Two Meals in One: Kickin' Chicken Chili and Kickin' Chicken Taco Salad

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I love when you can use the leftovers from one meal to make something different. This recipe does exactly that!

Note: The base recipe makes enough for 4 servings, plus reserves

Base Recipe: Kickin' Chicken Chili
What's Needed:
2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 16-oz. package frozen sweet pepper and onion (or substitute 2 C. each chopped sweet pepper and onion)
1 16-oz. jar of salsa--your preference (For extra spicey, try green salsa)
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with onion and garlic, undrained
Optional: Sour cream, shredded cheese

1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cumin, and salt. Toss gently to coat.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, half at a time, in hot oil until light brown. Drain off fat.

3. Combine chicken, frozen vegetables, salsa, drained beans, and tomato in crockpot.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or on HIGH for 2-2.5 hours. Reserve 3 C. of chili. Place the reserves in an airtight container and store in the fridge.

5. Serve the remaining chili, topped with sour cream and cheese. Serve with cornbread.

PointsPlus: 7 (for 1/4 of the recipe, minus the 3 C. reserved)
Husband's Grade: A

Left-Overs Recipe: Kickin' Chicken Taco Salad
What's Needed:
Reserved Kickin' Chicken Chili
6 C. torn romaine lettuce
1 C. grape or cherry tomoatoes, halved
1/2 C. choppped red onion
1.5 C. Tortilla strips (Southwest flavor or Lightly Salted)

Optional: 1/2 C. Sour Cream; 1/4 C. chopped cilantro or parsley




1. Heat reserved chili until hot, stirring occasionally.

2. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, and red onion.

3. Add heated chili; toss to combine.

4. Divide lettuce mixture among large salad bowls. Sprinkle with tortilla strips.

PointsPlus: 7 (for 1/4 of the recipe)
Husband's Grade: A

Inspired by: The Ultimate Slow Cooker Book

Tomato Soup--ALA Rachel Ray

The thing I love about Rachael Ray's recipes, is that they're so easy to adapt.

If you don't have something, switch it out for something else. Same thing goes if you want something less/more spicey. I tried her '15-Minute Tomato and Bean Stoup' tonight, since I have a house full of sickies (myself included). This is a GREAT soup to have when you have a cold. I substituted peas for the celery and left out the zucchini, since I didn't have any. Serve this with fresh bread, and you have yourself a meal!



What's Needed:
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, choppped
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (use more if you like it spicey)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 C. chicken broth
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 5.5-oz. can tomato juice
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
2 C. frozen cut green beans
1 C. frozen peas
1 T. basil
1/2 T. oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese to pass at table

1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine tomato juice and tomato paste. Stir until well-combined.

2. Add olive oil to big soup pot and place over medium-high heat.

3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute.

4. Add onions and carrots. Cook for 10-15 minutes (or until onions are translucent and carrots are soft).

5. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato paste mix, green beans, and peas.

6. Bring soup to a bubble. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Turn off heat. Add basil and oregano to soup.

Serve with fresh bread. Serves 4.

Husband's Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 5

Taken from and inspired by: Rachael Ray--365: No Repeats

Converting a Rachel Ray Soup to Crockpot

I love this soup, but I did not want to come home on a Friday and immediately set to work on making this. To solve my problem, I converted the recipe to a crockpot recipe. Here's the recipe re-done for you. Enjoy!


What's Needed:

4 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 C. shredded carrots
1 dried bay leaf
Salt and black pepper
6 C. chicken stock
1 lb. ground chicken
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 C. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 package fresh gnocchi
1 C. frozen peas
Parsley

1. Place chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, nutmeg, egg, bread crumbs, and cheese. Combine chicken mixture with your hands, then roll into walnut-sized meatballs.

2. Add celery, onions, carrots, and bayleaf to crockpot.

3. Add chicken meatballs to crockpot.

4. Add chicken stock.

5. Cook for 7-8 hours on low.

6. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add gnocchi, peas, and parsley.

7. Allow to stand 5 minutes in crockpot to thicken up. Discard the bay leaf.

8. Ladle into bowls. Serves 8

Husband's Grade: A-
PointsPlus: 6

Taken from (and inspired by) Rachael Ray: Just in Time

Panzanella Stoup--ALA Rachel Ray

I love me some Rachel Ray. This is one of my all-time favorite 'stoup' recipes. For those of you not in the know, a 'stoup' is too thick to be called a soup, but too thin to be considered a stew. Enjoy carbaholics. This soup is mighty tastey!


What's Needed:
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
3 bell peppers, one yellow, green, and red; seeded and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 C. torn or chopped stale crusty bread, about 1/2 a loaf
salt and black pepper
1 C. fresh basil leaves, torn (or about 1 to 1.5 T. of dry basil)
Shredded Parmesan cheese to pass at the table

1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat with 3 T. of olive oil. Add the bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

3. Add bread. Reduce heat to simmer. Stir after 5 minutes, then let simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the basil. Stoup is done when a spoon stands upright in the pot (see picture).

5. Serve in soup bowl and top with some cheese.

Husband's Grade: C (My grade: A)
PointPlus: 7

Taken from: Rachel Ray Just in Time

Sausage Bean Soup and Italian Grilled Cheese

Sinfully delish! That's exactly how I would describe this meal--especially the grilled cheese. It's the best grilled cheese because it's right in between grilled cheese and savory french toast. Make sure you save points for this meal, because you're going to need them.




