Southwestern Chili with Corn

I found this recipe in a Real Simple cookbook and it lives up to the name. It's simple, fast and really tasty.  It was originally a beef chili, but I tweaked it to make it meatless.  I'll include the meaty directions so you can decide how you want to make it.

1 T olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
{1/2 pound ground beef, omit kidney beans}
2 T tomato paste*
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 T chili powder
3 cups vegetable or beef broth {or water}
kosher salt & black pepper
1/2 cup corn kernels

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over meduim-high heat.  Add the carrots, onion, and peppers and cook, stirring, for three minutes.  {Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.}  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it is slightly darkened, 1 minute.  Stir in the beans, chili powder, broth {or water}, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the corn.  Serve, {topping with shredded cheese and diced scallions.}  We love this with Pancheri cornbread.


*I used to hate using only a few tablespoons of tomato paste, because I usually ended up throwing the leftovers away. It finally dawned on me that I could freeze the extra in silicone ice cube trays.  I do that until they're solid, then throw them in a freezer bag in the freezer.  It works perfectly to throw into soups later. I just wanted to pass along my a-ha! moment*

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2 pound ground beef

2 tsp salt

1 small onion finely chopped

1 cup soft bread crumbs (dry work fine, too)

1/2 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into balls (appx 1.5 inches). Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until centers are no longer pink. These freeze really well. If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll make up a couple hundred and put them in Ziploc bags ready for a quick dinner or appetizer.

We combine the following to make a "sweet/sour" sauce:

2 cups ketchup

1 cup grape jelly or marion berry jam

Go-to meals: Hawiian Chicken

This is SOOO yummy and takes no time to prepare in the crock-pot! My mom showed it to me while visiting for during the Christmas break.

Put some boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a crock-pot.
Add:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (or slightly less) soy sauce
1 can of pinapple tidbits (8 oz)
Cook on High for about 3 hours

Serve over rice and some stir-fry veggies (I just buy a bag of my favorite frozen kind of stir fry veggies--cooking them in some of the juices from the crock pot when it's done cooking adds a little bit of extra flavor.) Enjoy!

Green Chili Chicken

I made this on Sunday in the crockpot and it was really good. It was super easy to throw together in the morning and was ready when Matt got home. I'm sure you could cook it in the oven for an hour or so, too, if you prefer.

3-4 large chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
4 oz can chopped green chilies
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic herb blend seasoning (or plain garlic salt would work, too)

6 cups steamed rice
blue corn tortilla chips

Place chicken, soup, chiles, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic blend in crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When done, shred chicken with two forks. Spoon over bowls of rice and garnish with crumbled blue corn tortilla chips.

4 servings

from Picky Palate

veggie gnocchi

I love, love, love gnocchi and order it whenever I go somewhere that serves it. I tried making homemade gnocchi one time and it wasn't really worth the effort. Then, hallelujah, I found it in the pasta aisle at Wal-Mart. Happy day. This recipe was the perfect dish to make with it. Light, easy, summery and with tasty leftovers. Enjoy.

1 T olive oil
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1 summer squash, quartered lengthwise, and sliced crosswise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 lb. gnocchi
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 T grated Romano cheese
1 T butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add squash and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until juicy, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid, drain gnocchi and transfer to skillet. Toss gnocchi, adding enough cooking liquid to create sauce. Remove from heat and stir in basil, cheese, butter, and lemon juice.

Italian Sausage Rotini

I got this recipe from the Kraft website, but ended up changing a few things. It actually tastes a lot like Michelle's cavatini recipe, but wasn't as time-intensive. This is how I made it, and we both loved it. I'm definitely making it again.

3 1/2 cups uncooked wheat rotini {any pasta will really work}
1 lb. bulk sweet italian sausage
2 green peppers, cut into chunks
2 cups spaghetti sauce {plain old traditional Ragu works great}
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta as directed. While that's cooking, brown sausage with green peppers on medium-high heat. Drain excess fat and then add spaghetti sauce. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until heated through. Drain pasta and then add to the skillet. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Serve with steamed veggies and garlic pull-aparts.

**Next time, I'm going to throw in a bunch of sliced mushrooms to cook with the sausage & peppers. Yum!***

Shredded Chicken Pitas

I've been struggling to come up with meal plans the past few weeks and decided to update my recipe list. There are a few recipes I haven't posted here that are going into our regular rotation, so I thought I'd share the wealth!

First up? A great, light, summery meal from here.

