Chicken Chorizo Meatballs

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

It’s Mexican Monday everybody! I’m too afraid to go back through and find out when my last Mexican Monday post was, I’m sure it’s so far back it’d be embarrassing. And a little sad. Our Mexican Monday endeavor has finally kicked the bucket. Not intentionally, mind you, and I can come up with all sorts of scheduling related excuses. And there’s always that feeling of getting caught in a rut.

But not today! (Or well, the day we made and ate these.) Today there’s a brand new Mexicany (it’s a word, don’t worry about it) recipe to share. Meatballs with chorizo! Aka meatballs with flavor! I used ground chicken instead of ground beef because that’s what I had, but I definitely want to try these with ground beef, too, I imagine they’d be even better!

I’m not quite sure what pasta/sauce pairing would work with these so I would suggest using these for some game day grub or party appetizer. Queso makes a great dipper, or salsa, sour cream, even guacamole. They’d probably even work over top a taco salad, too.

Chicken Chorizo Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 3/4 C panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 C grated cheese (I used a combo of Monterrey and Colby Jack)
  • 1 tbsp dried cilantro
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 2 links Mexican chorizo, skins removed

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. In a small skillet over medium-high heat saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together egg and milk. Add the panko, cooked onion and garlic, cheese, and spices. Mix in the meat; I found a fork worked well to incorporate the chorizo into the chicken. Season with S+P.
  4. Form into golf ball sized meatballs; I found wetting my hands helpful in preventing the mixture from sticking to me. Place on prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake 12-15 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.

*This recipe is adapted from Renee at http://leitesculinaria.com/101202/recipes-chorizo-meatballs.html*

Chicken Chorizo Meatballs | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

One of my favorite baby “must-haves” is the Shopping Cart/High Chair Cover that my mother-in-law bought for us. When my son was just learning to sit on his own and able to handle being in the shopping cart or high chair it was nice to have the extra cushion for him to fall against.

And of course, it’s great for germ prevention. My favorite part is that I can use the strap attached to the cover instead of the ones attached to the high chair or shopping cart. Have you ever touched the straps on a public high chair?! They’re always sticky and gross. I can wipe down the chair and other surfaces no problem, but that strap is a whole other story. As for shopping carts, the straps are always located in the most awkward location – under the armpit and they don’t allow room to breathe or move.

I knew there had to be a way to make my own and it turns out that it’s much easier than I thought it’d be. There are a lot of steps but I was able to accomplish the shopping and sewing of this cover in just half a day. (With the supervision – aka emotional support – of my mother-in-law.)

While life continues to be hectic, this cover will be my new baby shower go-to item instead of the 4 Hour Quilt.  Contrary to the title “4 Hour Quilt” they always take me longer than 4 hours, the top can easily be assembled in an afternoon but the quilting and binding extend the life of the project and with almost two children in tow one would probably take me a year… But, enough of that.

Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Here is the how-to for a Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial:

Supplies:

Steps:

