Mexican Chicken Chili

This is a recipe I got from my sister (who apparently got it from her sister-in-law Tricia).  It is so delicious and couldn't be easier.  It is perfect for the never ending days of winter here in Chicago!

Mexican Chicken Chili
From: My Sister Carrie (who got it from Tricia)

Ingredients:
32 oz can of Great Northern Beans
10 oz grated Monterrey Jack Cheese (or a mix)
4 Chicken Breasts Cooked and shredded (sometimes I use a rotisserie chicken and shred)
1 pkg taco seasoning
16 oz salsa
1 can chicken broth

Directions:
1. Add Cooked/Shredded Chicken, salsa, broth, beans & seasoning together.

2. Mix and bring to a boil

3. Let simmer for 10-20 min and then mix in shredded cheese

4. Serve w/ taco chips, sour cream, cheese, avocado, etc.

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

Tasty Kitchen is my new favorite place to find recipes. When I saw this one, I knew I had to try it because it seemed light and had some of my favorite ingredients. It was absolutely delicious and very easy. It made quite a bit for just the two of us, but it was also great as a leftover for lunch. In the summer I might try making this with fresh tomatoes. It called for 3/4 cup oil, but that seemed like a lot, so I only used 1/2 cup and it seemed to work just fine. Also, I thought 3-5 cloves of garlic might be too much for me (sometimes I can't handle the garlic), but it turned out the perfect flavoring. I think pressing the garlic as opposed to mincing it really gave it the great flavor without it becoming overwhelming.

We absolutely loved this recipe (I have made it twice in the past 2 weeks) and Bill suggested adding some chicken to it (since he prefers meat with his meal), which we will definitely have to try next time. Try this today, you won't be sorry!



Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
From: kristinicole via Tasty Kitchen


Ingredients:
12 oz Penne Pasta
1/2 - 3/4 cup Olive Oil (I used 1/2 cup or a little less)
3 - 5 cloves Garlic (Pressed)
1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes, Drained
1 can Artichoke hearts, drained and cut up
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
6 oz Fresh Spinach Leaves (rinsed and remove stems)

Directions:
1. Boil pasta according to package

2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add garlic and saute for 1-3 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and artichoke hearts. Allow to heat through. Add Parmesan cheese and stir constantly until melted. Add spinach and stir until leaves are wilted.

4. Drain pasta and add to the tomato/artichoke mixture. Mix thoroughly and serve.

4 Cheese Risotto & Fun Gifts!

A fellow Hope College Alumn and one of my new blogging friends, Ashley, sent me a fun surprise that I got in the mail last nigh!.  Harry & David Four Cheese Risotto, Mango Chutney, and Blue Crab Bay Co. Chesapeake Bay Seasoning! I love Harry and David and love trying new seasonings (Blue Crab Bay Co. is a local place by Ashley).  I made 1/2 of the 4 cheese risotto last night for dinner with steak and my favorite Salad (but with regular tomatoes since heirlooms aren't in season).  It was delicious!

I am so thankful for fun treats, surprises in the mail, and a new blogging friend.  Thank you Ashley!  The risotto was delicious and I can't wait to use the bay seasoning and chutney!

Ingredients:
Harry and David Four Cheese Risotto Mix
3 Tbsp Butter
3 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 cup white wine

Directions:
1. Melt Butter in sauce pan on Med-Low heat. Add risotto and let it soak up the butter for a few minutes.

2.  Add wine and let soak into risotto.

3. Add ladle of broth to risotto let it soak up broth, stirring frequently. Repeat until broth has soaked and rice

has been cooked but still firm.

Salsa

I made this salsa for the superbowl, and it was really easy and very tasty.  I got the recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  It makes a ton but is really good.  It is better than any salsa from the store, and just as good as a lot of restaurant salsa.

Salsa
From: The Pioneer Woman


Ingredients:
1 can (28oz) Whole Tomatoes with Juice (I drained a little bit of the juice)
2 cans (10oz) Rotel - I used one mild and one original
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole Jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin (I removed the seeds, but if you like more heat, leave them in)
1/4 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 cup Cilantro
1/2 Lime Juice

Directions:
1. Combine whole tomatoes, rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilangro into food processor.  (my food processor is too small to fit it all at once so I broke it up into 3 sections)

2.  Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you like.  I liked it fairly smooth as you can see.

3. Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.  Serve with tortilla chips!  mmmm!

White Chocolate Chex Mix

This is a recipe I made for Christmas (as you can tell by the green and red ribbons) but would be great for any function where you want snack food and have a lot of people (like a super bowl party). This was my first time making this recipe, but I gave it out as gifts and everyone loved it! Several people even asked for the recipe. This is very, very easy and so good that it is hard to stop eating!

I found it HERE, but there is really many variations of this out there. You can really put whatever you want in this... my mom made it with Cheerios, I've seen others use cashews, or Crispix, whatever your family likes!


White Chocolate Chex Mix
From: mrsw via Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 pkg (20 oz) white melting wafers
12 oz Pretzels (knotted shape works best here)
12 oz M&Ms (I used plain, but you could use whatever you prefer
12 oz Dry Roasted Peanuts
12 oz Rice Chex Cereal

Directions:
1. In a very large bowl, melt the Wafers in the microwave at 30 second intervals.

2. Add cereal, pretzels, peanuts and M&Ms to the bowl. Slowly fold the mix over and over until all of the pieces are completely covered. (The bigger the bowl the better, I ended up having to use 2 bowls, because mine wasn't big enough).

3. When all pieces are covered, spread out the party mix on waxed paper to dry. When it is dry, store in a large airtight container or divide it up into treat bags. Enjoy!