great.  One way I make green beans is to add a little bacon.  This is a great comfort food and I recently served it with shredded chicken over mashed potatoes with gravy and southern fried corn.  Every once in a while a little comfort food is just what you need.

Here's what you'll need

Green Beans w/Bacon
2 slices bacon, chopped up
1 10oz bag frozen green beans
1/2 cup water
Salt & Pepper to taste

Add green beans to bacon, season with salt and pepper, then stir to coat.  Add water, cover and simmer approximately 15 to 20 minutes.  Make sure the beans do not boil dry to avoid burning.

My mom has always told me how much she loves the Tangy Tomato Salad dressing at Outback so I was intrigued when I came across this recipe in my "Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" cookbook.  I'm a loyal ranch dressing fan at Outback; however, I planned to use up the bag of spinach I opened for tonight's Tuscan Garlic Chicken so it wouldn't go to waste.  We lost a bunch of condiments when the compressor went out in the refrigerator, so instead of spending a ton of money restocking the refrigerator with various salad dressings, I decided to try to make one.  This was super simple to make and tasted delicious.  I can't compare it to Outback's since I always get ranch; however, I really enjoyed this dressing.

Here's what you'll need

Outback's Copy Cat Tangy Tomato Salad Dressing
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp ketchup
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
pinch dried thyme
1/2 salt (optional)

Transfer to desired container, cover, and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Tonight's dinner mission was to make a meal that was easily as good as something we would get at a restaurant without the high price.  After surfing around online and reading a copy cat version of Olive Garden's Tuscan Chicken in my America's Most Wanted Recipes book, I decided to give the book's recipe a chance; however as I was cooking it I thought the sauce was a little bland so I changed things up just a bit.  I've never had Tuscan Garlic Chicken at Olive Garden, so I cannot say how close this recipe resembles it; however, it was very tasty and my family really enjoyed it!

Here's what you'll need

Olive Garden Style Tuscan Chicken - Copy Cat
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large or 4 thin boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp marjoram, dried
1 tsp oregano, dried
1/2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Parmesan, grated
1/2 bag of fresh spinach (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup white wine
1 lb angel hair pasta, cooked according to manufacturer's directions.

Preheat oven 350.  Prepare pasta.

Cook until spinach is wilted.  Add remaining 1/4 cup of wine.  Bring sauce to a simmer, stirring frequently for an additional 5 minutes.  Test seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Tonight's recipe was a big hit.  Even my seven year old daughter loved it!