Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I made this Soup over the thanksgiving holiday in Georgia and Becky requested is posted here! Below is the recipe as it was posted by my friend in an email. Super easy and yummy!

1 4 oz package wild rice (I may not have used all of this, but once it is cooked add how much looks good to you)

olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups less sodium chicken broth or stock

1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed baking potato

3 cups reduced fat milk

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups chopped roasted chicken (about 2 breasts)

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

seasoned salt to taste

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Heat a little olive oil in a large pot/Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Add broth and potato; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until potato is tender.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add the milk mixture to the potato mixture; bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in rice, chicken, pepper, and salt. If desired, add seasoning salt and garnish with parsley.

Notes:

This is the recipe as I made it. I made a number of modifications to the original recipe (which didn't have carrots and celery for example) but one modification people might want to know about is the cheese. The original called for 10 oz. cubed light processed cheese (like Velveeta Light) instead of the cheddar. I made it once with Velveeta and it did give it a rich taste and a smoother texture as it melts much more effectively, but as we usually minimize processed foods I usually substitute it with the shredded cheddar. 

Best Stuffing Ever

You guys. This stuffing is the BEST stuffing ever!!! My SIL made it last year and this year it was my turn. And seriously, everyone was raving (both last year and this year). It's take stuffing to a whole new level. 

Best Stuffing Ever

from Linda (my SIL's friend???)

Fresh bread crumbs from one big loaf of French bread (you want this to be high-quality artisan French bread), chopped in 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup), divided

6 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves

1 box of mushrooms (fresh, not canned) cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

3/4 teaspoon celery seed

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

3/4 garlic powder

12-16 oz package of mild or hot Italian sausage (ground)

2 cups Romano cheese, shredded

1/2 can chicken broth (about 7-8 oz)

3 eggs

Sautee 1 stick butter, celery, onion, and garlic. Pour over bread crumbs in a bowl. Sautee 1/2 stick of butter in mushrooms. Add seasonings, parsley, and basil. Then add cheese and mix. Mix eggs and chicken broth in separate bowl and add to mushroom mixture. Pour over bread crumbs and mix. Sautee sausage to release oil, strain, and mix in with bread crumbs. Lightly spray a large casserole dish and pour stuffing in. Cover tightly with foil and store in fridge over night. Bake, covered, at 350 for one hour. Remove foil for last 15 minutes if you'd like a little crunch.

Perfect Pot Roast and Gravy

I was craving pot roast, but was kind of sick of the same old recipe, so I decided to try this one. Holy Moly. It was SO good!!! It was really different, but so, so yummy. I think this will be my new go-to!

Perfect Pot Roast and Gravy

by Mel's Kitchen Café

Ingredients:

Roast:

• 3 to 5 pound chuck roast, trimmed of extra fat
• Coarse, kosher salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 large yellow onions, sliced in thick rings
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 to 7 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2- or 3-inch pieces

Gravy:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 to 4 cups juices/drippings from roast

Directions:

1. Season the roast on all sides with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot and rippling. Add the roast, and brown on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
3. Place the onions in the bottom of a 7-or 8-quart slow cooker, toss the smashed garlic on top, and transfer the roast to sit on top of the onions and garlic.
4. In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato sauce, scraping up the yummy browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, allspice, thyme, salt and pepper (use less salt and pepper if you used regular beef broth and not low-sodium). Add the bay leaf.
5. Pour the mixture over the roast. All slow cooker sizes are different but it helps if the meat is mostly covered with liquid (or at least the liquid comes up nearly to the top of the meat).
6. Nestle the carrots around the roast.
7. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours until the meat is very tender.
8. Transfer the meat, carrots, and onions to a platter and tent with foil.
9. Remove the bay leaf and pour the drippings/juice from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup (or into a fat separator if you want to pour off excess fat).
10. For the gravy, melt the butter in a medium pot until sizzling. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds or so. Whisking vigorously and constantly (no lumps in our gravy!), gradually add 3 to 4 cups of the pot roast juices, until the desired consistency of gravy is reached.
11. Continue stirring quickly while the gravy comes to a simmer. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
12. Serve immediately with the pot roast and vegetables (and mashed potatoes, of course!).

Slow Cooker Taco Chicken

This was AMAZING. It was better than any taco chicken I've ever made. It's going to be my new go-to. YUMMERIFIC!



Slow Cooker Taco ChickenRecipe adapted by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
2-2 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I used Olive Garden)
1 packet Ranch dressing
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
6-8 cloves smashed garlic (don’t worry about actually chopping it…unless you want to…)
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste
Chipotle Tabasco Sauce to taste (optional)
Instructions:
Place all the ingredients except for the lime, salt, and Tabasco sauce in your slow cooker and cook for 5-6 hours on LOW or until the chicken shreds easily with a fork. When done, shred the chicken with two forks and sprinkle with lime juice. Taste and season with salt and Chipotle Tabasco Sauce (it’s smokey and a little milder than the original Tabasco Sauce, so it’s perfect here) to taste. Serves 8-10.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

Wow, this was SO good. I seriously ate for 3 days straight. And it makes a ton. Next time I might halve it.


Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Note: This recipe makes a very large batch of chili (about 4 quarts).  It freezes beautifully, so I like to make the recipe and then freeze half for another night.  You can certainly halve the recipe as well, which I recommend if you have a small slow cooker.
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced (any color)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1-2 jalapenos, minced (take seeds out unless you like heat)
20 ounces ground turkey breast
8 ounces mushrooms, minced (about 2 heaping cups)
2 teaspoons cumin
2  teaspoons kosher salt
½  teaspoons pepper
1  teaspoon oregano
1  teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2  teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes*
1 28 ounce can tomatoes (not drained)
2 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
32 ounces beef broth (one box/carton)
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (make sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling 🙂
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
*”Sweet potatoes” and “yams” are often sold interchangeably depending on what part of the country you live in.  Just buy whichever one is orange 🙂
optional: sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro or green onion, and fresh lime juice for serving
Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos.  Saute for about 5 minutes, until veggies are tender and fragrant.  Add to slow cooker.
In same skillet, heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil.  Add turkey and mushrooms and stir to combine.  Sprinkle in cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder and smoked paprika.  (note: the meat will taste very seasoned when done.  Keep in mind these seasonings are not to flavor just the meat, they will season the entire pot of chili, so they are intentionally strong!)  Add turkey mixture to slow cooker.
Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, broth, pumpkin, cinnamon, and cocoa powder to slow cooker and stir til combine.  Place lid on pot and cook for  4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 on low.   Slow-cookers vary greatly in temperature and cooking times, but really, the important thing to note is if the sweet potatoes are tender.
When done, turn off heat and let chili sit with lid off for 10-15 minutes to thicken.  Season with additional salt to taste before serving.  If desired, serve with sour cream, sliced avocados, and a small squirt of fresh lime juice, and any other toppings desired.
Yields: About 4 quarts (16 cups)

Creamy Cajun Pasta

I made this a few nights ago and it was a big hit. And I loved that it was relatively healthy. I subbed the sausage for chicken and only added one pepper. Also, I blended the canned tomatoes up a little but (not pureed) so it would be more palatable for my picky family.

Creamy Cajun Pasta with Smoked Sausage (chicken) and Peppers
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound smoked pork sausage, halved and cut into 1/4″ slices (I subbed chicken)
1 small red onion, halved and sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 colored bell peppers (I used red and yellow), halved and sliced
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water (high elevations increase to 1 3/4)
8 ounces pasta (I used trottole)
2 cups 1% milk
3 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere’s)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Instructions:
Preheat 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook 2-3 minutes or until it starts to release oil and is browning. Add the onions and cook until fragrant. Add the garlic and sliced bell peppers and cook until the peppers are tender-crisp. Remove from heat and transfer the sausage and peppers to a large plate. Set aside.
Return the pan to heat and add the tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then quickly add the pasta, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook until the pasta is al dente and the liquid is absorbed.
While the pasta is cooking, place the milk, cream cheese, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and flour in the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. Heat the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. When melted, add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes or until tender and fragrant. Add the mixture from the blender and cook until smooth and thickened to where if the back of a spoon is dipped into the sauce, you can trace your finger down the back of the spoon and that spot will stay clean.
Remove the sauce from heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted and smooth.
Add the peppers and sausage to the pasta/tomato mixture and stir to combine. Add the garlic sauce and combine. Season to taste with Cajun seasoning and serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Chicken Tenders with Green Chili Sauce

My friend recommended the Food Nanny to me and so I checked out her recipe book at my library and this was the first thing I made and it was delicious. So, I may be posting a lot more of her recipes on here if they're all this good!

Chicken Tenders with Green Chili Sauce
adapted from the Food Nanny

Ingredients

• 8 chicken tenders (I just cut a couple chicken breasts in half and then sliced it 2-3 times to make tenders)
• Coarse salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Rubbed sage (sage rubbed between your fingers to almost powder)
• Cumin
• Steak seasoning or another favorite “dry” seasoning (I used seasoned salt)
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1⁄3 cup cream
• 1 – 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies
• 2 Tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 cup brown or white rice
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Instructions

1. Prepare rice: Bring rice, chicken broth and butter to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with tight fitting lid. Simmer 15-20 min. if it's white rice and 45 min. if it's brown rice. Allow to rest for 5 min. Cooking times may vary.
2. Prepare the Chicken Tenders: Wipe off the chicken tenders with a wet paper towel. Place the tenders on clean paper towels and sprinkle each one with the following in order given: coarse salt, fresh ground black pepper, rubbed sage, cumin and steak seasoning on both sides.
3. In a medium fry pan over medium heat add olive oil and butter until it just starts to sizzle.
4. Place the chicken tenders in the pan and sear about 3 min. per side. Turn the heat down to low.
5. Add cream. Cook for 1 min. Mix in the diced chilies. Dot little pieces of cream cheese around the chicken and chili sauce. Cover. Continue to cook over low heat for 15 min. I actually simmered mine for about an hour and it just fell apart. So good!
6. Serve immediately over rice. Serve with: Brown Rice, broccoli, cauliflower, or fresh peas. Other options: quinoa, white rice.