Chicken and Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

The last two days have been cold days, and what do most people want to eat on cold days? Hot soups, stews, chili's and chowders. I am no exception, gimme soup one of my personal favorites. The only problem? There is only a small window of time in Texas that the weather is cool and/or cold enough to truly crave or enjoy them. (Nobody want's soup in 100 degree weather, unless the have a cold- chicken noodle- can I get an Amen?)

This Chowder is wonderful. Easy enough to make and the entire time I was cooking it Baby Cakes kept tell me how good it smelled. Even now long after bowls are empty I can still smell the cumin-ey scent wafting through the air. The sweet potatoes (or yams) give the dish a subtle sweet flavor. I can't think of a single thing to change about this dish. Thick, hearty and fabulous flavor combo. I do beleive this is a keeper.


Chicken and Corn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes
from My Kitchen Cafe

2 cups 2% milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup corn muffin mix
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 quarts chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 yams (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 cups frozen corn
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix milk, cream and muffin mix in bowl until well combined.

Heat olive oil in a chili pot over medium/high heat and add chicken breasts. Put lid on pot while cooking, checking and flipping occasionally. Cook until white all the way through. Transfer from pot to plate and set aside.

Add butter to the pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook a second or two. Add cumin and oregano, about 1 minute. Add broth and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel, cut and cube raw yams into 1/2" peices and add to broth mixture. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until yams are just tender, about 8 minutes. Chop up or shred cooked chicken and add to pot during last 2 minutes.

Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens, about 4-6 minutes. Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Once again yum, yum, yum,

Peanut Butter Cream Pie

Okay, so anyone who knows me knows that I am sooooo not a peanut butter person but lately I have eaten so much of it. First the Fried PB&J, then Baby Cakes brought home some Reeses Peices and now this, ohhh this. Just wait. Woo-weee!

Tomorrow is the next installment of the Girls Poker Shin-dig and I held a vote between 3 different desserts, this one won 4 to 6.

Peanut Butter Cream Pie
adapted from Pioneer Women

Ingredients

Chocolate Pie Crust (Ready-Made)
1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese, room temp.
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 (8 oz.) tub of Cool Whip*
1 (7 oz.) microwavable tub Baker's Dipping Chocolate, Milk Chocolate
handful of Reeses' Pieces candies

Directions

In a large bowl beat together peanut butter and softened cream cheese until combined, using a hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and beat again until incorporated. Lastly, add the Cool Whip and mix until honey colored and well incorporated. Pour into, or rather scoop into, the pie crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Follow directions on Baker's Chocolate cup and melt chocolate. Pour over the peanut butter mixture and again smooth out.

Toss on a handful of Reeses' Pieces candies and chill until set, about an hour (although I did it overnight). Enjoy!


I also made Baby Cakes his very own Peanut Butter Cream Parfait...


How could I not, look at him...


I caught him while he was so diligently working away on our taxes. And since the girls poker shin-dig is no husbands allowed and I know how much he loooooves peanut butter and chocolate, well, what can I say, I heart the big lug.

To make it simply follow the directions only instead of pie crust drop a chocolate cookie in a cup/dish, a big dallop of Peanut Butter Cream, some melted chocolate and a few Reeses' Pieces.

It is soooo freakin' yummy. XOXO,


*Everytime I see or think about Cool Whip I remember the way Stewie says it on Family Guy. If you've never heard it run a search on YouTube, Michael and I call it that now. Just thought you might like to know that. (GRIN)

Taco Cheese Soup

Nom, nom, nom. This is capital G-O-O-D good. Michael said I should make this and invite people over. I just think it is a super easy, super yummy supper.

Taco Cheese Soup
from StoneGable


2 pounds ground beef
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) jar mild salsa
1 32oz. box beef broth
2 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
1 medium pkg mild mexican velveta cheese, cubed
Crisy Tortilla Strips- recipe follows
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated sharp cheese, for garnish
chopped green onions, for garnish

Directions

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large stockpot.

Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, beef stock, taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix, and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.

After about an hour add the velveeta cheese and stir until completely melted.


To serve, I think that all it needs is some crunch so tortilla chips are it for me, okay maybe a dallop of sourcream too. The choice is yours and yours alone.

Yum,

Sunday Dinner Casserole

I can't say I have ever actualy experience this but I have read about it in several books and seen it in a movie a time or two. The infamous Sunday Dinner, you know the one? The roasted chicken, stuffing, vegetables and gravy, oh the gravy. That's what I was trying to create in this simple one dish casserole, the experience of Sunday Dinner.

So beside having so much to offer it's super easy, a bunch of canned and pantry goods. Another quick weeknight dinner. I am certain that after a few more times of tinkering with it I can fine tune it- Sunday perfection. Because let's face it what's not perfect about a Sunday?



2- 12.5 ounce cans Chunk Chicken Breast
3- 10.5 ounce cans Chicken Gravy
1- 10.5 ounce can of Cubed Potatoes
1 cup frozen carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 bag Chicken Flavored Stuffing Mix
1 2/3 cups hot water
seasonings (your blend, salt & pepper)

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray casserole with non stick spray.

Heat water to boiling and add stuffing mix, set aside and let sit.

In big bowl add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined. Pour and spread into casserole dish. Top with moistening stuffing mix and bake for 30-35 minutes.


Yum.

Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly

Okay, before I even post this I need you to understand something, looking at the recipes I post on this baby, obviously, we DO NOT eat like this everyday. Not even once a month. This is not something I would recommend on a regular basis. However, once you've had it you'll see, the craving will hit you out of nowhere. Here's a fact, I have been with Michael for about 3 years and I have only made this for him twice. That being said...

