White Chicken Chili

I made this soup for a Halloween party on Saturday. I made a double batch, which filled a large crock pot, and it was gone in about an hour!

Green chilies, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, lime juice and jarred chili verde make up the flavorful broth. Chicken, onions, garlic and white beans make this a very hearty and tasty soup.

Toss all the ingredients in crock pot, set the timer and you're done! Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

White Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless chicken breast; skin removed, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomatillos (about 16 ounces), drained and cut up
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can chicken broth (1 1/2 cups)
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chile peppers, not drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans great northern beans, drained
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preparation:
In a large skillet add olive oil and heat on medium high until hot. Add diced chicken and saute for 5 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan. Place all ingredients, except cheese, in a crock pot and cook for 8 hours. Top each serving with a little shredded cheese. Serve white chicken chili with tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, and condiments of your choice. Serves 6 .

My Notes:
I used one 16 oz jar of green chili verde in place of the canned tomatillos (I couldn't find them at the store). The soup turns out pretty runny, so about an hour before I served it, I scooped out a cup of broth and whisked in 2 tablespoons of flour. I added a little more broth and whisked until smooth and then stirred this roux back into the pot. This thickened it up and made it the perfect consistency. I also added salt to taste.

One last quick tip. I used an already cooked rotisserie chicken that I shredded in place of cubing and cooking chicken.

Halloween Cake

Dress up any basic frosted cake with some Halloween Peeps and you've got an easy and festive dessert.

Take it a step further and add a spider web on top with some melted chocolate and some cute little spiders made from large M&M's.

Too Much Chocolate Cake

I made this sinfully delicious chocolate cake for a "Ghouls and Goblins" party (Post coming soon) I hosted for my little girl and her friends. This cake is fudgy and moist and very chocolaty. The best part is, it's made using a cake mix. This was a wonderful time saver and the cake can be made the day before.

I topped the cake with a chocolate glaze (as if it weren't chocolaty enough) and decorated it with chocolate dipped gummy worms and gummy spiders. My aunt, who doesn't ever eat dessert, loved this! I think all the kids and adults did too. I would recommend this recipe anytime you need a chocolate cake. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, drizzled with chocolate glaze or frosted, you can't go wrong!

I had to use the flash to take a picture of the cake once it was decorated, so it's not the best. Oh well.

Too Much Chocolate Cake
Source: allrecipes.com

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini chips and they were perfect)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Frightening Fun Halloween Fare

I'm co-hosting a spook-tacular Halloween party this Friday with my husbands aunt. We got together last night to discuss all the details and go over any last minute things we needed to get done. I'll be making some of my dishes today, including gooey chocolate cookies, pumpkin bars and creamy chicken pot pie soup. I want Friday to be as stress free as possible. Plus, I want to be relaxed come Trick-O-Treat time, so I can take my little pirate out for candy. Rrrrrr.

Here's What We're Serving

3 Slimey Soups
Creamy Chicken Noodle
Vegetarian Chili
Minestrone

Eerie Edibles
Rolls (for soaking up the slime)
Clam Dip and Chips
Chili Cheese Dip and Salsa
Bowls of Nuts, Pretzels and Candy
Clam Roll-ups
Cheese and Cracker Platter
Avocado Pico De Gallo


Spell Binding Desserts
My signature Gooey Chocolate Cookies
Pumpkin Bars
Caramel Corn
Ghostly Chocolate Bark
Chocolate Fudge Cake (pictured above)


Poisonous Libations
Jell-O Shots (Those are for you mom)
We're doing BYOB, but we'll have plenty of bottled water on hand, beer and wine.

Here's are my recipes. I have made all of these countless times and they are freakishly good. Enjoy!

Chocolate Gooey Cookies (These are a must!) Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Bars
Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup 
(This soup is amazing, so flavorful and down-right awesome)
Ingredients
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
2 cups diced red potatoes, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 cup frozen corn

Cut cooked chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, corn and potatoes. Mix well.

Allow soup to cool. Refrigerate in airtight container until ready to cook.

Pour soup into crock pot. Turn onto desired setting .


Caramel Corn 
(Very addicting, it goes quick)
Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Over medium heat, combine first 4 ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Stir well. Pour over 8 quarts popped corn(Use half this amount for more caramel coating). Stir to coat well. Bake in large roaster or pan for 1 hour(Bake for 1/2 an hour if you want chewy caramel), stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to dry.

Chili Cheese Dip 
(Always a favorite. So easy and so good)
2 cans Nalley’s Chili
2 Blocks Cream Cheese
2 Small Cans Diced Green Chilies (Be sure not to buy Jalapenos, as they come in the same can!)

Combined all ingredients and heat in a 2 quart pan until melted and smooth. Or heat all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, covered , stirring every 2 minutes until combined.


Avocado Pico de Gallo

1 white onion, finely chopped
4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 or 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 avocado, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients (except avocado), cover, and refrigerate for an hour. Gently stir in avocado before serving.

Amazing Chicken Taco Soup

I love soup and I have to say, this is one of my favorites. My friend Dana made a pot of it for an April Fool's Cooking Club at my mom's house and I think I had thirds. The flavor of the soup was amazing and the sour cream and crumbled bacon topping made it even better.

Recipe coming soon.

Here it is: Thanks Dana.

Adapted from Paula Deen

Dana’s Taco Soup

The recipe is simple and not always the same....
I usually use what I have at home.

Brown 1lb of ground beef in a soup pot (I use ground turkey). Add 1 can of corn, 1 can of beans (pinto, chili, kidney..use what you have). 1 can tomatoes (chili ready, del monte diced zesty...again whatever you like) the above cans are usually about 14.5 oz sizes if you like it spicy, add one can rotel tomatoes and green chiles let this come to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add 1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix and 1 package taco seasoning and let cook for about 5 to ten more minutes.

Top off with things like sour cream, chives, cheese, corn chips, tortilla chips, bits of bacon, whatever floats your boat.

*Do not drain the cans, use all of the liquid. If you like it to be more brothy you can add water or beef or chicken stock.

You can add more cans of anything or omit anything you do not like. I usually use two cans of almost everything because I have an army to feed. Play with it and see what you like. It is also usually better the next day reheated because the flavors have had more time to mix together.