Chicken Enchilada Soup

I'm a biggggggg fan of eating soup.

It doesn't really have to be cold out either.

I eat soup year round and always have a bunch in my freezer.

So when I ran across this recipe last Fall I knew I would be making it.

Not too long after finding it, I made it and it was so darn delicious!

I've made it a few more times and knew I had to share because it's that good!

And the best part is that it's made in the slow cooker!

So not only is it really tasty, but it's super easy to make too.

Let me show you how simple it really is.

The Goods:

Chicken Breasts

Yellow Onion

Garlic

Jalapenos

Corn

Bell Pepper

Black Beans

Cilantro

Diced Tomatoes

Tomato Paste

Chicken Broth

Cayenne Pepper

Chili Powder

Cumin

Pepper Jack Cheese

Place your raw chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker.

Add your diced bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and garlic.

Next add your dice tomatoes, black beans and corn.

Now time to add the chicken broth.

And finally the spices and tomato paste.

Stir everything up until it's mixed well.

Cook on high for four and a half hours.

Stir in minced cilantro and shredded pepper jack cheese.

Cook for about 30 more minutes.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred.

Return to soup, mix in and serve yourself a bowl!

Dig in and enjoy as is!

Or add something extra like soup cream or avocado!!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Adapted from Carolina Charm

2 large Chicken Breasts

1 Large Yellow Onion - Diced

4 Cloves Garlic - Minced

2 Large Jalapenos - Minced

2 Cups Frozen Corn

1 Bell Pepper - Diced

1 Can Black Beans - Rinsed and Drained

1 Bunch Cilantro - Minced

(2) 14.5 Ounce Cans Diced Tomatoes

1/2 Cup Tomato Paste

3 Cups Chicken Broth

1/2 to 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

2 Teaspoons Chili Powder

2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin

1/2 Cup Pepper Jack Cheese - Shredded

1. Place your raw chicken breasts at the bottom of your slow cooker.
2. Add your diced bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and garlic.
3. Next add your dice tomatoes, black beans and corn.
4. Now time to add the chicken broth.
5. And finally the spices and tomato paste.
6. Stir everything up until it's mixed well.
7. Cook on high for four to four and a half hours.
8. Stir in minced cilantro and shredded pepper jack cheese and cook for about 30 more minutes.
9. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. 
10. Return to soup, mix in and serve yourself a bowl!

Chicken Spaghetti

When I first saw this recipe, I didn't know exactly what to think.

I knew I was intrigued, but I'd never made anything like it, 

so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect taste wise.

I put off making it and sorta forgot about it for awhile.

But then I saw the recipe again on a different blog

and I knew right then and there that I had to try it!

Keep reading to see how it's made,

and to find out what I really thought after tasting.

The Goods:

3 Cups Rotisserie Chicken

1 Package Spaghetti

1/4 Cup Onion - Diced

1/4 Cup Bell Pepper - Diced

 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup

2 Cup Cheddar Cheese - Shredded

1 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper to Taste

2 Cups Chicken Broth

(Not pictured - OOPS!)

Get all your ingredients ready - 

Shred, chop, dice, you know!

Boil your water and cook your spaghetti until al dente.

Drain and return to cooking pot.

Add all but 1 Cup cheese and mix well.

Put mixture into greased baking pan - or two if you're like me!

Cover generously with cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

OR

If you're like me...

Bake one and freeze one to be enjoyed soon!

I

In the freezer ready to be baked and eaten.

So I bet you're curious what I thought.

That's probably the only reason you read this far!

Well...I love it!

I am so glad I made two

and I can't wait to eat it again!!!

Sausage Zucchini Rice

I bought ingredients intending to make Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats,
but I was making it on a work night and I wanted something a little quicker.
So I decided to do a little research and my friend Google
gave me a recipe for Sausage Zucchini Rice that sounded amazing!

I went home that night and made it and it was quite good.
Then I made it again, and I'm pretty sure I made it once more.
THEN I realized I hadn't, but needed to blog about it,
so here I am to tell you all about it today!

The Goods:

Italian Sausage

Zucchini

Basmati Rice

Onion

Unsalted Butter

Chicken Broth

Parmesan Cheese

Parsley

Basil

Salt

Pepper

Note - I omitted the Pine Nuts from my version

because I had a bad experience with them once

and have been afraid to eat them ever since.