2 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T sun-dried tomato oil
1 T chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
3 cups mixed baby greens

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, tomato, cheese, and basil. Line each pita half with 1/4 cup greens. Divide chicken mixture evenly among pita halves.

Easy Italian Pasta Bake

This is another recipe from the Kraft Food & Family website. I've decided I'm only going to cook 'fancy' meals once or twice per week and will do easy/cheap meals the other nights. This falls into the latter category.

1 lb. lean ground beef {or turkey or sausage}
3 cups whole wheat penne, cooked & drained {I only boiled mine for 6 mins. b/c it's going to be baked and I didn't want it to get soggy}
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
1 tsp italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced

Heat oven to 375*. Brown meat in large skillet with italian seasoning and garlic. Drain. Add pasta, sauce and 1/2 the parmesan and mix well. Spoon into 9x13 pan and top with remaining cheeses. Bake for 20 mins. I served mine with Rhodes rolls and steamed broccoli. Yummy!

Corn Chowder

Here's another soup recipe! I need spring to come!

2/3 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup butter
2 1/4 cup water
4 cups potatoes, cubed
3 green onions, sliced

Simmer for 20 minutes.

6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
2 1/2 cups milk

In a separate saucepan, combine to make white sauce. Then add the following to the white sauce:

1 1/2 tsp dill weed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Add white sauce to vegetables, and then add the following:

1 bag frozen sweet white corn
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Heat through and serve with your favorite bread! Yummy!

sweet and sour chicken

I have had terrible luck with new recipes lately. I almost didn't try this one because I didn't think I could handle another dud. I'm so, so glad I gave this one a try. It's easily one of our new favorites.

3-4 chicken breasts {I used two huge Costco ones}
salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 T ketchup
1/2 c vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

Cut chicken into chunks. Season with salt and pepper, dip into cornstarch and then into egg. Fry in the oil until brown but not cooked through. {I did about three minutes one one side, flipped them all over and cooked for another minute or two.} Mix sauce ingredients and pour over chicken in an 8x8 baking dish. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. I thought there was plenty of sauce, but if you want more, you can mix up another batch and simmer over medium heat until thickened. I served this over rice with a side of steamed stir-fry veggies.

from here

Southwest Chicken Chili

I found this recipe on Picky Palate and was excited to make it because it requires NO dairy! Matt's not a fan of spicy food so I dialed down the heat, but it was still excellent and way easy to make.

4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large bell pepper, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 14-oz cans chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can cannelini beans, drained
1 14-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 T Tabasco {I just did a few drops}
1 T fresh lime juice
2 T chili powder {I used about half}
2 T cumin
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion and bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and shredded chicken; cook for 1 minute then stir in rest of ingredients. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes then reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve. You can top with cheese, sour cream, or whatever else you like. Serve with Pancheri Cornbread.

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

I got this recipe from a ward cookbook my sister in law gave me from Houston. It was super easy, and tastes pretty good... but the best part - completely ready and waiting for you when you get home from church at 5pm!

4 lb. pork tenderloin
package fajita seasoning mix
ground pepper
2 red peppers, sliced
large onion, sliced in rings
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 medium or 4 small red potatoes, cut into bit size pieces
large zip lock bag

Put all ingredients into Ziploc bag, mix... then add the pork. Dump contents into a Pam sprayed crockpot and put 1/4 to 1/2 cup water in the bottom. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. The longer, the more tender the tenderloin.

It was good for how fast and easy it is! And for sure works when you want dinner as soon as you get home!!

Meatball Subs

For some strange reason, I had a hankering for a meatball sub. I don't think I've ever eaten a meatball sub before, but the craving was still there. I turned to reliable old allrecipes and found a winner.

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T grated parmesan cheese {I left this out to make it non-dairy}
1/2 egg, beaten
1/2 French baguette {I used wheat sub rolls we had on hand}
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pinch salt
7 oz. spaghetti sauce

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a medium bowl, mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, italian seasoning, garlic, parsley, parmesan cheese and egg by hand. Shape into 12 meatballs and place into a Pyrex pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through. Meanwhile, cut baguette in half lengthwise and scoop out some of the middle to make a well for the meatballs. Brush with olive oil and season with garlic powder and salt. Slip into the oven for the last five minutes of the meatballs' cooking time, until lightly toasted. Heat up spaghetti sauce in medium bowl in microwave. When meatballs are done, place them in bowl with sauce and mix lightly. Scoop meatballs into baguette. {I topped Matt's with shredded mozzarella cheese and put it back in the oven for a few minutes.} Enjoy!

