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| Chili is great anytime of year! |
Recipes
Slow Cooker
Rotisserie Chicken (4 servings) – Plan ahead!
Ingredients:
3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breasts, thighs,
drumsticks)
Spice Blend:
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. smoked (or regular) paprika1 tsp. onion salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried rosemary
½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 T. sugar
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground red (cayenne) pepper
Directions:
1.
Night before cooking day: Loosen skin from flesh
and place chicken on large cookie sheet. In small bowl combine spice blend and
mix well. Sprinkle half of this mixture under the chicken skin and rub in well.
Sprinkle remaining mixture on the chicken skin and rub in well. Place chicken
in rigid container, separating pieces with waxed paper. (Seal, label and freeze
for a later day if you would like!)
2.
Thaw chicken overnight in refrigerator (if
frozen). Use aluminum foil to make 5 balls about 2 inches in diameter and place
these in the bottom of a 4-to 5-quart slow cooker. Place chicken in slow
cooker, resting on the aluminum balls. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours,
until chicken is very tender and glazed.
3.
Save a few pieces for later! Let the pieces cool
and shred the meat off the bone with your fingers or a fork. Reserve for the
Chicken Alfredo later this week.
Serve with a boxed rice pilaf mix (as "natural as you can find) and
Maple Glazed Carrots (4 servings):
Ingredients:
16 ounces carrots,
peeled and cut into baby-carrot sized pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Directions:
1.
In a large
skillet, cook the carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling, salted water
for 8-10 minutes, or just until the carrots are tender; drain. Set carrots
aside.
2.
For the glaze, in
the same skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir the
mixture over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or just until the syrup is thickened
and bubbly. Add the carrots, tossing gently until the carrots are coated with
the glaze and heated through. Transfer the carrots to a serving bowl. Serves 4.
Cassie’s Chili
(6-8 servings)
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef, venison or turkey
2 cups finely chopped onions2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 large can (46 ounces) plain tomato juice
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 ½ to 2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (opt)
Lime wedges, sour cream, and fresh grated cheddar cheese
for garnish
Directions:
1.
Brown beef in Dutch oven or other large pot over
medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring to separate meat. Reduce heat to
medium. Pour off drippings. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 5 minutes or
until onions are softened.
2.
Stir in cans of tomato products and the spices.
Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle
into bowls. Garnish with lime wedges.
3.
Serve with peanut butter sandwiches, if desired.
If your family likes kidney
beans in their chili, feel free to add a can or two at the same time as the
tomatoes. This will extend this pot of chili even further! Leftovers? Freeze in
serving size containers or use them for a super-easy supper this weekend over
baked potatoes, spaghetti, nachos, or even as burrito filling!
Chicken Alfredo
(4-6 servings)
Ingredients:
Leftover cooked chicken
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine½ c. (1 stick) butter (or margarine if you must)
½ cup whipping (heavy) cream or evaporated milk
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not from the green can!)
½ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1.
Fill a large pot about half full of water. Add ½
teaspoon salt if desired. Cover and heat over high heat until the water is
boiling rapidly. Add the fettuccine. Heat to boiling again. Boil uncovered
11-13 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. While fettuccine is cooking,
continue with the recipe to make the sauce.
2.
Heat the butter and cream in a medium saucepan
over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted. Stir in the cheese,
salt and pepper until the mixture is smooth. Add cooked chicken until warmed
through (or warm chicken in the microwave).
3.
Drain the fettuccine in a colander, and place in
a large serving bowl or back in the large pot. Pour the sauce and chicken over
the hot fettuccine, and stir until fettuccine is well coated. Sprinkle with
fresh parsley.
Also great served as a vegetarian dish, as a side dish,
or with cooked shrimp!
Serve with a green salad (add chopped tomatoes and
carrots) and garlic bread/toast (toast a few pieces of sandwich bread, spread
lightly with butter and sprinkle with garlic powder).
Chunky Broccoli
Soup (4 servings)
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 small stalks of broccoli (about ¾ pound) –
can also substitute one 10 oz. package of frozen chopped broccoli
1 small peeled carrot¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (14 ounces) ready-to-serve reduced sodium chicken broth (not condensed!)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup cold water
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese, optional
Directions:
1.
Have a helper begin work on the grilled ham and
Swiss sandwiches (directions below).
2.
Rinse broccoli with cool water. Cut flower end
from stalk, and cut flowerets into bite-size pieces. Cut the stalk into small
pieces, about ¼ - ½ inch cubes. You should have about 3 cups of broccoli, including
the flowerets, but having a little more or less is fine.
3.
Peel and shred the carrot (the Microplane
Adjustable Coarse Grater from Pampered Chef is perfect!).
4.
Heat the broccoli, shredded carrot, salt, pepper
and chicken broth to boiling in a 3-quart saucepan over high heat. Once
mkixture is boiling, reduce heat just enough so mixture bubbles gently. Cover
and cook 6-8 minutes or until broccoli is tender when pierced with a fork.
