Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe if from my Trisha Yearwood cookbook.  Sounds like a good Halloween meal.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Three 14-ounce cans chicken broth
• 4 cups half-and-half
• One 10.75-ounce can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup prepared salsa, mild or spicy
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled, drained and shredded
• One 15-ounce can black beans, drained
• One 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
• One 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• One 1.27-ounce packet fajita seasoning
• One 16-ounce bag tortilla chips
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack, grated
• 8 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and the onion and saute until softened, 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir well, cooking for 1 minute more. Add the broth and the half-and-half. Stir in the cream of chicken soup, salsa, chicken, beans, corn, cumin and fajita seasoning. Continue to simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Crumble the tortilla chips into individual bowls and top with a ladle of soup. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and add a dollop of sour cream.

It's a Southern Thing

When the crisp fall air begins we all know in the south that it is time for beans.  Pinto beans with corn bread specifically.  We like to crumble the corn bread in the "juice" pintos and eat it like that.  This is one of those things you don't really like as a child but then you grow up and want it because it reminds you of all those childhood memories with grandma making pintos and then you wonder why you didn't like it as much as a child.  A meal in itself!

P. S.  That meat in the beans is ham in all it's goodness.  Now I just need to make some good old sweet tea to make it complete.

Meal Ideas - Soups

Taco Soup
Chili
Vegetable Soup
Chicken stew
Potato soup
Chicken and dumplings
Tomato soup

Mexican Chicken Soup

I believe this was in a Southern Living magazine a few years ago.

1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 T. oil
2 32 oz. cans chicken broth
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes (I use petite diced)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (could use rotisserie)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 t. cumin
2 T. freshly squeeze lime juice

Garnish: sour cream, cheese, tortilla chips

Saute onion and green pepper in oil for five minutes. Stir in chicken broth and next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh lime juice.  May add cilantro if desired.

Chicken Stew (Southern Style)

This is a dish in the south that is many times made in a large cast iron pot on someones farm or back yard when the weather turns cold.  You invite neighbors and friends to bring their own bowl and a dessert and you provide crackers and spoons and beverages.  When I did this I had hay bales set out for people to sit on and I decked out the garage as a little haunted room for the kids.  Neighbors just walked up and had a bowl of warm stew which kept them warm during the nice crisp fall weather.  It was a great time of fellowship and you don't even worry about what your house looks like because everyone is outside.  I am typically to insecure to entertain, but this was such a low key event and the neighbors had a nice time getting to know each other.  When we did this most houses on our street were new so this was nice to bring everyone together.  Now that I think about it most of them have sold and moved on and now we have different neighbors so maybe I need to do it again.  Most people do these "chicken stews" annually, but I am way to chicken for that.

Ingredients
2 hot dried red peppers (without brown stems) (I don't use these)
10-12 whole chickens (to feed 50 people)
1 large can evaporated milk
1/2 gallon whole milk
1 stick butter
salt and pepper to taste

Thickening
1/2 gallon whole milk
2 cups flour (s/r)

Cook chicken and save as much broth as possible.  Cooking chickens separately will yield more broth.  Debone chicken.

Combine evaporated milk, whole milk, chicken, and broth with salt and peppers and butter in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.

Thickening- Combine 1/2 gallon milk and 2 cups flour in a bowl.  Remove soup from heat (if on open flame) or reduce to low on stove and add flour mixture. Stir constantly to reduce lumps. If too thick add more milk.  Remove whole red peppers before serving if used.

Note- To make for regular meal I use one whole chicken and small can of evaporated milk and usually about 1/4-1/2. cup flour with milk as needed.

Serve with saltine crackers.   My husband likes to add Texas Pete to his bowl.

This dish was originally given to me by a local person who always made homemade pimento cheese sandwiches with them for chicken stews so I am including that recipe she shared in case you would like to make them as well. It is really yummy on toasted bread because the cheese melts.  (You could also buy "Stan's" name brand in the store.)

Pimento Cheese
1 large brick Velveeta cheese- softened slightly
1 small jar pimentos (less if desired) drained
sugar to taste
mayo to taste

Shred cheese in food processor and mix until desired consistency.

Chicken and Dumplings - southern style

This is not my picture, but it looks just like mine will look later today.  Perfect for a crisp fall day.

I cook a whole chicken with 1/2 stick margarine in crock pot overnight so the chicken is extra tender.  The skin and bones of a whole chicken is what really gives this recipe its rich flavor.

Drain chicken and pull off meat.  Keep that wonderful broth and put in large pot with chicken meat.

To make dumplings mix the following ingredients:
2 c. s/r Flour
2 T. shortening
broth, milk or buttermilk- enough to make stiff dough

While chicken and broth is at a low boil you want to add the dumplings.  You can drop teaspoonfuls of the dough one at a time or you can roll the dough like you would for a pie crust - just not quite as thin and cut into strips with a pizza cutter and then drop into broth.  I love them both ways so it is just up to you.  If you are really not feeling the dumpling thing you can cut canned biscuits into fourths and add to the broth.  They are similar but not like the real thing. 

Vegetable Soup

Since yesterday was the first cool day I have been able to enjoy I made a big pot of vegetable soup.

Cook chopped potatoes and chopped tomatoes together with EVOO and 2-3T. sugar until potatoes are done.
(This amounts vary based on how much you want to prepare and you can use fresh or canned.)
Add water or chicken broth.  (I just use water with bouillon cubes).
Add corn, green beans, carrots, and whatever other veggies you like.  I have even added cabbage.
Season with basil, parsley, salt and pepper. 

Simmer for several hours to cook in crock pot.

I place my leftovers in a gallon ziploc bag in the freezer so the next time I want some, I just have to reheat.  I lay them flat to save space and I am trying to have a selection of soups already prepared.

Chili for a Crowd

3 lb ground beef

1 lb sausage with sage

approximately 3 cups chopped green pepper (or less to taste)

approximately 3 cups chopped onion (or less to taste)

3 12oz cans diced tomatoes (I use petite diced)

3 8oz cans tomato sauce

3 T. chili powder

3 t. salt

3/8 t. cayenne pepper

3 T. salt

3/8 t. paprika

3 cans light red chili beans (I use only one...picky eaters you know)

6 T. sugar

Brown beef, sausage and peppers / onions.  Add to crock pot with remaining ingredients and stir.  Cook on low all day.

(I have made 1/3 of this recipe for a normal serving, but it is nice to make the large batch and keep some in the freezer for those cold nights.)

Soup Time !!!

Taco Soup

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn (I use large can)

1 can pinto or black beans

1 lb. ground beef (cooked and drained)

1 pkt. ranch salad dressing mix (dry)

1 pkt taco seasoning

onion (optional)

Mix and combine in crock pot on low 4-6 hours.

Serve with cheese, sour cream and tostitos.