Sunday, December 11, 2011

Chicken Tortilla Soup

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.

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! :)

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!!!

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!

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!