Here it is...probably my most-requested recipe ever--and probably one of the easiest! How long does it take you to open 5 cans? Well...that's how long it will take you to throw this together!
I really can't take credit for it, though. The original came from the Fix It and Forget It cookbook, but I have modified it so much over time that it has kind of taken on a mind of its own. You can switch out the types of beans, meat, and level of spiciness to fit your taste.
This is also one of the few recipes I could make while I was pregnant and on salt restriction due to my super cankles. Simply buy the "no salt added" versions of the canned stuff for a lower-sodium alternative.
There is no "right" way to make this...but here's my favorite rendition:
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves 8+
2-3 chicken breasts (you can just throw them in frozen!)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can Rotel
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, hot...whatever your taste)
Garnishes:
Tortilla chips
Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Chopped green onions
Whatever else you like!
1. Dump all of the above ingredients in the crockpot (no need to drain anything) & cook for 6-8 hours on low.
2. Before serving take chicken breasts out, shred them & return them to the soup.
...and you are DONE! THAT'S IT!!!
Put some tortilla chips in the bottom of a bowl, dump some of this yumminess on top, & garnish with sour cream, cheese, green onions...whatever taco-like toppings you like!
FYI: This recipe makes A LOT, but freezes great! So have a couple of containers on hand.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Cheesy Tomato-Chicken Skillet
Per Anna's request, one of my faves! :) This one came from one of those little Pillsbury magazine-like cookbooks you see in the checkout line at the grocery store. The link to the original recipe is HERE.
Here is my modified version:
(Photo courtesy of Pillsbury.com)
Cheesy Tomato-Chicken Skillet
Serves 4
2 cups bowtie pasta
3/4 lb. chicken breast chunks
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3-4 Roma tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 cup Italian blend cheese
1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain & cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and cook 4-6 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.
4. Reduce heat to medium & add soup, tomatoes, milk, & basil.
5. Mix well and cook & stir until bubbly.
6. Add pasta and mix well.
7. Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese on top, and cover for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Now go enjoy your ooey, gooey goodness! :)
Here is my modified version:
(Photo courtesy of Pillsbury.com)
Cheesy Tomato-Chicken Skillet
Serves 4
2 cups bowtie pasta
3/4 lb. chicken breast chunks
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
3-4 Roma tomatoes (diced)
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 cup Italian blend cheese
1. Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain & cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, spray large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.
3. Add chicken and cook 4-6 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.
4. Reduce heat to medium & add soup, tomatoes, milk, & basil.
5. Mix well and cook & stir until bubbly.
6. Add pasta and mix well.
7. Remove from heat, sprinkle cheese on top, and cover for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Now go enjoy your ooey, gooey goodness! :)
Crustless Quiche Muffins
Now this particular recipe resulted from a range of ideas and other similar recipes. I am a fan of quiche, but it seems like it always takes FOREVER to bake...no fun when you are starving for brunch after church and you have a crazed toddler running around! So I came across a pin on a friend's board on Pinterest that was for making a quick "to-go" breakfast for weekday mornings using Egg Beaters and toppings in a muffin pan. So when I was looking for something to whip up for brunch after church this morning, I thought why not try this out with all of the usual ingredients for quiche? Cooks faster, much easier to get out of the pan, AND I can put them in baggies to grab for a quick on-the-go breakfast...win-win-win!
So here's how it all came together:
Crustless Quiche Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
8-10 eggs
3/4-ish cup milk or half & half (I used a bit of both because I didn't have much half & half left)
omelet/quiche-like toppings (I used chopped bacon, Roma tomatoes (which are great b/c they don't have too much juice), and Vidalia onions and then topped with cheddar cheese because that's what I had on hand)
1. GREASE a muffin pan. (Be very thorough!)
2. Beat eggs & milk together and divide among muffin cups (fill about 3/4 full)
3. Add toppings.
4. Bake for 30 min. at 375 degrees.
Notes for next time:
1. Perhaps cut up a pre-made Pillsbury pie crust to put underneath each muffin to make a true mini-quiche in a little pie shell.
