Mexican Chicken Casserole ****

Sorry for the absence.  If you look back, I'm rarely posting recipes during this time of the year.  With baseball and soccer games and/or practices 5 nights a week, I don't have a lot of time to cook new stuff.  I stick to the old tried and true recipes.  I haven't reviewed this one in a couple years, though, so I figured I'd post it again.

This has always been one of our favorite meals.  I've been making it for at least 10 years now.  It's one of those recipes that I can remember by heart, so it's easy to pick up the ingredients at the last second if necessary.  I can change it around to suit my moods, which is always nice.  Tonight, our baseball games were rained out, so I ran in the store and grabbed a rotisserie chicken to use in it.  We could honestly eat this several times a week and be happy. The very best part is that it's so easy. I keep all of the items on hand, and it only takes about 3 minutes to throw together. Even the kids can make it on their own, which they just love.  Perfect for a last-minute meal. Plus, you get the little bit of Mexican flavor without the heat. That makes it a safe choice for the entire family. Dh can add salsa and sour cream to his. The boys and I can eat ours plain. Just yummy all around!  Oh yeah, baby.

MEXICAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 (10-3/4oz) can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken soup
1 (10-3/4oz) can Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can fat-free evaporated milk
1 (4-oz) can diced green chilies
1-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 package plain Doritos
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 (4-oz) can sliced black olives

Mix first four ingredients in order. Crush the bag of Doritos into little pieces; add to mixture. Stir in chicken.
Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with olives, and then cover with cheese. Bake at 350* for about 30-35 minutes.

Easy Chili ****

Yesterday was rainy and cold and just all around yucky.  My very favorite cold weather food is chili, so I pulled this recipe out yet again. This has been my tried and true chili recipe for several years, since it's the only one I've found that doesn't contain those dreaded kidney beans (hubby's thoughts, not mine). My original recipe only had 3 cans of beans, but I added a fourth, to make it a little heartier.  I eventually added a fifth, to make the recipe go further.  To me, it's the green chilies that totally make this dish. You can't taste them at all, but they just give another dimension to it.  Hubby and I have ours over Fritos and topped with shredded fiesta blend cheese.  The boys like to have their chili with the cheese on it and then scoop it up with the Fritos. 

EASY CHILI
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

2 lbs ground beef
5 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
2 (1 1/4 ounce) packages mild chili seasoning mix
1 (46 ounce) can tomato juice
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies (optional)

In large stewpot, cook ground beef until no longer pink; drain.
Put back into pan; add seasoning, beans, chilies, and tomato juice.
Mix well.
Simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Serve over corn chips with cheese on each serving.
Crockpot version: Cook ground beef in skillet on stove until no longer pink; drain.  Add all ingredients to crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Do not add extra liquid, as it's not needed.
*Amy's notes: Sometimes, I will skip draining the beans and just use less tomato juice.  I very rarely use the entire 46oz, since we don't like ours overly juicy.

PAST REVIEWS
5/3/10
This time around, I made it in the crockpot, since I was so pressed for time. I'll be doing that from now on. I loved how the chili seasoning flavor really soaked into the meat that way. I just cooked the ground turkey and then threw everything into the crock for about 7 hours. I was afraid some of the liquid would evaporate, so I added about 1/4 cup of water to it. It was not necessary at all. The boys both had baseball games until late tonight, and it was so wonderful to come home to a meal that was completely ready!

1/8/10
We had the same winter storm come through that most of the country got this week. Our snow came late Wednesday night, so by the end of the day yesterday, I was really craving chili. This is strange, but I have never made plain chili in my life. I've made vegetarian chili and white chicken chili, but never plain old regular chili. Since that's what I was craving and I hadn't included it in my weekly meal plan, I went in search of a recipe that would be easy to throw together last minute so that I could just hit the grocery store really quickly on my way home from work. I found this one and gave it a shot. It was SO yummy! Dh loved that this one had pinto beans instead of kidney, since he hates kidney beans, lol. We all loved it, though. I stuck to the recipe, except I used 2.4 lbs ground turkey and reduced sodium pinto beans. We had it over Fritos and then topped it with shredded cheddar cheese. The best part is, it made enough for dh and I to both have leftovers for lunch today, and it just gets better the next day!

One Pot Tortellini and Sausage in Tomato Cream Sauce **

This one was just okay for me.  The kids and hubby liked it, but it was too salty, in my opinion.  I didn't even add in the salt that it calls for.  I figured the kielbasa would give it plenty of salt on its own, and it does.  It's not that it has a bad taste or anything.  It's just a little too much for me.  Like I said, though, the guys all liked it.

ONE POT TORTELLINI AND SAUSAGE IN TOMATO CREAM SAUCE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ YellowBlissRoad)

1 lb package of Turkey Kielbasa
1/2 cup diced onion
20 oz. package of refrigerated Tortellini
20 oz can of whole tomatoes, cut in the can with kitchen scissors
1 cup chicken broth or water
Pinch of salt & pepper
2 Tbsp cream cheese
2 cups shredded jack and cheddar cheeses

Cook the onion in a little olive oil until soft. Add sliced turkey sausage and cook until browned. Add chicken broth, tortellini, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is cooked to al dente. Remove from heat and add cheeses, reserving a handful for topping. Cover and let stand for five to ten minutes. Garnish with green onions, if desired. Serve hot.

Mushroom Rice ***

This one has been all over Pinterest.  The notes say that you can add chicken, but I honestly don't think it would be all that good with the chicken in it.  I think that the chicken might overpower some of the mushroom flavor.  I made it with brown rice, and even after cooking it an extra 10 minutes, it still was firmer than I would have liked.  I'm going to try it with white rice next time and see how it goes.  The flavor and smell are great, though, and it's a breeze to throw it together.  I would absolutely make it again.

