Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

On Christmas we celebrated with some of my family.  One of my grandmother's always knows how to do it right.  We go into the kitchen and the entire counter is filled with food that she has made for us.  It is never just ordinary food though.  She makes the BEST food!  I do not even need presents because her filling us up with her cooking is the best present I could have asked for.

On the menu last Christmas included chili.  I was a little hesitant to eat this because I am not really a chili fan.  Also, I am breastfeeding and try to stay away from spicy foods.  However, I tried a bite.  And then another...and another!

It was not ordinary chili that you get from Wendy's or put on hot dogs.  This chili is made with chicken.  The cream cheese makes it so smooth and creamy; blending the flavors together to cool down the spices.

A few months later I decided to make it for my husband.  It was a huge hit and he now makes me make it once a week! I always double the recipe and still do not have enough left over to freeze for later!  But it does feed a lot!  I would say about 7 servings.

Little Layla hands attacking my chili!

I think it's one of her favorites too :)

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili:

Crock Pot

2-3 chicken breasts, uncooked

1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilis

1 can corn kernels, do not drain

1 can black beans OR kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 pkg. Dry Ranch dressing mix 

1 Tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese , can be low fat but NOT FAT FREE!

Put the chicken in the crock pot. 

Top with the cumin, chili powder, and onion powder, corn, beans, and ranch dressing mix.

Stir well.

Cook 4-6 hours on high or 6 -8 on low.

About 30 minutes before it is finished cooking take out the chicken and shred them.  (Hint: Use a blender it's so much easier than forks!)

Put the chicken back into the crock pot and top with the cream cheese.

Mix well and cook another 30 minutes.

Serve with Tostito chips or corn bread and enjoy :)

 

Springtime Yarn Wreath

For the past year Pinterest has been one of my biggest obsessions.  There are just so many possibilities and things to learn.  My mind has become so full of ideas I can hardly keep track!  Hundreds of recipes I would like to try, folders full of art pieces I want to replicate, and of course there are my favorite....crafts for the home. 

Unfortunately my husband, 2 girls, and I are currently residing with my father in his three bedroom home until we get a house built.  So, all of my crafting ideas either have to wait or I have to make them for others and hope they like them just as much as I would.

I was at my grandma's house and realized she had a wreath hanger...but no wreath on her door.  Here is my opportunity!!!  I was going to make my first wreath for her Mother's Day gift!

Wreaths either just became popular or I just have been out of the loop until recently.  Some are really big and bulky, old fashioned, or my style "simple and classy".  When looking up examples that I liked for inspiration I realized that yarn was being used a lot.  This seemed easy enough!

I packed up the girls, went to Hobby Lobby, and spent at least an hour trying to come up with an idea haha.

I went to the yarn section and picked out a pretty spring color, my favorite color, teal.  Then I walked around looking for anything that would match.  I wanted to aim for simplicity since this was my first aim at it. 

I think it turned out pretty awesome don't you?

I have a list of people that I am going to make some for very soon so I am sure I will be adding some more :)


Here's what I did:
(I should have took more pictures :-/  ... don't worry I will next time :)  )

1 foam wreath
1 roll of yarn in teal
4 artificial flowers.  I chose pastels to match the teal and make it springy.
1 wooden letter
paint
glitter
ribbon
hot glue
glue stick
wreath hanger


Glue the first inch or two of yarn to the wreath to make sure it stays in place.

Wrap the yarn around the wreath.  Make sure the lines are straight and tight so none of the white shoes through the yarn.  This process requires patience!  It takes a little while and your wrist may need to rest but the more you do the faster you get.

Glue the last strand when you close up the gap between the last piece and the first piece of yarn.

Paint the wooden letter.  When dry, glue the letter with stick glue and pour glitter on top.  Let dry.

Pull the flowers off of the stems and hot glue into place on the wreath.

Hot glue the letter onto the wreath.

Hang by ribbon on the door with the wreath hanger.

Chicken Pot Pie

 


The weather here has been awful.  First, pollen was flooding our town.  No one could breath and everyone has been sick.  Now, it's dreary, dark, and cold.  It's May!  Where is the sunshine!?

