November 12

Pace Chili-Chicken Stew by Kathy Holdsworth

3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ Cup chopped onion
1 Medium green pepper chopped
1 Teaspoon garlic
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 14 ½ ounce cans stewed tomatoes
1 15 ounce can pinto beans
2/3 Cup Pace Picante sauce
1 Teaspoon chili powder

Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces, cook chicken, onion, green pepper, and garlic in oil in dutch oven until chicken loses its pink color. Add remaining ingredients, simmer 20 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with your choice of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, green onion, diced avocado, or black olives.

November 12

Wild Rice and Chicken Soup by Rich Tatum – 2007 Cookoff Winner

1 pkg. Uncle Ben’s White and Wild Rice (original recipe)
8-10 strips of bacon, cut in pieces
1 small onion, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup grated carrots
2 T. bacon drippings
2 cans Swanson’s chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can milk
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillion granules
3 chicken breasts cooked and cut into chunks

Fix rice per box directions. Set aside. Fry bacon until crisp, remove from pan and reserve 2 T. drippings. Put drippings back into pan and saute vegetables. Comine broth, soup and milk. Add all ingredients into the pan and simmer covered for an hour. Watch to make sure it doesn’t burn. This makes a big pot full.

November 12

Gourmet Potato Soup – By Missy

3 c. potatoes, diced
½ c. celery, diced
½ c. onion, diced
1 ½ c. water
¼ tsp. salt
2 chicken bouillon cubes
½ lb. Bacon, cooked, chopped
2 c. milk
1 c. sour cream
2 T. chopped chives
1 T. flour
Pepper

Directions:

In large saucepan, combine potatoes, celery, onion, water, salt, & bouillon cubes. Cover & cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add bacon. Add 1 cup of milk and heat through. In bowl, blend sour cream, chives, and flour. Gradually stir in 1 cup of milk. Pour about 1/3 of hot potato mixture into sour cream mixture, mix well, & return to saucepan. Add pepper to taste. Cook & stir until thickened. Makes 4-6 servings.

Weight watchers = 6 points/serving

November 12

Venison Stew – By Missy

1 lb. Venison, cubed
3 T. olive oil
3 T. flour
½ tsp. Meat tenderizer
3 potatoes, peeled & diced
2 carrots, peeled & sliced
½ small onion, diced
1 T. Ketchup
1 T. Beef base
2 ½ c. water (can substitute ½ c. red wine for ½ c. water)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. each of pepper, oregano, garlic powder, & onion powder
½ tsp. seasoning salt (i.e. Lawry’s)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. corn (canned)
1 c. green beans (canned)
½ c. mushrooms (canned)

Directions:

Heat 2 T. of oil in pan over medium high heat. Pat dry the venison with a paper towel. Put flour, meat tenderizer, & ¼ tsp. pepper in a Ziploc bag. Drop venison cubes in a couple at a time and coat with flour mixture. Brown venison in oiled pan. Set aside. In same pan, add 1 T. of oil, potatoes, carrots, onion, & garlic. Sauté vegetables for 10 minutes on medium/high heat. Add venison, ketchup, beef base, water, Worcestershire, bay leaf, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, corn, green beans, & mushrooms to sautéed vegetables. Heat until boiling. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed. Thicken with flour, if desired. Makes approximately 8-1 cup servings.

November 12

Chicken Tortilla Soup – By Missy

2 (5 oz.) cans chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 stalks sliced celery
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1/2 stick butter or margarine (I don’t use this much butter – I would use 2 T. or less)
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth
1 (10 oz.) can tomato soup
1 pkg. taco seasoning

Saute chicken, onion, chilies, and celery in butter. Add sauteed mixture and all remaining ingredients into a pan with chicken broth. Simmer 30 to 60 minutes.

Optional (I haven’t tried this): After soup has simmered, add 1/2 cup sour cream. To serve, fill soup bowls, sprinkle grated cheese and crumbled tortilla chips.

Makes about 6.5 cups.

November 12

French Onion Soup by Missy

3 large onions, sliced
1/4 c. margarine or butter (I use a little less than this, maybe 1/2)
1 T. flour
2 cans beef broth (I use one can broth and one can of water plus 2-3 tablespoons of beef base)
2 cups water
2 tsp. worcestershire (or more according to taste)
6 slices toasted bread
Sliced jack, provolone, swiss, or mozzarella cheese

Cook onions in butter over medium heat until tender and beginning to brown. Sprinkle with flour, gradually add can of broth. Heat to boiling stirring constantly. Stir in reamining broth, water, and worcestershire sauce. Heat until boiling, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Pour soup over toast and cover with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and browned.

Makes 6 servings about 1 cup each.

November 12

Cheddar Chowder by Yvonne

Bake 2 large potatoes in the microwave or use two leftover baked potatoes. Cool and cut into bite size pieces.

Boil 2 large cut potatoes with 3 cups of water until soft.

Drain and save the water.

Mash the two boiled potatoes with a little milk (a soft and fluffy texture is desired)

[Do not substitute instant mashed potatoes, since the potato water is an important ingredient in the soup.]

Using the reserved boiled potato water, boil one cup of chopped celery and one cup chopped carrots until tender.

Drain and save water.

[My recipe called for adding one stick of butter, but I highly recommend deleting that ingredient, since the soup was so rich without that added butter.]

Add the reserved boiled potato water and 1 pint of whipping cream to the mashed potatoes, mixing until smooth.

Pour into crock pot. Add cooked celery, carrots, and chopped baked potatoes.

Add 1/4 cup of bacon bits, 1/4 cup of minced dried onions, and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Season with 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of pepper

Finish filling crock pot with milk to the desired consistency.

Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours to blend the flavors and melt the cheese.

November 12

Taco Soup by Gary B.

1 large onion chopped (or use green onions for a little color)
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 pkg. Hidden Valley dry dip mix
1 can each of the following (do not drain):
chicken broth
black beans
white beans
Mexican style tomatoes, diced
plain tomatoes, diced or chopped

Combine ingredients and simmer 1 hour.
(crock pot may take 4 hours or more and it improves the longer you cook it)

Serve with tortilla chips (strips work well), shredded cheese, and sour cream

Ladle soup into a bowl then add several small dollops of sour cream, and then sprinkle on chips and shredded cheese to taste.

It’s good meatless or you can add hamburger or diced grilled chicken.