  1. Cut the fleece and cotton fabric to 41 1/4″ squares.
  2. Curve all four corners on the cotton fabric. Do this by folding the fabric “hotdog style” then “hamburger style” so that all four corners are together. Use a curved ruler or plate as a template and cut the corners. Use the cotton fabric as a stencil for the fleece so the curves are identical in both pieces of fabric.Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial (step 2) | Sew You Think You Can Cook
  3.  Lay out the fleece. Find the center of the bottom edge.
    1. Mark 13″ up and 1″ to the left. Place the bottom right corner of a square/rectangle template measuring at least 5×5″ (I used a DVD case) at that mark. Trace the template and cut a hole. Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial (step 3a)| Sew You Think You Can Cook
    2. Mark 13″ up and 1″ to the right. Place the bottom left corner of a square/rectangle template measuring at least 5×5″ (I used a DVD case) at that mark. Trace the template and cut a hole.
  4. Place cotton fabric face up on work surface. Place the fleece on top. Trace the leg holes from step 3 but at 1/4-1/2″ inside of the opening so that the leg hole in the cotton fabric is smaller than in the fleece. Cut. Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial (step 4)| Sew You Think You Can Cook
  5. Pin the two fabrics together. Sew a straight stitch set to a length of 4 using a seam allowance of 3/8″ around the edge of the cover leaving a 4″ wide gap on one edge.
  6. Turn the cover inside out through the gap.
  7. Mark 1″ from the edge all the way around the cover. Sew a straight stitch set to a length of 4 on that line. Still leave the 4″ wide gap from step 5. (Note: This is for 3/4″ thick elastic.)
  8. Return to the leg holes. Place cover so that the fleece layer is on top and the cotton fabric face down. Cut a 45 degree angle on the cotton fabric into the corners of the leg holes. Fold the cotton fabric onto itself and then over the fleece. Pin. Zig-zag stitch around the leg holes, making sure to close the corners. Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial (step 8) | Sew You Think You Can Cook
  9. Find the center of each leg hole and measure 12″ above it. (The 12″ includes open leg hole space.) Mark this location. This mark is the center of a buttonhole. Make sure the buttonhole is large enough to fit the webbing strap (and/or buckle if desired) – do a test first. Sew buttonhole according to your sewing machine’s instructions.
  10. Melt the ends of the webbing. Do this by (carefully) holding a flame up to the ends.
  11. Insert the webbing through the buttonholes – making sure it’s not twisted.Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial (step 11) | Sew You Think You Can Cook
  12. Attach the buckle to the webbing. Sew an “X” inside a square to lock one end of the buckle. I decided to leave the other side free for adjusting. Shopping Cart Cover Tutorial (step 12) | Sew You Think You Can Cook
  13. Insert the elastic through the edge of the cover. Tip: Place a large safety pin at the end to make it easy to pull through the gap. Sew the elastic together.
  14. Close up the gap from Steps 3 and 4.
    1. Fold the edge fabric in on itself and sew as close to the edge as possible. Be sure not to sew the elastic!
    2. Use a straight stitch set to a length of 4 to close the gap closest to the inside of the cover. Be sure not to sew the elastic!

*This tutorial is modified from Stephanickety at http://thetiptoefairy.com/2013/05/how-to-make-your-own-shopping-cart-high-chair-cover/*

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

#handcraftededibles: Delicious Jams & Jellies

~ lk529 ~ 8 Comments

#handcraftedediblesIn an effort to make all of her holiday gifts this year, Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla invited some of her favorite foodie bloggers to share recipes for hand-crated edibles. Over the course of twelve weeks, we’ll be sharing recipes for all your homemade holiday gifts. Hope you’ll follow along for inspiration. You can find out more information, including the schedule here.

Today’s theme is jams and jellies. Homemade jam or jelly makes for a great gift that lasts the whole year – except odds are it won’t.

I am re-sharing the recipe for Concord Grape Jelly that my mom and I made last year. This jelly was the best jelly I’ve ever had! It definitely didn’t last a year – it only last a couple of months. And this year there weren’t grapes to be plucked from the vine. Are grapes an every-other-year type of crop?

I promise you, if you give someone a jar of homemade jelly they’ll say a big “thank you” every morning.

This recipe made 12 4oz Jars and 4 8oz jars.

Grape Jelly

Ingredients:

  • 5 lb concord grapes
  • 7 C sugar, divided use
  • 1 pkt pectin(or 8 tbsp)

Equipment:

  • blender or juicer
  • cheesecloth
  • jelly jars with lids and rings
  • jar funnel
  • jar grabber
  • magnetic lid grabber
  • large stock pot(s)

Steps:

  1. Sanitize your jelly jars. I did this by running my dishwasher on a very hot cycle. Keep jars warm until ready to fill to prevent the glass cracking. If you do this in a dishwasher, simply don’t open the door until you’re ready to fill the jars. If you sanitize jars by washing with soapy water and boiling in water for 10 minutes,keep the jars in warm water until you’re ready to fill them.
  2. Place jar lids in a shallow skillet over low heat (do not boil) to get the seal gummy, remove lids from water.
  3. Place grapes in a blender (this will need to be done in batches) and pulse until juiced. Pour and press the juice through a cheesecloth lined strainer and strain into a large measuring cup. Squeeze cheesecloth to extract all the juice. Do this until you have 5 C of juice. (Any extra juice is a delicious tart treat for you to enjoy!)
  4. In a small bowl, combine the pectin with 1/4 C of the sugar.
  5. Warm the juice, but do not boil (yet). Stir in the pectin. Bring to a full boil.
  6. Add the rest of the sugar and return to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
  7. Fill jars with jelly, cover with lids and rings. Seal by placing the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool in a dry place over night. (I did this in my oven.)

