CREAMY WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or light olive oil)

1 medium onion, chopped

Two 4-ounce cans diced green chiles, drained

1 can of sweet corn, drained

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Two 16-ounce cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 package of white chicken chili seasoning (dry package)

Meat from 1 rotisserie chicken (skin removed), chopped

1/2 cup sour cream 

1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In a small skillet, heat the butter (or oil) over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer onion to the slow cooker. Add the green chiles, broth, beans, garlic, and remaining seasonings to the cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Add the chicken meat to the cooker, cover and cook until the chicken is warm, about 1 hour. Before serving, stir in the sour cream and half-and-half and heat through.

Breakfast | Egg in a Hole

• Cut a 2-inch round from the center of the bread, reserving the round for toast. 
• Melt a nut size bit of butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. 
• Place the slice of bread and the round in skillet and toast lightly, about 1 minute. 
• Crack the egg into the hole and season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add remaining the rest of the butter as needed to brown and crisp the toast. 
• Flip the egg and round, season with salt and pepper. 
• Cook another 2 minutes for a runny yolk, or slightly longer for a set egg.

Use a cookie cutter for cute center shapes!  I have used heard & star cookie cutters for the kids.

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 T milk
• 1 cup oats

Mix all together.

Bake 9 min at 350 degrees

(will still look gooey, but will harden up once cooled-flatten with spatula)

Creamy Sweet Coleslaw

• 
  
• 1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
• 2/3 cup Mayo
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Cajun seasoning to taste

Crock Pot Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1 round of pork sausage

1 jar of pasta sauce (I used garlic onion)

8 oz pkg. lasagna noodles, uncooked

4 cups shredded Italian cheese & Provel cheese

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

salt, pepper, garlic salt, onion powder to taste

Directions

(pretty much the same way you would layer lasagna, only in a crock pot)

1. Spray the inside of the crock-pot with cooking spray
2. Brown the ground beef & sausage 
3. Stir the sauce in with the meat mixture
4. Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the crock-pot
5. Arrange 1/3 of the uncooked noodles over the sauce (I broke them up so they fit better)
6. Combine the cheeses in a bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the cheeses over the noodles.
7. Repeat these layers twice
8. Top with remaining sauce
9. Cover and cook on low for 4hrs 
10. Let the lasagna stand in the crock-pot with the lid off for at least 10 minutes

Homemade Banana Pudding

• 1/2 Cup Sugar (or splenda)
• 1/3 Cup Flour
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 Cups milk
• 1 box Nilla Wafers
• 5 bananas
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• dash salt

Place a layer of Nilla Wafers in the bottom of a medium sized mixing bowl. Slice a banana over the top. Repeat two more times with another layer of wafers and remaining bananas. In sauce pot (or double boiler) on medium low heat, add all ingredients except for vanilla. Stir well with wire whisk. Allow to cook, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until thickened - about fifteen minutes. Add in vanilla and stir. Immediately pour over wafers and bananas. Let sit for about five minutes or so before serving, to allow wafers time to absorb pudding. Top with meringue, if desired.  Store in refrigerator! 

Sour Cream Yeast Rolls

• 2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour (I ended up using more like 3 1/4 cups flour)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 egg

1. In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the sour cream, water and 2 tablespoons butter to 120°-130°; add to dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 cup flour; beat 2 minutes longer. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. (I let my Kitchen Aid do the work with a dough hook for 6 minutes) Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 12 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.(With mine the tops were brown after 10 minutes. So I just draped foil on top of the rolls and cooked for 10 more minutes. Mine were ready after 20 minutes) Melt remaining butter; brush over rolls. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

(Recipe courtesy of "Real Mom Kitchen")

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

1. Coat 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Spread 2 cups cooked white rice in bottom of baking dish.
3. Arrange 3 cups cooked chicken pieces (I used rotisserie chicken) over top of rice.
4. Layer 3 slices of Swiss cheese on top of chicken.
5. Layer 3 slices American cheese on top of chicken.
6. Then layer slices of deli honey ham on top of the cheese.
7. Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/2 cup sour cream together. Spread over top.
8. Crush 10 saltine crackers (or use Italian bread crumbs) then add 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, salt/pepper and 1/2 teaspoon parsley and mix together. Sprinkle on top.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Delish!

Butter Pretzels covered with White Chocolate Hugs

What you'll need:

• square pretzels
• Hershey's Hugs 
• plain M&Ms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200°. 

 Place the pretzels on and top them with the hugs.  

Bake for 4-5 minutes until the chocolate is shiny and soft (but NOT melting).  

