Sante Fe Chicken

Servings: 10

Ingredients:
Cooked & chopped chicken 3 C.
Canned corn, drained 15 oz.
Black beans, drained/rinsed 15 oz.
Black-eyed peas, drained 15 oz.
Pinto beans, drained 15 oz.
Ro-Tel tomatoes* 12 oz.
Picante sauce 15 oz.
Chili powder 1 T.
Cumin 2 t.
Shredded cheddar cheese 1 C.

*Ro-Tel is a brand of canned tomatoes with chopped chili peppers added.

Assembly Directions: In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, corn, black beans, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, tomatoes and picante sauce. Add the chili powder and cumin, stirring until evenly mixed.

Freezing Directions:  Put mixture in a one-gallon freezer bag. Put the shredded cheddar in a quart freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze both bags.

Serving Directions:  Thaw both bags. Pour the bag of chicken mixture into a spray-treated 9”x13” pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until heated through. Remove foil. Top with shredded cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

I like to serve it over brown rice.

*From 30 day gourmet website.

 

Kimmi's Taco Soup

                              

Serves 8

1 lb  Ground beef
1   large onion, chopped
½   green pepper, chopped
1   clove garlic, minced

¼ – ½ tsp   cayenne pepper
1 can  (8oz.) kidney beans
1 can  (8oz.)   refried beans                                     
1 can (8 oz.)  pinto beans
1 cans (16 oz.)  frozen corn
1 can (8 oz)  tomato sauce
2 cups  water
1 can (4 oz)  Diced green chilis
1 can (8 oz.)  Tomatoes, diced
¼ c  Taco seasoning
1 pkg  Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing

Instructions:

In a dutch oven or large saucepan, brown ground beef with onion.  Drain off grease.   Drain and rinse pinto beans.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Place in freezer container or bag. 

Reheating Instructions:

Thaw.  Heat until hot & bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream. 

Foil-Pack Chicken & Mushroom Dinner

SERVES 40

Proceed with caution: References to ingredient amounts, cooking times, and temperatures in directions have NOT been adjusted (only the amounts in the ingredients list were updated).
6 2/3 (6 ounce) boxes chicken stuffing mix
11 2/3 cups water, divided
40 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 1/2 inch thick (total weight 1.5 pounds)
26 2/3 slices smoked ham (thin)
6 2/3 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced (or canned)
6 2/3 cups frozen peas
6 2/3 (10 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 F (if you are not making these ahead).
Prepare 6 separate sheets of heavy-duty foil with enough room to wrap and fold with sealed edges. Spray each foil piece in the middle with Pam spray.
In a microwave, heat 1 1/2 cups of water. Mix in box of stuffing until moist. Divide the stuffing evenly over the 6 foil packets.
Next, layer chicken, chopped ham, mushrooms and peas on top of stuffing.
Mix soup with 1/4 cup of remaining water. Pour equall amounts over each pack.
Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal pack, leaving room for heat to circulate inside.
Place foil packs on a 15 x 10 inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. (if your chicken breasts are large or thick, you may wnat to extend the cooking time).
Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes. Place packets directly on the dinner plate. Since they are HOT, cut slits into the foil to release the steam before opening.

**This would also be a great grilling item if weather permits!**

Amazing BBQ Meatballs!!

Combine:
1 pound hamburger
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
5 T chopped onion
1 t salt and pepper
1/2 c. milk

Mix well and shaped into meatballs. Brown on all sides in skillet.

Sauce:
Combine
1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. worchestershire sauce
2 T. vinegar
1/4 c. sugar

Pour over meatballs and freeze.

Thaw and cook at 350 for 30 minutes. These could also be put in a crock pot and left to simmer.

Penne Alla Vodka

Serves 6

3 T. Butter
3-4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1 C. thinly sliced prosciutto
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 c. half and half
1/4 c. Vodka (the good kind!!)
Salt and Pepper
1 Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb penne pasta
3/4 c. freshly grated parmingiano-reggiano cheese

In a large pot, melt the butter. Add garlic and cook until golden brown. Stir in proscuitto, and cook for a minute or two. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, pepper and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in half/half and cook for 2 minutes, stirring a lot. Add vodka and cook until it no longer smells strongly of vodka (3-5 min). Cook the pasta as direct on box, but al dente. Add the pasta to the pot and mix until it is well coated. Toss w/ cheese and freeze.