Cranberry Meatballs

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Melanie. When she first gave it too me I thought, "No way am I going to make that, it sounds too weird." But she made it and I tried it and it is GOOD! And, it is SO FAST and EASY, added bonus!!!

1 bag frozen meatballs
1 can cranberry sauce
2 c. spaghetti sauce

Mix together, heat through and serve over rice. Whala, dinner is served.

Pork Chops Italiano

This is another Michelle original and a new Sunday favorite at the Kotter household.


4 chops, 1 inch thick (season with salt & pepper on both sides)
½ lb sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 green pepper, cut into strips
23 oz. tomato sauce (one 15-oz and one 8-oz can)
1 bay leaf
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp sage
1 tsp oregeno
1 tsp basil


Season pork chops and lay in bottom of crock pot. Layer mushrooms, onions and green pepper on top. In separate bowl, combine tomato sauce, garlic lemon juice and seasonings, and pour over pork and veggies. Cook 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.


This is fantastic served with {real} mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.

Key Lime Pie

EASY to make - takes five minutes plus baking time and very delicious. I didn't have lime juice so I substituted lemon juice instead. The pie was so yummy BUT I like it made with limes better. Thanks to Teresa from the Winder Stake Young Women's program who shared this recipe with me! BTW: I recommend the graham cracker shell.

2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks, beaten
3/4 cup Key Lime juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 (9 inch) pre-baked pie shell or graham cracker shell

Combine condensed milk and beaten egg yolks, gradually add the lime juice. Fill pie shell with the mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Chill for at least 2 hours. Whip the cream and garnish the chilled pie.

Serves 8... (or makes 10 individual tarts)

Variety Cake

Mandy and I had these at a friends house the other night and thought they were Lugubrious Worthy. Enjoy!!

1 package of cake mix, any flavor (we had yellow)
1 large bag of chocolate chips
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
about 2 T. water

Mix and spread in 9x13 pan.
Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.

Makes a great drop cookie too.
**Any cake mix will work. LIke Carrot Cake with white chocolate chips or Chocolate Cake mix with butterscotch, etc. The possibilities are endles... that's what I like about it!!

Parmesan Chicken

When Matt requested parmesan chicken, I looked on allrecipes.com and found this one. I made it Friday and it was really easy and really good.

2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 T. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 egg
1 1/2 tsp melted butter

Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, basil and melted butter. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with crumb mixture. Place in glass baking dish sprayed with Pam. Cook at 375 for 30-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with whole wheat pasta and marinara sauce. **This recipe is for two people, so adjust for your family!**

Pesto Beef with Grape Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

This dish makes a beautiful presentation that will "wow" your family and friends (Mandy, did it accomplish that?) Plus, it's easy! (this is what the cookbook said, not my verbiage but still thought I'd add it for some humor)

1 T. olive oil
2 t. dried minced onion
1/2 c. prepared pesto sauce
1/2 t. black pepper
2 lbs. round steak, cut into six pieces
2 pints grape tomatoes (about 4 1/2 c.)
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, drained, sliced, and brought to room temperature by serving time

1. Grease the slow cooker crock pot with olive oil (leave excess in the crock). Add the onion, pesto, and pepper to the crock, and stir to combine.
2. Add the steak to the crock and turn the pieces with tongs to coat with the pesto mixture; add the tomatoes.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
4. To serve, use clean tongs to place steak in individual bowls. Top each serving with slice of mozzarella, and some of the tomato mixture.

I served with brown rice and added more of the juices over the rice and put the beef on top the rice.

Recipe says it can also be used with chicken instead of beef.

the everyday low-carb slow cooker cookbook

Bruschetta and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I got this from the Kraft Food & Family magazine. It was super easy.

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb.)
1/3 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing {I just used the Sun Dried Tomato dressing I already had}


PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Combine tomatoes with their liquid, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the basil and dry stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.


PLACE 2 chicken breast halves in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound chicken

with side of heavy can, rolling pin or meat mallet until chicken is 1/4-inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breast halves, adding 2 at a time to bag. Place chicken, top-sides down, on large cutting board; spread evenly with stuffing mixture. Starting at one of the narrow ends, tightly roll up chicken. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle evenly with dressing.


BAKE 40 min. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170°F) and cheese is melted.

**My changes: Since there are only two of us, I just made two chicken breasts and cooked the rest of the stuffing in a Pyrex dish as a side. I think the next time I make it, I will cut up the chicken and make it like a casserole instead of rolling the chicken. It will cook faster and last better as leftovers!**