The one good thing about dreary weather is that I get to enjoy warm comforting dishes.  Last night was warm and comforting chicken pot pie! My recipe is always a go to when we don't know what else to fix.  I hate to brag but....it's always delicious! :p  Better than Banquet! haha!  Pretty fast too which I love!

My grandma has been dying for me to give her the recipe so she can try it. .. so this one is for her :)

Chicken Pot Pie:

3 tbsp seasoning (I use Butt Rub...yes, it's a real thing :p )
2 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c diced onion (optional)

1 3/4 c chicken broth OR 1 can
2/3 c milk

2 can mixed veggies
2-3 chicken breasts
2 pie crusts (from your own recipe or 1 box of already made)


Cut chicken breasts into strips.  Season.

Put a medium sized skillet on medium heat on the stove.  Lightly cover bottom with olive oil.  When hot put the chicken strips in.

Turn once and cook until done in the center.  Chop into cubes or shred with a mixer...which ever way you like it best.

Pre heat your oven to 450 degrees

Go ahead and get all of your ingredients together because once you begin the broth mixture it goes pretty fast.  Above I have already seperated what you need to put together :)

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

Stir in flour, salt, and pepper (and onion if you choose to use one)

Cook stirring constantly until bubbly.

Remove from heat and stir in broth and milk.

Put the saucepan back on the burner and heat to boiling.  Be sure to constantly stir.  It will begin to thicken.  Boil and stir for 1 minute.

Stir in the chicken and canned vegetables.  Remove from heat.

Roll out your dough and cover the bottom and sides of your dish with the first layer.  I either use a 9x9 glass dish or this round deep dish.

Pour the mixture into the dish on top of the dough.  Cover with second layer of pie crust.  be sure to make a hole or two for the dish to vent or else it went make a huge bubble.

Bake about 30 minutes or until crust is brown and flaky.  Let cool for a few minutes because this dish is very very hot!

Bacon and Cheese Barbeque Chicken

Somehow I turn everything healthy into not so healthy! It's not on purpose I promise!  I just think of things and they somehow all seem to add fat or calories! I had planned on making chicken the other night...plain barbeque chicken.  Then I had the bright idea to idea bacon and cheese!

It was such a great idea!  It was freakin delicious!

My husband and dad weren't so happy! They have been on a diet for a while now and I have been kind of ruining that for them.  The chicken looked, smelled, and tasted too delicious for them not to try!  My husband even went back for a second breast!

I plan on adding a few things next time to make this even better than it is (which seems impossible).  But for now I'll share what I have so far :)

Bacon and Cheese Barbeque Chicken:

4 boneless chicken breasts
cheddar cheese
1 bottle Sweet Baby Rays Barbeque Sauce
4 pieces of thick cut bacon

Cover bottom of a 9 x 13 glass dish with barbeque sauce.

Place a piece of bacon down.  Put a chicken breast in the middle so the chicken is laying in the center of a piece of bacon...making a t shape.

Coat chicken in barbeque sauce and poke with holes so the sauce with soak through chicken.

Put a slice of cheddar cheese on top of chicken then wrap entire breast with the bacon.  I cut my cheese slices in half so the cheese would cover entire breast when melted.

Do this with the rest of the breasts.

Cook in oven on 350 for about 45 minutes.

Take out of the oven and check to make sure the chicken is done.  Add a little more shredded cheddar cheese and barbeque if desired.

Place back in oven on broil.  Let broil for about 5 -10 more minutes or until cheese is brown and bacon is crispy.

Watergate Salad #SundaySupper

This Sunday Supper is all about Spring!  I love spring!  It is my favorite season!  Out with the cold weather and in with the warm!

When I think of spring I think of flowers, baby birds, Easter, trees full of green again, and of course St. Patrick's day!  I do not really know much about St. Patrick's Day other than everything is supposed to be green.  It was always fun growing up trying to plan my outfits to make sure I was to never be pinched!  Now that I am a housewife with nowhere to go, my food has to be the same way.  I want green, delicious, and creative ideas for St. Patrick's day dinner.

When I was trying to come up with green food ideas the first thought I had was Watergate Salad "green stuff".  I was introduced to this a few years ago and LOVED it!  It a sweet chilled dessert, perfect for cookouts, and SUPER easy to make.  Plus it has my favorite ingredients...marshmallows and cool whip! MMMM!


