Mishell's Award-Winning Sweet Chicken Chili

4-6 chicken thighs

Canned baked beans, drained but not rinsed (I use a medium can of Bush’s original baked beans)

1 cup Chopped Cilantro

Canned Green chili diced 7oz

½ med. Onion diced

3 tbs chili powder

1 tbs Cumin

Salt

Cook chicken in crock pot until it is falling off the bone.

Remove chicken. There should be chicken stock remaining in pot.

Add remaining ingredients to pot.

Remove chicken from bones and shred or chop it.

When onion is cooked, add chicken back to pot.

Done. Yummy yummy!

White Chicken Chili

INGREDIENTS

5 cans Kirkland canned chicken (or 1 whole chicken)
1 Diced Onion (small)
1 Spoonful of minced Garlic
1 ½ c Sour Cream (12 oz)
4 cans White Beans
3 cans Diced Green Chilies (small cans)
4 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp Dry Oregano Leaves
4 c Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese



DIRECTIONS
1. In Large pot sauté Onions & Garlic in butter.
2. Add Spices & Green Chilies.
3. Add Beans
4. Add 3 cans of Chicken with water from can. Then add 2 cans
of Chicken drained.
5. Simmer 20-30 minutes.
6. Just before serving add Sour Cream & Cheese.

Garnishes: Cilantro, Green Onions, Tomatoes, **Serve with Corn
Bread & Honey Butter"

Smoky White Chili w/Grilled Chicken

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 large)

2 - 7 oz. Cans diced green chilies

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, or to taste

6 - 15 oz. Cans great northern beans or white cannellini beans, rinsed

8 cups (2 qts.) Reduced sodium chicken broth

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/4 cup lime juice

Heat a grill to medium high.

In a dutch oven or other large pot over medium high, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until softened about 5 minutes.

Stir in the chilies, cumin, oregano and chipotle chili powder. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Stir in the beans and broth and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, grill the chicken until well browned and an instant read thermometer registers 165F when inserted at the thickest part of the breast, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cool for 10 minutes. Cut the grilled chicken into 3/4 inch dice, then set aside.

Using a ladle, transfer 2 cups of the beans and cooking liquid to a bowl and mash with a fork.

Stir the mashed beans back into the simmering pot. Add the chicken and lime juice, then cook for 10 minutes more.

Serves 12

Golden Vegetable Soup with Butternut Squash

This is a simple, versatile golden soup with chunky vegetables, easy to prepare in a slow cooker.

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 2-1/2 c), may substitute any fresh or frozen winter squash
1 c. carrot, sliced
1 c. celery, sliced
1/2c onion chopped
2 cloves garlic diced
1/4 med. granny smith apple, diced
1 tsp olive oil
4c low sodium vegetable broth (for lowest sodium, use no salt added bouillon or homemade stock)
fresh parsley/ lemon pepper to taste(optional)

Directions

To prepare butternut squash: Use a vegetable peeler to remove skin from squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise, and remove seeds. Lay each half cut side down to cut into cubes.

Heat onion,garlic, and celery briefly in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots and squash are tender.

With a slotted spoon, remove one cupful of vegetables from the broth. Place in blender, using sufficient broth to puree. Add vegetable puree back into soup pot. Season to taste with fresh
herbs, desired spices and serve.

Variations: Add cooked beans such as garbanzos, red lentils or yellow split peas, whole grain pasta, rice or barley. May be prepared with chicken broth and meat if desired.

Number of Servings: 8

Tillamook Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

2T butter
3T flour
4C milk
1/2 small onion, chopped
1-1/2C grated Tillamook cheese
1-3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp fresh or dried parsley

Melt butter, add flour and when smooth add milk which has been scalded with onion cut in pieces (I do this in the microwave for about 2 minutes before starting the butter/flour on the stove). Stir until mixture boils and add cheese. When ready to serve, add salt, paprika, and parsley.