Carefully place an M&M in the center of each hug and press it down to spread the chocolate.  

Allow to cool completely (a few minutes in the fridge or outside works perfectly) 

Enjoy! 

I am using these to give as Valentine's Day gifts to neighbors and Preschool teachers.

What's for dinner?

Beef & Broccoli stir-fry

Chicken lettuce wraps

Fried Rice

Crab Rangoon

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 package of intimation crabmeat; chopped 
• 2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
• 1T soy sauce
• 3T sugar 
•  Wonton wrappers
• Oil for frying
• 
  

1. Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Place crab cream cheese mixture in the center of the wonton wrap.  
3. Seal the wrap by applying water to all four sides of the wrap (this will act as the glue).
4. Fold into a triangle.  
5. Refrigerate for 2hrs before frying (helps hold it together).  
6. Fry in a deep pan on the stove-top. Fry until golden brown.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

2 pounds cubed stew meat
1 can Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 large onion diced
2-3-4 tabls of Worcestershire 
1/2 water
8 oz of cream cheese
Garlic Salt
Paprika
Black Peper

In the slow cooker stir in all the ingredients, except the meat AND the Cream Cheese, together. Once combined add the meat and mix together.

Cook on Low for 8 hours. Cut up the cream cheese into cubes just before serving and turn crockpot on high. Stir the cream cheese in until all combined. You might have to put the lid back on and leave for 10 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles. 

Mexican Stuffed Shells

 Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed.  Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 ounce) Rotel diced tomatoes and jalapenos
1 package (10 ounce) frozen corn
½ cup onion, chopped
½ cup bell pepper, diced
1 can (10 ounce) Enchilada sauce
2 whole chicken breasts
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

What you'll do:
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and ½ cup milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. In a large bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce and chicken broth mixture . Gradually whisk in remaining milk until smooth. Set aside.

In a crockpot, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place the chicken breasts on top of the mixture. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker. Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. When you are ready to serve, remove chicken and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken back into the soup, mix together. Top with cheese and serve. I topped ours with slices of avocado, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA DIP

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and shredded (I season my chicken with fajita seasoning or even Montreal Steak Seasoning prior to grilling.)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonaise

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers

1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced (use more is you like more heat)

In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, cream cheese, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, green chile peppers and jalapeno pepper.
Transfer the chicken mixture to a medium baking dish.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 bakery loaf of butter crusty bread-10 cups cut into 1-inch cubes

8 (ounces) low-fat cream cheese, softened

8 large eggs

1-1/2 cups milk

2/3 cup half and half cream

1-1/4 cups maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:
1.  Place bread cubes in a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.

2.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in milk, half and half, 1/2 cup of the maple syrup, and vanilla until mixture is smooth.  Pour cream cream cheese mixture over the bread; cover, and refrigerate overnight.

3.  Remove souffle from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4.  Bake uncovered, for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Pour remaining 3/4 cup maple syrup over souffle, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Serve warm.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: 

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 c. brown sugar 

1/4 c. granulated sugar 

1 egg 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

2 c. all purpose flour 

2 tsp. cornstarch 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

3.  Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

4.  Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.  (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)

5.  Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.  Makes approximately 3 dozen.  Try not to eat them all.

White Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chile Sour Cream Sauce

Ingredients
8 soft taco size flour tortillas 
2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
Chopped, fresh cilantro for garnish 

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.  Mix the chicken together with 1 cup of the cheese. Distribute the chicken and cheese mixture evenly among the tortillas.  Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared pan. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Continue cooking over medium heat until sauce is thick and bubbly. Stir in the sour cream and diced green chiles. Pour the sauce in an even layer over the enchiladas.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.
Let's Dish 
The whole family gets excited when these enchiladas are on the menu.  They are so quick and easy to put together, especially with leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. If you like more green chile flavor, feel free to throw in an extra can of diced chiles.  If you have any leftovers, these are great the next day too. 

Stuffed Shells with Sausage

The filling for these stuffed shells are not too gooey or soft, so not only do they make for an excellent dinner served with a salad on the side, they double as finger food for your next party. Substitute pork sausage for chicken sausage, just add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan before adding the chicken sausage so it does not stick to the pan.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Yield: serves 4

Ingredients

• 16-18 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 pound fresh pork sausage links, casing removed
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeeze dry
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork sausage then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned.
4. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds then add tomatoes and spinach; cook 1 minute.
5. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese.
6. Using a spoon, fill pasta shells with pork filling and arrange in a baking dish (9-inch x 9-inch baking dish works well). Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese then bake in the oven 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and tips of shells begin to crisp and brown.