Enchalada Casserole

This is an easy weeknight meal that the whole family enjoys. My kids like to eat it as is, but my husband and I like to top it with lettuce, tomatoes, onions etc ( as you can see in the picture). It is simple and delicious. I hope you enjoy it!



Enchilada Casserole

1 lb hamburger
1 can tomato soup
1 can red enchilada sauce
2 cups cheese divided
10-12 corn tortillas torn up
(optional: 1 can of beans, drained)

Garnish with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onions, sliced olives, sour cream etc

Fry up hamburger and drain fat. Put cooked hamburger meat in a large mixing bowl, add can of soup, enchilada sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and torn corn tortillas. Mix well and put in a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese on top and bake in a 350* oven till heated through.

I sometimes add a can of black beans drained to stretch the recipe further. Also, if I am in a hurry I cook the entire thing in my 12inch deep skillet on the stove and it still turns out great.

Chicken Corn Chowder

Here is another delicious soup recipe that I am sure your family will enjoy. I found it on one of my favorite recipe blogs, My Kitchen Cafe. It is full of flavor and a big hit with my family. The recipe calls for fresh jalapenos with the seeds removed, I used jalapeno slices from a jar and cut out some of the seeds, I thought it turned out great and not too hot. Enjoy!

Chicken Corn Chowder - from My Kitchen Cafe

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (this is important for flavor - but doesn't add heat because the seeds and membranes are removed and it is cooked with the other veggies)
1/4 cup thinly sliced or cooked chopped ham
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
3 ears of fresh corn kernels or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a liquid measuring cup or bowl and then stir into the soup. Stir in the corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk the cream cheese/milk mixture into the soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer on low until ready to serve. * note, the cream cheese may not completely dissolve in the soup and you will have tiny bits of it in your soup but that is OK!

Fresh Alpine Potato Soup

I have made a lot of soups this winter and this one has become a family favorite! It is full of flavor and easy to make! don't be afraid of the dill, it adds a nice flavor but does not overpower it at all. I am also not a parsley fan but I do like the fresh Italian parsley added to this soup as well. Enjoy!!


Fresh Alpine Potato Soup - from The Sister's Cafe

1 Tb butter or olive oil
1 c chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
5 cups water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 ring Polska Kielbasa sausage, sliced
1 tsp dried dill weed
3 Tb chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 tsp pepper

Saute the onion and garlic in butter or olive oil in a 4 quart pot. Then add the water, bouillon, vegetables, and sausage to onion mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Then add the dill weed, parsley and pepper.

Jodi's Mexican Salad

My sweet friend Jodi made this salad when we were visiting this summer. It was delicious and I am so happy she shared it with me. I recently made it for a pot luck and had lots of compliments. I hope you enjoy it too!



Mexican Salad
1 head of lettuce, torn up
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 or 2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 - 1 purple onion, diced
1 cup grated cheese
The amounts aren't anything exact--it depends on what your family or guests like!

Catalina dressing
Fritos, crushed

*Mix everything except the dressing and Fritos, then add those to as much as you are going to serve. If you don't dress all of it, you can save the Fritos and lettuce from getting mushy/wilted

Favorite Balsamic Dressing

I found this recipe in my Fix-It and Enjoy-It Cookbook and it is so very yummy! Whenever I make it, my kids run to make a salad because they like it so much. It is easy to throw together and I usually double the recipe so that there is plenty to go around.

Favorite Balsamic Dressing (makes about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. yellow mustard

1 clove garlic- crushed

2 Tbs. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Combine ingredients and blend till smooth. Store in regrigerator.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

I came across this recipe on The Sister's Dish and had to try it. My family totall loved it and is one of our new family favorites! This soup has a great flavor and is filling but not too heavy. I hope you enjoy it too!