Cook's Note (Making this a Potato/Cheese/Bacon Soup):

To make the Cheese Soup heartier I follow the recipe above and add 3-4 medium potatoes (cut in small cubes to cook faster) and bacon (I've used real bacon before with some of the drippings for flavor, cooked and chopped, but it tends to sog-out when cooked in the soup so lately I've been using about 1/4C real bacon bits from Costco). I cook the milk/potato mixture on low for about 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes at done (not mushy), then add the cheese, bacon, and spices right at the end. I also reduce the amount of salt to 1 tsp when I add bacon (it's too salty otherwise).

Baked Potato Soup

A baked potato soup with butter, green onions, bacon, cheddar cheese sour cream, and seasonings.
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:

* 2/3 cup butter
* 2/3 cup flour
* 7 cups milk
* 4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and cubed, about 4 cups
* 4 green onions, thinly sliced
* 10 to 12 strips bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
* 1 1/4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
* 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour; stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until soup begins to bubble. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Serve baked potato soup immediately.
This baked potato soup recipe serves 6 to 8.

I did not have onions, so I just added a few sprinkles of garlic salt; I also did not have any bacon, so we sprinkled bac-os on top when we ate it. I skipped the sour cream both becasue I didn't have any and because Josh doesn't like it. It was so yummy! I also made cheesy drop biscuits to go with it (and use up more cheese)...

White Bean and Ham Soup

2 cans (15.5 oz each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium carrots, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 T butter or margarine
2 1/4 c water
1 1/2 c cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 bay leaf

1. Mash 1 can of beans. Set aside

2. In a large sauce pan, saute the carrots and onion in butter. Stir in the water, ham, seasonings, and whole and mashed beans.

3. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Discard bay leaf before serving.

Yields 6 servings.

Creamy Chickpea Soup with Rosemary

1 tablespoon of olive oil
5 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaf minced (MUST use fresh; the whole recipe hangs on this flavor coming through)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 (15-19 ounce) cans chickpeas (aka Garbanzo Beans) rinsed & drained
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste
fresh group pepper to taste
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes; let cool slightly. Transfer soup to a blender (I used my food processor), cover loosely and puree until just smooth. Or use an immersion blender if you have one of those magical toys.

Return to the saucepan and stir in lemon juice and sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnished with a fresh rosemary sprig, or an additional drizzling of olive oil. If you’re wowing somebody, you can add a drizzle of Crème fraîche or heavy cream and do a little drizzle swirly art thing.

Crockpot Taco Soup

The Ingredients:


There are a lot of cans. Recycle. Make Al Gore happy.

--2 cans of kindey beans

--2 cans of pinto beans

--2 cans of corn

--1 large can of diced tomatoes (I have no idea why the can wasn't in this picture. I know I put it in. This is a mystery.)

--1 can tomatoes and chiles

--1 packet taco seasoning (if you are gluten free, stick to McCormick)

--1 packet ranch dressing mix (make sure there isn't hidden gluten, I went with Hidden Valley)

--1 lb browned ground turkey or hamburger (optional.)

--shredded cheese and sour cream for embelishment (optional, unless you're in my house. then it's mandatory.)

The Directions:

--brown meat if you are going to use it

--drain fat and add to crockpot stoneware insert (the meat. not the fat.)

--sprinkle seasoning packets on top of meat

--drain and rinse the beans and add

--add the ENTIRE contents of the corn and tomato cans

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5. I think the longer you cook soup, the better, so if you have the time, opt for cooking on low.

Serve with a handful of shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

It made a ton! We have enough for two more meals for the two of us.

Allison's Mom's Chicken and Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into cubes/small pieces
1 lb cubed stew meat (beef)
1 box of fresh mushrooms, quartered
1-2 handfuls of whole baby carrots
1 bag of small red potatoes, cut in half or into whatever size you’d like
Flour (a cup or so in a gallon freezer bag)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2-3 crushed garlic cloves (I use the refrigerated pre-crushed garlic)
1 yellow onion
1 chicken or beef buillion cube
1-2 bay leaves, broken up
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 shakes of garlic powder
¼-1/2 cup fresh or dried parsley (I usually just do a few good shakes of dried)
½ cup ketchup

Directions:

Step 1
• In a Ziploc bag with flour, toss in meat to coat with flour. You will most likely need to do this in multiple batches

