Broccoli Cheese Soup

My good friend Lisa gave me this recipe, which is also found on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/broccoli-cheese-soup/. 

This is a nice warm winter soup, but obviously you can eat it anytime you want.  I made it a lot when I first got the recipe.

This is a great way to get kids to eat broccoli, and like it.  I love how smooth this soup is and how  rich in flavor it is.  I added shredded chicken to mine to bulk it up.  The benefit is it makes so much that it lasts for several meals which is less work for me.


Prep Time: 10 mins 
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves: 12

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 oz) package frozen chopped broccoli

4 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

1 (1 lb) loaf processed cheese, cubed

2 cups milk

1 TBSP garlic powder

2/3 cup cornstarch

1 cup water

3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded

Directions:

MELT butter over medium heat.   Saute onion in butter until softened.  Stir in broccoli, and pour in chicken broth.   Simmer until broccoli is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

REDUCE heat, and stir in cheese cubes until melted.   Mix in milk and garlic powder.

STIR cornstarch into water until dissolved.   Stir into soup; cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens.

Gina's Tips: This recipe is great for making ahead of time.  It can be cooked in the morning or early afternoon and simmer on the stove until lunch or dinner time.  You can serve it as soon as the soup thickens but I like it better when it simmers for at least 30 minutes to get a richer flavor.  For the broccoli, I steam mine, chop it up, and then add it to the soup.  I usually don't care for the likes of Velveeta style processed cheese so I would like to try shredded cheddar cheese.  Until then this tastes delicious.

Creamy Chicken Pomodoro

I found this recipe on the Kraft foods site looking for a simple pasta for dinner.  I love the kick the red pepper flakes give this dish.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/creamy-chicken-pomodoro-121461.aspx
  
Ingredients:

2 TBSP olive oil, divided

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

4 oz Cream Cheese, cubed

2 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

2 TBSP Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 TBSP chopped fresh basil

Directions:

HEAT 1 Tbsp oil in large nonstick skillet on medium heat.  Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides.  Transfer to plate.

ADD remaining oil to skillet.  Stir in garlic and red pepper; cook and stir 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cream cheese; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended. Return chicken to skillet along with any meat juices; cover. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is done (165ºF). Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package.

SPRINKLE chicken with cheeses and basil.  Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 2 to 3 minutes or until mozzarella is melted.  Serve over drained pasta. 

Gina's Tips: The Kraft site says it serves 6 but it's more like 8 or more.  Also then prep time was closer to 15 mins and not 30 mins.

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I got this from "The Girl Who Ate Everything" today. This slow cooker recipe was so easy-only 3 ingredients: pork, root beer, and barbecue sauce. Mmm...mmm...good.

Ingredients:

1 (2-3lb) pork tenderloin (pork shoulder or butt can also be used)

1 (12 oz) can of root beer

1 (18 oz) bottle of barbecue sauce

8 hamburger buns

Directions:

PLACE the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker and pour the can of root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork.

REMOVE the pork when finished cooking, place in bowl, and shred.

DRAIN and discard the root beer then place shredded pork back into slow cooker.

POUR the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve. Serve on hamburger buns.

Gina's Tips:

I used a 3 pound pork butt roast and simply removed the fat after it was done cooking. You could use a leaner pork tenderloin; it makes shredding easier because there's no need to separate the meat from the fat. The root beer acts as a tenderizer and after soaking in it all day, the pork practically melts in your mouth. I also added 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and sprinkled salt and pepper on it in the slow cooker. We served it with fresh cantaloupe, salt and cracked pepper chips, and root beer. Then for dessert—ice cream cones.

Star Swiss Enchiladas

These are known as Enchilada Suizas or Green Chile Enchiladas. It has a green (white) sauce instead of a red sauce. I think Swiss cheese is used in some recipes. I didn't take a picture, instead I looked for a similar one on the internet. This is my mom's recipe and she makes them casserole style in an 8x8 pan.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles

1 tsp salt

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

1 (10 oz ) can green chile enchilada sauce

1 (5 oz ) can evaporated milk or heavy cream

12 corn tortillas

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Green onions, chopped

Cilantro

Directions:

MIX chicken, chiles, salt, and cream cheese.

COMBINE enchilada sauce and evaporated milk/heavy cream.

SPREAD chicken mixture in each tortilla and place in 9x13 pan. (It makes 8 enchiladas.)

POUR enchilada sauce mixture on top.

SPRINKLE cheese and green onions on top.

BAKE at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, refried beans, chips and salsa.

Gina's Tips:

I thought this might be too spicy for my kids but I think because I added the cream cheese to my mom's recipe it made it creamy and less spicy. They didn't even notice the green chiles in it either. I used heavy cream instead of evaporated milk. I had a 16 oz can of green chile enchilada sauce and 1 cup of heavy cream. I used flour tortillas too. You can add cilantro if you wish.

ALTERNATE METHOD:

Soften tortillas, place in microwave with wet paper towel, then place on bottom of 8x8 baking pan.

Spread chicken mixture and sprinkle some cheese on top.

Layer more tortillas, then pour enchilada sauce and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake as usual.