5.
Mix the flour and water in a small bowl or
measuring cup with a fork or wire whisk until the flour is dissolved. Pour this
mixture gradually into the broccoli mixture, stirring broccoli mixture
constantly while pouring.
6.
Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring
constantly. Continue boiling 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7.
Stir in the half and half. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until hot. The soup should look hot and steam, but do not let it
boil again.
Serve with Grilled Ham and Swiss Sandwiches:
Serve with Grilled Ham and Swiss Sandwiches:
1. Preheat
griddle to medium.
2. Spread
8 slices of bread with softened butter.
3. Top
4 slices of bread with 1 slice of thin deli ham and 1 slice Swiss cheese.
4. Top
with remaining bread slice and toast each side on griddle until both sides are
lightly browned.
Mexicali Pizza
(4 servings)
Ingredients:
2 large flour tortillas or 4 small flour tortillas
1 pound ground beef, venison or turkey1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning
¾ cup water
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) freshly grated Monterey Jack/Cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, slices
1 can (2 ¼ oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
½ cup salsa
Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.
In medium skillet, brown ground beef until
crumbly; drain fat. Add taco seasoning and water; blend well. Bring to a boil;
reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
3.
Place tortillas on pizza pans or large baking
sheet. Layer taco meat, ½ of the cheese, tomatoes, remaining cheese, olives and
salsa on each tortilla. Bake, uncovered, in oven 15 minutes for large pizzas or
7-8 minutes for small pizzas.
Serve with corn (frozen, canned or fresh corn on the cob)
Brownies with Raspberry
Sauce (8 servings)
Ingredients:
Baked brownies
3 tablespoons sugar2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1 package (10 oz) frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed and undrained
Vanilla ice cream
Fresh raspberries for garnish
Directions:
1.
Cut brownies into squares.
2.
Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a small
saucepan. Stir in water and raspberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Continue boiling 1 minute,
stirring constantly.
3.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Strain the
sauce through a strainer to remove the raspberry seeds if desired.
4.
Serve sauce slightly warm or cool over vanilla
ice cream and brownies.
Grocery List (don’t forget – the higher quality the ingredients, the more likely your dishes will taste great!)
Produce
Romaine Lettuce bunch
2-3 medium tomatoes
1 large onion
Fresh garlic
1 lime
2 lbs carrots
¾ lb broccoli
Fresh parsley bunch
Small container fresh red raspberries
Meat
3# ground meat (lean beef or your choice)
3# meaty chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, drums)
1 lb. thin deli ham
Pantry
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
46 oz. plain tomato juice
6 oz. tomato paste
*5 oz. can evaporated milk
1# fettucine noodles
14.5 oz low sodium chicken broth
Creamy peanut butter
Flour tortilla shells (your favorite size)
Taco seasoning packet
2.5 oz. can sliced ripe black olives (opt)
Salsa
Pure maple syrup
Bread
Boxed Rice Pilaf
Brownie mix (or ingredients for your favorite recipe)
Dairy
½ lb. butter (2 sticks)
5 oz. parmesan cheese wedge
8 oz. cheddar cheese block
8 oz. Monterey Jack/Cheddar cheese block
4 oz. heavy (whipping) cream*
8 oz. half & half
8-10 slices thin Swiss cheese
Sour cream
Frozen
Corn (whatever it takes to feed your family)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen raspberries in syrup
Vanilla ice cream
Check fridge and pantry for:
Eggs
Oil
Salt
Pepper
Flour
Cornstarch
Onion salt
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Ground red pepper
Paprika (smoked is preferred)
Rosemary
Thyme
Sugar
Salad dressing
foil
*choose either whipping cream or evaporated milk for use in the broccoli soup
When you make the ground meat for the chili or the pizza, fry all 3 pounds plus the onions/garlic in a large skillet (the garlic and onions will taste great on the pizza, too).
Set aside what you need for the remaining recipe and freeze or refrigerate as appropriate. Saves time cooking and cleaning later that week!
Make the chili seasoning and chicken seasoning ahead of time and store in a small airtight container. It’s amazing how much time it takes to find all the spices and measuring spoons you need!
Peel your carrots and store in a container in the refrigerator. Easier to use and more likely to snack on when you are feeling too tired to cook.
Chop onion and store in airtight container. Use what you need and save the rest. The
Pampered Chef Food Chopper helps keep some of the tears at bay and makes quick work of a large onion. (#2585)
Grate 8 oz. cheddar cheese and 8 oz. Monterey Jack/Cheddar cheese using Microplane Adjustable Coarse Grater (#1129).
Grate ¾ cup parmesan cheese using Microplane Adjustable Fine Grater (#1105)
Use leftover raspberries in your cereal, oatmeal, in a smoothie, in pancakes, or just as a yummy snack!
Prep is so much easier when you have at LEAST a good quality 5-7” knife, 12” non-stick skillet, and large nylon cutting board
