December Exchange

Nakole - Cream Cheese Chicken & Margarita Pork Chop

Kimmi - Beefy 3-Cheese Enchiladas & Taco Soup

Brenda - BBQ Meatballs & Chicken Mushroom Foil Pack

Christie - Meatloaf & Stromboli

We're also trading cookies - 2 dozen each - flash freeze them trade in Ziplock bags
Brenda - Chocolate Chip & Buttermilk
Mickey - Peanut Butter & Butterscotch Sugar Cookies
Nakole - Hershey Kisses & Snickerdoodles
Christie - Peppermint Chocolate Chunk & Monster

We will meet for our exchange on Friday, December 12th at 5:30pm.

We'll meet at Huntington Street in Syracuse.

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.

Beefy Cheesy Enchiladas

Ingredients:
3 pounds ground beef
2 Tablespoons garlic, pressed or minced
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
48 ounces mild salsa or picante sauce (for use with beef mix)
1-1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened and cut into chunks
6 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
6 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 red or green peppers, finely chopped
36 (6-inch) tortillas
48 ounces mild salsa or picante sauce (for topping)
4-1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions: In a stock pan over medium heat, brown ground beef. Drain and return to pan. Over medium heat add garlic, cumin, chili power, and salsa; stir to combine. When mixture is heated, add cream cheese chunks, stirring until melted. Stir in Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and peppers. Remove from heat and set aside. Assemble enchiladas by placing 1/2 cup beef-and-cheese mixture onto each tortilla and rolling. Place 6 enchiladas in each container.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down to cling to food. Package salsa in snack bags, 1 cup per meal. Package cheese in snack bags, 3/4 cup per meal. Place a package of salsa and cheese in each container and cover. Freeze.

Reheating instructions: Defrost in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove lid, salsa, cheese and plastic wrap. Spread salsa over enchiladas and cover loosely with foil to prevent drying. Bake until bubbly around edges and hot in the center, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 36 servings

Nutrition information per one enchilada: 432 calories, 23 grams protein, 29 grams fat, 19 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 95 milligrams cholesterol, 771 milligrams sodium

For a chicken version, substitute shredded cooked chicken for the ground beef.

Recipe Source: Cooking Among Friends, Meal Planning and Preparation Delightfully Simplified by Mary Tennant and Becki Visser (Cooking Among Friends)Reprinted with permission.