Back in my school days I had a friend who had the munchies quite often and she would make these random things. This is a junior version of one of the favorites (her's were three or four layers of gooey warm buttery goodness). I actually prefer the regular old single layer.

A bit of advice before and if you make this- the peanut butter and jelly will ooze out during cooking so just be ready for that. Because of this I normally only use a small amount of both. (This is not a formal recipe, I don't measure a thing and can't or won't even begin to guess.) Now, let's just get down it.


Serves 1

2 pieces bread, your choice (I am a whole grain girl)
peanut butter
jelly (again, your choice- grape here.)
butter

Basically make a peanut butter and jelly and fry it up like a grilled cheese.

I will never look up the calories on this- I have no desire to know, neither should you, just enjoy it, you know you want to.

Love me some gooey goodness,

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Super simple meal idea. In the blogging world there have been a ton of recipes for Sweet and Sour Chicken but this one is by far the simpliest. Not to mention the yummiest.

The only change I will be making to this next time I make it is to perhaps only use half of the dry onion soup mix. It was a bit to salty or onion soupy tasteing for my little ol' taste buds to handle. Of course Baby Cakes loved it, I swear this man will eat anything that doesn't eat him first.


Serves 4

4 chicken breast halves (a chicken has 2 breasts)
1 cup Catalina salad dressing
1 cup brown sugar
1 envelope dry onion soup mix (next time I'll try 1/2 a packet)
rice, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Place chicken in a casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine the dressing, brown sugar and onion soup mix. Pour over chicken breasts. Cook in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

Serve over rice.


We use brown rice and I steamed some Broccoli just because I always need some green.

If you try it with half of the onion soup mix let me know how it turns out. Until them I'll keep playing with this recipe and posting updates if I do succeed in fine tuning it. XOXO,

Revised Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

So tonight I tried something a bit diffrent with this dish, added brown rice. Afterall tradional stuffed cabbage has beef and rice in it. It was much heartier and more like a complete meal. That wasn't the only little switch I made I also added a pinch of nutmeg. So good with any dishes featuring tomato sauce.


For the original recipe click here, and for this version simply add nutmeg with the rest of the spices, say 2 tsps. and the cooked brown or white rice (anywhere from 2-4 cups) about 15 minutes before cooking time is up.

Yum once more,

Red Pepper Jelly Chops

Another oh my goodness meal y'all. Michael's exact words will have to be censored but it was something like, "this meal is the s**t!". I do agree babe, I do agree.

I noticed when making this that I did have to play with the heat a bit, so on my stove I will, in the future, keep the heat at a lower medium high. There is not a single thing I would change about this dish otherwise. I feel a dinner party coming on.


Red Pepper Jelly Chops

4 (1.65-2 lbs.) boneless pork loin chops
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large jalapeno seeded and minced
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup (1 jar) red pepper jelly

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper, liberally. Put oil and butter in a regular skillet (by regular I mean not a non-stick skillet) and turn on burner to medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook 8 minutes; turn and cook another 8 minutes or until done. Remove from skillet and losely cover with foil to keep warm.

Add flour and jalapeno to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour is golden brown (maybe takes 1 minute, watch this closely). Add 1/3 cup chicken stock stirring with a whisk, to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; cook 1 minute or until almost completely reduced.

Add rest of chicken broth, and cook until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in pepper jelly until melted and smooth. Continue cooking, stirring often, until almost thickened.

Return pork to skillet, turn down heat a bit; continue cooking and turn to coat. Serve pork with sauce and your choice of sides*.

*I used almost 2 lbs. of pork, 4 chops
*we did brown rice and broccoli


Just incase anyone was like 'whoa, what's she doing eating so much?' not my plate. I had the plate with 2 cups of broccoli and 4 oz. of the oh-so-yummy-pepper-pork.

Happily shared on Potluck Sunday hosted by Mommy's Kitchen.

Try it, try it, try it!

Spicy Venison and Corn Chowder

Some more oh-my-goodness goodness. This Soup/Chowder is so good, I ate it without any croutons because frankly I didn't feel that it needed anything more. Another you have to try dish.

I don't like spicy food- funny seeing how much Baby Cakes (BCakes) loves it I know, but I don't. A bit of heat is fine but spicy no thank you, I'll pass. However, every year my husband gets his venison processed into spicy (HOT!) sausage, be it link or ground and cooks it for breakfast with eggs or I use it in dishes, see Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya and/or Sweet and Spicy Vension Sausage for a few more vension sausage dishes. The thing is is I'll cook it in ways that you don't notice the heat so much and in this particular oh-so-yummy recipe the sweetness from the corn and the touch of sugar cuts it way down for me without taking away flavor for BCakes.

Spicy Venison and Corn Chowder
adapted from Deep South Dish


2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 pound of spicy ground venison
1 extra large onion, chopped or 2 small to regular, chopped
1 large (1 pound 12 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 (15 ounce) cans of whole kernel corn, undrained
2 (15 ounce) cans of navy or black beans, undrained
2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon of pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of italian seasoning
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, youe choice
Croutons, to garnish, optional

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a stockpot. Add the sausage to the pot and cook until done. Add the onion and cook until tender.

Use a pair of kitchen shears to break up the tomatoes in the can; add the tomatoes and their liquid to the sausage and onion mixture; add the sugar and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes. Add the corn and beans with the liquid, and the water; bring to a boil. Add the salt, pepper, italian seasoning, parsley and cajun seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Like I said above, this is probably one of my new favorite dishes for cold weather. Make plenty, this is a leftover kind of soup.

Yum Y'all,