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.pickyourown.org/grapejelly.htm#.VELDzfl4ofg*

Homemade Grape Jelly

To give homemade jelly as a gift, place it in a nice basket with a loaf of fresh bread.

Here are some other jam and jelly treats:

Next week, check back for our recipes for pickles. Or check out our #handcraftededibles pinterest board.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

~ lk529 ~ 7 Comments

It’s Halloween and if you’ve been a faithful reader from the beginning you know that means it’s time for my annual Sloppy Joes!

Today I’m sharing Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes.

I’m not here to start a debate on if these are “real”. I’ve never had the Cheese-Wiz version of a Philly and I quite enjoy the kind with thinly sliced steak, grilled onions, and provolone.

We had these sandwiches last year. (Let me say, I’m pretty excited to finally pull these pictures off my camera.) My parents came to town to witness the little man’s first Halloween and this twist on the classic was a huge hit enjoyed by all.

If I’m not in the hospital delivery baby boy #2 then I’ll be awaiting trick-or-treaters with one of my grandma’s sloppy joes in hand. (That’s a teaser for next year’s Halloween post!) At least, I hope to get trick-or-treaters. I was seriously disappointed last year! We got 7, that’s right, I counted, kids at our door. I’m going to pretend it was the freezing rain that yielded such poor results and keep up hope for this year.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 C beef broth
  • 3 tbsp steak sauce
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • 4 slices provolone cheese

Steps:

  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, brown ground beef. Once cooked, add the onions and peppers and saute until tender. Strain excess fat.
  3. Add the broth and steak sauce and bring to a boil. Allow sauce to thicken to desired consistency.
  4. Place hamburger buns on a baking sheet. Top the bottom buns with sloppy joe mixture and a slice of cheese. Place under broiler for 30 seconds until cheese is melted and top buns are golden.

*This recipe is adapted from Emily at http://www.emilybites.com/2012/01/philly-cheesesteak-sloppy-joes.html*

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes | Sew You Think You Can Cook

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Homemade Candy Corn

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

I conclude my Halloween candy week with a non-chocolate holiday favorite: candy corn!

This candy endeavor is the first one that’s actually a candy – aka it involves boiling sugar. Yikes!

I had to make two attempts at this one, but I’m glad I didn’t give up because I feel quite accomplished having made homemade candy corn! In my opinion this candy tastes much better than the packaged kind. It lacks that “honey” flavor and artificial after taste. I’m not an expert in candy making but I’d imagine you could add a little honey to the corn syrup mixture if you want that taste? Maybe?

After attempt one I decided to do a little more research and found a post on The Kitchn that went into the chemistry of candy making and how to know what went wrong. (In my case, I over cooked the sugar/syrup mix.) The ingredient list was the same (but halved) so I was content to give it another go. Attempt two involved sifting the powdered sugar mixture – I do not recommend skipping this step as it mixed into the syrup mixture much easier. Attempt two also went off of sugar temperature and not time. I think that’s the real key to candy making – if you don’t have a candy thermometer, I wouldn’t recommend attempting this recipe. Another difference was spreading the candy mixture out onto a baking sheet to cool – doing this ensured even cooling of the candy and easy division into three batches.

To be a little “different” I decided to make purple and green candy corn instead of the classic orange and yellow. I just love the addition of
purple and green to the classic Halloween colors – it feels more “wicked.” But honestly, you could do any color combination you want – perfect for tailgates, birthdays, and other holidays.

IMG_6566I only made 3/4 of the batch of candy corn, sacrificing the remaining quarter to the little boy who climbed up into my lap while I was cutting my triangles. Even still, I managed to fill three 4.25 oz jars with homemade candy corn. (I knew I saved those baby food jars for something!)

