There’s a certain beauty in simple ingredients.  Sharp bursting tomatoes, peppery, licorice flavored  basil, fragrant savory garlic, pasta and the tang of dry white wine.  When you can blend these ingredients into a fresh, simple, delicious pasta dish that’s easy to make and prepared in under 30 minutes… it’s even better.

Pampered Chef sent me their Covered Baking Dish to try.  I was skeptical, y’all know me.   Something you make in the microwave, and I’m going to like it? Probably not.

Then, there was the garlic slicer.. I love, love, LOVE the garlic slicer, it might be my new favorite kitchen tool. Y’all know me, I rarely cook without garlic .. the only downside, they didn’t send the garlic peeler, too. ;-(  (There’s always a catch, right?) 😉

I live in the South, I’ve spent my adult life hearing about Pampered Chef… it’s as Southern as Apple Pie, BBQ, Paula Deen and Southern Fried Chicken.

Nathan and I pored over the included recipes and decided upon the Chicken and Penne Pasta.

It was better, easier and more flavorful than I  thought it would be.  Nathan ate two helpings.

They have entire recipes centered around this baking dish and I have to admit looking at them,  I wasn’t all that impressed but now, after eating this one… I’m intrigued and looking forward to trying more.

pampered pasta1

  • 4 garlic cloves (I used 7.. y’all know me)
  • 2 C grape, cherry tomatoes
  • 3 C uncooked penne pasta (barilla pasta plus)
  • 3 C chicken broth
  • 3/4 C dry white whine ( Barefoot Chardonnay)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper (1 tsp)
  • 1 1/4 C lightly packed fresh basil leaves, divided
  • 1 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 C packed)
  • 2 C diced grilled chicken (about 3 breasts)

(italicized parentheses are mine)

pampered pasta 3

  1. Spray Deep Covered Baker with olive oil spray.   Slice garlic, I used my Garlic Slicer (woot!!! this may be my new favorite kitchen toy) Add tomatoes.  Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes.  Stir.   Microwave another 3 minutes.
  2. Crush tomatoes and garlic.  Add pasta, wine, broth and spices.  Microwave for 18 minutes, Stir at 10 minutes.
  3. Coarsely chop basil and grate cheese, chop chicken.
  4. Carefully remove the dish from the microwave, remove the lid (beware of steam), stir in basil, chicken and cheese.  Mix well.
  5. Top with additional cheese and garlic and pepper (if you like)

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So here’s the deal.  I am actually so impressed with the Covered Baking Dish that Pampered Chef is offering one to one of my readers, that means one of y’all!  This is a huge deal y’all.. this thing is oven safe, microwave safe, freezer/fridge safe and it is fantastic quality stoneware.  You want this. Trust me.

So,  tell me do you use Pampered Chef products?  IF you do, which Pampered Chef product has made your life easier?  If you don’t , why do you love cooking and which Pampered Chef product would inspire you in your kitchen?

For a 2nd entry:  Tweet this and leave the Tweet URL in an additional comment

For a 3rd entry:  If you had any amount to spend at PamperedChef.com what would you buy, and why?


In case you need me to be more transparent.. YES, I received the product gratis.   NO, they were not able to purchase my review and opinion.  If I hadn’t like this.. you would have known.  I’m as transparent as saran wrap and as honest as the day is long.. Y’all know that.  I’m just blessed to be able to have this opportunity and to share this product with y’all.

You have until Wednesday, August 5th at 11:59PM CST to enter. I’ll then use random.org to pick a winner

Congratulations to our Winner: Alisha in Ohio

Submitted on 2009/08/03 at 1:16pm

If I could buy more stuff I would buy

More stoneware! (esp. the Bar Pan!)
The garlic press
and that lovely baker dish you have 🙂

Commenter #35 as chosen by Random.OrgRANDOM.ORG - Integer Generator_1249574975290

77 Comments

  1. I use a ton of Pampered Chef products. However, I am too cheap to buy the dish you pictured. So I HOPE to win it. My favorite product is the mix’n’chop. I also love the microwavable cookware. It’s really great for warming things up in.
    .-= Amanda of Shamelessly Sassy´s last blog ..Patchypus(s): NOT about BlogHer =-.

