White Bean & Chicken Chili (soup)

White Bean & Chicken Chili
This was called a "chili" in the recipe that I found, but it was really more of a soup. It sounded really plain, (and therefore boring) but I tried it anyway. It got great reviews form Garry and Parker, the girls wouldn't try it. All in all, it was much better than I thought it would be, I will make it again and again. I altered the recipe a bit, and will post it as such.

1 lb chicken, cut into small cubes
1 can diced Green chilies
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 cans white kidney or navy beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken broth

Toppings: Shredded cheese, sour cream and minced fresh cilantro

Saute chicken and green chillies over medium heat, until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper, (I actually used "Weber's Kick'n Chicken" seasoning). Pour the chicken and chillies into a 3 quart slow cooker. In the same pan used to cook the chicken, saute the onions, garlic and Jalapeno. Sprinkle in the oregano and cumin. Cook for 1 or 2 min, until the onions are tender. place into the slow cooker. In a small bowl, mash 1 cup of the beans, then stir in 1/2 cup broth, stir until blended. Add to the slow cooker with the remaining beans and broth.
Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 hours. Stir before serving. (I'm sure that this could also be done in a pot on the stove, everything is already cooked when it goes in.)
Sprinkle on your choice of toppings, enjoy.

Oreo Cookies

These are a new favorite!!!!!

Oreo Cookies:
2 pkg's cake mix (any chocolate, I liked using Devils Food Cake)
1 cup oil
4 eggs
Mix and roll into balls, place on baking sheet. Bake at 375 * for 10 minutes.

Filling:
1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese
4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
(to add some color try dying the filling!) Here I have it dyed light green for Easter.

Once cookies have cooled, add filling! This simple recipe is delicious!!!

Loaded Pasta al Forno

Okay, today I tried something new and it turned out absolutely delightful! My family LOVED it! I'm not sure what to call it, though, besides "Pasta al Forno", which just means "baked pasta". So here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

6TBS butter

3TBS flour

1 cup cream

1 1/2 cups milk

2 lightly beaten egg yolks

1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

13 oz frozen broccoli florets

2 chopped green onions (about 1/4 cup)

2 chopped fresh tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped onion

1-2 TBS chopped garlic

1 1/2 cups cubed ham

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 lb rigatoni pasta

In a large pot, boil water and cook pasta "al dente", about 9 minutes. In a medium pot, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Whisk in cream, milk, egg yolks, asiago cheese, nutmeg, salt, & pepper. Cook over medium heat until mixture gets creamy and cheese is completely melted and mixed in- DO NOT BOIL. In the large pot, combine the cooked pasta, sauce, frozen broccoli, green onions, tomatoes, parsley, onion, garlic, and ham. Pour into a 9X13 baking dish and evenly sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.

Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana Soup

This soup blends the flavors of potatoes, Kale (its a green leafy veggie found by the lettuce), and Italian sausage in a slightly spicy chicken & cream broth.

5 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup heavy cream (evaporated milk can be used in place of cream)

4 cups chopped kale

2 medium Russet potatoes

1 lb spicy Italian sausage

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I leave these out, too spicy for the kids)

*Saute sausage. In a sauce pan combine cream and broth over med heat. Slice potato into 1/4 inch slices, the quarter the slices and add to the soup along with the sausage and kale. Add spices, and let simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (Do not let it boil, the cream will curdle.)

Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Makes about 4 servings as a main dish.