Ham, Potato, & Corn Chowder

HamPotatoandcornchowder

Ham, Potato, & Corn Chowder! This soup is a filling meal that is good for the soul! Hubby loves it so much it had to become a staple in our dinner rotation. I got this recipe from a dear friend, but there are many like it on Pinterest like this one from Like Mother Like Daughter.

You’ll need:

2 cups cooked ham, diced
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
5 1/2 tbsp butter, divided (1 1/2 & 4)
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced (I prefer to use baby carrots diced)
3 stalks celery, chopped
5 cups chicken broth
5 medium potatoes, diced
1 can corn
1/4 cup & 1 TBSP Flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Chives and shredded cheese to top

What to do:

In a large pot, melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots, sauté until tender.

Add chicken broth and potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste (I under salt a bit as ham adds salt). Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender. Stir in ham and corn.

Cook your bacon. I love to cook it in the oven. I cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay out my strips. I bake it at 400 degrees for about 20-25 min. I love that it will cook while I prepare the rest of the meal.20160520_184624.jpg

In separate sauce pan, melt 4 tbsp butter. Add flour and whisk until combined well. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and add sour cream. 

Add this mixture to the broth and stir. Simmer a couple minutes until heated through. Serve topped with shredded cheese & bacon! Would also be yummy with some green onion! The leftovers of this are so good!!!!

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken “Chili”

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili final

This was one of my first pins that actually turned out so delicious I had to keep making it. This is so good I make it just about weekly.

I love to use the Crock pot. I always feel like I’ve made a gourmet meal with minimal effort. Which, with an almost three year old and a 7 month old, makes me feel like super mom. The original post serves this yumminess over rice. At our house we prefer to make taco out of it. Some times lettuce tacos, as the hubby prefers, but usually of the flour variety. So layer the tortilla with some cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, maybe even some salsa or guac, and this chili mix and you’ve got a tex mex meal that REALLY satisfies! Best of all it makes for a great lunch the next day! The best meals are the ones that are better the next day!

Here is the link to Rita’s Recipes or keep reading for mine!

Ingredients:

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 can corn kernels, do not drain

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

1 T cumin

1 t chili powder

1 t onion powder

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese

2 chicken breasts, still frozen

Instruction:

20151112_132101

1. Add all ingredients except chicken and cream cheese. Combine and give a good stir.

2.Add chicken and “bury”  in the pot.

3.Add cream cheese to top.

4.Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours (less if chicken is not frozen.

5.About 20 min before serving pull out and shred the chicken. Give the mix a good stir to combine the cream cheese then add the shredded chicken back to mix.

6.Serve over rice as suggested or my way with tortillas and toppings!

20151112_132427 20151112_132509 20151112_132737 20151112_172647 20151112_180746 (1)

Black Bean and Corn Pie

I feel like a broken record, but this next one is so good! Martha Stewart the queen of cooking, that’s for sure. I have come to realize though, that no matter how I try, my end result will NEVER look like the product in the Martha Stewart picture. But I have made peace with that. I never said I was an expert chef. I just want to provide great meals that my family will love.

Black Bean and corn piefinal

I do believe that once a week we should eat something meatless. This recipe is just for that and other than a great taste, one of the best parts is that you can make numerous changes/substitutions and still enjoy a wonderful meal.

I do however call this one a “weekend meal”. There is a bit more prep before you put it all together to bake in the oven. So the weekend is a great time for hubby and baby to enjoy some extra bonding time while mommy whips up dinner. Here we go:

Ingredients:

4 flour tortillas (10 inches)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, diced

1 jalapeño chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)

2 garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic powder)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (Chili Powder is a good substitute)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed

12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water

1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn

4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (2 1/2 cups)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside. (I used a casserole dish. Having purchased fajita soft tacos on sale this is what I had on hand. Plus, I  unfortunately have never had success with the spring pan for this recipe.)

Image

Image

2.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Image

3.Add beans and beer or water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning. (I didn’t have scallions, first time ever, so I decided to use green chilies. Turned out well. You really want to make sure to wait for the liquid to evaporate.)

Image

4.Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove side of pan; sprinkle pie with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

Image

So below is my finished product. Like I said before, it doesn’t look like Martha’s, but it is a tangy, melty, meatless mix that is filling and makes for a knockout leftover. Add sour cream or hot sauce as you like. I’m eager to try this with some Rotel diced tomatoes added or maybe some pepper jack cheese! Oh the possibilities!

ImageImage

ImageImage