  2. Oh I love Pampered Chef. I use the big round baking stone the most. Pizza, biscuits, cinnamon rolls cookies you name it I’ve baked it on there! The garlic slicer looks awesome. I love kitchen gadgets!
    .-= themaggers´s last blog ..Red Velvet Cupcakes =-.

  3. That covered baking dish was used to make chicken fajitas at a Pampered Chef bridal shower I went to a couple months ago! It is nice… but not in the budget. 🙂

    I do love Pampered Chef products. Pick one? Hmmm… I LOVE the ice cream scoop. It melts the ice cream as you scoop making it easy! Also… I’m never without their Cinnamon Plus spice. It makes the BEST pumpkin pie. Anything that calls for pumpkin pie spice, I use Cinnamon Plus.

    Oh, how I hope to win!
    .-= Amy @ Finer Things´s last blog ..Menu Plan, Week of August 3 =-.

  4. Lets see, I have the round baking stone, love it. I have the dicer, the apple corer/slicer, the mesauring cup for both dry & liquid, and small sqare baking dish.

  5. 3rd entry- If I had some amount to spend on pamered chef right now, I would get pretty much any of the stoneware. I just love my stone. I like the cranberry color stoneware the best.

  6. Honestly, I am an awful cook and I have never used pamper chef. BUT I have heard about them! I want this dish because it’s microwavable! That is a deal breaker for me!
    .-= Cassie´s last blog ..Sponsoring Bloggers: (part one) =-.

  7. I would buy the stemmed wine glasses with the dots. Because we all know how I like my wine….
    .-= Cassie´s last blog ..Sponsoring Bloggers: (part one) =-.

  8. That looks good and I’m amazed and impressed that it was made in the microwave. I’ll admit to curiosity over a dish like that which can be used in the oven or microwave.

    I own 1 Pampered Chef product (somehow I’ve never been to a party mostly because I was always afraid I would put myself in the poor house with the products) – it is the pizza stone. I’ve had it for at least 10 years – probably closer to a dozen. I use it often and love it. I used to have one of those slap chopper things from Pampered Chef – it was great for a little while but once the blade dulled it wasn’t useful anymore and I got rid of it.
    .-= Michelle Smiles´s last blog ..Not a party girl =-.

  9. Pampered chef products have definitely made my cooking experiences easier. I can NOT live with out my food chopper (it’s the original “Slap Chop!” lol). I use it all. the. time. And it goes right in the dishwasher and is ready for use the next time I need to do something dicey. Heh.

    I also adore my stoneware and my omelet pan. Both make making baking and sauteing, respectively, much easier and tastier!
    .-= Malia´s last blog ..The Magic of Potluck =-.

  10. If had any amount of money to spend with Pampered Chef, I would completely replace all of my stove top cookware, get more stoneware, and get some really good knives! I have one knife from PC but it needs replacing. I’d really like to have an entire culinary set of super sharp, gourmet kitchen worthy knives!
    .-= Malia´s last blog ..The Magic of Potluck =-.

  11. I love love love my Pampered Chef stuff. I’d say it would be a toss-up between the Baking Stone (I have the one with the handles attached to it) and the chopper thing. (No more smelly onion fingers!)

    (I’ve got the tool turnabout thing and it’s filled! with tools. I just love them all)

    OH- And the ice cream scooper? The one that melts the ice cream when you scoop it- SWOON! Couldn’t live without it in the summer.

    So I guess I have 3 favorites 🙂
    .-= Alisha in Ohio´s last blog ..46 =-.