Homemade Candy Corn

Ingredients:

  • 1 C powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp powdered milk
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 C corn syrup
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • food coloring

Steps:

  1. Sift together powdered sugar, powdered milk, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Place butter, corn syrup, and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until butter has melted, stirring gently a couple of times. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer measures 245 – 250 degrees F. Remove from heat and mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. Working quickly, mix the powdered sugar mixture into the syrup mixture (I found this easy to do in batches) until smooth and fully incorporated.
  4. Spread mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet (or use a silipat mat if you have one). Allow mixture to cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Do not wait too long or the candy will become too hard to deal with, if this happens microwave the candy for 5 seconds to soften, if that doesn’t work you may need to start over. Note: For “trouble-shooting” please see the original recipe linked below.
  5. Cut the candy into thirds and knead desired food coloring into each batch. Like you would with Play-doh, create ropes from the candy. To make it easier to work with I created 4 ropes from each color. Again, microwave the candy as needed to work with easily.
  6. Line one of each color rope next to each other, press together, and flatten with a rolling pin. Cut triangles out of the trio-rope. Repeat until all candy is used up.
  7. Allow candy corn to harden at least one hour. Keep in an airtight container for several weeks – until the candy simply becomes too dry to enjoy.

*This recipe is adapted from Emma at http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-candy-corn-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-99717*

Homemade Candy Corn | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Homemade “Kit Kat Bars”

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Before I get into today’s recipe I feel compelled to explain why I put “Kit Kat Bars” in quotations. It’s for the same reason these don’t get the tag “Copy Cat.” The Kit Kat you buy in the red wrapper does not contain nuts, this homemade version gets its goodness from Nutella. But seriously, have you ever actually smelled Nutella? And have you ever smelled a Kit Kat? Samesies!

There are a lot of “copy cat” Kit Kat recipes out on Pinterest that use a wafer cookie for the filling. This recipe uses Nutella and crushed corn flakes to get that wafer effect and it’s delicious! We could just eat that filling and forget about the chocolate. I would suggest using whatever chocolate quality you prefer, I used bittersweet chocolate.

Stuart pointed out that this recipe would work much better as truffles, forming that filling into balls and then dipping into the chocolate as my chocolate to filling ratio was way off. (User error though – I’m sure the recipe is fine.) Another option would be to make half the chocolate and spread that out, let it set, then make the filling, and top it off with the rest of the chocolate for a more traditional “sandwiched” Kit Kat Bar.

Much like the Reese’s Cups from yesterday, these melt so are best kept in the fridge. And they actually taste better the next day(s)! My husband has banned me from making them again, because you open the fridge, you see a tray of Kit Kat Bars staring at you, so naturally you have to take one. Happy Halloween, right?

Homemade “Kit Kat Bars”

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (a scant 1/4 C)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3/4 C Nutella
  • 2 C crushed corn flakes (3-4 C whole)
  • 12 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken
  • 1 3/4 C heavy cream

Steps:

  1. Melt chocolate chips and 1 tbsp butter over a double boiler. Remove from heat and mix in the Nutella. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before stirring in the corn flakes. Spread mixture onto a 9×13″ baking sheet. Set in the fridge.
  2. Melt chocolate into heavy cream over a double boiler. Pour over Kit Kat Bar filling. Set in fridge until firm. Cut into bars.

*This recipe is adapted from Balaboosta by Einat Admony*

Homemade Kit Kat Bars | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Copy Cat: Reese’s Cups

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

I can’t have a candy week without including the most popular piece of candy – Reese’s.

That chocolate and peanut butter combination has become a winning recipe in everything from cakes to ice cream.

Reese’s has been one of those candies I thought would be easiest to make as there isn’t any boiling of sugar involved. I couldn’t have been more right! Although slightly tedious, this was a chocolate product I managed to do without supervision.

I had enough chocolate to make 24 Reese’s cups – thank heavens for the invention of the spatula because I scraped that bowl clean to cover that final piece of candy. I had enough peanut butter to make probably 10-15 more chocolate peanut butter cups. (I saved that peanut butter filling for mixing into brownie batter – because, why not!?)

