Donna's Award-Winning Crackpot Chili

I entered the Chili Cook Off at church. I don't eat beef, so I made this up as I went today. I figured making chili with chicken would put me out of the competition, but to my great surprise, I won! I received a beautiful picture and a gift certificate from our local Family Bookstore. Fun!

Here's the recipe - more or less. Like I said, I throw in this and that. Hope you enjoy it! I put it all in a crockpot and let it simmer on high for about an hour, then turn it on low for a couple more or until you're ready to dig in. My daughter said I should re-name it "Crackpot Chili" because it's so addictive. I took a pot to my family's house for Christmas and I didn't even get any!

Donna's Chicken Chili

Olive oil – about 2 tbsp.
3 lg. cans chicken breast, drained
1 sm. chopped onion
Garlic powder
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

2 lg. cans Northern beans, drained
1 sm. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white corn, drained
1 can yellow corn, drained
2 lg. cans Chicken Broth
1 can green chilies
2 cans chopped tomato chunks

1 pkg. Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix (4 tbsp. chili seasoning mix)
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cocoa
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

In large kettle, sauté onion sprinkled with garlic powder. Add chicken breast to brown, breaking it into small pieces adding poultry seasoning. Add rest of ingredients. Bring to boil. Simmer until thickened.

I poured half the soup (this recipe makes a lot) into a crockpot set on 'low,' and added a can of southwestern cheddar cheese soup for extra thickness, but it's really good either way. I didn't add extra salt, so you may need to add salt to taste.

Sprinkle each serving with Taco Cheese and, if desired, a dollop of sour cream. Really good with lime tortilla chips on the side!

Update: This recipe is easily adaptable. The last couple of times I've made it, I added a dash of cocoa and some brown sugar along with a smidgen of cayenne pepper. That way it comes out sweet and spicy.

Creamy Bean Soup (Just Like Bill Knapp's)

We used to have a Bill Knapp's Restaurant in this area. I hated it when it closed. That was one of our favorite restaurants of all time. I have so many wonderful memories of Sunday dinners at Bill Knapp's. We celebrated almost all our birthdays there because they brought out an entire chocolate cake and played a very old, scratchy recording of Happy Birthday.

One of my favorite soups was the bean soup. I found and revised a recipe and it tastes ALMOST the same.

7 C. Water
1 lb. dried navy beans (2 C.) - sorted and rinsed.
1 lb. ham cubes (I buy a nice thick slice at the deli and chop it into cubes.)
1 sm. onion (If you have no fresh, use a couple tablespoons dried onion.)
1 bay leaf
Pepper
Milk

Heat water and beans to boiling. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover. Let stand 1 hour.

Stir in all ingredients EXCEPT milk. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover. Simmer about 75 minutes. (Don't boil.)

Remove bay leaf.

In food processor or blender, puree about 1/2 the beans. This step is important to get that creamy texture. Return to the rest of the soup in kettle. Add milk to desired consistency and heat through.

I like to top my bowl with ketchup and lots of pepper. Good to make ahead. Keeps well.

Image: nuchylee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Turkey Chili

1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. turkey sausage (remove from casing)
Dash: poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder
16 oz. can red beans, drained
2 c. tomato sauce (2 cans)
2 c. chopped tomatoes (1 large can)
1 c. stewed tomatoes (1 can)
1/2 c. onion flakes
1 clove garlic (or garlic powder equivalent)
1 pkg. chili seasoning
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 can corn, drained
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cocoa
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a tablespoon or two of oil, brown turkey with poultry seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder. Drain.

Add rest of ingredients. Either simmer on low in stockpot for a couple of hours on stovetop OR add to crockpot and cook 8-10 hours or overnight.

Taco Soup

Here's a soup recipe from my friend, Jen, who says, "This actually is a Weight Watchers recipe and is fantastic. I usually double it an freeze it. It heats back up VERY well. I hop you enjoy it as much as we do."

Taco Soup

15 servings (1 cup serving size)

1 onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups whole kernel corn
1 can fat free chicken broth
1 can black beans - undrained
1 can great northern beans
1 can refried beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can petite diced tomatoes with chilis

Saute onion until soft. Add remaining ingredients to onions. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* Tip - we usually try to smash the refried beans while the soup is simmering, just to make sure that there are not any large chunks of refried beans. The refried beans are in the recipe as a thickening agent.

A yummy soup that is low calorie and full of fiber. Enjoy!

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Pepper & Salmon Soup

A recipe from the files of Alyice Edrich, The Dabbling Mum! I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it sounds wonderful. Alyice says the soup has a real peppery kick, but you can’t stop eating it. If you try it, please drop back by and let me know.

1 # salmon filets, skinned and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
2 C mushrooms, chopped
1 C onions, chopped
1/2 C orange bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 C celery, chopped
3 C russet potatoes, peeled & cubed
32 oz. chicken broth, low sodium
2 C water, plus 2 Tb
1 tsp dill weed
2 Tb fish sauce
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 Tb black pepper (use 1 tsp if you don’t want it real peppery)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 C milk
1/2 C heavy cream
1 Tb cornstarch

Directions:

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-low heat.
When oil is hot, add onions and bell peppers.
Sauté for 4 minutes, stirring continually.
In a large soup pot mix together broth, water, fish sauce, celery salt, sea salt, black pepper, dill weed, onions, bell peppers, and raw veggies.
Cook over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender, about 60 minutes.
In a separate skillet, pan-sear salmon for five minutes and set aside.
When potatoes are done, add salmon to soup pot, lower heat to medium-low, and cook for another 5 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.
Mix cornstarch and 2 Tb warm water together until smooth and liquidy.
Add cornstarch mixture to soup and blend well.
Add cream, milk, and lemon juice. Cook for another 3 minutes.
Serve with warm, toasted, buttered bread. (Nico suggests Hawaiian bread.)

Optional:
Add 1 C fresh green beans, cut into thirds.

About The Cook:
Alyice Edrich is a work-at-home mom with an award winning online magazine. Visit her website, http://thedabblingmum.com/, to learn how you can earn a living working from home, too. Or stop by her personal blog, http://alyiceedrich.com/, to learn more about life on the prairie.