This is a collection of my favorite recipes. This blog is mainly for me. I wanted a place to keep all my recipes where I could pull up the recipe where ever I may be from my phone or computer. These are recipes I have TRIED and LOVED. I have a LONG waiting list of recipes I want to try that I hope to add soon. I have collected these recipes over the years and unfortuantely do not remember where I got all of them. If I know the source I have given credit where credit is due. If you stumble across my blog and find YOUR recipe, please let me know and I will give you the credit!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

INGREDIENTS
For Cornbread
  • ½ cup cornmeal
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tbsp butter, melted
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup creamed corn
  • 1 can (4.5 oz) diced green chiles
Tamale Casserole
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded white or dark meat
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup Tex Mex cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
Optional Toppings
  • cilantro
  • avocado
  • green onions
  • pomegranate seeds
  • sour cream
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees.
  2. Add the cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder to a medium size bowl and whisk together. Add the egg, butter, and buttermilk and whisk well. Stir in the creamed corn and the green chiles. Pour the cornbread mixture into a 12 inch skillet or a 9x9 pan.
  3. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. To make sure the cornbread is done, insert a toothpick in the center of the cornbread and if it comes out clean, it's done.
  4. When the cornbread is done, poke holes into it with a fork, or I used the end of a wooden spoon.
  5. Mix half of the enchilada sauce with the shredded chicken. Pour the other half of the enchilada sauce over the top the cornbread. Top with shredded chicken and all the cheese.
  6. Bake the casserole for about 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and has started to brown on top.
  7. Let cool for about 5 minutes then top the casserole with any of the optional toppings listed before serving.
NOTES
Nutritional information does not include any of the optional toppings.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Serving size: ⅛ of recipe Calories: 312Fat: 18.6g Saturated fat: 10.2gUnsaturated fat: 0.0g Trans fat: 0.0gCarbohydrates: 19.1g Sugar: 5.7gSodium: 789mg Fiber: 1.2gProtein: 18.1g Cholesterol: 90mg


Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

My family loves this recipe. I doubled all the ingredients but it ended up being a little salty for me, so I added another can of "No salt added" tomatoes. Next time I'm not going to double the ranch. 

1 can black beans
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 8 oz package light cream cheese
2 chicken breasts

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, then pour out whole can of corn (undrained), rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together. Place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

Pumpkin Chili

Serves 8 to 10

3-pound pie pumpkin or other orange-fleshed squash such as butternut, Red Kuri, or Golden Hubbard
2 medium turnips, about 3/4 pound
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups vegetarian broth
2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel
2 16-ounce cans chili beans, drained
2 cups frozen corn
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
Several dashes vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
Chopped green onions, to serve
Shredded cheddar cheese, to serve
Sour cream, to serve
Peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into 1-inch pieces. To make it easier to peel the pumpkin, cut in half, remove the seeds (and set aside for roasting!), then microwave each half cut-side down in a shallow dish of water for 5 minutes, or roast the halves at 450°F for about 15 minutes. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, shave off the skin with a sharp knife. (See our directions here on how to roast pumpkin and squash seeds.)
Peel the turnips and cut into 1-inch pieces.
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (it should hold at least 6 quarts), heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When melted, whisk in the cornmeal until smooth, then stir in the chopped pumpkin, turnip, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.
Add the broth, diced tomatoes, beans, and corn. Stir in the chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring back to a simmer then reduce the heat and cook for at least 1 hour, or until the pumpkin and turnip are tender. (It gets even better if simmered longer — a whole afternoon, if you have the time.)
Before serving, taste and season with salt and pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Serve hot with chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

Recipe Notes

  • Vegan & Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chili: Substitute olive oil for the butter and offer dairy-free toppings to make the chili vegan. The chili is naturally gluten-free, as long as all prepared ingredients are gluten-free.
  • Storage & Freezing: This chili freezes well, but it's also a crowd pleaser, so we rarely have any left!
Find original recipe here

Zupas Chicken Enchilada Chili Soup

  • This is Kinsey's absolutely favorite soup at Zupas and she says this copy cat recipe tastes just like the real thing. This is the link to the recipe http://burntapple.com/2014/03/19/zupas-chicken-enchilada-chili-soup/

  • Ingredients2 cups cooked chicken, cut into very small bite sized pieces small onion, chopped
  • 1 10oz can mild green chile sauce
  • 1 10oz can mild red chile sauce
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 4 oz can diced green chiles
  • 1 15oz can black or white beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (for dairy free this can be omitted)
  • 2 tbsp flour (for gluten free, substitute cornstarch or arrowroot powder)
  • 2 tbsp butter (can use non dairy vegan butter for dairy free)
  • 1 15oz can evaporated milk (can substitute non dairy milk if needed)
  • 2 cups broth
Instructions
  1. In a large pan set to medium low heat, stir together the chicken, onion, green chile sauce, red chile sauce, tomato sauce, green chiles, beans, garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cover and allow mixture to warm while you make the sauce. Stir occasionally.
  2. In a small saucepan set to medium heat, stir together the 2 tablespoons flour and butter until a smooth lump forms. Stir in the milk and continue cooking until mixture thickens.
  3. Slowly add the milk mixture into the chili, stirring to combine. Stir in the cheese if using and continue cooking until melted.
  4. Slowly add up to two cups of broth if needed to thin. You will want this recipe to have the consistency of soup which will be thinner than a traditional chili recipe.
  5. Serve garnished with additional cheese, tortilla strips, cilantro, or sour cream

Roasted Tomato Soup with Basil

http://cafezupas.com/2009/09/recipe-roasted-tomato-soup/
Ingredients
  • 4 lb tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, left unpeeled
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced [use only 1/2 tsp if you used dried]
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced [use only 1 tsp if using dried basil]
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
Directions
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.
Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan and add garlic to pan. Drizzle tomatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes and garlic 1 hour, then cool in pan on a rack. Peel garlic.
Cook onion, oregano, basil, and sugar in butter in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then force through a sieve into cleaned pot, discarding solids. Stir in cream and salt and pepper to taste and simmer 2 minutes.
Divide soup among 8 bowls.

Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients
1-1/2 cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
3 cups All-purpose Flour
1 whole Egg
5 Tablespoons Cold Water
1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions
In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)
When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.
With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

TGI Friday's Jack Daniels Sauce

(I make this without the whiskey and it tastes the same. Don't feel like you have to add it. Also I usually double this because we LOVE the sauce!)

1 head of garlic (oven roasted 1 hour@ 350 degrees)
1 Tbs olive oil
2/3 cup water
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 1/3 cup dk brown sugar
3 tbs lemon juice
3 tbs minced white onion
1 tbs jack Daniels whiskey
1 tbs crushed pineapple
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper


Combine water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture boils then reduce heat until mixture is just simmering.

Squeeze roasted garlic out of skins. Measure 2 tsp into the saucepan and whisk to combine. Add remaining ingredients to the pan and stir.

Let simmer about 40-50 minutes or until mixture has reduced by about 1/2 and is thick and syrupy. Make sure it doesn't boil over.

Makes 1 cup of glaze.