I was quite nervous that despite spraying them I wouldn’t be able to pull the candies out of the cupcake liners. I had nothing to fear and these tasted just like the real thing- maybe better!

Without the added chemistry type ingredients, these babies melt fairly quickly, so I suggest storing them in the fridge.

Copy Cat: Reese’s Cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips (you could use dark or white chocolate if you prefer)
  • 1 jar (10 oz) creamy peanut butter
  • 3/4 C + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp melted butter

Steps:

  1. Line a mini muffin tray with mini cupcake liners. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
  2. Melt chocolate over a double boiler.
  3. Spoon chocolate into liners and spread it up the sides. Place tray in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  4. In a large bowl mix peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Place in a piping bag. Pipe peanut butter mixture into chocolate lined cups. Flatten with spoon or finger.
  5. Top peanut butter filled cups with remaining melted chocolate.
  6. Chill at least 1 hour.

*This recipe is adapted from Jillee at http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/homemade-reeses-peanut-butter-cups.html

Copy Cat: Reese's Cups | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Copy Cat: Snickers

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

It’s Halloween week and that means I’ve got a theme. My very first Halloween blogging I did a week of Candy Corn inspired recipes and posts, including a pillow cover and pizza. The following year ghosts hit the scene so pancakes and cookies were created in adorable ghostly shapes.

I toyed with the idea of mummies, Frankenstein’s monster, or pumpkins this year but the opportunity to make candy couldn’t be surpassed. It was time to face my chocolate and sugar fears and try making trick-or-treat favorites at home. For the these 4 days I’ll be sharing some sweet treats all made from scratch!

To kick off “candy week” I am sharing a Copy Cat recipe for Snickers! And it was much easier than I ever thought it would be. I was definitely doing a happy dance after taking my first bite of homemade candy bar. It actually tastes like the real thing! I was nervous that the amount of chocolate looked too thin, but the ratios of chocolate to nougat and caramel is perfect!

This recipe makes a 9×13″ pan of layered goodness. That’s a cake’s worth of candy bars people! I hope you have friends to share these with. Throughout my weeks of candy making I’ve realized that homemade chocolate candy bars melt/soften fairly quickly and are best kept in the fridge. Keep that in mind if you plan on gifting some homemade candy – don’t leave it on someone’s doorstep… unless there’s a lot of snow and cold to keep the candy from turning into a delicious mess.

Copy Cat: Snickers

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 C milk chocolate chips, divided use
  • 3/4 C creamy peanut butter, divided use
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1/4 C evaporated milk
  • 1 container (13 oz) marshmallow creme
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 C roughly chopped salted peanuts
  • 14 oz caramel squares, unwrapped
  • 1/4 C heavy cream

Steps:

  1. Line a 9×13″ cake pan with foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 1/4 C chocolate chips and 1/4 C peanut butter. Microwave 50-60 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds, or until completely melted and smooth. Evenly spread mixture into prepared cake pan. Place in fridge.
  3. In a large saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Add the sugar and evaporated milk. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from burning. Add in the marshmallow creme, 1/4 C peanut butter, and the vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped peanuts. Evenly spread the nougat over the chocolate layer. Return to fridge.
  4. In a microwave safe bowl, combine caramels and heavy cream. Microwave 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until completely melted and smooth. Evenly spread caramel over the nougat layer. Return to fridge.
  5. In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 1/4 C chocolate chips and 1/4 C peanut butter. Microwave 50-60 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds, or until completely melted and smooth. Evenly spread mixture over the caramel layer.
  6. Return to fridge and chill until completely set. Cut into bars.

*This recipe is adapted from Alyssa at http://therecipecritic.com/2013/11/homemade-snickers-bars/*

Copy Cat Snickers | Sew You Think You Can Cook

SRC: White Chicken Chili

~ lk529 ~ 19 Comments

newsrcbanner

It’s Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day! In the Secret Recipe Club, each participating blogger is assigned a blog from another participating blogger and secretly searches their site for something to recreate. The accompanying blog post then goes live on reveal day! So while I was immersed in my assigned blog, someone else was picking through mine! I’m so excited to be part of this group, to see what on my blog peaks other’s interests and to stumble upon new blogs and new recipes.