Chicken Tortellini Soup- from The Sister's Dish

Ingredients:
• 10 oz broccoli
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cans chicken broth(14 1/2 ounce), ~6 cups
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 t. oregano
• 1/2 t. basil
• 9 oz package cheese tortellini(fresh in the clear plastic box in the cheese section)
• grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions:
In a large pot combine chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, chicken, onions, carrots, water, garlic, basil and oregano. Bring to boil. Add tortellini. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Add broccoli and simmer and additional 5-10 minutes. or until broccoli is tender. Serve with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry Pie

I made this pie for our church's annual Chili and Pie cook off and won 2nd place! It was a delicious cherry pie with blue berries and a crumb topping. I found it on line and it was the winner of the 2009 American Pie Council cook off so I figured it must be good! My kids typically don't like cherry pie or cherry pie filling in any kind of dessert, but they really liked this pie. It is a sweet pie that needs a tall glass of milk or big scoop of ice cream with it. I will be making it again very soon!

Tom's Cheery Cherry Cherry Berry Pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
Mix all ingredients in a stand mixer on medium speed swiftly until crust appears “pea like.” Carefully sprinkle ice cold water in crust mix until it just starts to be fully moistened and gathers together. Pat into disc, wrap and refrigerate for at least one half hour. Roll out on floured surface and make and crimp pie crust. Freeze until ready to use.

Filling:
4 1/2 cups Montmorency tart cherries –frozen
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp real almond extract
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup dried Michigan cherries
1 1/2 cups of frozen blueberries
Combine frozen cherries, dried cherries, sugar, cornstarch. Stir constantly on med-hi heat until boiling. Add blueberries. Boil for one minute or until thickened. Add almond extract, lemon juice and zest. Pour blueberries in bottom of pie shell and pour cherry mixture over them.
Crumb Topping
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter softened
Mix together all crumb topping ingredients by hand or a pastry blender until crumbly.
Cover filling with crumb topping. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour or until filling is bubbling over crust.

White Lightning Chicken Chili Re-Post

I have posted this recipe before but recently made it for our church's annual Chili Cook off. I normally add black beans and/or corn and garnish it with sour cream cilantro and cheese. But this time I used meat from a pork loin that I had done in the crock pot for 10 hours and stuck with all white beans. I also added the sour cram, cilantro and cheese to the pot ahead of time and stired it all in. Well, it was delicious and I won 2nd place at the chili cook off!

(With sour cream, cheese and cilantro stirred in.)

White Lightning Chickn Chili- Adapted from The Pampered Chef
This recipe has been a favorite of ours for years. I have had so many requests for it and have been meaning to share if for some time. I have also made it with pork or turkey with great results. The recipe calls for Great Northern Beans which I always use , but my family also likes me to add a can of black beans and corn to change it up a bit. Either way, it has a great flavor with the lime and cumin and you can kick up the spice with more Jalapenos if you like. This white chili is delicious and hits the spot. Enjoy!

(with corn and black beans added and garnish on top.)

White Lightning Chicken Chili - Adapted from The Pampered Chef

3 cups cooked chicken, cut or shredded (or pork)
6 cloves of roasted garlic
1 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
3 cans (15oz each) Great northern beans, drained, rinsed and divided
(optional- add a can of black beans and/or corn)
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 Tbs cold water
1/4 cup cilantro, snipped
sour cream and diced avocado, Monetary jack cheese as a garnish OR stir in sour cream, cheese and cilantro ahead of time for a creamy version.

Serve with tortilla chips

1. Chop onion and Jalapeno peppers.
2. Drain 1 can beans and put in a small bowl. Gently squeeze garlic from skins into the bowl and mash the beans and garlic together. Set aside
3. drain remaining 2 cans of beans and set aside
4.Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion an jalapeno peppers. Cook 4-5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken, mashed bean-garlic mixture, whole beans , chicken broth, cumin and lime juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes
5. Combine cornstarch and water, stirring until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to chili and continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Snip cilantro and stir into chili just before serving.
7 Garnish with sour cream, cubed avocado and snipped cilantro. and Monetary Jack cheese, and serve with tortilla chips.
8 ENJOY!!