  12. A friend of mine also swears by the Mix and Chop for ground meats, and I’ve been wanting to try one. I have thought about ordering it straight through the site but I’d rather somebody get my commission so I’ve waited to get invited to a party.

    I have several of their teeny white paring knives I got as a door prize at a party a couple years back and I use them for everything! That ice cream scoop sounds pretty awesome, too.

  13. I love Pampered Chef…I’d never used anything from there until my roommate from college started selling the stuff a few years ago. My favorites are the pizza stone and the bamboo spoons and spatulas.

  14. If I could spend any amount of money I’d probably get the apple peeler/corer/slicer or the deep dish pie plate. Whew, that was a tough decision…

  15. I have the baking stone and lurves the way it makes edgy-crispy cookies.

    I need the dish you have like super dooper bad.
    .-= Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing]´s last blog ..Can’t get much lower on the health chain =-.

  16. I have to name one!?! LOL! I have lots of their things!! I miss not hosting parties!

    Well let’s see….I would have to say their baking stones because they make for easy clean up!

    Or is it their all purpose spreaders because they definitely have many purposes/uses at my house!

    Thanks for hosting. 🙂
    .-= Sonshine´s last blog ..Peach Crisp =-.

  17. I don’t have any Pampered Chef stuff, but I covet my MIL’s ice cream scooper. I’d love to have some of their stuff and this dish would be awesome!!

  18. If I could have anything I wanted…WOW…I have to start with the gadgets and go from there. LOVE the gadgets!!

  19. Like you, I only microwave when I absolutely have to. But I also trust you with all things food. So, YUM! For my entry, I don’t just like to cook – I LOVE to cook (but you knew that). First, because I love eating, second, I love to create, and third, I absolutely love seeing people happy from enjoying something I made for them. And I could really use that 7″ sentoku knife!!
    .-= BusyDad´s last blog ..Time to Rant =-.

  20. Love Pampered Chef. Sounds funny, but I love their sandwich crimper most. I’ve used it with my two older when they were toddlers to make pb&j sandwiches, and I must find one to use with my littlest guy.
    .-= Mary@Everyday Baby Steps´s last blog ..It’s Been Awhile =-.

  21. I have the small baking stone and use it to cook frozen stuffed chicken entrees. I used to use it a ton for chicken fingers and nuggets when ds was younger. I also have the pizza cutter which I like.

  22. I LOVE Pampered Chef- especially the Cookie Press during the Holidays and the Pizza Stone! Great recipe!

  23. I currently don’t use many Pampered Chef items at this time. However I would love to try out the baking dish. I am absolutely intrigued by it and would love to give it a whirl.

  24. When it comes to Pampered Chef, and I had unlimited money to spend, I would be buying the entire line of TPC Stainless cookware. Although, I have recently lamented that I don’t have a garlic press, and there’s not much I DON’T want…

  25. I love my Pampered Chef Pizza Stone! I also have the stoneware Bundt Pan and it put a delish crunchy exterior on my rum cake!

  26. I have the Deluxe Mini Muffin Pan from Pampered Chef…and it is the BEST! It may actually be my favorite kitchen “gadget.” I use it almost weekly. It’s sturdy, attractive, and super easy to clean. I highly recommend it.

    We also have PC’s SpringForm Pan, which is fantastic for making New York Cheesecake.

    Overall, Pampered Chef is a wonderful brand with high-quality products. I bet this covered baking dish is no exception.
    .-= Stephanie Sheaffer´s last blog ..Back-to-School? Back-Up Your Data! =-.

  27. I have the chopper and it has made making chili simple…..I hate to bring out the food processor for little jobs but I hate chopping onions…so it makes me Happy. Also the Measuring spoons. Thanks for the chance to get more products….LOL.
    .-= Kim S´s last blog ..Just to update ya =-.

  28. My favorite tool is the simple Mix n Chop!! I use it EVERY time I brown meat (hamburger or turkey), when I mix meatloaf or deviled eggs. I used it last week for mashed potatoes, instead of getting out my blender and my mother used hers to mash strawberries for freezer jam! LOVE IT!