2. Add a little salt & pepper (ended up sprinkling it on to taste after...wasn't sure how much salt the bacon was going to add already)
3. More grease in the pan!!!
So here's how it all came together:
Crustless Quiche Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
8-10 eggs
3/4-ish cup milk or half & half (I used a bit of both because I didn't have much half & half left)
omelet/quiche-like toppings (I used chopped bacon, Roma tomatoes (which are great b/c they don't have too much juice), and Vidalia onions and then topped with cheddar cheese because that's what I had on hand)
1. GREASE a muffin pan. (Be very thorough!)
2. Beat eggs & milk together and divide among muffin cups (fill about 3/4 full)
3. Add toppings.
4. Bake for 30 min. at 375 degrees.
Notes for next time:
1. Perhaps cut up a pre-made Pillsbury pie crust to put underneath each muffin to make a true mini-quiche in a little pie shell.
2. Add a little salt & pepper (ended up sprinkling it on to taste after...wasn't sure how much salt the bacon was going to add already)
3. More grease in the pan!!!
Creamy Mac & Cheese
OK...so I have to admit, I have no tried & true "family tradition" recipe for macaroni & cheese. So a couple of weeks ago I spent some time combing the internet for ideas. I really hate when you get the crusty hard noodles around the edges...the texture absolutely grosses me out. So I searched for a recipe with some sort of breading on top because I thought that might seal in the moisture and keep the edges from getting too crunchy. I eventually stumbled upon the following recipe from about.com. I mean, mac & cheese and croissants in the same recipe??? Say it ain't so!!
I thought mac & cheese would be the perfect dinner on a cold, rainy day like yesterday...so I decided it was time to give it a try! Here she is:
Creamy Mac & Cheese
Serves 6-8
8 oz. macaroni
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 1/2 c. half & half
1 tsp. dijon mustard (I used spicy brown b/c that's what I had on hand)
3 c. shredded cheese (recipe called for 1/2 american & 1/2 cheddar, but I used a mixture of sharp cheddar and monterey jack)
1 c. croissant crumbs (about 1 large croissant) tossed with 2 tbsp. melted butter
1. Grease a 2 qt. baking dish & heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook macaroni as directed on package, drain, & rinse with hot water.
3. Melt butter in medium saucepan until foamy.
4. Stir in flower & heat until bubbly.
5. Add milk, cream, salt, pepper, and mustard.
6. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (almost a runny-ish pudding-like consistency).
7. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted.
8. Add macaroni to mixture, blend well, & pour into baking dish.
9. Top with remaining cheese and buttered croissant crumbs.
10. Bake 25-35 min. until bubbly & nicely browned.
YUM! YUM! YUM!!!!
A couple of notes for next time...
1. Will probably add a little more salt next time.
2. I bet throwing some cream cheese in there somewhere would make it even more awesome!
I thought mac & cheese would be the perfect dinner on a cold, rainy day like yesterday...so I decided it was time to give it a try! Here she is:
Creamy Mac & Cheese
Serves 6-8
8 oz. macaroni
4 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 1/2 c. half & half
1 tsp. dijon mustard (I used spicy brown b/c that's what I had on hand)
3 c. shredded cheese (recipe called for 1/2 american & 1/2 cheddar, but I used a mixture of sharp cheddar and monterey jack)
1 c. croissant crumbs (about 1 large croissant) tossed with 2 tbsp. melted butter
1. Grease a 2 qt. baking dish & heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook macaroni as directed on package, drain, & rinse with hot water.
3. Melt butter in medium saucepan until foamy.
4. Stir in flower & heat until bubbly.
5. Add milk, cream, salt, pepper, and mustard.
6. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened (almost a runny-ish pudding-like consistency).
7. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted.
8. Add macaroni to mixture, blend well, & pour into baking dish.
9. Top with remaining cheese and buttered croissant crumbs.
10. Bake 25-35 min. until bubbly & nicely browned.
YUM! YUM! YUM!!!!
A couple of notes for next time...
1. Will probably add a little more salt next time.
2. I bet throwing some cream cheese in there somewhere would make it even more awesome!
Welcome!
I love to try out new recipes...though I have a habit of tweaking them to make them my own! I thought this would be a great way to share some of my cooking adventures and pass along some ideas for yumminess. Enjoy!
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