Southwest Barbeque Chicken Wraps

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• 1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed, or canned corn, drained
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 4 leaves romaine lettuce
• 4 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 2 limes, cut in wedges

PREPARATION

1. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Add chicken, barbecue sauce, beans, corn and sour cream;
3.  stir to combine. Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Assemble the wraps by placing a lettuce leaf in the center of each tortilla and topping with one-fourth of the chicken mixture; roll as you would a burrito. Slice in half diagonally and serve warm, with lime wedges.

This meal was ridiculously easy and good.  We put some shredded cheddar cheese on our wraps.  Next time I think I'll add some diced onions too, because we love onions and they would be good in this. 

Tomato Breads Casserole

Ingredients

• 2 cups soft bread cubes (2 to 3 slices)
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup cooked vegetables (peas, green beans, mixed, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups cooked cubed chicken
• 1 large tomato, sliced

Directions:

Combine bread cubes with melted butter and cheese; arrange half of mixture in a buttered 1 1/2-quart casserole. Spread vegetables over the bread mixture.

Sauté chopped onion in remaining 3 tablespoons butter until tender. Blend in flour and seasonings; cook, stirring, until flour is blended into butter. Gradually add milk, stirring and cooking until thickened and bubbling. Stir in cooked cubed chicken. Pour chicken in sauce over the vegetables in casserole; arrange tomatoes slices over sauce then top with remaining bread mixture. Bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly and lightly browned.


This was a pretty simple recipe that was really good.  The original name was "Chicken Casserole" but we re-named it to "Tomato Breads Casserole" because it just fit better.

Creamy Shrimp Alfredo with Tomato Basil

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1  rib celery, finely chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
• 1 can(s) (13 3/4-ounce) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 jar(s) Bertolli® Tomato & Basil Sauce
• 1 jar(s) Bertolli® Creamy Alfredo Sauce
• 1 pound(s) uncooked fresh or frozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Hot pepper sauce to taste
• 1 box(es) (16-ounce) fettuccine, cooked and drained

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Directions

1. Heat olive oil in deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and cook onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in sauces. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in hot pepper sauce. Serve shrimp mixture over hot fettuccine.

I didn't make this recipe with the shrimp because I thought that Kyle doesn't like Shrimp.  I guess he does so next time we'll try it with the shrimp, or maybe chicken.  Kyle really liked this recipe.  He said we should definitely make it again. 

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup flour
• 7 cups milk
• 4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and cubed, about 4 cups
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 10 to 12 strips bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
• 1 1/4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour; stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, until sauce has thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until soup begins to bubble. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Serve baked potato soup immediately.
This baked potato soup recipe serves 6 to 8.

Pumpkin Pie Icecream

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of salt

Directions:  Put the pumpkin, sugar, spices and salt in a blender.  Puree until smooth.  Slowly add the cream a little at a time, pulsing after each addition.  Chill for 15 mins.  Churn in ice cream machine for 20-25 min, or until it has an icecream like texture.

When I made this last year I also added bits of broken up graham crackers to represent the pie crust before i chilled it.

Country Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 Tablespoons oil
4-5 cups mushrooms
2/3 cup half and half, cream, or milk

In a 2 quart pot, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in broth until smooth.  Add salt, pepper and bay leaves. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute the celery and onion in the oil until tender.  Add the mushrooms and stir until tender.  Add to the broth mixture; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.  Add cream/milk and heat through.  Discard bay leaves.

The key to liking this recipe is liking mushrooms.  However, my mom isn't a big mushroom eater and she still likes this a lot.  The thing about this recipe is that it doesn't make very much it seems, so if your going to feed a lot of people with it, maybe double it. When my mom would make it growing up it would serve 4.   

