Creamy Chicken Chili

I'm an awards show junkie, and I hate to cook on those nights...so I usually pull out the slow cooker. Yesterday, thanks to Plain Chicken, I threw this together (it's that easy), went to the movies with my mom to see One for the Money, and came home (to a house smelling heavenly) in time for the red-carpet arrivals.

The original recipe calls for shredding the chicken at the end, but I like to do that with about an hour left of cooking, so that the chicken absorbs all of the flavor of the sauce.

This came out thicker than I envisioned...so we ended up eating it more like a dip. Tonight, when I re-heat it on the stove, I think I'm going to add some chicken broth to make it more soupy.

Flavor-wise, though, this was a winner!

Printable recipe

2 chicken breasts
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, undrained
1 can Rotel, undrained
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 8-ounce package cream cheese

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine next six ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Top with brick of cream cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir melted cream cheese into sauce. Shred chicken with two forks. 

Stuffed Breakfast Rolls

Growing up, my mom used to make sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches, and it was one of my favorite breakfasts (aside from hot dogs and eggs). When I saw this recipe over at Heather Likes Food, I knew it would be a great twist on an old favorite.

The recipe called for sourdough dinner rolls...when I got to Publix, I was looking for a "hard" roll that would hold up to the filling, and I ended up getting their French bread hamburger buns.

They looked larger than what she used, so I decided to use the original amount of filling but only make 6 instead of 12. I didn't want them to be too "bready." It worked perfectly. They were filled to the brim with deliciousness.

It was a little tricky hollowing them out. I'm glad I had two in the package to spare, because I broke through the bottoms on the first couple of tries. But then I got the hang of it.

The absolute best part of these was the crunch of the rolls. While these heated up nicely in the microwave the next morning, you definitely lose that.

6 large rolls
8 oz. pork breakfast sausage
6 eggs
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper


Cut a circle in the top of the rolls and hollow them out with your fingers. Brown and drain the sausage and set aside to cool. Whisk together the eggs and heavy cream. Add sausage, cheese, salt, and pepper. Spray foil and place on baking sheet. Using a small measuring cup (1/4), fill each roll with the egg mixture. Place in refrigerator for at least one hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until knife in middle shows eggs are done.

French Dip Cupcakes

I love pick-up food. I'm much more inclined to sort of snack at dinner...but I also have a boyfriend who likes "real" food, so I try to mix it up.

I saw these on Pinterest just on Monday, courtesy of Emily Bites, and I knew they would make it on our table this week.

The two stores I went to were both out of wonton wrappers, so I just bought egg roll wrappers and quartered them. I think it would work equally well in phyllo cups.

This is a cinch to put together, and they are so very satisfying.

Printable recipe


10 ounces thinly sliced roast beef, chopped (I used Sara Lee)
4 Laughing Cow Light Swiss wedges, chopped
1/2 cup jarred beef gravy
24 wonton wrappers
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a bowl, combine the roast beef, cheese wedges and gravy. Microwave at 1-minute intervals, stirring in between until cheese is melted.

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin. Place a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each cup. Spoon half of the roast beef mixture evenly in each cup. Sprinkle about half the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of each. Press another wonton wrapper on top and finish with remaining roast beef mixture and cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.

King Ranch Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

  

After my Southern Living recipe challenge in 2009, in which I cooked 100 of their recipes in a year, I didn't think I would ever make another SL recipe again...but then I saw the January cover, and I was sucked in.

King Ranch Chicken is a popular Southern dish, but this is a twist, using macaroni in place of the traditional tortillas. I made some changes to the original, omitting the onion and bell pepper for personal preference. 

How can a recipe that starts with a base of Rotel dip be anything but delicious? It was looking fantastic as I was preparing it, but once I added in the chili powder and cumin, it transformed it into not just a rich, creamy, cheesy dish, but a fragrant one, as well.Whatever you do, don't leave the spices out.

This is comfort food at its finest!

Printable recipe

8 ounces macaroni
1 can Rotel
8 ounces Velveeta, cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni and set aside. Combine cubed Velveeta and Rotel and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until cheese is melted. Stir in soup, sour cream, and spices to cheese mixture. Add chicken and cooked pasta. Pour into 9x13 casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Sausage Cheese Grits Casserole

I almost called this Christmas morning casserole, because it's very similar to one that my mother makes every year. We decided to have breakfast for dinner, and I knew this recipe I adapted from Sugar and Spice by Celeste would fit the bill perfectly. 


The key to good grits, for those outside of the South, is to stir, stir, stir. This ensures they'll be creamy and smooth. Add in the flavors of sausage and cheese, and you're guaranteed to have a crowd-pleaser. I brought leftovers in to work, and I've been hearing the microwave beep all morning. 

This is also a great make-ahead dish for breakfast/brunch...wake up and pop it in the oven! 

Printable recipe

1 cup uncooked grits

1 pound ground hot sausage

4 tablespoons butter

1 egg

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown and drain sausage and set aside. Cook grits in 4 cups of boiling water until thick, whisking frequently. 

Add butter, egg, cooked sausage, and one cup of the cheese to grits. 

Pour into a 9x13 dish and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Add remaining cup of cheese and bake for another 30 minutes.

Chicken Ziti with Two Sauces

I re-pinned this from a friend of mine, and I loved the idea of combining marinara and Alfredo sauce. How could that not be good?

Well, it was absolutely delicious. Creamy, comforting, cheesy, and very filling. I added chicken to make it a little more hearty, so I decreased the amount of pasta from original recipe to balance it out and make sure it wasn't too dry. The original also called for a layer of cheese sprinkled on top, but I decided to skip this step.

Printable recipe

8 ounces ziti

1 15-ounce jar Alfredo sauce

1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to directions and drain.  Mix the sauces together in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mozzarella and stir to combine. Add ziti and toss to coat. Pour into a 9x13 dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Turkey Shepherd's Pie

I have been wanting to make Shepherd's Pie after watching an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives that featured a restaurant specializing in this dish. I found this recipe over at Real Simple.

(By the way, even though I'm a magazine editor, I would happily do ANY job on Triple D just for the experience. And, one recent episode spotlighted a couple who has made it a quest to visit all of the restaurants featured on the show, which I think is so neat.)

Back to the recipe...

I liked the variation of using turkey, even though I'm not a huge fan of its color when cooked. The chicken gravy punched up the normally bland flavor and made it seem richer, but not as heavy as beef.

It's pretty well-documented that I love a casserole, so you can pretty much combine any variety of ingredients and it's appealing to me. Meat...peas...potatoes...cheese. How can you go wrong?

One thing...I might use a little less water in the turkey mixture or cook it on the stove a bit longer to thicken it up a little more. It would also kick up the flavor to use garlic mashed potatoes instead of plain.

Printable recipe

1-1/2 pounds ground turkey   

1 1.2-ounce package dry chicken gravy mix

1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed, or can of peas, drained

1 24-ounce package refrigerated mashed potatoes

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Brown turkey. Add the gravy mix and 1 cup water. Stir frequently until the sauce comes to a boil; cook 1 minute. Grease a 8x8 baking dish and spoon in the turkey. Top with the peas, then the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until top is golden.