Step 2
• On the stovetop, add oil, melted butter, garlic, onion and turn to medium heat
• In small batches, add beef & chicken to brown
• Once browned, take out and toss in crock pot, then repeat
• When finished browning all meat, scrape the “sauce” from the pan into the crock pot

Step 3
• After all meat is in crock pot, add water just to cover the meat
• Add beef or chicken buillion cube
• Add 1-2 bay leaves, broken into pieces, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder parsley, ketchup
• Stir
• Turn crock pot onto high and cook covered for one hour
• After an hour, add potatoes, carrots, mushrooms and turn to low heat, occasionally coming back to stir
• Cook until carrots and potatoes are fully cooked (can easily stick a fork in them)

It is super easy once you brown the meat, which is a bit of a pain. Very yummy though and well worth it! Enjoy!

***This recipe does not freeze!!!

**You can also do this on the stovetop if you don't have a crockpot.

West African Stew

Another one of Nenek's recipes. This is an incredibly hearty dish that only gets better with age.

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into ½-inch dice (about 4 cups)
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs minced fresh ginger
2 to 3 large onions, chopped
2-3 eggplants, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice (8 cups)
5-6 fresh tomatoes, chopped (or one 28-ounce can diced tomatoes)
2 large bell peppers, seeded, membranes removed, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into half-moon slices (2 cups)
1 cup peanut butter
2 Tbs + 1 tsp ground coriander
½ to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt

Place sweet potatoes in saucepan and cover with water. Cook until just tender, about 10 minutes after the water begins to boil. Drain and set aside. (Save liquid to add to stew if it’s too dry.)

Heat oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 3 minutes. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes more.

Add eggplant and fresh tomatoes, if using. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add green peppers and zucchini; cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes if using canned, plus sweet potatoes, peanut butter, coriander, cayenne and salt to taste; mix well. Set aside to keep warm.

Serve over couscous. (or with rice, potatoes, or plain.)

Mashed Potato Soup

Gotta love the Rachel Ray recipes! This is a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

* Drizzle of EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 6 slices bacon, chopped
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 4 tablespoons flour
* 1 quart chicken stock
* 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
* 8 ounces shredded yellow cheddar cheese
* Chopped chives, for garnish


Preparation

In a medium pot or Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
Step

Drain off excess bacon fat from the pot and add butter. When it is melted, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour into the pot and cook with a wooden spoon for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Whisk in mashed potatoes, then stir in the cheddar cheese with a wooden spoon and cook until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is melted.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved bacon and chopped chives.

Leftover Turkey Soup

Prep Time:10 min
Total Time:30 min
Makes:6 servings, 1 cup each

What You Need:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 Tbsp. oil
2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) chicken broth
2 cups water
1 env. GOOD SEASONS Italian Dressing Mix
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1/2 cup bite-sized pasta, uncooked

Make It:
COOK onion, carrot and celery in hot oil in large saucepan 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

STIR in chicken broth, water and dressing mix. Bring to boil.

ADD turkey and pasta; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Nutrition Infomation
Calories 170
Total fat 6 g
Saturated fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 35 mg
Sodium 910 mg
Carbohydrate 10 g
Dietary fiber 1 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 18 g
Vitamin A 25 %DV
Vitamin C 0 %DV
Calcium 4 %DV
Iron 8 %DV

Taco Soup

1 package ground turkey (they come in 1.25 lb packages...but cook down to a pound)
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 package taco seasoning
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (with jalapenos if you like)
1 14.5 oz can pinto beans (with jalapenos)
1 can of original rotel
1 20 oz can of white hominey, not drained (found in the hispanic food section)
4 cups of water
4 chicken bouillion cubes


Cook turkey, drain. Add all other ingredients, stir and simmer for as long as you have until dinner (I try to get at least 30 min in), stirring occassionally. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream.

You can make this hotter or more mild as you prefer. The more ranch dressing mix you add, the more mild it gets. Also, the sour cream is good to cut some of the spice.

FYI: Hominey is fermented corn, not as sweet, and slightly more meaty than corn. It is great in soup...it really holds up and adds a different texture.

White Chili Surprise

I love this recipie, if you leave off the cheese and use light sour cream, I think it is pretty healthy.

