White Chicken Chili

This weekend I was swapping recipes with my sister-in-law and we started on white chicken chili… I’ve had this recipe on my list for months but haven’t made it until last night.

If you know how to run a can opener, garlic press, and a cheese grater… this is all for you.  It was so simple.

Now I used, mild chunky salsa from Newman’s Own and I used Hot Pepper Jack Cheese (Lynn Dairy).  The Hot Pepper Jack cheese made the soup hot, but a good hot for me… you know… you keep going back for more.  If you don’t want it hot, use a mild pepper jack or use plain monterey jack cheese.

I also took 1/2 of my leftovers and put it in the freezer for a rainy day.  (It does make a huge pot.) 

White Chicken Chili

• 1 32-ounce box chicken stock
• 3 cans white beans, left undrained
• 5 cups cooked chicken (rotisserie or boiled)
• 1 16-ounce jar salsa
• 1 8-ounce block pepper jack cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• back or white pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup finely crushed corn chips (optional, if you like your chili thicker)
• sour cream, for garnish

Place all ingredients except the corn chips in a crockpot.  Cook on high until the cheese is melted.

Chili may also be cooked on the stovetop over medium-high heat until cheese is melted.

When the chili is ready, add the crushed corn chips, if using, and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.  Garnish with more chips, cheese and/or sour cream and serve.

Hungry Girl

I think I have confessed this before… but… I am a HUGE Rachael Ray fan.  I record all her shows!  If you were to come to my house and look at my TIVO it would be plump full of Rachael Ray… and few other cooking shows… oh and some Cops and Man vs. Wild for my husband. 

Anyway on Rachael Ray she has had this lady on a few times known as Hungry Girl.  She teaches you how to eat the things you love but in a healthy way!

My sister came over for the day a couple of Fridays ago and I was showing her the website for Hungry Girl.  My sister is doing a low-carb thing… so she was googling some sites and recipes.  We decided to make the following two recipes:

Chicken Strips  So good!!  I even ate my leftovers – and we are not leftover kind of people.  I made a salad and tossed some of the left over chicken strips on it!  I threw a few in the food processor with some veggies for the baby… she gobbled it right up!

Peanut Butter Yup  Speechless!!  Okay, so ours were um… way bigger then the picture – but they were so yummy!  I forget how much I love peanut butter!  I have made these a few times since my sister was here!  Such a yummy snack to eat when the baby is napping!!

Go make yourself a Hungry Girl meal!  She has a bunch of recipes that will make you hungry on the spot.  She also has enough deserts to make a girl’s head spin! 

Stuffed Chicken w/ Roasted Tomatoes

We were suppose to deliver cookies to my in-laws last night, but I really didn’t want to make the drive to their house (45 minutes).  We schemed up a plan and it worked… have them come to OUR house and we’ll feed them supper!  : ) 

Here is what I made them and it was delish!  I even bought fresh bread and had olive oil, balsamic, and fresh pepper for dipping.  That was a little too fancy for Jesse’s Dad, but he did try one piece and then wanted the butter.

Oh, and this meal could not have been easier!!  And not a lot of dishes… and I don’t have a dishwasher, so I am all about less dishes!

Chicken Breasts Stuffed w/ Spinach & Ricotta

• 4 bone-in chicken breasts  (I used 4 thighs and 2 breasts)
• 1pk (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach thawed
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• ground pepper
• salt

Preheat oven to 425.  Drain thawed spinach; transfer to a large bowl.  Add ricotta cheese, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir well to combine.  Stuff chicken with filling (under the skin); season chicken generously with salt and pepper.  (I drizzled olive oil to crisp and darken the skin.)  Place on a rimmed baking sheet; roast until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Roasted Plum Tomatoes

• 8 plum tomatoes (I used Roma)
• 1T olive oil
• 1/4t dried thyme
• 1/2t salt
• 1/4t pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Halve each tomato lengthwise.  Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet; toss with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper until coated.  Arrange in a single layer, cut sides up.  Bake until soft, about 30 minutes.

You can cook the tomatoes on the same pan as the chicken.  I did not because the thought of chicken juices running into my tomatoes kind of grossed me out. 

Everyday Food; Issue 18; December 2004