White Chicken Chili

Hello! I think it's safe to say that fall is here to stay. It's a chilly 50 degrees here in West Lafayette, IN and windy and damp. What a great day to make chili and watch some college football! It's taken me a WHILE to perfect a white chicken chili recipe. I think I've made about 8 different versions... nothing quite satisfied me until a couple of weeks ago. To date, all of them were too soup-like for me. I finally decided to make a roux and that was a game changer!! I've made this particular version twice now and I think I've finally got a winner!! Let me know what you think or if you have any suggested modifications.

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

What you need for the chili:
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1/2 of a large white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups of chicken stock 
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened (let it sit out about an hour if you can; or pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds before using)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 packet McCormick white chicken chili seasoning mix (pictured below)
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or as much/little as you want; I like it spicy!)
1 can cannellini beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can southwest corn 

To make the chili:
1. I always start by cooking my chicken low and slow. I don't use any seasoning since the chili will have enough. Once cooked thru, dice chicken into small bites.
2. Saute your peppers and onion in a pan with 1 tablespoon of butter until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

This was more than needed- we made another batch of chili today, too ;)

3. In a large pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add flour and form a roux. Cook flour until golden, about 5 minutes.

4. Slowly add 2 cups of chicken stock to the roux, mixing constantly until thick. 
5. Add McCormick seasoning packet and cayenne pepper; mix well. 
6. Add your 8oz package of cream cheese. Slowly mix until cream cheese is melted and incorporated into the base.

7. Add your cooked peppers and onions to the base you've made and mix well. Slowly add in another cup of chicken broth.
8. Drain and rinse your beans; drain corn and add to your chili pot. Mix well and bring to a bubble.

9. Add diced chicken and remaining cup of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 more minutes.

ENJOY over rice, baked potato, macaroni or just plain. This is a real cozy, yummy fall meal!

 

This was served over a baked potato with cheese and green onions!

Crab Stuffed Shrimp

Hello! This past weekend we made crab stuffed shrimp that were just out of this world! And they really weren’t that difficult to put together. I think you should give these a try at your next dinner get together! I served it with chicken and wild rice but you can do this all by themselves if you like. I’ve added the wild rice recipe below because it was just too good to keep a secret!

CRAB STUFFED SHRIMP

What you need for the shrimp:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (for the pan)

2 tablespoons of butter (for the pan)

2 ribs of celery, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped (I used half of a large one)

1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

6-8 ounces (drained weight) fresh lump crab meat (if you can only find canned, get 2, 5 and 1/2 ounce cans, drain and rinse it really well)

½ teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

2 thin slices white bread, toasted and buttered and then diced

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3 tablespoons melted butter

8 large, raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

To make the shrimp:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt your butter with the oil in a large skillet on medium heat.

3. Add the celery, onion and red bell pepper. Sautee for 5-7 minutes until your veggies are soft.

4. Mix in the lump crab meat and your seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste (I added some ground pepper but no additional salt). Continue to cook on low.

5. While this cooks, toast two pieces of white bread. Butter them and then dice into small pieces. Add the bread to skillet and mix in the shredded cheese. The mixture should all come together! Turn off heat.

6. Prepare your shrimp on a clean surface. Devein (if needed) and butterfly your shrimp down the devein line on the back of the shrimp (almost all the way through the shrimp but not quite).

7. Melt one tablespoon of butter into a small baking dish, spread it around.

8. Brush the inside (butterflied portion) of the shrimp with melted butter.

9. Place a generous amount of the crab mixture on top of the butterflied shrimp. 

10. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until shrimp are pink. Our shrimp were very large so it took closer to 25 minutes but if you have smaller ones it will take less time.

ENJOY!!

BONUS- WILD RICE RECIPE

What you need for the rice:

1 box Uncle Ben’s original wild rice and seasoning mix

1 tablespoon of butter

½ container of sliced baby bella mushrooms

3 green onions, chopped thinly

1 can mandarin oranges, drained (I only used half of the can because I didn’t want to overwhelm the flavor)

½ cup dried cherries (or any fruit you like)

½ cup slivered almonds

To make the rice:

1. Prepare the rice according to box directions.

2. Meanwhile, melt your butter in a sauce pan and cook mushrooms with green onions.

3. Toss all ingredients in with the rice when it’s complete; mix well and serve!

Hawaiian Turkey Sliders

This next recipe is a hit as an appetizer, late night snack or even a full blown meal. I've made this recipe several times and have always been asked how to make them. The original recipe actually calls for ham, but those of you that know me, know I don't eat that so we switched it up to use honey turkey and I've never gotten a complaint. You could easily do the recipe all ham though, or a little bit of both. This recipe just calls for turkey but switch it up however you like. One more disclaimer, the recipe below is for a full recipe but the pictures are only for half since we didn't need 12 sandwiches for just the two of us. If you want to make only six, just halve the written recipe below.

