Abby's Party Salsa

Abby's Party Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or 2 cups fresh)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
8 oz (1/2 bottle) of Zesty Italian Dressing
2 avocados, diced

Mix, chill, and  serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy! (That's not a suggestion, it's a premonition.)

*D: I recently had a baby. Truth be told, I had two babies, but my little Eli was stillborn. There were many complications with my pregnancy and I was put on bed rest for 3 months. The result? I missed my own baby shower! Luckily I have amazing friends who rescheduled the whole thing for 2 months later, a few weeks after Abigail was born.

One of the things served at my baby shower was this AMAZING salsa/dip. I stood by the bowl and ate as much as I could, and I even pilfered the leftovers without asking. I called my friend the next day and demanded the recipe. When she gave it to me, I made a batch that night. This stuff is so good.

I didn't know what to call it, but dubbed in Abby's Party Salsa in honor of my baby girl. If you share the recipe, do you mind keeping the name? That'd be awesome. Thanks. (And chances are you will want to share the recipe.)

I am not a big fan of black-eyed peas, so I don't like to put the whole can in. They add a good flavor base to the salsa, but if you get too much in there, it tastes a bit grainy and muddy (to me). Be careful of flavored diced tomatoes. I have a bunch of cans of diced tomatoes in my food storage, but not a single can is plain old tomatoes. They're all Italian seasoned or with sweet onion or with celery and jalapeno. They've all been good, but I think the plain has been the best.

The recipe makes a lot, which is good because I eat a lot of it. It's fairly healthy, so I feel pretty good about it when I eat it.

This might be fun to throw in some chunked chicken and couple with white rice in a tortilla for a new twist on burritos.Would that make it a twisted burrito...?  Pin It

Creamy Salsa Chicken Wraps

2-4 chicken breasts
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. salsa
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1 package taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours OR high 3-4 hours.

Just before serving, shred chicken and mix back into sauce. Then stir in:
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Serve with warm flour tortillas and Spanish rice.

*D: This is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes ever. I cooked 2 chicken breasts in the crock pot on high for 3 hours exactly (I set a timer), and it was done. The chicken was tender, so shredding with two forks was easy and only took me a few minutes.

I found that my sauce was really runny. In the future I might skip the chicken broth and just put in a tsp of chicken bouillon.

So yummy! Seriously, I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. I'm not kidding. Pin It

Six-can Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 - 15 oz can of corn, drained
2  - 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth
1 - 10 oz can of chunk chicken (or 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked chicken)
1 - 14 oz can black beans
1 - 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (or whatever you have)

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Cook on medium heat until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.

Cook's Note: This recipe requires an oath of secrecy from the cook. Get rid of all the cans and then don't tell a soul. Your family and guests will think you've been cooking all day to create such a perfectly delicious homemade soup.

*D: This is about the easiest recipe I've ever come across. Every single one of the ingredients I keep in my food storage! It was fast, fresh and delicious. Very, very good. Mmmmm.

One thing I particularly loved about this soup was that the "canned chicken" flavor was absent. A lot of recipes seem to accentuate the fact that your chicken comes from a can. In this soup, all chicken is created equal.

We used a can of diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro. Sounds yummy, right? Well...it was, but we couldn't really taste the lime and cilantro part. So I'm not sure it really matters what flavor tomatoes you use.

We did not put cheese on top. There is only one soup I will put cheese on, and this is not it. But that might be your thing, so go for it. When serving chips with soup, you can just alternate bites between chips and soup, or you can skip the spoon and use your chip. Either way, it's yummy.

Try this out and tell me what you think. Pin It

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

2/3 cup chunky salsa
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 TBSP Oregano
1 can black beans, drained
soft taco sized tortillas (about 12)
1/4 cup melted butter (or a bottle of butter spray)
2 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 5o 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. combine all ingredients except tortillas, butter, and cheese into a saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated.

2. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto center of tortilla. Top with a little shredded cheese. Fold 2 sides over filling, fold ends down. Place seam side down onto a cookie sheet.

3. Brush or spray the tops with butter. Bake at 475 degrees for about 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. If not golden brown by this time, put under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Top with guacamole, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, and/or cheese.

*D: This is a great freezer recipe! It makes about 12 - 14 chimichangas. You can just separate the leftovers and put them in a freezer bag.

I topped them with cheese and then baked them, and it was delicious.

I did not cook my chimichangas on a cookie sheet, I did it in a glass baking dish. I think either would work fine. I made two batches. The second time I accidentally forgot to put butter on top, and they turned out ok.

These had a very unique (and yummy!) flavor. They were relatively easy, and most of the ingredients are things I have on hand.

Yum! Pin It

Guest Blogger: Chili Pasta Skillet

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 -- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can of corn
1/2 cup dried elbow macaroni
1 -- 4 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
2 to 3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
A couple squirts of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese

In a large skillet, cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat.

Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, uncooked macaroni, green chiles, chili powder, garlic salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring often. Remove skillet from heat; sprinkle mixture with cheese.

*D: My sister-in-law sent this recipe to me. Her son is a picky eater and will always eat this dish! Pin It

Creamy White Chili

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes (or 1 14oz can of chicken)
1 med. chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp garlic or garlic powder
1 TBSP vegetable oil
2 (15 1/2 oz) cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained (OR 1 lb dehydrated beans)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 or 2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream or milk

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and whipping cream or milk.

