I was looking through my old recipe cards last week, and I came across one of my favorites! There are so many things that I love about this recipe: mascarpone cheese, Marsala wine, and mushrooms. What an amazing combination! And the scent of the garlic, onions, and mushrooms simmering away is heavenly!

This is a super quick meal to throw together for a week night, but it will seem like you spent hours on it!

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pound chicken tenders, cut in 2-3 pieces
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onion (about 1 small onion)
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (I used button mushrooms and it turned out just as well!)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup Marsala wine (you can use the store-bought cooking wine, but the real wine makes such a difference)
• 8 ounce mascarpone cheese
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 12 ounce fettuccine noodles

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Sprinkle chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and keep warm.
3. In the same pan, melt the butter. Add onion and saute about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute about 12 minutes, until the mushrooms cooked.
4. Add the wine and simmer about 4 minutes. Stir in the cheese and mustard. Immediately return the chicken to the pan with the drained fettuccine. Stir and heat through. It is important to not overheat once the cheese melts! Serve and enjoy!

Source: Rachael Ray

Here is the recipe for the filet mignon that I promised you! This is the perfect recipe for a fancy meal that does not take long at all. 20 minutes?? Can't get much better than that!

This is also the perfect meal for Valentine's Day with that special someone. Serve your filets with a side of au gratin potatoes and roasted broccoli with my mudslide brownie parfaits for dessert! You cannot go wrong :)

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 5 Tablespoons butter, divided
• Olive oil
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried parsley)
• 4 filet mignon steaks (1 1/2 inches thick and 6 oz. each)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms in 3 Tablespoons butter for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add the cream. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Stir in parsley; set aside and keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in another large skillet, heat the remaining butter with a splash of olive oil over medium-high heat. (If you have a high-heat frying pan like an All-Clad pan, lower the temperature to medium or slightly lower)
3. Cook steaks for 6-7 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reaches desired doneness. (145* for medium-rare; 160* for medium, 170* for well-done)
4. Serve with mushroom sauce. Enjoy!!

Source: Taste of Home

As Valentine's Day is fast approaching, we all know that the way to a guy's heart is through his stomach! Well, I have just the meal for you. For the main course, I will be posting the most delicious filet mignon with mushroom cream sauce. I'm telling you, it is to die for! For dessert, these mudslide parfaits are so simple to prepare and they will be resting in the fridge, waiting for you while you prepare dinner!

Who doesn't love brownies and boozy pudding??

Total Time: 1 hour + 2 hours refrigeration

Yield: 16 mini dessert flares or approx. 8 small glasses

Ingredients:

• 1 box Betty Crocker Fudge brownie mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 box (3.56 oz.) Hershey's dark chocolate pudding mix (Can use a different brand/chocolate if you cannot find this)
• 1 box (3.4 oz.) vanilla pudding mix
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk, divided
• 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
• 1/4 cup Kahlua (original or mocha-flavored)

Directions:

1. Prepare and bake brownies according to box directions for a 9 x 13 pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dark chocolate pudding mix, 1 3/4 cup milk and Kahlua about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix with remaining 1 3/4 cup milk and Bailey's for 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
4. Meanwhile, remove brownies from oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, cut some strips of brownies about 1/2 inch wide. Break brownie strips into small pieces. (There will be brownies left for you to enjoy!)
5. If using mini dessert flares: Fill the bottoms of the dishes with a few pieces of brownies. Top with a heaping spoonful of the vanilla pudding so that it goes to the sides. Top with a large spoonful of the chocolate pudding. Top with a couple pieces of brownie. Place on a small tray and finish the rest of the glasses.
6. For small drinking glasses: do the same as above but continue with another layer each of brownie, vanilla pudding and chocolate pudding. Top with brownie pieces.
7. Place glasses in fridge for at least an hour or until ready to serve. If saving for the next day, cover with plastic wrap. These will stay good for 2-3 days if covered. Enjoy!

The first time I tried these chicken nuggets is when my mom made these for my sister's high school graduation party back in 2006. Still seems like yesterday!! We loved them right away and made them quite a few times, but somehow, we hadn't really made them again until recently.

I was so excited to make a meal for my family's Sunday dinner, but of course, my chicken-only-eating husband and my sister would not eat what I was going to make. I dug through my chicken recipes and came across this old favorite. It was perfect to make for both of them, because I cut up the chicken in advance, and then I breaded the pieces and placed it in the oven while I worked on some other things for our dinner. So simple!

These chicken nuggets have a delightful hint of sweetness that really set them apart. You can also double the batch and freeze the nuggets after they are baked. Dinner will be so quick next time for those busy nights, and your kids will love how fast dinner comes together!

Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup corn flakes crumbs (You can buy this, usually with the bread crumbs or you can crush your own)
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice (This is the secret ingredient!!)
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Sauce for dipping (I love barbecue with these!)

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray very lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large, shallow dish, combine the corn flakes, bread crumbs, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and allspice.
3. Drizzle about 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil over the crumb mixture and mix well to incorporate the oil throughout.
4. On a plate or other shallow dish, roll some of the chicken pieces in flour. Then, dredge the same chicken in egg, and roll in the crumb mixture. Make sure to cover the chicken completely with the crumbs. Place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Continue with the remaining chicken.
5. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and browned all over. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Source: Rachael Ray