Sunday, November 28, 2010

Sloppy Joes



Everybody had enough Turkey yet? Well, I don't have a turkey recipe, but I do have a kid favorite. This is my family's favorite recipe for Sloppy Joes. It's a little different, a little tangy and not real saucy. Adjust the seasonings or ketchup to your liking. I like this recipe because I have all these things in my pantry, besides the green pepper (it tastes good even w/o it), so I can whip these up whenever I feel like it. And if you are still in the turkey mood, use ground turkey instead of beef.




1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp mustard
1 cup ketchup
3 tsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, ground hamburger, green pepper and onion. Drain off any liquids. Add rest of ingredients and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Serve on buns.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup




This has been voted as the soup of season at our house. It is even worthy enough for my hubby to take into work on the next "crock pot day". What I loved about it, besides the taste, was that the rice kept absorbing the liquid so each day I would add another can or two of chicken broth and we would have the same amount of soup as when we started. I felt like I was holy! It taste a lot like Panera, but not exactly. My kids loved it also and that's what matters! Enjoy.


1-2 boxes of Uncle Ben's Original Long Grain and Wild Rice (I used 2 boxes and it was a lot of
rice, I plan on just using 1 next time and eliminating the "Holy" issue)
3-4 carrots, sliced thinly
3-4 stalks of celery, sliced thinly
1 onion, diced
garlic powder
2 TBS butter
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped or shredded
6-8 cups chicken stock (this is different than chicken broth, it's darker and stronger)
(buy extra chicken stock/broth for leftovers, the rice will absorb the liquid)
1 pint whipping cream


Cook rice as directed, exept use 3 cups of water for 2 boxes and 2 cups of water for 1 box and cook for just 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter in dutch oven or large sauce pan. Saute carrots, celery , garlic and onions until onions are translucent. Then add chicken stock, chicken, rice (with remaining liquid) and whipping cream to dutch oven. Simmer and add more stock/broth as needed to make as thin as you would like. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Will thicken as it cools.

For leftovers, add more stock/broth (I used chicken broth on leftovers, not stock) until as thin as you would like and heat it up. This soup fed my family for 3 different meals before I finally threw it out.


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Crunchy onion chicken


I started making these chicken fingers before Joe and I were even married, over 10 years ago! This recipe is on the back of the French's Fried Onions, just in case you are ever at the store without a list. I alternate between two versions: honey mustard or plain. I will post both and you can decide which you would rather make. Do not grease pan, it will make the bottom side of the chicken soggy.



Plain Version:
4 chicken breasts or tenders
1 (2.8 oz) can of French's Fried Onions
2 tsp. flour
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place onions and flour into plastic bag, crush. Dip chicken into egg then into onions. Press to adhere. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.



Honey Mustard Version:
4 chicken breasts or tenders
1 (2.8 oz) can of French's Fried Onions
1/2 cup honey mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place onions in plastic bag and crush. Coat chicken with honey mustard and then dip into onions. Press to adhere. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

White Chicken Chili




Everybody needs a break from plain old chili. Don't get me wrong, I love it dearly, but sometimes we need some white beans! This is a good, not too spicy, family friendly chili that can easily being changed to your liking. Add whatever you want, it's your chili. This is just a good start and sooo easy. Enjoy!


2 strips, thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 sweet onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (4 oz) can green chilis
1 (15oz) can Northern Beans
1 chicken breast, boiled and shredded
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup white corn
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese
cilantro for topping


In a large pot, saute the bacon pieces until cooked, but not crispy. Add in the diced onions and garlic and cook with bacon over medium heat until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the green chilis, beans and chicken, then dump in the chicken broth. Stir over heat until the soup becomes very hot, but not boiling. Stir in the sour cream and corn. Continue stirring over medium-high heat until the cheese melts. Top with cilantro and sour cream.