This "green stuff" is delicious!  I have been trying to get my husband to try it but since it has pineapple he refuses :( I froze it and made it into ice cream (his favorite thing) so maybe now I have a chance ! I'll let you know how it goes! 

Watergate Salad:

1 - 3.4 oz package of JELLO Pistachio Pudding mix
1 - 8 oz package of Cool Whip
1 cup nuts.  I used walnuts.
1 can of crushed pineapple.  Do not drain!
1 cup of coconut
1/2 of a bag of mini marshmallows

Mix the pudding mix very well with the package of Cool Whip.

Add pineapples, nuts, coconut, and marshmallows.

Refrigerate for at least an hour.  If you want the salad in ice cream form just freeze in the freezer for a few hours.

Enjoy!


Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

#SundaySupper Spring Recipes

Published March 14, 2013 | By mamapoole

The warm weather is creeping in (did you smile, I sure did!) and our first day of Spring, March 20th, is right around the corner! Let’s warm up around the table with our friends from our #SundaySupper team and share delicious spring time recipes! Whether it’s St. Patrick’s Day green, green food or spring inspired, our group sure has a menu to please your taste buds!
Green and Spring Dishes Menu Includes:
Breakfast

• Baked Eggs with Shaved Asparagus and Proscuitto by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Shrimp and Leek Quiche by  Gourmet Drizzles
• Spinach and Cheddar Quiche for St. Patrick’s Day Brunch by Supper For A Steal
• Asparagus and Spring Onion Frittatta by Country Girl in the Village
• Savory Crepes with Prawns, Broccoli and Hollandaise Sauce by Masala Herb
• Egg Bake with Spring Onions, Asparagus and Artichokes by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Apps, Bread, Salads, Soups and Dressings:

• Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread by The Meltaways
• Strawberry, Avocado, Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette by Daily Dish Recipes
• Asparagus Gazpacho by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Spinach Bacon Salad by In The Kitchen with Audrey
• Anchovy and Egg Salad by Pescetarian Journal
• Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup by Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Asparagus Red Pepper Salad by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• White Asparagus & Salmon Spring Salad by Family Foodie
• Chicken-Strawberry Field Green Salad w/Strawberry Balsamic Dressing by The Weekend Gourmet
• Bacon & Egg Spring Salad by Daddy Knows Less
• Green Garbanzo Hummus by Soni’s Food

Main and Sides:

• Pea Shoot Risotto by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Creamy Meyer Lemon Pasta by Juanita’s Cocina
• Sweet Ginger Scallion Noodles by What Smells So Good?
• Asparagus Pesto w/Heirloom Fingerlings and Orecchiette by Webicurean
• Coddle for St. Patrick’s Day by Noshing With The Nolands
• Corned Beef Cabbage Rolls by Curious Cuisiniere
• Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts with Gruyère and Hazelnuts by Hip Foodie Mom
• Raw Cucumber Sandwich with Avocado and Spinach Sauce by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Berry Tacos by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Asparagus and Prosciutto Bundles by Diabetic Foodie
• Caramelized Grapes and Brie Whole Wheat Galette by Vintage Kitchen
• Pink Water Kimchi (Nabak Kimchi) by Kimchi Mom

Desserts:

• Key Lime Cheesecake by The Foodie Army Wife
• Irish Coffee Ice Cream with Caramel Whiskey Sauce by 30A Eats
• Key Lime Cream Cheese Empanadas by La Cocina de Leslie
• Coconut Raspberry Layer Cake by Gotta Get Baked
• Fresh Mango  Berry Mousse With Coconut Cream by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Gluten Free Carrot Cookies by Simply Gourmet
• Chocolate Mint Brownies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Strawberry Sorbet by Magnolia Days
• Cadbury Creme Egg Pull-Apart Sweet Rolls by Chocolate Moosey
• Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Meyer Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Lemon Roll Cake by The Ninja Baker
• Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Candied Flowers by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Lemon Citrus Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Mini Fruit Tarts by Big Bear’s Wife
• Chocolate Pudding with Irish Cream by Buffy and George
• Faux Fried Ice Cream by Neighborfood
• Watergate Salad by Cupcakes and Pearls Blog
• Good-for-You Strawberry Tiramisu Cheesecake Cups by Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Beverages:

• Guinness Beer Milkshake by The Urban Mrs
• Wines to Pair with Springtime #SundaySupper Dishes by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Irish Spring Tea Party by My Cute Bride

Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 p.m. EST for our weekly #SundaySupper  live chat where we’ll talk about our favorite cookout recipes!
All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us throughTweetChat!