What you need for the sliders:
1 package of 12 Hawaiian rolls
1 pound of honey turkey (or 1/2lb turkey, 1/2lb ham)
10 slices of swiss cheese
1 stick of butter
1/2 of an onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


To make the sandwiches:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. First, I like to make the sauce that goes on top of the sandwiches. Melt one stick of butter, add the onion, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until bubbly and hot.

3. Slice your Hawaiian rolls in half the long way. Place the bottoms of the rolls in a 9x13 pan. Put a little of the butter/onion sauce (maybe about a 1/3) on the rolls.

4. Arrange meat and cheese on top. Place tops of rolls over the meat and cheese. Top with the remaining butter mixture.

5. Bake in oven for about 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and sandwiches are warmed through. 

ENJOY!!

Shredded BBQ Chicken- plus some new kitchen pics!

Hello!! I'm so sorry for my hiatus! We FINALLY MOVED!!! Yay!!! It has been a crazy month- mom had surgery, my brother got married and then we packed up and moved. Whew!! Lots on our plate in the month of May! Then we spent most of June getting unpacked and making this house a home. :) I am finally starting to feel a little settled- well, settled enough to start cooking and baking again! First, I thought I would share a couple pics of the fun stuff that's been going on...

Beautiful bride!

Brother and Sister In Law! :)

My new kitchen!

Sorry for the kitty- Betty insisted on being in all these pics!

Now, let's get down to business with a super easy and yummy summer recipe. Shredded BBQ chicken for sandwiches, wraps, heck-you could even put it on a pizza crust! With the 4th coming this weekend I thought you might be able to use it at one of the cookouts I'm sure you all have planned! Please plan about 4-6 hours for this recipe- you use the slow cooker but it keeps your kitchen cool and it cooks while you work on other things!

SHREDDED BBQ CHICKEN 

What you need for the shredded BBQ chicken:
1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I usually do about 2lbs which is about 3 large breasts)
1 green pepper, sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 cup- 1.5 cup Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce

To make the chicken:
1. Clean up your chicken breasts and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for about 3 hours.

2. Cut up your bell pepper and onion; set aside for later.

3. After about 2 and a half/3 hours of your chicken on low, flip the breasts over and add the onion and pepper. Cook on LOW for another 3-4 hours. (There will be juice in the slow cooker- leave it in there!)
4. I promise you can leave it alone and go do what you need to do -run errands, clean, have fun with company- whatever! In the words of Princess Elsa, just- LET IT GO!
5. At this point, if you've left the chicken cooking on low for about 6-7 hours, it should just fall apart if you put some tongs in there and move it around. 

You could also use a fork or take it out and put it on a cutting board (but why make a mess if you don't have to!) Anyway, just shred the chicken. 

6. After it's shredded, mix it around a bit in the water that was released from the veggies and chicken. If there's still too much, drain some out; I usually get rid of about a 1/4 cup.
7. Add the BBQ sauce and mix around. I usually let this go for another 1/2 hour or so or until I'm ready to serve it up. 
8. Serve on buns or any way you like! Have some slices of cheese around and lettuce and everyone will be happy.

 ENJOY!

Mock Mashed Potatoes

Hello! I've got a fun surprise recipe for all of you today! Mashed potatoes are always a big hit with almost any crowd. Garlic, cheese, butter...everything that makes you feel all warm and gooey on the inside! Well, here's a little twist on traditional mashed potatoes that will have you quite surprised! I have made this recipe a couple of times now and been really happy with the results. I know the idea of mashed cauliflower seems strange but trust me, the texture is quite similar, the flavor is there and they're super healthy!! Go ahead and eat the entire batch and you don't have to feel guilty! Give these a try and let me know what you think.

MOCK MASHED POTATOES (MASHED CAULIFLOWER)

What you need for the mashed cauliflower:
1 medium head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon of cream cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

To make the mashed cauliflower:
1. Bring a large stock pot of water to a boil.
2. While your water is boiling, clean and cut up your cauliflower.

3. Pour into boiling water and let steam for 6-8 minutes until soft.
4. While cauliflower is cooking, mix together the remaining ingredients in a bowl and then transfer to a food processor.

5. Once cauliflower is cooked, drain well and pat dry with papertowels until excess water is removed. 

6. Pour about half of your cooked cauliflower into the food processor and pulse until combined. You may have to mix it up with a spoon, too, to incorporate the cheesy ingredients you added first. Once mixed, add the rest of the cauliflower and pulse until blended.

7. Top with fresh chives, parsley and or black pepper.

Yummy! Tastes just like mashed potatoes!

ENJOY!

Mac 'n Cheese

Hi Everyone! Happy April! Looks like Teddy is making friends while we're gone at work!! We had this little visitor several times over the weekend and they are so cute!! Just sit there staring at one another- neither of them meows or hisses, just checking one another out. :) I think this means that Teddy really needs a little sister around here! ;)

                      We don't even know if his little friend is a girl or a boy but we call it               Butterscotch.... pretty appropriate for a cooking blog, huh?

