My favorite... chicken chili

Ok so talk about a favorite.. I make this when I entertain all the time (ask our friends)... If you are a friend of this house you have more then likely had this meal. It feeds about 6-8 people for about $20! Oh and did I mention it is SUPER easy.. just looks like a ton of ingredients..well it is but as long as you can open a can, measure a palm full and chop some peppers.. you can make this dish..

So to start out.. here are your ingredients::: (in this pic it shows two of everything.. I made two batches for my hungry crew but this recipe serves anywhere from 6-8 depending on your hunger levels)

2 lbs of uncooked chicken breast (or one whole rotissaire chicken .. meat pulled and shredded)
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes w garlic
1 can enchilada sauce (however hot you can handle)
1 can corn (or frozen)
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can chopped green chili's
1 packet of taco seasoning (the packets are easier then homemade because they contain corn starch which is a thickening agent)
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 quart of chicken stock
cilantro (fresh makes it SO much betteR)
cayenne pepper
paprika
garlic powder
bay leaf
cumin
chili powder
red pepper flakes
salt
pepper

toppings and extras ::
frito scoops
tortilla scoops
sour cream
mexican cheese
peppers of any kind
cooked white rice (I have tried mexican but because you will pour the chili over the rice.. white rice is better)
and really anything else you can think of.. maybe some green onions for the top?


Alright so gather all of your ingredients together and start working your can opener... best to do it all in one swoop and work those forearms!  Sorry forgot to mention it is a workout too.. ps for all you automatic can opener people.. curse you.. oh and buy me one please :)

I was making two batches remember.. you only really need one pot!

Grab you trusty crock pot.. and start dumping in the tomatoes, chilis and enchilada sauce

next drain and rinse beans and corn.. so important so you don't have nearly as much sodium or preservatives!

add in your taco seasoning

Ok so with your green  peppers and onion.. you can either a) hand dice them.. I prefer this method because I like to see and taste my green peppers and onions or you can b) use your handy dicer.. I used this method because I was having a rather picky crowd .. two men who do NOT like to see their peppers or really veggies and if they do they will pick every single one out.. this way I am hiding them!!!! so dice away and add

All the pretty colors should start to show:::

Now comes the chicken. If you have just gone ahead an gotten a rotissaire chicken (this I prefer as well but I had this chicken in the freezer and it needed to be used and in all honesty it probably tastes the same because it cooks down so much) take all the meat off of the bone and shred it with a fork into "stringy" chicken and add at this step. For those of use who are using raw chicken breast.. just add them.. once they cook (about 5-6 hrs in the crockpot.. or even just a little bit before serving) go ahead and pull just the breasts out onto a plate and shred them then add them back.. a good point to do this is before serving while the rice is cooking.

This was shredded about 6 hrs into cooking...

alright in goes all the spices.. I am going to hit you again with the palmfuls. The more you make this dish the more you will know how many spices you can handle and how much of each.. the more chili powder and cayenne obviously the more heat. Add 2 palmfuls of each cilantro (if using fresh just dice up a few good handfuls), paprika, chili powder. add a pinch of red pepper and cayenne (these two pack a serious punch so less is more.. you can always add more for heat but you cannot take away once it is in there.. so be careful!) add one palm of garlic powder and a few shakes of cumin. just a little pepper should be fine.. you can add salt later in the cooking process when you taste before serving! add a bay leaf (I totally forgot my bay in this batch.. it gives it a little earthy taste.. I know you are probably thinking I don't want my chili to taste earthy.. but it really makes it better.. really.. trust me!)

ok so all added spices are not photographed.. I figured you got the idea of what a palmful looked like..

Add about 3/4 a quart of chicken stock... sorta add a little at a time because if you add too much it ends up more like soup.. too little and you will have burnt chili... so you want enough to have a good bit in there but not enough that it looks like straight water

turn that crockpot on low and walk away. You can prepare this the night before and just let set it in the crock pot (***edit IN THE FRIDGE... raw chicken sitting out over night :(.. yea way to go becky not clarifying) and turn it on (after removing it from the fridge) in the morning on your way out the door.. by the time you come home from work your ENTIRE house will smell SO good.... like seriously I am with Rachael Ray on this one.. they need to invent a way to capture smells so they can be broadcast across the internet or television.

here I added a little too much stock.. so I thicken it a little with some corn starch later in the cooking process 

To serve this. (yes i was so excited to eat I forgot to get a picture of the cooked version in the pot..) I make some fresh white rice and just put a nice scoop of rice in a bowl then pour the chili on top.. your guests can chose their toppings (we make a little bar of toppings on a lazy susan and it is so fun). We love to use scoops to scoop the chili all up instead of a spoon. Or you have the choice of just crushing your chips into the chili or no chips.. it is all your guests choices! Don't you love it? I love catering to my family and my guests needs!

Our buddy Steven's beautiful chicken chili creation... I was already devouring mine when I realized I forgot a plated picture 

Enjoy down to the last bite! I am telling you this meal is SO good! And a great way to use left over chicken or clear some pantry shelves. Feel free to use different kinds of beans too. Whatever you have on hand...