Crock Pot Pork Roast and Vegetables

Pot Roast is one of those meals that just warms you up.  On a cold night, this is one of my favorites to make!  It is easy, made in the crock pot, and makes your entire house smell delicious! 

I absolutely adore my crock pot!  Having two tiny babies, all I have to do is throw some things in there and get on with my day.  When dinner time comes, the food is already ready! I don't have to worry about making a mess, setting timers, or getting dinner cooked before bed time.

This week has been very busy for my home.  The other day we had several appointments to get to so I decided to throw a roast in my crock pot so dinner would be done when we got home. 

Usually when people make a pot roast they use beef.  While grocery shopping I told my husband that I wanted to make a pot roast.  He accidentally picked up a pork roast instead.  I am not going to lie...when I put this thing in the crock pot and realized it was not beef I got kind of upset.  I was expecting it to be salty and chewy like pork usually is.  I was not happy at all.  However, I let my husband and dad try it first and they really liked it!  When I tried my first bite, I was very shocked!  It was actually better than the beef!  Not only was it more tender, but it gave more flavor to the vegetables!  The broth stayed clear unlike brown when you use beef, and the potatoes didn't turn brown or mushy!  This will be used every time fro now on!

Sorry for getting upset honey! :-)  You made an awesome mistake :-)

This is my favorite recipe!  Whenever I have ate a roast at other people's homes, the meat just seems too dry.  I like my roast juicy and tender.  Chicken broth and a slow cooker is the secret :)

You need:
Crock Pot
Bag of baby carrots
1 - 2  onions
1 lb fresh sliced mushrooms
4 - 6  medium brown potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
Pork roast (whatever size you would like, as long as it fits in your crock pot)
48 oz container Swanson's Chicken Broth

 

 

 

Slice up your onions and separate them.  Place most of them in the bottom of your Crock Pot (about 3/4 of them.) 

 

 Put your roast in on top of the bed of onions.  

 

Wash and cut the potatoes up into 1 inch cubes.  Layer the potatoes on top of the roast.  

 

Now layer the carrots, followed by the mushrooms.  If you choose to use the celery and green pepper, layer them on top now.  

 

Next, place the final slices of onions on top.  (My picture doesn't show the layers because my husband just dumped all of them in at one time haha)

 

Slowly pour the broth into the crock pot.  You'll want the liquid to cover the potato and carrot layer, but not the final onion layer (as the roast cooks - the roast and veggies will settle)  Any left over broth could be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days or placed in the freezer for 6 months - in case you have any left over. 

 

Cooking with the lid on - this thing takes a while - minimum of 6-8 hrs on high or 10-12 hrs on low.  Your choice.  You know it's done when the roast is fork tender - basically if you stick it on the side with a fork it'll start to come apart. 

YUM!

I serve mine in a bowl with juices and all!

Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes with White Chocolate Crust #SundaySupper

When I heard #SundaySupper was having a cheese, cake, and cheesecake week I was so excited!  I knew I had to join in on the fun!

Cheesecake is by far one of my favorite desserts!  I could eat it every day!  Matter of fact when I was pregnant...I did :)  My husband would buy me cheesecake whenever we went to the grocery store and sometimes even had to make special trips out!  Not only was it delicious, but it always made me feel better.

This week I was planning on making a homemade cheesecake, but when I went on a trip to the store I came upon a tub of Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling!  Fantastic!  I'm a mom of two tiny babies... so not only would this be more convenient for me to make cakes with, but what I have left over I can just eat straight out of the tub :-)  YUM!

I decided I would use white chocolate as a main crust because I love love love white chocolate raspberry cheesecake from Olive Garden.  Instead of using white chocolate in the cheesecake though, I thought it would be neat to make the cheesecake more tart with raspberry and use the sweet chocolate for the crust.  It worked!