Delicious Soup

Ingredients:
3 cups water
4 cups diced potatoes
1 cup celery
1 cup carrots
1/2 cup onions
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 quart of milk
1 pound grated cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped ham

In a large pot boil the water and add the veggies until soft.  Set aside.  In another large pot melt the better and add the salt, pepper and flour.  Stir until bubbly.  Add 1 quart of milk and mix well.  Add undrained veggies to the milk and stir in the cheese.  Add the ham.  Heat thoroughly.

This is one of my favorite fall time soups. I made it last year at Megan's baby shower.

Soft and Moist Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3 cups oatmeal
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate chips, as much as you want, (optional, but I feel necessary).

Directions:  Mix flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, ground cloves and salt in a large bowl.  Set aside.  Mix sugar, water, oil and baking soda in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 4 minutes.  Pour into flour mixture and mix up.  (*) Put teaspoonfuls of the dough on cookie sheet and allow space for some spreading.  Bake at 375 for 10 mins.  Store in an airtight container.

*If you are adding chocolate chips there are two different points you can add them to get different effects.  Because you have boiled the sugar mixture and added it to the flour, the cookie dough is pretty hot.  If you dump in all the chocolate chips and mix it up, like you normally do with cookies, the chips melt around in the dough and you get a mess of chocolatley oatmeal goodness.   The second method is to  hand put a few chips into each cookie once you have already put it on the baking sheet.  This way the chocolate doesn't melt all through the whole cookie and you just get bites here and there of chocolate.  I prefer the chocolately mess because I love chocolate and I want it everywhere!!

Applesauce Cookies

Ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, combine:
1 cup white flour   
1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/2 tsp. Salt     
1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves
2 tsp. Baking Powder   
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
2 tsp. Baking Soda

Mix together in another large bowl:

1/4 cup softened Butter   
3 large Eggs
1/4 cup Shortening   
1 TB. Vanilla
1 1/4 cup packed Brown Sugar

Directions:
Add flour mixture alternating with 2 cups of Applesauce.   Mix well in the "sugar" bowl.   Add 1 cup of raisins or Chocolate chips and 1/2-cup nuts.   Spray a flat cookie sheet lightly with Pam.   With two spoons, drop cookies on sheet.   Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 10 mins, or until the outer edges of the cookies are light brown.
Number Of Servings:3 doz.

I think these are probably my favorite cookies. 

Chili Ghetti

Ingredients:
1 lb. Lean ground beef (I never add this cause I'm not a real meaty person and the chili has meat in it)
1 package (8 oz) spaghetti
3/4 cup chopped onion   
3 cups grated Cheddar cheese
2 T. butter, melted   
1 cup sour cream
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 can (32 oz.) chili


Directions:
Brown ground beef and onions in butter. Drain off fat.   Stir tin tomatoes and chili.   Simmer 45
mins.   Meanwhile, cook spaghetti.   Drain, set aside.   Remove skillet from heat.   Stir in grated cheese until melted.   Fold in sour cream.   Mix with cooked spaghetti.   Spoon in 4 or 5-quart casserole dish.   Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.   Cover, bake at 350 for 45 mins.

Number Of Servings:serves 8


This is one of my all time favorites!

Pixie's Pantry Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients:
3/4 of 10-ounce bag tortilla chips, preferably blue corn
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup honey
Zest of two limes and juice of one lime, divided
6 chicken breast halves
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
3/4 cup mango salsa
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese
 
Crush tortilla chips in bag with a rolling pin; add garlic powder and black pepper, then shake bag to mix. In a bowl, mix together honey, zest of one lime and half of the juice of one lime. Pound chicken breasts so they will cook evenly. Coat chicken breasts generously in honey-lime mixture, then coat well in crushed tortilla chips. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is almost, but not thoroughly, cooked. Remove from oven and turn broiler to low. Mix together sour cream, cilantro, the zest of the second lime and remaining lime juice. Place evenly atop chicken breasts: sour cream mixture, then mango salsa, and finally the slices of Monterey Jack cheese. Place chicken breasts in the middle rack of oven and broil until cheese is golden brown and chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes.

We made this at my parents house over conference weekend, and it was really good!