Feel free to use them if ya like - I'm sure it'd be tasty!

Chop your zucchini and onion.

And shred your cheese.

Brown the sausage.

Meanwhile, cook the rice...

Add butter to pot and sauté onions - about 5 minutes.

Add rice and broth to pan and bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook until water is absorbed.

While rice is cooking, start your zucchini...

In the same skillet you cooked the sausage,
cook your zucchini until tender - about 4 minutes.
Return sausage to the skillet and add broth and water,
cooking until heated through completely.

Add sausage and zucchini mixture to cooked rice.
Stir to combine and taste, then adjust seasoning if needed.

Now - serve and ENJOY!!!

Oh and before you go...

On a totally unrelated, but important note -
if you haven't signed up for Ebates yet, you need to.
It's so easy and right now lots of store have DOUBLE cash back!
Like I said before, I wish I had done it sooner!
Oh and with all the Christmas time you're probably doing.
Why not earn a little cash back while buying gift for others?

Chicken Piccata and Homemade Pasta

I recently had a hankering for some for some homemade pasta, 

so I quickly started to think about what I wanted to enjoy with said pasta.

After a little thought, I couldn't get my mind off:

CHICKEN PICCATA & HOMEMADE PASTA!!!

I found this recipe and couldn't wait to get to work.

And sadly, was so into making it I don't have any step by step pictures.

I know - HUGE blog fail.

The meal was so good I couldn't not post about it.

And as the recipe states, it really is easy!!

Piccata Goods:

Chicken

Flour

Butter

Salt

Lemons

Olive Oil

Chicken Broth

Flat Leaf Parsley

Capers

For my step by step homemade pasta instructions,

see this blog post!!!

The finished product!!

So good and I can't wait to make it again.

Maybe the next time I'll be a better blogger, 

and remember to take more pics to update this post.

Elina and Robyn Make...Gnocchi

It's been quite awhile since I posted about something delicious Elina and I made.
I'm sorry it's been so long, but I hope this amazing food makes up for it!

A few weeks ago, Elina and I were watching a show on the Food Network and they were making homemade Gnocchi. As soon as we saw this, we both looked at each other and had the same thought -
WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS SOON!

After doing a little research, we figured making gnocchi wouldn't be much more difficult than making homemade pasta and we've both done that numerous times before. The more difficult part was deciding what type of sauce to make with the gnocchi.

After each of us threw our a few ideas, we decided on ...

A Cheesy Garlic Cream Sauce!!!

Homemade Gnocchi with anything sounds great, but with a cheesy garlic cream sauce is sounds even better!
(Note: We didn't toss our broccoli with the gnocchi as this recipe indicates.)

The Goods - Part 1:

Flour

Eggs

Potatoes

Parmesan

Cream

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Lemon

The Goods - Part 2 (AKA Things we forgot in Part 1...):

Milk

Chicken Broth

Butter

Fresh Parsley

Peel, cut up, cook, drain, cool off and finally rice your potatoes.

Arrange your potatoes in a dome and create a well in the middle.
Add your egg mixture and start combining with your hands.
Gradually mix in cheese and flour until dough is slightly sticky.

Divide dough in sixths, roll out into 1/2 inch thick, then slice in 1/2 inch pieces.

Create indentations on each piece using fork tines.

We put our gnocchi on cookies sheets, then stored them in the fridge while we made the delicious sauce!

Now time, to make the sauce!!!

Melt butter and cook the garlic.

Stir in Chicken Broth and combine.

Whisk in Cream and Milk until incorporated. 

Add the parmesan right before combining with the gnocchi.

Bring water to a slow boil, add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface.

Drain the gnocchi and combine with the sauce.

Finish off with Fresh Parsley.

Plate, add more fresh parm and serve with a crisp green salad!

The gnocchi and sauce were absolutely amazing!

After taking a few bites, we decided that the gnocchi were like little pillows of deliciousness.

And then we scarfed the rest down without saying another word to each other.

It was THAT good!

We were both very happy with the end result and knew we'd both be making this again.

In fact, we even had some uncooked gnocchi leftover that we were able to freeze for a later date.

Robyn Recreates Olive Garden Favorites

Yup, you read that right!!
I have recreated not one, but TWO Olive Garden dishes that are favorites to many!

