Chicken Azteca

This tastey recipe came from a book "Fix-it and Forget-it for Entertaining" which is a fun crock pot recipe book that my mom bought for me a few years ago. This recipe is delicious and kid approved! It doesn't look like much, but trust me, it is yummy! While it is a crock pot recipe, I have also made it on the stove with great results. Either way you make it, it is a family pleaser. You can kick up the spice with a spicier salsa or keep it mild according to your tastes. I like to use a salsa slightly spicer than we normally would eat since there are two blocks of cream cheese to tone down the heat.

Chicken Azteca
Makes 10 – 12 servings

2- 15oz cans black beans, drained
4 cups frozen corn kernels (I use2 cans of corn, drained)
2 garlic cloves, minces
1 tsp cumin
2 cups chunky salsa, divided
10 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 8oz pkgs. cream cheese, cubed
(add seasonings or salt as desired)

Cooked rice
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin, and half of the salsa in slow cooker.
Arrange chicken breasts over top. Pour remaining salsa over the top
Cove, cook on high for t 2 – 3 hours or on low for 4 – 6 hours.
Remove chicken and cut in to bite sized pieces or shread. Return to cooker.
Stir in cream cheese, cook on high until cream cheese melts. Spoon chicken and sauce over cooked rice. Top with shredded cheese.

You can also do this on the stove, just put the first 5 ingredients in a larger pot and warm through. Boil chicken in a separate pot, cut or shred up and then add to soupy mixture. Then stir in cream cheese till melted.

Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake

As promised, here is Sue's recipe for Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake. I absolutly love these and truly can't say which sheet cake I like more! While I love the sweet, chocolately goodness of her Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies, I love the hint of cinnamon and rich cream cheese frosting on this vanilla version! This recipe is also highly requested and was served at the baptism along side the chocolate one. Enjoy!

Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake
2 2/3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter divided
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon 1 ½ tsp baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 lb. sifted powdered sugar

Mix together flour & sugar. In a saucepan or microwave, combine ½ cup butter, oil and water, bring to a boil. Pour over flour mixture and beat thoroughly.
Beat in Eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, cinnamon, soda and buttermilk
Pour into greased 17x11 inch pan
Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees

Icing:
Cream together ½ cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla & cream cheese. Beat in powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Spread over warm cake.

Makes 20 servings

Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies

My dear friend Sue Smith is famous for her Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies. They are simply divine! We were at her nephew's baptism and everyone was talking about how good her brownies are and how they want the recipe. Well, since Sue was sweet enough to share it with me a while ago, and with her permission, I told everyone that I would post it on my blog. I needed a picture so I grabbed my daughter's camera. Sorry it's a little blurry and on a paper plate, but trust me these are delicious! Sue also makes wonderful Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake which was also served at the baptism so I took a picture of those too and will post those next!

Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies
1 c. butter
1/3 c. cocoa
1 c. water
Heat on stovetop almost to a boil. Turn off stove and add next step

2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
½ tsp. Salt

In a measuring cup mix ½ cup buttermilk with 1 tsp. Baking soda add to mixture.
Add
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Mix well and pour into a greased jelly role pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Frosting
½ c. milk
½ butter
¼ c. cocoa

Using the same pan bring ingredients to a boil. Turn off stove.
Add
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Pour frosting over brownies right when they come out of the oven. Top with chopped walnuts or pecans if you like.
Enjoy!

Hamburger Soup

I made this soup for my family last week. It has been a favorite of ours for some time. I love all the vegetables in this soup with the rice and cabbage. It takes a little while to chop all the vegies but I think it is well worth it. It is a hearty, flavorful soup, but easy on the fat and calories. I like to serve it with homemade bread or dinner rolls. Yum!

Hamburger Soup

1 lb hamburger
¼ c rice (uncooked)
1 c chopped onion
5 c water
1 tsp beef bullion
1 c diced potato
4 tsp salt ( I use seasoning salt)
1 c carrots, chopped
¼ tsp basil
1 c chopped/shredded cabbage
¼ tsp thyme
1 c chopped celery
1 bay leaf
2 or 3 cans stewed tomatoes - depending on how much tomato you like.
(I like to zap the tomatoes in the blender to break them up into smaller bits, then my children won't complain about the tomoato chuncks but we can still get the full flavor :)

Brown together hamburger & onion. Drain off fat and put in large soup pot. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer till done. Serves 10