What's Needed:
Soup:
3/4 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (15 oz) garbonzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14 oz) beef broth
1 tsp. dried basil
Parmesan cheese (optional, and will be additional points)

Grilled Cheese:
4 slices Italian bread (1 in. thick)--I cut mine in half and made mini-sandwiches.
4 slices provolone cheese
3 eggs
1/2 C. milk
3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2/3 C. Italian-seasoned bread crumbs.

Soup:
1. In a large saucepan, cook sausage, onion, and garlic until sausage is no longer pink. Drain.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, and basil.

3. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serves: 6

Grilled Cheese:
1. Cut the 4 slices of bread in half. Place a slice of cheese in the middle and top with the other half.

2. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt. Soak bread for 2 minutes on each side.

3. Coat bread with bread crumbs.

4. Cook on a greased hot griddle until golden brown on both sides.
Serves 8

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus--Soup: 9 for 1/6 of the recipe
PointsPlus--Sandwich: 8 for 2 mini-sandwiches

Inspired by: TasteofHome Classic Cookbook

Japanese Beef Stew

This was the BEST stew I've ever made. It will be a definite repeat.

What's Needed:
2 T. vegetable oil
2 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 C. frozen carrots
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 white onion, peeled and chopped
1 C. water
2 C. white wine (one small bottle)--or 1/2 C. Japanese sake
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. soy sauce
1 tsp. salt

1. Heat oil in skillet until hot. Sear beef on all sides, turning as it browns. Transfer beef to crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well to combine.

2. Cover; cook on LOW 10-12 hours or HIGH 4-6 hours.

Husband's Grade: A+
PointsPlus: 7

Inspired by: Crockpot: The Original Slow Cooker

Kitchen Sink Soup

As I was flipping through my many cookbooks, I came across a recipe that I really wanted to try. Unfortunately, I had only a few of the ingredients, so this is one of the first recipes I've done totally off the cuff! (Read--I'm very excited about this). This would also make a GREAT Lenten meal, for those that don't eat meat on Friday.

What's Needed:
1 can (15 oz) light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) sliced stewed tomatoes
1 small onion
1 C. frozen carrots
1/2 bag frozen green beans
1 small bag of small red potatoes, cubed
2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 C. water
1/4 pound uncooked penne pasta
Parmesan cheese

1. Combine beans, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, leeks, carrot, green beans, sage, salt, and pepper in crockpot. Add water. Stir well to combine. Cover; cook on HIGH 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Turn crockpot to LOW. Cook covered 8 hours longer. Stir occasionally.

2. Turn crockpot to HIGH. Add pasta. Cover; cook 30 minutes or until pasta is done.

3. To serve, garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings
Husband's Grade:B
WW Points:

Inspired by: Crockpot: The Original Slow Cooker

French Country Soup

This was a wonderful dish. Serve with some dinner rolls or a nice baguette from the bakery :)

What's Needed:
2 14 oz. cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb. beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 C of frozen carrots
1 large onion, cut into wedges
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
1 can low-sodium beef broth
2 C. dry white wine
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Combine beans and meat in the crockpot. Add all other ingredients. Cover; cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving. Makes 6 servings

Husband Rating: A+
PointsPlus 5 points per serving

Inspired by:
Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

Chicken Stew with Herb Dumplings

This was very yummy, but something I would only make on the weekend. There were several steps to this crockpot meal, but it turned out DELISH! (I'm trying to start including pictures of the final result. My first attempt at food photography was not that great--please excuse the bad picture)

What's needed:
2 cans (14 oz. each) chicken broth, divided
2 C. sliced carrots
1 C. chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
2/3 C. all-purpose flour
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces.
1 large potato, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 C. frozen peas
1 tsp. dried basil
3/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black papper
1/4 C. whipping cream

For the herb dumplings
1 C. Bisquick
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/8 tsp. dried tarragon
1/3 C. milk

1. Reserve 1 C. chicken broth. Combine carrots, onion, bell pepper, and remaining chicken broth in crockpot. Cover; cook on LOW for 2 hours.

2. In a medium bow, stir 1 C. broth into flour until smooth. Stir this into the crockpot. Add chicken, potato, peas, 1 tsp. basil, 3/4 tsp. rosemary, and 1/4 tsp. tarragon. Cover; cook 4 hours or until veggies and chicken are tender. Stir in salt, black pepper, and cream.

3. To make the biscuits, combine Bisquick, 1/4 tsp. basil, 1/4 tsp. rosemary, and 1/8 tsp. tarragon in a small bowl. Stir in milk to form a soft dough. Using an ice-cream scoop, spoon dumpling mixture on top of stew.

4. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Cover; cook 30-45 minutes or until dumplings are firm and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 4.

Husband Rating: A-

PointsPlus: 10 for one big dumpling and 3/4-1 C. of soup

Inspired by:
Crock-Pot: The Original Slow Cooker
Chicken

Sausage & Tortellini Soup

My home smelled amazing after a day of cooking this!

What's Needed:
1 package of Turkey Sausage, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1 inch slicees
1 C. frozen cut green beans
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 10.5 oz. can condensed French onion soup
3 cups water
1 small package of refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
Grated Parmesan Cheese to top soup after serving

1. Combine sausage, green beans, undrained tomatoes, soup, and water.

2. Cover; Cook--LOW 8-10 hours; HIGH 4-5 hours

3. 15 minutes before you're ready to eat, turn to high. Stir in tortellini. Cook for 15 minutes. Then serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.

Serves: 6

Husband Rating: A+

PointsPlus: 6 per serving

This recipe inspired by:
Better Homes and Gardens "Biggest Slow Cooker Recipes"