Now to get some reader input.. What is your favorite go to meal for guests? Comment below!

it is always a good time for some firsts...

So today I figured why not try a few new recipes... I had tried to make Chicken Pot Pie before (epic fail .. the "gravy" was more like water). But after some research and a good started recipe in the good ol' Pioneer Woman cookbook.. I have it all figured out






Oh and BIG tip.. you can prepare BOTH of these recipes ahead of time (ie nap time.. after bedtime the night before) and just refrigerate until you can pop them in the oven.. both of these I prepared in about 20-30 minutes while my son played with his friends!




First start with :::::

3 stalks of celery
3 whole carrots peeled (or a half of a bag of these carrot stick things)
1 cup frozen peas
1 yellow onion

1 pie crust (I cheated and bought the store kind..)
1 stick of butter (really only need a half of it though)
1 cup (or  8oz) of heavy cream
2 cups of chicken stock (low sodium please!)

1 tsp salt
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 tsp thyme
pepper to taste
1/2 cup of all purpose flour (sorry forgot to photograph)

'

1 whole chicken cut up into bite size pieces : I usually just use chicken breast or cheat and use a store bought rotissaire chicken... you could also be super old fashioned and just make your own chicken broth with the whole chicken and spend all day in the chicken etc... but I have too much other fun things to do!

So gather all these ingredients..... AND one of these::::

A small food dicer.... SO handy... 

If you do not have one of these go to target and buy one for $10.. best $10 you will have ever spent.. you must have one of these for this recipe.... Well I lied.. not really but you can use that excuse for your husband! 

So once ingredients are all out.. prepare veggies (ie wash and dice into bigger pieces)...

 put a pot, skillet whatever onto the stove on medium high and melt 1/2 stick of butter ...

Go ahead and use that little handy food dicer...

Oh and use your best friend in the kitchen... 

A garbage bowl.. I got this tip from Rachael Ray. Instead of walking back and forth to the trash can or the sink with your scraps and trash.. or tripping over the trashcan while it sits beside you while you peel carrots.. simply take a big bowl and deem it your GB, Garbage bowl.. Saves lots of steps and hassle! You will fall in love quick!

So take all those diced veggies and toss them into your melted butter pan

So pretty all those bright colors :)  Go ahead and let them cook for a few minutes, stirring slightly until the veggies start to get translucent then add the chicken bites 

let that cook for a few more minutes to let the chicken brown and warm a little.. 

Add the flour and constantly stir the flour in to let it cook out a little (forgot to photography step.. sorry new at this!)

then add the chicken broth and bouillon cube. stir stir stir (the flour will thicken the stock into a nice gravy)

please ignore my lack of manicure.. true sign of a real homecook

Go ahead and add the cream and peas... remember to stir in the cream to not scald it.. turn the pan on low and let it simmer and thicken a little

by now your kitchen should smell of yummy pot pie filling!

Now take a fun colored deep casserole dish

It MUST be colored and pretty for this dish.. Just kidding.. but it does need to be a deep round pie dish or casserole pan but you can use this for yet another reason to go to Ross and grab a fun kitchen item.. you can tell your hubby the recipe  maker said so!...   Anyway so on...

Add "filling" to the bowl.. sorry missed photo op yet again

Top the casserole dish with the handmade (ahhh store bought) pie crust and pinch to the side

Make sure you cut slits in the top to allow the steam to escape!

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the crust is nice a brown!

And yes it was SO SO yummy! Perfect after a long day of playing or a long evening on a golf course...

Onto a  yummy side.. In all reality you could just go ahead and serve the pot pie alone but I have been dying to make a sweet potatoe casserole on my own. It was my favorite thing ever made while living in NC and I finally found a recipe that sounds similar to Mrs. Helens... So... Here we go::::

 PS I skipped the whole ingredients shot before putting the sweet potatoes in the oven to bake.. too hard to remember

So you will need 3 cups (or a few good sized sweet potatoes) already baked and yummy.. I really could just eat these on their own but I must refrain.. though I need make a few extra for our enjoyment for later....

let the cooked SP (sweet potatoes.. sorry my fingers get all jumbled spelling out "P O T A T O E S" ) cool then peel and plop in a bowl for mixing!

just gimmee a fork now please!

Grab the rest of your ingredients

2 eggs stirred
1/2 stick melted butter
1/2 stick room temperature butter
1/2 cup of milk (sorry added too much in the measurer)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of pecans
 1/2 cup of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour


Combine eggs, melted putter, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla in the bowl with the SP's and mix with a hand mixer till well incorporated...  add to yet another fun casserole dish... any shape is fine.. just something oven safe :)

For the topping... Add the pecans, flour, brown sugar and the room temperature butter into a small bowl and combine well. 

go ahead spread ontop of the SP mixture...

I like to add a few more bits of butter on top.. butter = flavor

bake at 325 for 30 minutes

I went ahead and put these two recipes in together and just left the temp lower!

Comes out SO SO SO yummy