Archive for the ‘dinner ideas’ Category
February 3rd, 2010 | 
Author: This Sunday is the Super Bowl, and if you’re like me, you’re racking your brain for some great “football food” ideas. Chili is an All- American crowd pleaser, and these recipes will be sure to please your crowd! I started my chili cook-a-thon with a super easy Green Chili Chicken Chili. Whew, that’s a mouthful! Its a delicious spin on a white chili, using your favorite jar of green chili salsa. The second chili I made is a classic red chili. This is the first time I have ever made chili from scratch, and I have to say, its pretty fantastic! Its zesty and flavorful, and I hope you like it! The possibilities are endless with these recipes. Get creative with it! I’ll include some ideas after the recipes to get you started, and if you have any to share with me, I’d love to hear them! Let me know what you think!
Green Chili Chicken Chili
4 c. jarred green chili salsa (tomatillo salsa will work also)
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 medium onion, diced
salt and pepper
cooking spray or olive oil
Directions
In a large Dutch oven, sautee the onion in either the cooking spray or olive oil, your choice. When onions just begin to become transparent, add chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center. Once chicken is done, add the rest of the ingredients. Mash some of the beans to thicken the mixture, if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer one hour over medium-low heat. Fill you bowl, and fill your tummy!
Zesty Fiesta Chili
6 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 T. chili powder
1 T. ancho chili powder
2 T. chipotle chili powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 T. paprika
1 T. ground cumin
2 lb. extra lean ground beef (I use 96/4)
1 c. beer (optional)
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (24 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 (24 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large dutch oven, brown bacon until brown and slightly crispy, stirring occasionally. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, chili powders and spices. Cook until vegetables are tender and the spices really start to make your nose happy. Add the ground beef. Be sure to really break it up with with your spatula or wooden spoon. Add the beer if you are using it and the beans. Give it all a good stir and add the tomatoes. Turn down the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 1 1/2 hours.
Note:
If you like your chili less zesty, skip the jalapeno and cut back on the chili powders.
Now for some fun ideas…
Make a chili buffet! Let everyone build their own bowl. Prepare a buffet of shredded cheeses, sour cream, chives, diced onion, tortilla chips, chopped tomato, avocado, and cornbread (graham cracker cornbread from my “Meals for Days” post would be excellent with this).
Nachos! Either chili would make outstanding nachos! Grab a baking sheet, cover it in your favorite tortilla chips, Top with one (or both!) of the chili recipes and cover in cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with Sour cream and Guacamole. (For a great guac recipe, read my “Party Perfect” post)
Frito Pie! You know the drill…
And last but not least, Chili Dogs!!!
Now for the final BONUS recipe a la Clint…
Cooking Daddy’s Chili
Once cooked, mix the two chilies together in one bowl for a flavor explosion! Add several shakes of Red Dot hot sauce for even more kick… if you can handle it!
Clint did this once we had leftovers of both recipes and said it was, in his opinion, the ultimate chili recipe. I can’t deny that it was an addicting combination!
Happy Cooking!
Amanda
Posted in 
I hope you like leftovers, because these recipes will definitely deliver! My life right now is too hectic to plan and cook a different meal every night. Ok, Ok, you got me. Its not really too hectic, but I just don’t have the energy and would much rather spend spend some quality time with Clint and Amelia. We had started getting into a rut of ordering in too many nights of the week, and I had to find a solution to break that habit. My wallet and my waist were not happy with me. Now, of course, the night I decide to try and come up with something, is a night when my pantry seems bare because I haven’t been to the grocery store in about 2 weeks. (!!!!) I had cans of beans and tomatoes galore, so I envisioned a taco soup of sorts. Everyone likes taco soup, right?
Taco Soup For Days
1 lb extra lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 can mexican green chilies (There are 2 sizes of cans. I use the larger one)
1 can mexican style tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 packet taco seasoning
1 box low sodium chicken stock
Preheat slow cooker on high. Brown ground meat and onion in skillet until meat is cooked through. Drain. Pour ground meat mixture and the rest of the ingredients into slow cooker, except for the stock. Stir and add enough stock to give you the soup consistency you like. I like my soups not so soupy, so I add maybe 3/4 of the box. Cover and walk away. Enjoy the time you don’t have to spend cooking dinner. This soup gets better the longer it simmers, but if you can’t wait any longer, (like Clint) it will be ready as soon as it is heated through.
I serve this with a big dollop of fat free sour cream and graham cracker cornbread. The slight sweetness of the cornbread is a perfect compliment to the zesty soup. Feel free to experiment with different beans and different types of tomatoes. I change the recipe every time I make it based on what I have. This recipe is simply a delicious starting point.
Graham Cracker Cornbread
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 egg
skim milk – enough to make a thick but pour-able batter. Mine is a little thicker than pancake batter.
Mix all together and pour into a muffin pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake on 350 for 12-15 minutes.
This next little gem is one part comfort food and one part good for you food. Once again, I had a hodge podge of ingredients that needed to get used. I knew I had chicken and several cans of fat free condensed soups. I could almost taste Granny’s chicken and rice casserole baking in my oven, but I did not want the fat that comes with it. A whole stick of butter? No, thanks! I also wanted to make something that Amelia would eat happily and I desperately had to find a way to sneak a good dose of vegetables in. She suddenly has started turning away from veggies and I’m trying anything to coax her back into eating them. I had a plan and I started mixing….
Baking Mommy’s Chicken and Rice Veggie Casserole (for days)
3 chicken breasts, cubed into bite size pieces
1 cup Uncle Ben’s instant brown rice
1 can fat free condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can fat free condensed cream of celery soup
1 can fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 bag frozen corn
1 bag frozen green peas
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 oz (appx) 2% Velveeta cubed (can be omitted)
1/4 to 1/2 cup skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, adding milk last. Start by adding 1/4 cup of the milk. If mixture seems a little dry, add another 1/4 cup. Pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish that you’ve sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 40 minutes until bubbly and chicken is cooked through and rice is tender.
I served this with fresh asparagus. I trim the ends, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle slightly with salt. Depending on the thickness of the spears, I cook anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes. A salad would have also been a nice addition, if I had had lettuce!