Here's the recipe I used:

Cupcake Pan
24 Cupcake liners

1 Tub of Philadelphia Cheesecake Filling (or 24 oz of your own no bake cheesecake recipe)
1 Bag frozen raspberries (thawed out)
1/2 c sugar
2 c white chocolate chips
36 Nilla Waffers

1/2 bag of dark chocolate raspberry melts (optional for decoration)

Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Crush up the Nilla Wafers so they are fine crumbs.

Melt white chocolate chips according to package.

Push the white chocolate onto the bottom and sides of the cupcake liners creating a "bowl".

Spoon crushed Nilla Wafers into the bottom of the cupcake liners.

After the white chocolate has completely dried, spoon the cheesecake filling into the cups.  Even the tops out with a spoon.

Mix raspberries in a small bowl with 1/2 cup sugar.  Mash the raspberries with the back of a spoon until they are smooth.

Spread the raspberry sauce on top of the cheesecakes.

For decoration I melted dark cocoa raspberry melts into a mold.  Once they cooled I took them out carefully and places on top of the cheesecakes.

Below are some other great Recipes from other #SundaySupper members for our "Cheese, Cake and Cheesecake week!!

Cheese –

• Garlic and Goat by Supper for a Steal
• Quick and Easy Homemade Cottage Cheese by The Meltaways
• Homemade Velveeta Cheese by Juanitas Cocina
• Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Parmesan Crisps by BigBearsWife
• Irish Cheese Soufflés by girlichef
• Paneer Tikka Masala by Kimchi Mom
• Creamy Meyer Lemon Pasta with Homemade Ricotta and Broccoli by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Ricotta Croquettes by Basic N Delicious
• Cheeseburger Soup by Dinners Dishes and Desserts
• Cherry Blossom Crescents by The Ninja Baker
• Saag Paneer! Golden Roasted Ricotta In Savory Spinach Sauce by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Sourdough Cheese Crackers by Curious Cuisiniere
• Basil Balsamic Strawberries & Whipped Feta Grilled Cheese by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Lox and Cream Cheese Mini Omelettes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Buffalo Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken by In The Kitchen With KP
• Baked Mozzarella Sticks by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Paneer Indian Cottage Cheese Pancake by Masala Herb
• Crepes with Strawberry Mascarpone Cream Filling by Soni’s Food
• Roasted Pears with Pecorino by Happy Baking Days
• Pan-Fried Halloumi Cheese Salad by The Catholic Foodie
• Chevre Torte with Mango and Sweet Pepper Salsa by Noshing with the Nolands

Cakes –

• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting by Hezzi D’s Books & Cooks
• Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake by Gourmet Drizzles
• Dairyfree Ice Cream Cake by Galactosemia in PDX
• KitKat Chocolate Cake by The Urban Mrs.
• Old Fashioned Caramel Cake by There and Back Again
• Peanut Butter Banana Bundt Cake with Chocolate Chips by Gotta Get Baked
• Flourless Chocolate Bean Cake by Vintage Kitchen
• Dense Chocolate Cherry Cake by What Smells So Good?
• Tequila Lime Cupcakes by Mama Mommy Mom
• Almond Polenta Cake by Shockingly Delicious
• Salmon Cakes by Family Foodie
• Banana Split Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze by NeighborFood

& Cheesecakes

• Kit Kat Cheesecake Brownies by Chocolate Moosey
• Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake by Daily Dish Recipes
• Nutella Cheesecake Brownies by The Foodie Army Wife
• Individual Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecakes by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• Grasshopper Cheesecake Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cheesecake by Magnolia Days
• Mini Toddler Cherry Cheesecakes by In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene
• Mocha Cheesecake by The Lovely Pantry
• Lime Cheesecake Bites by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• No-Bake Banana Sundae Cheesecake by The Messy Baker
• Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes with White Chocolate Crusts by Cupcakes and Pearls
• Savory Shrimp Cheesecake with Herbs and Garlic by Food Lust People Love
• Cheesecake au Baileys by Baker Street
• Tiny Turtle Cheesecakes (No Bake) by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes by Cookistry
• Chocolate Cheesecake Bites by Mom, What’s For Dinner?

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing our love of Cheese, Cakes AND Cheesecakes!  Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST!

Follow the #SundaySupper hash tag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. 

Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7PM Eastern Time and share your favorite Cheese, Cake and Cheesecake Recipes with us!