Quick Chicken Tortilla Soup

• Ingredients:
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Pace picante sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken that I pulled off the bone, but you can used canned chicken, leftover chicken, etc.)
• 1 can of black beans, drained
• 1 can of sliced carrots, drained
• 1 can of whole kernel corn, drained

For garnish:

• Strips of yellow corn tortilla fried or baked until crisp
• 1/2 a red onion
• 1 cup of chopped, fresh cilantro
• 1 -2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Avocado slices

Directions: 

Combine the tomatoes, salsa, garlic powder and broth in a large pot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes. Add chicken and cook until heated through. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cheese, red onions, cilantro and tortilla strips.  Enjoy!!

Chicken Pot Pie

It's Fall :)  and I have bronchitis. LOL   I read somewhere (on the interwebs;) ) that chicken broth helped with clearing the lungs or something to that nature ...so I decided to Google recipes that were made with such broth.  I didn't want chicken noodle soup (wanted something different) and came across some of these chicken pot pies.  Never had them, so I thought I'd give them a try.  Surprisingly VERY hearty and delish.  I'm definitely keeping these in the rotation :)  Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped in quarters
2 celery stalks, chopped
5 cups  of chicken broth
4 tbsp  cornstarch or flour thinned with 1 cup of water
¾ cup  of frozen peas
1 tbsp  heavy cream
1 tsp  seasoned salt

1 tsp  paprika

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp  seasoned salt

¼ tsp cracked black pepper

¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

2 sheets of puffed pastry thawed (to fit over your bowls)
1 egg + 1 tsp (5 ml) water.

Directions:

1.  Cut the chicken breasts into one inch pieces and put in a large pot or dutch oven with two tablespoons of olive oil. Heat over medium heat for about eight minutes until cooked through. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  

2. In a separate pan, melt butter and add onion, carrots and celery. Heat vegetables in pan for about six minutes. Add parsley and thyme to the vegetables and toss. 

3.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Add vegetables to chicken/broth mixture. Add garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil for five minutes.

4.  Add cornstarch (or flour) and water mixture to the pot and stir.  Simmer on low until mixture thickens.

5. Prepare 4 to 6 large ramekins by adding the chicken mixture to them.

6. Place puffed pastry squares over the ramekins. Lightly coat the tops of the pies with the egg/water mixture.  Bake pot pies in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.Wait five minutes are so before serving.  They are piping hot!

*My apologies for the sideways photos...blogger glitch.*

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

It's that time of year again!  I love Fall.  When I think of Fall, I automatically think of falling leaves and all things PUMPKIN :) Pumpkin Spice lattes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, ....

You're sure to enjoy these little moist and delicious cupcakes. Happy Fall!

Cupcake Ingredients:

1  box Duncan Hines Signature Spice Cake 
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup sour cream1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup of butter, softened
4 cups of confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon


Cupcake Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Beat together the cake and pudding mixes, pumpkin pie spice, sour cream, pumpkin, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for about two minutes on medium speed until well combined-- about two minutes on medium speed.

Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells; (or about 2 large spoonfuls of batter per well, if you don't have a cookie scoop.)

Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Allow cupcakes to cool inside muffin tins for about 20 minutes.

Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare your frosting.



Frosting Directions:

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.

Mommy's Mac n' Cheese

I know. I know. It's not good for you, but it's good to you :) Comfort food. Cheesy goodness. I made this recipe last year over the Holidays and it was a big hit, so I made it again (by request) this year. It's been a while since I've updated the food blog. Okay, it's been a year. Give me a break, I'm a mom now lol. Here ya' go:

Mommy's Mac n' Cheese

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry, whole grain elbow macaroni
• 2 tablespoons evaporated fat free milk (I use Carnation brand)
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 1/4 cups of boiling hot water
• 3/4 cup of shredded Colby Jack or Cheddar Jack cheese
• 3 cups shredded (about 12 oz.) American cheese (not the processed junk. You can find the real stuff at the Deli at your grocery store)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain off water in a colander and set aside.

2. Heat oven to 350ºF.

3. In a large bowl, mix evaporated milk, flour, and melted butter.

4. Gradually add 1/3 of the boiling water, beating constantly with a wisk.

5. Add 1/2 of the American cheese and continue beating until smooth and creamy.

6. Stir in half of the macaroni.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 until all the macaroni, American cheese and boiling water is mixed well and creamy.

8. Add salt.

9. Transfer to lightly greased 2-qt baking dish.

10. Cover with foil.

11. Bake for 25 minutes.

12. Remove from oven and remove foil.

13. Evenly sprinkle Colby Jack or Cheddar Jack cheese over the top.

1. 14. Place pan back in oven and bake for another two or three minutes until cheese melts.
   15. Turn on oven broiler on high. Watch closely until top of cheese turns a crisp golden brown.
   16. Remove from oven and let sit for ten minutes. Serves 8-10. or one todddler for three days lol.
   
   

Warm Autumn Apple Dumplings

This is a delicious dessert that is quick and easy to prepare, and your guests are guaranteed to love it. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 whole Granny Smith Apples or fresh peaches.
• 2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• Ground Cinnamon, To Taste
• 1/2 of a 20 oz. bottle of Mountain Dew Soda

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples.

Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Aaron's inside-out burgers...

I actually give Mr. Berry all the credit for this one. While watching Aaron McCargo's "Big Daddy's House" on Food Network, he decided to try these burgers because they looked so good on-screen. Definitely not the healthiest choices, but it's a good 'company food' to entertain family with. With Spring now in bloom, there's usually an emergence of backyard barbecues, picnics and family reunions to partake in. Try out this "inside-out" burger and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
• 8oz Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced OR diced red onions if you're like me, and don't like mushrooms.
• 2lbs Ground chuck
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 4oz Swiss cheese, cubed
• 4 Hamburger buns

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare swiss cheese and mushrooms (or onions) and slice bacon.

Add bacon to skillet, and cook until done. Once bacon is done, drain all fat, except for 1tbsp.

Add mushrooms (If you're using them) and sauté in pan for a minute or so. If your'e using onions, add them at this time. Set mixture aside.

Add ground check to a large bowl.

Add salt and pepper and 2tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Divide into 8 equal parts and make patties.

Combine the cheese into the cooled mushrooms and bacon mixture. Take 1 patty and top with 2-ounces of the filling.

Place another patty on top and pinch around the edges to make sure that the filling is totally covered. Make the rest of the patties the same way.

Over medium-high heat, heat a large skillet with grapeseed or olive oil. Once hot, add the burgers and cook for 2 minutes per side. Place the pan into the oven and cook for 4 to 6 more minutes for medium burgers.

Click here to view video from food network