Ode to Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Today I realized there is something I cannot live without, and it is Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix. I now have 3 dinner recipes that use this stuff, and they are all easy and they are all good. Last night we had Spaghetti, a recipe I got from Lindsey's boot camp. I adapted hers a bit, she makes hers a creamy spaghetti and I omitted the cream cheese. Then hers called for italian dressing, I only had a packet of good seasons dry mix. So I just dumped that in and called it good. Well Jed got home for dinner, and I ran out the door to go to dinner with a friend. Later he texted me and wrote "Whatever you did to make that spaghetti sauce, it's super good!" YAY! I always am happy to hear things like that, since I often cry because my kids don't like anything I make. So when I got home he made me write down what I put in it, so I wouldn't forget. So then I got to thinking, and I realized that this dressing mix is magic! I will always have a box with the 4 packets in my pantry, so I can use it in a pinch. Yeah I am sure you can make a homemade version, but then it wouldn't be easy, and the magic would be gone. I am so over trying to be that kind of mom who makes everything from scratch, just hand over the can of cream of chicken soup and the white granny sycamore's bread! (Of course homemade bread is fun to make every once in a while, but who wants to make it everyday???) I am sure some more fun recipes will show up where I can use this lovely dressing mix, but for now, I will post the 3 favorites!

Yaki Chicken
This recipe was given to us by our friends Dan and Rachel. It is awesome. It is a grilling recipe, so yay for grilling!
Ingredients:
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing (I think the packet calls for vinegar and oil)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 4 strips each
Directions:
Prepare dressing according to the directions on the Good Seasons box. Add soy sauce. Put marinade in a gallon ziploc bag, reserving a 1/4 cup for basting. Put chicken strips into bag and marinate overnight, turning occasionally. Barbecue chicken over medium heat, basting with marinade, until the juices run clear when cut. Don't overcook! Remove from grill, cover, and allow chicken to rest 3-5 min. Enjoy!

Creamy Italian Chicken
Yes Yes I know, everyone probably has this recipe, but when I was first married and didn't know how to cook anything, I thought this was the best thing anyone ever gave me. So if you don't have it, here is an easy go to recipe when you don't know what to make. And you can make it in your crockpot, even BETTER!
Ingredients
Frozen boneless skinless chicken tenders or breasts
1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing
1 can 94% fat free cream cheese (let's try to be a little bit healthier)
1 8oz package reduced fat or regular cream cheese
Directions:
1. Put the chicken in a crockpot sprayed with cooking spray
2. Dump the packet of seasoning over it
3. Pour the can or cream of chicken soup over that
4. Cook on high 3-4 hours or longer on low
5. When the chicken is cooked, take out and cut into pieces
6. Put the cream cheese in and stir to melt, until heated through
Serve over rice or noodles

Spaghetti Sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
green bell pepper
minced onion flakes (I use costco's)
1 garlic clove (I use jarred/refrigerated)
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 jar premade traditional spaghetti sauce (I just use Great Value Walmart brand!)

Just brown ground beef with the bell pepper and onion and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in canned tomatoes, dressing mix, and spaghetti sauce.
I know. It sounds so lame huh? But it was YUM! And if you are amazing and can make homemade spaghetti sauce, more power to you! This is close as I am EVER going to get! :)