*D: Can I tell you how much I love this recipe? I LOVE this recipe...and I hate chili! This tastes almost more like a white bean soup rather than chili. I used canned chicken and it was delicious. I also used dehydrated beans instead of cans because they are cheaper and store longer.


If you use dehydrated beans, the recipe calls for 1 lb of dry beans which is about half a bag or about 2 cups..maybe 3. Sort through beans to remove "bad" beans and rocks. Rinse the beans, then place in a bowl or pan and cover with water. Soak the beans at least over night, but it might be best to give yourself an extra day, just in case the beans are stubborn. Continue to add water as necessary. After beans are softened, rinse and they are ready to use.


I found that I needed a little more moisture in my chili, so I ended up adding another can of broth and it turned out great. But don't add it unless you are sure you'll need it.


What I love most about this recipe is everything in it I keep on hand. I just need to make sure, from now on, that I have plenty of Great Northern Beans. It's also extremely easy! It was time consuming and took planning because my beans needed re-hydrated; but it took me a few minutes to throw all the ingredients into a pot and start cooking. Pin It

Spicy Chicken and Rice Bake

2 1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast, thighs, and drumsticks)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP cooking oil
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice (white rice)
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
Paprika

Skin chicken; set aside.

In a large saucepan cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in hot oil until vegetables are tender. Stir in black beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato juice, corn, uncooked rice, chili powder, red pepper and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to boiling. Transfer rice mixture to a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange chicken pieces on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle chicken with paprika

Bake, covered, in a 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and rice is tender.

*D - I use bell pepper instead of sweet. It tastes the same to me. I am not a chunky onion fan. I like the flavor, but I'd rather not bite into one, so I chop my onion very small. Also, I made this without tomato juice, because I didn't have any, and just added a little water to make sure there was enough moisture for the rice. It tasted great. If you want to add the tomato juice, but don't have any, just use watered down tomato soup.


If you don't have frozen corn, use canned. I'm sure it's just fine.


Bottom line: this dish takes a little extra work, but it is so worth it! It's delicious flavor is great for leftovers. And if you run out of chicken and still have rice, try eating the rice on tortilla chips...SO good! Not to mention extremely healthy. Pin It

Black Bean Soup

1 T olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)
3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)
1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 3.5oz can green chilies
2 cans low-sodium beef broth
1 t kosher salt
1 dash black pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves (if you use ground oregano, use 1/4 t)
1 bay leaf

Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese

Add olive oil to a large stock pot on med-high heat. Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic about 4-5 minutes.

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are soft.

Remove from heat. Find that bay leaf and pull it out. Don't forget or it will be very bay-ish. Yes, that's a word.

Place all the soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the middle. Place a paper towel over the hole though to avoid getting black bean soup burns all over your face. That would be an embarrassing story to tell.

Puree soup until completely smooth.* I leave it in for several minutes. Return to pan and make sure it's heated through completely. Squeeze in the juice from one big lime.

*Several people in the comment section noted that they wanted a chunkier soup so they only pureed half of it. That works too!

Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese, tortilla chips, etc. Serve with extra lime wedges.

*D: I don't do anything differently. I make this recipe exactly as it's posted. Be sure to remove the center cup of your blender lid. The reason you do this is because your soup is so hot, and once you start blending it, the hot air will expand. If you cap the lid, the hot air will have nowhere to go and will force it's way out, showering you, your counter, and everything else within a five foot radius with black beans. Trust me on this: it's not fun.


We ALWAYS eat this with tortilla chips. It's a MUST.


When you put in the beans, you have two options: drain them for a thicker soup, leave them undrained for a runnier soup. I prefer it thicker (the ONE soup I'll admit is better thicker), but if you like runny soup, then don't drain your beans.


This is definitely a family favorite! It's easy and fun and delicious. I made this for my family when I was visiting this fall: I used chicken instead of beef broth, and we had no bay leaf. It was nasty. Don't omit any ingredients and it'll be great! Pin It

Rosemary Chicken w/ White Beans

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 c sliced fresh carrots
½ c sliced celery
1 1/2 c italian dressing
2 t dried rosemary
½ t salt
1 t pepper

Place the beans, carrots and celery in 5 qt slow cooker; top with chicken. Combine the salad dressing, rosemary, salt and pepper; pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until the chicken juices run clear.

*D: I didn't have any white beans, but I live in Idaho. So I used the Idahoan substitute of potatoes and it was AWESOME!!! To be honest I was shaking in my boots because Tyler's parents came over for dinner and I'd never made this before. But it was seriously amazing. It did my heart good to see my FIL "licking" the plate clean. (He used a fork, but I watched him spoon up every morsel and DROP off that plate!)


Tyler says I may have used too much rosemary. I didn't tell him that I thought the chicken looked bland, so I sprinkled it with rosemary after everything was in the crock pot. Don't do that.


So, for the potatoes, I used maybe a cup and a half, possibly two cups. We chopped them into smaller pieces because we wanted them to cook at the same rate the beans would have.


The flavor was amazing, it took me maybe 10 minutes to put together, and I did cook it for 4 hours. That was possibly too long because the chicken was a little dry. I basted periodically, and I don't know if it helped but it made me feel better. I cut the chicken into halves rather than whole breasts, and that may have been part of the problem as to why it was so dry.


I got this from my SIL's sister's blog, and it was posted as a freezer meal. So you can make this and then freeze it. I don't know anything about reheating, but I imagine you could either microwave it or put it back in the crock pot. Pin It