MUSHROOM RICE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Food.com)

9 mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 garlic clove
1-1/2 green onion
3 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups rice
3/4 teaspoon parsley
1-1/2 to taste salt
1-1/2 to taste pepper

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat; cook mushrooms,garlic and onion until mushrooms are cooked and butter evaporated.
Add broth and rice; season with parsley (chopped), salt, and pepper.
Cover and cook on low heat about 15 mins till rice is cooked.
If using as main dish, add cut-up cooked chicken after rice is cooked.

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmigiana Sandwiches ***

These were yummy.  The 8-year-old (who rarely ever finishes a meal) devoured his.  He practically inhaled it.  I made a few changes, but nothing to really alter the basic recipe.  I forgot to thaw the chicken, so I mixed the sauce up and used 3 frozen breasts.  Then I added an extra hour to the cook time.  It was done perfectly in 7 hours.  I would probably use 4 breasts next time, though.  Tonight, it was just me and the boys eating, so 3 was perfect.  I'd need 4 to have enough for all of us plus leftovers for hubby's lunch.  I used some crusty bolillo rolls.  I didn't want to take the time to put them in the skillet, so I sliced them all in half, used a little spray butter, and stuck them under the broiler long enough to toast them up a bit.  I also added a small tub of sliced fresh mushrooms, since I had some in the fridge that needed to be used up.  I would totally do that again.  They were really, really good in there.  

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN PARMIGIANA SANDWICHES

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ FoodFamilyFinds)

29 ounces canned tomato sauce

14.5 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes

12 ounces canned tomato paste

2 cups sweet yellow onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped (about 2 cloves)

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

2 bay leaves

4 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped (about 6 leaves)

3-4 large THAWED/FRESH boneless, skinless chicken breasts

sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese

grated Parmesan cheese

4-6 hard rolls

butter

Start the slow cooker on low heat.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and stir until combined.

Add onions, garlic, stir.

Add parsley, oregano, bay leaves, basil and stir.

Set chicken breast on top of the sauce, sprinkle generously with salt/pepper, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Use two forks to shred the chicken.

Slice the hard rolls in half and toast on a hot buttered skillet.

Use tongs to grab chunks of the chicken, tapping the excess sauce into the pot before adding to your roll.

Top with a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan, sliced mozzarella and serve.

*luckymommyto2boys/Amy's notes: I used frozen breasts and cooked on low for 7 hours.  I also added a small package of sliced fresh mushrooms.

Apple-Pecan Bread Pudding *

I actually made this back in January for my dad.  He loves bread pudding.  I subbed Craisins for the raisins, just because that's my preference.  I'm not a fan of bread pudding in general, so there's that going against it already.  It's kind of a texture thing with me.  The apples and Craisins were absolutely amazing in the sauce.  The bread just wasn't that great.  I used toasted French bread, hoping that it would keep it from getting as mushy.  Didn't work as well as I'd hoped.  My dad seemed to like it, but it's not something I would make again.

APPLE-PECAN BREAD PUDDING
(Grandparents.com)

Cooking spray
4 cups toasted bread cubes (approximately 8 slices; I used gluten-free bread)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup raisins
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
2 cups half-and-half

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Spray your stoneware insert well with cooking spray. Put the toasted bread cubes into your cooker and add the diced apples. Toss the bread and apples with the melted butter. Dump in the pecans, raisins, and brown sugar, and sprinkle in the pumpkin pie spice. Stir gingerly to distribute the ingredients evenly. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and half-and-half, and pour evenly over the top of the assembled ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Your pudding is done when it has browned on top and pulls away from the sides. The center should be set and not super jiggly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream as a dessert or plain for breakfast.
Serves 6

Crockpot Split Pea Soup ****

I haven't made this in several years,  but for some reason, it sounded really good.  We loved it yet again.  I always sprinkle a little bit of cheese on the servings, but this time, I also stirred 8 oz of sour cream into the crockpot before serving.  I figured it might cut some of the spice from the Tony's, while also making the consistency a little creamier.  Yum!  Definitely going to do that again.

Photo of similar recipe from Recipezaar

CROCKPOT SPLIT PEA SOUP
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 (16 ounce) package dried split peas, rinsed
2 cups diced ham (I rinse mine)
3 carrots, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery, chopped (or diced green peppers)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Tony Chachere's or seasoning salt
Pepper, to taste
6 cups hot water
1 bay leaf

Combine all ingredients except the water and the bay leaf in a crockpot.  Do not stir.  Simply pour the water on top of the ingredients to disperse them.  Add bay leaf.
Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours (my preference) or high for 4-5 hours. 
Remove bay leaf before serving.

Previous reviews:
12/7/10 ~ I looked at several split pea soup recipes online and came up with this combination. Dh and I had never tried split pea soup before, so we didn't know what to expect. I hate green peas with a passion, and I always just assumed split pea soup tasted like that, lol. Oh, how wrong I was! Dh and I both LOVED this. The kids had already eaten, so they didn't try it. I would need to cut down on the Tony's or use seasoning salt in its place, since that adds a little spice. The kiddos aren't fond of that kind of thing. I also ended up using chopped green peppers instead of the celery, since I was out of celery. I would gladly do that again. Dh and I gobbled it down, though. I don't even like leftovers normally, and now I'm wishing I hadn't promised dh he could take them to work for lunch tomorrow. :-)