White Chili Surprise Recipe courtesy of Tim Reinert from Howell, MI, for the FoodTV.com Manly Man Chili Cook-Off

Flavorful & tasty, not your typical red chili

3 limes (including zest)
1/2 cup tequila
Red pepper flakes
1 lb great northern beans (3 16-oz cans will work ok if you don't want to use dry beans)
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
2 large onions chopped
5 cloves of garlic chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (4 oz) cans of green chiles
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 cups defatted chicken stock (canned will work all right)
3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Chopped fresh green onions

If using dry beans, pick over the beans and rinse them. Cover beans with water by at least 3 inches and soak the beans for 24 hours. Change the water 1 time about 12 hours after the soaking process starts.

Remove fat and tendons from the chicken and place the chicken breast in a container that can be covered. Zest 1 of the limes and sprinkle the lime zest over the chicken breast. Using a lemon reamer, juice all 3 limes and pour the juice over the chicken breast. Pour the tequila over the chicken and add 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Sprinkle red pepper flakes over the chicken and marinate for 3 hours.

Heat olive oil in stock pot and add onion and saute for about 10 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, green chilis, cumin, cayene pepper, and cloves and saute for 10 minutes.

Add beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. (If using canned beans, complete step 5 below and then add the cooked chicken and reduce simmering time.)

Heat grill after the chili has simmered for about 2 hours. Grill the chicken breast for 5 minutes and pour remaining marinade over the chicken breast on the grill. Turn the chicken breast and grill the second side for 4 minutes. Remove the chicken breast from the grill and cut into small cubes.

Add the cubed chicken and 1 cup of cheese to the chili and stir until the cheese melts.

Ladle into bowls and serve with remaining cheese, chopped green onions, and sour cream. Salt to taste.

Madeira Beef Stew

1 T canola oil
2 lbs stewing beef (1 inch cubes)
2 large onions
4 stalks celery (diced)
5 large carrots
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cracked pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
10 oz beef broth
1 cup red wine
2 bay leaves
1 lb fresh mushrooms (sliced)
¼ cup Madeira

1. Heat oil in skillet, medium-high heat. Add beef and brown on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, celery and carrots. Cook until vegetables are softened. Add garlic, thyme, salt and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add beef broth and wine. Cook until thickened, stirring. Add bay leaves.

3. Transfer mixture to slow cooker and stir thoroughly to combine ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. Discard bay leaves.

4. Melt 1 T butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release their liquid. Season to taste, then sprinkle with 1 T all-purpose flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add Madeira and stir until thickened. Just before serving, stir into the stew.

5. Serve with scalloped or mash potatoes and a good bread.

Note: I made the broth using Better Than Bouillon beef base. For the wine, I used a Cabernet Sauvignon (Sebastiani 2005). If you can't find Madeira you can substitute port wine. This recipe comes from Delicious & Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson. So far, all the recipes we've tried from this book have been great.

BBQ Turkey Chili

1 can turkey chili
1 can diced tomatos
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1/3 c BBQ sauce

Mix all ingredients in slow cooker, cook on high for 8 hrs or low for 4 hrs. It's SO EASY. You can also all chili powder to make it more spicy.

Lattice Top Chicken Stew

1 pkg 16 oz frozen veggies (whatever you like)
2 c. cubed cooken chicken breasts
1 can 10 3/4 oz cream of pot soup
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of shredded chedder cheese
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (mrs. dash works great)
1 tube (8oz) crescent rolls

In a bowl combine the chick, veggies, soup, milk, cheese and s. salt. Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 mins. Separate crescent dough into 2 rectangles. Seal perferations and cut into strips, weave lattice style and bake 15 mins uncovered. This is a great reciped to use with leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken and veggies from holidays and such!

Taco Soup

Ingredients

1 lb - very lean ground beef
1 onion
2 cans Rotel Tomatoes (I only used one)
1 can of crushed Tomatoes
1 can of wholecorn
2 cans of black beans (drained) (I only used one)
1 cup of water
1 package of taco seasoning
1 package of Ranch Dressing Mix


Procedure

Brown ground beef and onion together with the taco seasoning & ranch dressing mix. Pour in remaining ingredients. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

You can also add some shredded chedder cheese or sour cream on top..YUM!