Anyway, after we got these pics, I got busy in the kitchen with my famous mac 'n cheese recipe. I've made this for numerous occasions and events and have gotten positive feedback every time. The cheese can be switched up every time and so can the spices. Make it spicy, make it smokey, make it any way you like it!! Once you get the roux part down, all you need to do is add the cheeses and spices that suit your mood or party. Have fun and be creative!

MAC 'N CHEESE

What you need for the Mac 'n Cheese:

Kosher salt

Vegetable Oil

1 lb box of elbow macaroni

1 quart (4 cups) of milk

1 cup (1 stick) of butter

1/2 cup of flour

4 cups of Gruyere or another mild cheese (like swiss), shredded

2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon (we like ours spicy) of cayenne pepper

Optional- 1 cup of bread crumbs or crushed up potato chips

To make the Mac 'n Cheese:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Boil a large pot of water with a drizzle of oil and some kosher salt. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Pour your milk into a sauce pan and turn on low heat; do not bring to a boil but keep the milk on the heat long enough to warm.

4. Melt 6 tablespoons of your butter in a large pot. Add your 1/2 cup of flour and mix well until combined.

5. Cook about 4-5 minutes until brown and to cook off the flour taste.

6. Slowly add the milk to your roux mixture and keep mixing about 3-4 minutes until the mixture has become thick and smooth.

7. Turn heat to low and slowly add in your shredded cheese; keep mixing until melted and smooth. Continue this process until all of your cheese has been incorporated.

8. Once cheese mixture is smooth, remove from heat and mix in your cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper and nutmeg (I mixed mine in a bowl first and then poured it all in). 

9. Add your macaroni to the cheese and mix until combined. (NOTE: I usually take out some of the cheese sauce because there is always too much. I save this in the fridge or freeze it for another time.)

10. Transfer to a baking dish and top with bread crumbs or crushed up potato chips. Bake in your preheated oven about 20-25 minutes until bubbly and crispy on top!

I topped with a little extra parmesan- yummy!

ENJOY!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

This soup can brighten any dreary, cold winters day. It will also warm up your kitchen and your belly! I first had this soup at Panera a while back and I loved it! So of course, I went on a search for a copy cat recipe that I could try. I've made this about 4 times now so I've got the recipe down pretty good. It even won our tailgate's soup/chili cookoff last year! I couldn't believe that every last drop of this soup went. It's creamy, thick and hearty so you could have it all alone or with a grilled cheese to feel even more warm and gooey! If you want a thick soup, I would follow the recipe listed below pretty closely. If you use much more liquid, it can get pretty thin but do whatever suits your family's taste buds!


COPYCAT PANERA CREAMY CHICKEN WITH WILD RICE SOUP

What you need for the soup:
About 3 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts (boneless, cooked and cubed-you can always get a rotisserie and just cut it up)
1 (6 ounce) package long grain and wild rice blend, quick cooking version (You will use the seasoning packet so be sure to save it)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter (12 tbsp)
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced (I use one medium)
1 cup cremini mushrooms 
About 3 cups light cream (I use 1.5 cups heavy cream and 1 cup skim or 1% milk)

To make the soup:
1. I always start by cooking my chicken first that way it’s out of the way.

 

2. Prepare rice according to package directions except DO NOT use the seasoning mix. You could also substitute chicken broth for the water for added flavor.

 

3. While your rice is cooking, cut up your veggies (I always buy the mushrooms and carrots already cut so all I have to prepare is the celery and onion).

4. Once rice is done, add your cooked chicken to the pot and 2-3 cups of your broth. (I normally start light with 2 cups as you can always add more later.) Leave this pot off (no heat) but covered while you cook your veggies.

 

5. In a small bowl, combine pepper and flour. Set aside.  

6. In a large pot over medium heat, melt your butter. Add carrots, celery, mushrooms and onion and sautee for about 5 minutes. Stir in the contents of seasoning packet, and continue cooking your vegetables until softened, about 5-10 minutes more.

 

7. Now, add in your seasoned flour while stirring constantly to form a roux (a golden, thick mixture of the butter and flour). Continue stirring and cooking the roux for 3-4 minutes until it is nice and thick.

This is the 'roux' after about 5 minutes cooking.

8. Slowly whisk in cream (and/or milk), a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Remember I only used 2.5 cups of 'cream'.

9. Take your broth, rice and chicken pot and stir it into the cream mixture until it’s all well incorporated. If it’s too thick, add more broth. (The original recipe called for 6 cups but we like our soup thick so I never use that much. I actually didn't add any more than the original 2 cups to this particular batch.)

10. Bring soup to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes to mix all your flavors. The soup really does thicken as it cooks; if you want, add more broth. Or, if you save it for later in the week to re-heat you can add more chicken stock at that point, too!

It really thickens up after cooking!

Serve with bread or a grilled cheese for an extra yummy meal!! ENJOY!