This month I was assigned the blog Shockingly Delicious written by the talented Dorothy. With 25 years of food writing and recipe developing on her resume you can be sure you’ll come to her blog for the food and stay for the stories. On her “About Me” page Dorothy answers the question, “What kind of cook am I?” One of her bullet points is that “leftovers are king” so I know she’ll approve of the reasoning behind why I chose today’s recipe over some of her others.

This week kicks off Halloween week, which I always do themed for the holiday. This year (spoiler alert) I decided to make homemade classic candies. So I originally searched Dorothy’s blog with that task in mind only. The closest thing I could find towards my task was her post on left-over Halloween candy cookies utilizing Snickers bars. (yum) I then managed to stumble upon Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats and I swear, if my grocery store had those Halloween Oreo’s, you know the ones with the orange filling, I would have looked no further! Our waistlines are probably thankful those didn’t happen (at least not yet!).

I ended up going in a completely different direction with the recipe I recreated. I decided to search for something that I could make and freeze for when Baby Boy 2 enters the world in the next week or so. Of course, we did enjoy the meal the day it was made, because you have to taste the food to talk about the food!

I’ve been venturing out on my chili making and decided it was finally time to try the mysterious “white chili”. White chili is “white” because there aren’t any tomatoes, the beans used are in the white/beige/tan family, and the meat of choice is often chicken. That doesn’t mean there isn’t great chili flavor though! This particular version gets its heat from a can of green chiles and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Disclaimer: My chili is far from “white” as I used ground chicken instead of shredded white meat chicken, more pinto beans than white beans, and my vegetable broth has an orange tint to it from the carrots – I actually think chicken stock would have been more appropriate in keeping a lighter chili.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 can (4 oz) green chiles
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 6 C vegetable broth
  • 2 cans (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp flour

Steps:

  1. In large pot over medium-high heat saute onions in the oil, season with S+P, until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the ground chicken to the skillet breaking it up until it’s fully cooked.
  2. Add the green chiles, cumin, oregano, and cayenne and cook for 2 minutes, coating the meat and veggies in the spices. Add the broth, beans, and flour. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until desired consistency is achieved, at least 1 hour. (Note: If you want a thicker chili, cook uncovered.)
  3. Serve with desired toppings: tortilla chips, corn chips, cheese, sour cream, scallions, cilantro, etc.

*This recipe is adapted from Dorothy at http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/newfangled-cowtown-white-chicken-chili-for-labor-day-sundaysupper/*

White Chicken Chili for Secret Recipe Club from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in the Secret Recipe Club this month click here:

An Orange Potluck Party

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

Instead of choosing a Fall or Halloween theme for our October potluck, we decided to broaden the category a little bit by going with “orange.” Anything orange in color, containing an orange ingredient, or using the flavor of orange was fair game. Understandably our menu contained a lot of pumpkin and squash.

I brought sweet potato chili. This chili recipe was inspired by my October CLUE assignment Eliot’s Eats. I made quite a few changes to Debra’s recipe, the main one being that I added ground beef to make a hearty chili versus something a little “soupier.” I swapped out the beans for adzuki beans, used crushed tomatoes instead of diced, removed the kale, and forgot about the orange zest.

I first made this chili as football grub when some friends came over. I needed something gluten and lactose free and chili seemed like the perfect solution. And it was a huge hit! Everyone went back for seconds and there wasn’t anything left the next day. Top your chili with tortilla chips and cheese, if desired.

I thought it’d be a perfect fit for our themed potluck and easily transportable in a slow cooker. Be sure to read past my recipe for the amazing collection of “orange” foods. We had a spectacular turn out of over two dozen friends.

Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 C dried adzuki beans
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided use
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp chili powder, divided use
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 C peeled and diced sweet potato
  • 2 – 2 1/2 C broth (I’ve used both chicken and vegetable)
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp finely diced chipotle in adobo
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley

Steps:

  1. Soak beans for 1-2 hours. Rinse. Cover with water by 2″. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered 50-60 minutes. Set aside.
  2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef in 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Season with 1/2 tsp chili powder, S+P. Set aside.
  3. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook onion in 1 tbsp vegetable oil until tender. Add 1/2 tsp minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the diced sweet potatoes and cook for 2 minutes, allowing them to get some color. Add 1 1/2 C broth and the cooked beans. Simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
  4. To the chili, add the crushed tomatoes, 1 chipotle in adobo, 1/2 tsp chili powder, coriander, parsley, S+P. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked ground beef to the pot. Add 1/2 – 1 C more broth and simmer until the beans are completely tender, approximately 30 minutes. (Note: If you want a meatier chili, cook uncovered. If you want more liquid cook partially covered, and add more broth as needed.)

*This recipe is modified from Debra at http://eliotseats.com/2012/03/01/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-chili/*

Sweet Potato Chili | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Here are the other recipes brought to the orange potluck:

  • Orange Julius: Mix 1 can (12 oz) frozen OJ concentrate, 2 C milk, 2 C water, 1/2 C sugar, 2 tsp vanilla. Add approximately 16 ice cubes and blend until smooth.
  • Pumpkin Spice Latte: http://thrivinghomeblog.com/2013/09/crock-pot-pumpkin-spiced-latte/
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip: https://www.franksredhot.com/recipes/print/?re=re1242-1
  • 12 Recipes for an Orange Themed Potluck | Sew You Think You Can CookMacaroni and Cheese: Cook 1 lb pasta, drain, and set aside. In skillet, cook 1/2 onion (diced) and 2 tsp minced garlic in 2 tbsp veg oil until tender. In a large pot add 4 tbsp butter, 1 C milk, 1/4 lb Velveeta cheese until melted. Add in pasta, onions and garlic, and 2 C shredded cheese until mixed completely.
  • Gnocchi with Squash, Spinach, and Prosciutto: Cook 1 lb gnocchi according to package instructions, reserve 1/2 C cooking water, drain and return to pot. In a large skillet, cook 6 slices chopped prosciutto in 1 tbsp butter, transfer to paper towel lined plate. Add 3 tbsp butter to same skillet and brown 1 1/2 lb cubed butternut squash 4 min, add 2 tbsp fresh thyme and cook 30 sec, deglaze pan with 1/2 C white wine until reduced by half, add 1 C chicken broth and cook 4 min until thickened. Add squash, 4 oz baby spinach, and cooked prosciutto to gnocchi, adding reserved pasta water as needed.
  • Carrot Pudding: Boil 5 lb peeled and chopped carrots until tender, drain, and mash. Cream 1 C melted butter, 1 C sugar, 1 C brown sugar and add to carrots. Mix in 2 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp ginger, 1 tbsp nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cloves, 6 eggs, 1 heaping tbsp baking powder, and 1 tbsp vanilla. Pour into a 9×13″ casserole dish and bake 1 hr at 350 deg F.
  • Sweet Potato and Orange Puree with Almond Streusel: Make Streusel: Combine 1/3 C flour, 1/3 C whole almonds, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp paprika, 1/2 cold cubed stick butter; refrigerate at least 1 hr. Make Puree: Mix together 4 lb worth cooked peeled sweet potatoes, 1/3 C OJ, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp room temperature butter, 1 1/2 tsp orange zest; place in 9×13″ casserole dish, top with streusel, bake 40 min at 400 deg F.
  • Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Sage Browned Butter: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/butternut-squash-stuffed-shells-with-sage-browned-butter/
  • Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/09/oatmeal-pumpkin-cookies/
  • Met in your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies: Beat 2 C butter until fluffy, mix in 2 C sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg until combined, add 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla until combined, mix in 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin, slowly add 4 C flour until combined. Drop spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet and bake 10-12 min at 350 deg F. Make icing: Beat together 1/2 C butter, 1 pg (8 oz) softened cream cheese, 3 3/4 C powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. Frost baked cookies. Garnish wish cinnamon.
  • Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars: http://roxanashomebaking.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-bars-recipe/