White Chicken Chili

I stole this from Betty Crocker (I get weekly emails for recipe ideas) but it is so delish! And I'm giving her the credit... Thanks Betty!


Ingredients

2     cans (18 oz each) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ creamy roasted garlic with chicken stock cooking sauce

2     cups cubed deli rotisserie chicken

1     can (15 oz) Progresso® cannellini beans, drained, rinsed

1     can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles

4     teaspoons Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package)                                          

Garnishes, If Desired                               

Shredded Cheddar or taco cheese                                           

Sour cream                                           

Coarsely crushed tortilla chips

Directions

In 2-quart saucepan, heat cooking sauce, chicken, beans, chiles and taco seasoning mix to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

Top each serving with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.


*I used the name brand Progresso Recipe Starter because I don't know of it's equivalent in a generic brand. But, everything else I used a generic or cheap brand. And, in case you haven't looked, check out Costco or Sams Club for a giant taco seasoning ($4 for a giant way-multi-use container or $1 for a small one time packet).

The Nacho Cheese Experiment

Is it any secret Mike and I love nacho cheese? It's our go-to Super Bowl party snack. It's our go-to "bad day" snack. Nancy, Mike's mom, has it (Tostito's Queso) stocked in her pantry now whenever we come around. I've even received it as a gift for my birthday (thanks Jenn!).

The Tostito's Queso has yet to be passed up for number one. We've tried the other canned varieties. The closest that we think is acceptable, since it's at a lower price, is Campbell's Fiesta Cheese. But we only use rolls with that. Taco Bell's and Del Taco's have pretty good Nachos. We'll sometimes make them in the microwave, with shredded cheese and taco meat. Maybe once a year we'll splurge for them at sporting events (but I'm always left with more chips than cheese). Stay away from the canned immitators that have bubbles and a play-doh consistency!

A couple months ago we were at Chili's with a free appetizer coupon and got their Queso dip. We've had it before, but it's deliciousness cannot get old. With the queso comes their salsa, which is just about perfect. Soon after this experience I realized that their recipe can't be a secret any longer--there's got to be a way to at least come close to making the real thing. Within days I had made their salsa. Mike and I have gone through at least 10 batches of the stuff. Oh man, it's good! So we figured we could try a queso recipe we found online. And while we're at, why not make the official "I Love Nacho Cheese" website's nacho cheese recipe? So, now that we're done with our official race we were training for, we could indulge a little... Here's the recipes and our decision:

The "Offcial" Nacho Cheese Recipe

    from: Ilovenachocheese.com

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. corn starch
1/2 cup milk
1 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/8 cup monterey jack, shredded
1/2 tsp. Busha Browne's Pukka Hot Pepper Sauce. (Any habanero/scotch bonnet pepper sauce will do. We recommend anything with a "use with descretion" warning on the bottle.)
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. paprika

Directions:
In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, melt butter and stir in corn starch.
Pour in the milk, add cream cheese, and continue to stir until mixture is fully incorporated.
While stirring mix in cheddar and jack cheeses, chili powder, paprika, and hot pepper sauce.
Continue to stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well blended.
Pour over tortilla chips.

We used a different hot pepper sauce. And I put a little too much monterey jack in. However, those two things couldn't have ruined this. It just wasn't that good. We kept it heated as we dipped (instead of pouring it over chips) and that didn't really matter. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't what we ended up getting. We won't be trying this one again.

The Queso Recipe

     from: http://www.copykat.com/2009/02/02/chilis-skillet-queso/

Ingredients:

1 lb Velveeta Cheese
1 can Hormel Chili, no beans

Directions:
Cube velveeta cheese in crockpot. Add chili. Heat until melted (about 2 hours), stirring occasionally.

I tasted it before serving it and it tasted very velveeta-y. I went back online to check out a different, more complicated, recipe I had found while searching. Using that recipe (http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/01/chilis-copycat-skillet-queso-recipe.html), I added things like chili powder, paprika and cumin. It helped, but didn't get rid of the overwhelming velveeta-ness. I am hoping that the other flavors mixed overnight and so leftovers aren't gross. But, as of yet, we won't be trying this one again. (It was, however, more enjoyable than the nacho cheese).

The Salsa Recipe

     from: http://www.copykat.com/2009/03/27/chilis-salsa/

I saved the best for last!

Ingredients:

1 can tomatoes and green chilies (14.5 oz can)

1 can whole peeled tomatoes (14.5 oz can, plus the juice)

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon jalapenos (canned, diced, not pickled)

1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)

1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

In food processor place jalapenos and onions. Process for just a few seconds. Add both cans of tomatoes, salt, sugar, and cumin. Process all ingredients until well blended but do not puree. Place in covered container and chill. A couple of hours of chilling will help blend and enrich the flavor.

I get a jar of jalapenos that are sliced into rings--I use about 6 rings to make it the right spicy-ness. Also, I don't have a food processor, so I use the blender.

Skillet Lasagna

*I found this in a cook book I checked out from the library last year. I made some modifications.

Ingredients:

-1 lb ground beef
-1 can spaghetti sauce (we use Traditional or 3 Cheese)
-1 box bow tie pasta
-2 cups cheese (approx)

Instructions:

-Cook pasta according to instructions on the box.
-While pasta is cooking, in 12 in, or larger, skillet, brown the ground beef; drain fat when done. Add sauce to the beef and simmer on low.
-When pasta is done and drained, slowly add to the meat and sauce. (You won't want to use all of it, depending on how saucy you like youre pasta. We usually use all but about 1 1/2 cups. To save and use later, put left over pasta in tupperware with 1 tsp oil, shake to cover all pasta, and refrigerate.)
-Stir to cover all pasta with sauce. Spread thin layer of cheese on top (using about half the cheese); cover skillet with lid and let simmer to let cheese melt for about 1 min.
-Stir cheese in. Cover one more time with lid; about 1 - 2 minutes.
-Serve.

Biscuits

This recipe is from Allrecipes.com. I've made a few slight changes.
(http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jps-big-daddy-biscuits/detail.aspx)

Not my picture, but this is what they will look like. (Photo from:http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/buttermilk-biscuits-10000001673191/)

I love biscuits, and this is one of the best recipes I have found. They easy to make and bake up big and flaky! They are perfect with a little bit of butter and/or jam.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup milk
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl.
3. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead no more than 20 times. Pat dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges begin to brown.

*With the glass I use to cut the biscuits out, this makes about 8. It usually takes me less than 25 minutes from start to finish.

-Erin

Rice Casserole

1 cup rice (cook as directed)
1 green pepper - chopped
1 onion - chopped
2 cups of grated cheese (more if you like cheese)
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup melted butter (we usually use less butter)
2 eggs beaten

Preheat oven to 350
In an ungreased casserole dish mix together:
milk, eggs, butter, onions, green pepper and salt
add 1/2 of the grated cheese. Mix well
Add the cooked rice. Mix well
Sprinkle top with the remaining cheese
Cook for 1 hour

Rice Casserole

Chewy Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

Chewy Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

2 Beat butter until creamy. Add brown sugar and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; beat until blended. Add egg, baking soda, corn syrup and vanilla; beat well.

3 Stir together flour and cocoa; beat into butter mixture. If batter becomes too stiff, use wooden spoon to stir in remaining flour. Cover; refrigerate about 30 minutes, if necessary, until batter is firm enough to shape. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon; roll balls in mixture. Place balls 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

4 Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until cookies are set and tops are cracked. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack or slide parchment paper and cookies to wire rack. Cool completely; peel cookies from paper. 40 cookies.

From: Hersey's