Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

I am a busy mom of 3.  I absolutely LOVE to cook but there are days when I definitely want something easy.  Many nights, we have some sort of sport or event.  On these nights, I throw this together in the crockpot before I leave in the morning and when I get home, dinner is just about finished.  This is probably our most used recipe around our house.  Our kids love it and it is oh so easy and delicious!!!


Chicken Tortilla Soup

Place in crock pot for 4-6 hours:

4 chix breasts

24 oz. chix broth

1 can mexicorn

4 oz. rotel
1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 can cream of potato soup

2 tsp cilantro

30 min. before serving: remove chix breasts and shred and place back in crock pot. add 8 oz. cream cheese. when you serve: put fritos in bottom of bowl, pour soup on top of fritos, top w/more cilantro and shredded cheese!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

Courtesy of my friend Grayce!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 c honey

1/4 c lime juice

1 Tb chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed together of:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9x13 and one 9x9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy.

Chicken Black/White Bean Enchilada Cassarole

Chicken Black/White Bean Enchilada Casserole:

1/2-2 cups diced or shredded chicken
1 cup Mont Jack Cheese or other
1 cup brown rice or long grain
1 Cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup green onions
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 can black beans or cannelini beans or white beans
1 pepper or green chiles (optional)
Cooked chicken (optional)
1 can red enchilada sauce
12 6 inch corn or flour tortillas

oven 350
combine 1/2 cup cheese rice, and next 7 ingrediants in bowl
spread 1/4 cup sauce in a 11 by 7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray
heat remaining sauce in skillet until warm, remove from heat


Dredge both sides of 6 tortillas in warm sauce, arrange tortillas, overlapping, over sauce in baking dish.
top with 1 and 3/4 cup bean mixture. Dredge both sides or remaining tortillas in warm sauce, arrange tortillas, overlapping over bean mixture. Top with remaining bean mixture, remaining sauce, and 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 min or until bubbly.

6 servings

Stuffed Mushrooms

I have been slack..yes I know! We have been super busy and I just can't seem to find the time to post new recipes. I am actually have a relaxing saturday right now and am working on supper tonight. I have been asked for some good appetizers so I am going to share this one with you. It is yummy!! Hope you enjoy!! :)

Stuffed Mushrooms
24 ounces white button mushrooms, washed and stems removed and finely chopped
1/3 pound hot breakfast sausage (or Italian sausage)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.
Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat.
Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate.
Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese.
Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.
Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

Rigatoni with Beefy Mushroom Gorgonzola Sauce

Things have been crazy around here so I'm just getting back to blogging. Here is my newest recipe and of course it's italian. It's a great spin on beef stroganoff. It is courtesy of Emeril. Hope you enjoy!!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons butter
1 (1 1/4-inch) thick sirloin or rib-eye steak, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 24 ounces)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 pound cremini mushrooms, stem ends trimmed and sliced
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup beef broth
5 to 6 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni, cooked al dente, drained, 1/2 cup cooking liquid reserved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon snipped chives

Directions
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high
heat. When hot, add the butter. When the butter begins to sizzle, add the beef and season with 3/4 teaspoon of
the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 3 to 4
minutes. Remove the beef using a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Set aside. Add the mushrooms, the
remaining salt and the pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are softened and their liquid
has evaporated. Add the shallots, garlic, rosemary and thyme and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine
and cook until nearly completely reduced. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add
the broth and cook, stirring to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until reduced by
half, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and cream to the pan and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce
is creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rigatoni and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to thin the sauce and
cook just until heated through and creamy. Return the beef to the pan and stir to combine.

Serve immediately, sprinkled with the parsley and chives, for garnish.

Oriental Salad

2 packages of oriental flavor ramen noodles broken up (take out the flavor packets cause you will use the for the dressing)
1 package of broccolli slaw
small package of chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
1/2 package of craisens

Mis all together. Mix up the dressing which is: 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 seasoning packets out of the ramen noodles. Mix together and pour on top of the claw mixture.

Pound Cake

A slice of pound cake is buttery, rich and delicious all by itself, but it takes well to additions, too. Vary this cake’s flavor by omitting the almond extract and stirring in 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice and 1 Tbs. poppy seeds, or 2 Tbs. minced crystallized ginger. If you like almond, add the optional almond extract and sprinkle sliced almonds on top before baking. You can also top the slices with fresh fruit.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract (optional)
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 325°F. Lightly grease an 8 1⁄2-by-4 1⁄2-inch loaf pan, preferably glass, and dust with flour. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt until blended. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract on medium to medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until just blended. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and stir until both are just incorporated. Stir in the sour cream, then sprinkle with the remaining flour mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap gently on the counter to even out and settle the ingredients. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes, or longer if using a metal pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan, invert the cake onto the rack and lift off the pan. Place the cake on one of its sides and continue cooling