  29. If I had all of the money in the world to spend on Pampered Chef products it would definitely be the Cookware! But honestly, it’s their monthly host special THIS MONTH, so I don’t have to have all the money in the world!!! I can get a set for 60% off!!

  30. I absolutely LOVE Pampered Chef products! We don’t have that many, but what we do have I use all the time!

    The first: An 8 Cup Measuring cup with a LID! I’m telling you, for those times when you have house guests who wake up at different times, this is a lifesaver! You can have fresh pancake batter waiting in the fridge for those *ahem* lazier individuals.

    Second: Garlic press! Oh, how I love my garlic press!! Like you, garlic is a staple in my cooking. It’s so much easier to put a fresh garlic clove in my little press, squeeze a little bit, and viola! Fresh, minced garlic without using a knife!

    Third: This one is a bit older and Pampered Chef no longer carries it, but it’s a juicer. We’re talking a small pitcher to catch the citrus juice, a slotted, pointy bit that actually juices the citrus, and a lid that can be used to hold and rotate said citrus over the slotted, pointy bit. We love fresh lime and lemon juice and this is the best way we’ve found to add it to our recipes (and drinks).

    Fourth: I have a lime-green color coated Santoku knife that is MINE! Not my husband’s, not my kids, but MINE! LOL It fits perfectly in my hand and I’m a whiz at chopping with that thing! Chef’s knives are too big for me and this is the perfect size for my hand.

    As to what I’d like from PC if money weren’t an object? I think the better question would be what WOULDN’T I want from PC if money weren’t an object! I would completely redo everything about my kitchen! LOL

  31. I have a wishlist as long as my arm, and I’m slowly accumulating new pieces every month… So far I’ve used the large bar pan the most, it makes reheating and bacon SO much easier. It’s a small item but I also LOVE the avocado peeler. If money were no object, what would I order? The three tiered stand and all of it’s little appetizer plate friends. I love the white simple additions stuff (but not so much the dots…)

  32. No I have never had anything from Pampered Chef, BUT I WANT THIS DISH! AND the medium scoop, AND the core and more tool! I would also take the trifle bowl! OH, and I love cooking because I love getting to EAT it afterwards! 😀

  33. I love the apple peeler thingy~we say it makes “apple slinkys” I CANNOT live without my chopper~not the slap chop, the awesome PC version. I have had it for probably 15 years and I use it every day.
    .-= LibraryGirl62´s last blog ..10 Things Tuesday =-.

  34. This may actually be the first time I’ve commented here, so I have to tell you I use some of your recipes and absolutely LOVE your stories! I’ve been going to Pampered Chef parties for years now (is it an exclusively Southern thing? I live in Alabama), but my very favorite gadget is my pizza stone. Couldn’t live without it, especially since my 5-year-old son makes veggie pizzas for the family two nights a week! You read that right: age 5, making pizza. He eats it too; will wonders never cease!

  35. Pampered Chef IS as Southern as it gets. LOVE my Batter Bowl. Have to say I use it constantly. I am very hard on my kitchen equipment and this sucker wears like iron, even the rubber lid! ”
    .-= Joie at Canned Laughter´s last blog ..WFMW- Immunize Now =-.

  36. If I had any amount to spend, I would get one of their soap dispensers for every sink in the house. They are great! Then I would get a set of knives…I have one of their knives and it is awesome. And then I would get one of all the stoneware…I try to add a piece a year, but that is taking a long time!
    .-= Gina´s last blog ..A Boy and His Dog: A Love Story, Sort Of… =-.

  37. I just went to a pampered chef party last night and they used this baker to make mexican chicken. It was really good – but the baker was way out of my price range!
    My favorite products are the 2 qt batter bowl and the cookie scoop. Those two are in continual use!

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