Crockpot Creamy Taco Chicken Chili

We had this chili recipe a couple Sundays ago.  It definitely made a large batch...my large crock pot was nearly overflowing.  I enjoyed this recipe more than the others in my family.  The family thought it was a little too creamy for them.  So maybe next time I'll cut the cream cheese in half....but it was different than our typical chili recipe and I enjoyed it.

photo and recipe courtesy of ChelseasMessyApron

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces EACH) chili-ready diced tomatoes
• 1 can (4 ounces) diced and fire-roasted green chili peppers
• 1 can (16 ounces) chili beans
• 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans
• 1 can (15 ounces) corn
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese softened
• Optional add-ins: fresh lime, cheddar cheese, sour cream, guac/avocado, tortilla chips, salt and pepper
  Instructions

1. I use a 6 quart crock pot for this recipe. You'll want a big one.
2. Trim any fat and then place the chicken breasts or thighs whole in the crockpot.
3. Add in the tomato sauce, undrained diced tomatoes, green chile peppers, undrained chili beans, drained and rinsed kidney beans, drained corn, drained and rinsed black beans, and chicken broth.
4. Add in all the seasonings.
5. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-5 hours or until chicken is completely cooked through and easily shreds.
6. Remove the chicken from the crockpot, shred it, and set aside.
7. Soften and cube the cream cheese and add to the crockpot. Turn the crockpot on high for 30 minutes stirring every 10 or so minutes to help the cheese melt.
8. Add the chicken back in and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Serve with your favorite "taco" add-in's. I love cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. Also good is a chopped avocado or a bit of guac and tortilla chips.

Reuben Dip

As I've mentioned before, each Sunday during football season I serve a different chili recipe.  It's been a fun tradition over the years that we always look forward to.

This year, since we have Sunday NFL football covered with chili, I kept thinking I wanted to serve something for Saturday College football too.  That's when I decided I would serve a different DIP on Saturdays to enjoy during the college football games.  

I have pinned multiple dip recipes on Pinterest, and this week we started with Reuben Dip.

Excellent!

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

4 ounces deli sliced corned beef, chopped

½ cup Thousand Island dressing

½ cup drained sauerkraut

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, 1 cup of the Swiss cheese, the dressing and corned beef. Spread in a pie plate or other shallow serving dish. Top with the sauerkraut and the remaining ½ cup of Swiss cheese.

3. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges. Serve hot with pretzel crisps or cocktail-size rye bread squares.

 *This dip was really good.  In the future, Brent said he would prefer less cream cheese and more corned beef, though.  And that can easily be done!*

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

 You can't go wrong when you mix chocolate and peanut butter, right?

Now add some bananas....and you get the ultimate treat to your taste buds!

This bread is amazing!

photo and recipe courtesy OhSweetBasil

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 Cup Flour
3/4 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 1/4 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup Butter, unsalted, softened
1/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
2/3 Cup White Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Mashed Bananas, ripe (2-3 Medium bananas)
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oven to 350.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a kitchen aide, combine the butter, and peanut butter until smooth. Make sure you used softened butter (leave it on the counter for 30-60 minutes). Add the sugar and eggs, and mix to combine.
Turn the mixer on medium speed and add a little of the dry mixture. Allow to mix until almost incorporated and add a scoop of the banana. Allow to mix again and then continue to alternate between dry ingredients and the banana, ending with the banana. Add the chocolate and peanut butter chips, stir to combine.
Spray a bread pan (I prefer light in color or glass pans), with cooking spray and add the banana bread mixture. Bake for 50-60 minutes, tenting with foil the last few minutes to avoid too dark a crust.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack. Enjoy!

Ricotta Cookies

Ricotta in a cookie? 

Well, I had lots of ricotta leftover from this lasagna recipe I made last week.
I searched the All Recipes website to see what else I could make
with ricotta and found this cookie recipe. 
Interesting find and I was intrigued.  Ricotta in a cookie?  Sure, I'll try it.

These are delicious!  Light and fluffy!
Ricotta in a cookie? Yes, please!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon shortening
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon extract
• 1/2 cup colored candy sprinkles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
2. Grease cookie sheets.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the 1 cup of butter and sugar. 
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the ricotta cheese and vanilla. 
5. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda, stir into the ricotta mixture. 
6. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. 
8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. To make the frosting warm the milk, 1/2 teaspoon of butter and shortening, in a small saucepan. 
10. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until solids are melted. 
11. Remove from heat and gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar and lemon extract. 
12. Dip each cookie into the icing then dip in colored sugar or sprinkles.

The Best Chili

Football season is here!!  And the Cowboys won their first game.
 I'm happy about that, my husband not so much.  But I have Dak Prescott as my Fantasy Football QB, so for that reason only, I'm supporting the Dallas Cowboys this year..

Anyways, Football Sundays around here means Chili Sunday. 
A new chili recipe will be served each Sunday during the season.  

Here was this past weekend's chili. 
It's called "The Best Chili". 
I'll agree it was good.  Brent thought it was very very good....But maybe not the BEST.

The girls didn't like it because it was heavily tomato based. 
They are in an "I don't like tomato" phase.  

Would I make it again - Yes!

I served it with cornbread.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef, turkey or venison
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped (optional)
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 46-oz. can tomato juice
• 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 15-oz. can tomato sauce
• 16-oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 16-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Shredded cheese and sour cream, for topping
  Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, cook ground meat over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Transfer the meat to a bowl. Drain excess grease from skillet, but do not clean.
2. Add the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, parsley and jalapeño peppers (if using) and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.
3. If cooking the chili stovetop, add the cooked meat back to the skillet. If using a slow cooker, add meat-veggie mixture to the slow cooker. Add the tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans and pinto beans to either the skillet or slow cooker, depending on which you are using. On stovetop, bring to a boil, dial back to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours. In slow cooker, cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Serve warm with cheese and sour cream.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

The weather cooled down a bit this past week, so soup was on the menu for a couple days.

This soup as our favorite of the week.

Enjoy!

photo and recipe courtesy of CinnamonSpiceAndEverythingNice

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 small green or red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

coarse salt and fresh black pepper

1 can (11 ounce) Ro-tel diced tomatoes & green chiles 

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 + 1/4 pounds boneless chicken breasts

2 cups corn

1 can black beans

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 + 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese or monterey jack, plus more for serving

1 cup sour cream, plus more for serving

tortilla chips, for serving

sliced avocado, for serving, optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile to your crock-pot add the Ro-tel, chicken broth, chicken, corn, black beans, chile powder, cumin, oregano and 1 teaspoon coarse salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine and about 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix in the cooked onions, peppers and garlic.
3. Cook on high 3 - 4 hour or low 5 - 6. Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Stir the cheese into the soup. Add the sour cream to a medium bowl and temper it so it doesn't curdle by mixing in a few ladles of the soup broth then mixing it into the soup. 
4. Shred the chicken or cut into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pot. Taste and season as needed. Cook 1/2 to 1 more hour on low heat.
5. Serve garnished with more cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips and avocado.