Black Bean and Salsa Soup

Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Ingredients:

3          Cans of Black Beans (divided)
1 1/2    C Salsa
2          C Chicken Broth
1 1/2    tsp Cumin
2          cloves garlic
1/2       onion (chopped)
            hot sauce to taste
1          T lime juice
            sour cream
            butter

Get Cooking:

Saute chopped onion and garlic in pan with butter.

Meanwhile, puree 2 cans of black beans, salsa, cumin, chicken broth, hot sauce in blender.

Add bean mixture to onions and garlic. Add 1 can of whole black beans and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add lime juice and stir. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cheese on top.

Additional:
Add in corn, rice or chicken for more interest. Serve with cheese quesadillas.

Hubby's Favorite Mac & Cheese

This is to die for...according to my husband. Many of my friends have probably tasted this since it's my fall back on dish any time there is a pot luck or event I need to bring food to. Since this is my most requested recipe and it tastes excellent with the BBQ chicken recipe I thought I would go ahead and share this one today.

Hubby's Favorite Mac & Cheese

8 oz         elbow macaroni
8oz          shredded cheddar cheese
12oz        small curd cottage cheese
8 oz         sour cream
1/4 c        grated parmesan
1/2 c        milk
               salt & pepper to taste
1 c           bread crumbs or crushed crackers
1/4 c        butter melted


Get Cooking

1. Preheat oven to 350. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
2. In 9x13 inch baking dish (I usually use a deep casserole dish instead), stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, milk, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ

 LOVE LOVE THIS RECIPE! Very nice to have when you don't have time to think about dinner and it uses very few ingredients so it's budget friendly.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ

6           frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
12 oz    BB-Q sauce
1/2 c     Italian dressing
1/4 c     brown sugar
2 T       Worcestershire sauce

Put chicken in slow cooker. In separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients together. Pour over chicken.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours OR on high for 3-4 hours.

Shred chicken and serve.

*chicken will generally test better if you use fresh or thawed chicken but it's still tasty with frozen.

Kick'n Awesome Chicken Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

4              boneless skinless chicken boobs
30            crackers crushed
1 1/2  tsp  seasoned salt
1/2     tsp  black pepper
3        T    potato flakes
1/2     tsp  garlic powder
1               egg
2        T     flour
                 vegetable oil

Get Cooking

1. Put raw chicken in ziploc and gently pound to tenderize.

2. Coat chicken in flour

3. Dip chicken in egg

4. Put crackers, seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder and potato flakes in a ziploc. Drop chicken in bag and shake to coat

5. Heat oil in stove top pan.

6. Add chicken and fry on one side for 5 minutes. Flip and fry on other side for 5 minutes. Flip back and forth to prevent burning and cook till done.


Gravy Recipe

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the frying oil. Over low heat, stir in 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour. Sprinkle in seasoned salt and black pepper to taste. Stirring constantly, cook about 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup of chicken stock, scraping browned bits off bottom of skillet. Stir in 1 cup milk, and bring all to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately with the chicken. 

Blueberry Bombshell Monster Muffins

*Named by DH

Ingredients
1 1/2 C      flour
3/4    C      white sugar
1/2    tsp    salt
2       tsp    baking powder
1/3    C      vegetable oil
1                egg
1/3    C      milk
1       tsp     vanilla
1       C      blueberries

Topping: Mix together with fork
1/2     C     brown sugar
1/3     C     flour
1/4     C     butter
1 1/2  tsp   cinnamon

Get Cooking:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use muffin liners

Mix flour, white sugar, salt and baking powder.

In a 1 cup liquid measuring cup, add 1/3 cup of vegetable oil; add the egg and then enough milk to fill the cup.
Gently mix this into the flour mixture.

Fold in blueberries.

Pour into muffin tins. Sprinkle with topping. Don't go overboard with topping or it will cause muffins to sink in the center.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until done.

We had this for dinner along with scrambled eggs and bacon. Yummmy!

Slower Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Slower Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients:

4            boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 T         butter
1 can      cream of mushroom
1 can      cream of chicken

3 C         chicken broth
1 C               water

1/2          onion finely chopped
1 can       mixed veggies
1 can       refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
               cumin
               parsley                  to taste

               seasoned salt
               pepper

Get Cooking:


Cook all ingredients on high in slow cooker for 4-6 hours.

1-2 hours before serving, add in dough. Cook till no longer raw in center.



Remove cooked chicken breasts. Shred meat and add back to soup.