**Reheat in oven at 350 until warm or on the stove in a saucepan!

White Chili

2 lbs northern beans
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 TBS Veg. oil
1 TBS ground oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp Ginger
1 1/2 tsp season salt
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
4 1/2 quarts chicken broth
2 garlic cloves minced
8 bnls chicken breast halves
1 can sweet corn
1 c heavy cream
2 4oz cans chopped green chilies
Shredded cheddar or Jack for Topping

Place beans in saucepan, cover w/water & bring to a boil for 2 min. Remove from heat & let soak 1 hr. drain & rinse
In soup pan saute onion & oil til tender. Combine seasonings & divide. add half seasonings to onions for 1 min then add beans, broth, garlic & corn. simmer for 2 hrs.
Coat chicken in remaining seasonings & bake @ 350 until juices run clear. Add chicken, chilies & cream to beans. Simmer for 1 1/2 hrs.
Top each bowl with cheese when serving.

Cheesy Potatoes

1 Bag of Shreded Hashbrowns
1 small Chooped Onion
1 can of cream of Chicken & Mushroom
1 16 oz sour cream
1 8 oz bag of shreded cheddar cheese
1 stick of butter
1 lb sliced smoked sausage
1/2 c Milk

Heat butter & onion, add sausage, sour cream, soup & cheese & mix. Then add hashbrowns, milk & mix until creamy. You can top with crushed corn flakes, potato chips or crackers (your choice).

November Exchange

The following is a list of meals to be prepared for the month of November:

• Kimmi - Jambalaya & Spaghetti Pie
  
• Christie - Chicken Cordon Bleu & Mom's Chili
  
• Brenda - Penne alla Vodka & Chicken Tetrazzini
  
• Nakole - Cheesy Potatoes w. Sausage & White Chili
  
• Mickey - SW Chicken Stew & Beef Stew
  

It was also decided that we will start to meet on the first Friday of every month.

Our next meeting will be at 5:30pm on Friday, November 7th at the Frog in Syracuse.

Thanks to everyone for your promptness this month...let's continue to be on time to make the meetings efficient. Maybe next time we can cut the actual "business-part" to one hour. What do you think? Is that a good goal?

I love you all!!

~Kimberly =)

Spaghetti Pie

Serves 8

1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 lb.  Hamburger

6 oz.  Cooked spaghetti
2 T.   margarine
1/3 cup  Parmesan cheese
2  well beaten eggs 
1 cup  cottage cheese
½ cup  mozzarella cheese 

Brown hamburger.  Drain.  Combine with the spaghetti sauce (or purchase meat sauce).  Stir margarine into cooked, drained pasta.  Stir in Parmesan and eggs.  Form into “crust” in buttered CAF tin.  Spread cottage cheese over the bottom of the “crust”.  Fill pan with meat sauce.  Cover with plastic wrap and the tin lid with the silver side down.

 

Reheating Instructions:  

Thaw in refrigerator 24-48 hours. Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, bake 5 minutes longer. 

Hearty Jambalaya

Serves 8  

1 lb polish sausage, cut into ½ inch slices 

1 lb boneless/skinless chx breasts, cubed 

1 large onion, chopped 

½ c chopped celery 

½ c chopped green pepper 

4 garlic cloves, minced 

2 T butter 

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomato’s, undrained 

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste 

½ t hot pepper sauce 

¼ to ½ t cayenne pepper 

1/8 t garlic powder 

1/8 t white pepper 

1/8 t pepper 

1/2 lb  uncooked med. shrimp

In a dutch oven or large saucepan , saute the sausage, chicken, onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in butter until chicken is browned. Stir in the tomato’s, tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil. reduce heat; cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. 

Stir in the shrimp. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. 

Cool and pour into CAF tins. Cover with plastic wrap and the tin lid with the silver side down. 

Can freeze up to 2 months. 

Thaw, warm and serve over rice.