While I haven't had Olive Garden in years, I still remember what their signature salad tastes like. I used to go there just because of their amazing salad and breadsticks.

The salad was all about the dressing and I think I got pretty darn close to the real thing. I was reassured when a girlfriend I had over that night agreed that it was pretty spot on! 

Sadly, their breadsticks wasn't something I made - I haven't taken that on yet!
(Who knows, maybe soon?)

The second Olive Garden knock off I made is something I made twice in one week and just couldn't get enough. I made Zuppa Toscana Monday night and again on Friday, which was perfect for the cold evenings we've been having.

And the finished product...

So, so, SO good!!!

Since I didn't make breadsticks, I did the next best thing and made savory monkey bread muffins. They were amazing and not a single one was leftover!!!

Butternut Squash Risotto

I had a Butternut Squash that I needed to use, and I didn't want to just roast it like I usually do so I did a little searching online. After looking at a few recipes, I found one that sounded amazing from my ol' favorite, The Pioneer Woman. It looked great and I couldn't wait to a make it, so last Saturday I tried making risotto for the very first time! To be honest - I was a little nervous, but I haven't screwed up a recipe too bad in quite a long time so I got busy cooking and hoped for the best! Take a look at the whole process below.

The Good:

Butternut Squash

Arborio Rice

Chicken (or Vegetable) Broth

Olive Oil

Butter

Onion

Chili Powder 

Salt

Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Parsley

Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, peel, bag half the squash, and dice the other half.

Melt butter, add the squash, season with salt, pepper and chili powder. 

Cook until tenter, but not falling apart. Set aside until rice is cooked.

Melt remaining butter and saute onions until tender and translucent.

Add the rice and stir, cooking about a minute.

Add the broth to the rice one cup at a time. 

Simmer and let absorb, adding more broth until rice is tender but still has a little bite. 

Add freshly shave parmesan and the cooked butternut squash.

Fold into the cooked rice and season if needed. Top with freshly chopped parsley. 

The finished product with a yummy green salad!

Was my first time making risotto a disaster? Absolutely not! In fact, every time I think about this recipe, tell someone about this meal, look at the pictures I took while cooking - I can taste the deliciousness! I actually ended up omitting the turmeric and cream, but wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I cannot wait to make this again and share it with someone else who will appreciate how great it tastes!

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 33

Since the whole Salmonella outbreak, I've been afraid to eat chicken so I've pretty much been avoiding it altogether. Actually, I honestly can't tell you the last time I did eat chicken. I've been creative with my meal choices, but one can only east SO much bacon...

So while thinking about what I'd eat for dinner tonight AND what to have for lunches this week, I decided on roasting a turkey breast! I know, I know - Thanksgiving isn't for weeks, but it IS Fall and who doesn't love some turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy? YUM!

For dinner tonight I enjoyed a lil Thanksgiving dinner just a little early.  Hate all you want, but I'll eat this meal no matter what month it is because it's alway tasty! Anyway...I had some delicious roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and some rosemary sourdough. 

Hello Thanksgiving Wannabe Dinner!

I plan to use the leftovers for lunches and dinners this week and may even freeze some of the turkey breast. 

What did YOU have for dinner tonight?

Adventures With Rice: Feta and Herb Orzo Pilaf

You didn't think I'd let the blog go thiiiiiiis long and not come back with another rice post, did you??? I hope not! If you haven't figured it out yet - I'm a big fan of rice. :)

The rice in this post is based off this recipe, but I modified it quite a bit. It's one of my favorite rice recipes and I really don't make it enough!

Here's how to make this super easy, but amazingly tasty rice pilaf!

The Goods:

Butter (Not Pictured)

Green Onions

Garlic

Long Grain White Rice

Orzo

Chicken Broth

Salt and Pepper

Fresh Herbs (Basil, Parsley, etc.)

Feta

Melt the butter

Add the sliced green onions

And the garlic!

Sauté a couple of minutes.

Add the orzo and sauté 2 minutes.

Add the rice and sauté 2 more minutes. 

Pour in the chicken broth.

And add the salt and pepper!

Pour it all into a covered casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Let the rice sit for about 10 minutes

Add the feta!!!

And the herbs.

And give it one last stir to combine everything.

Now enjoy!!!