Chicken Chili…in a flash!

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Today, I’m reinventing one of my favorite recipes by adding a faster spin to this creation. Crunched for time on a busy day? Here’s a speedier version of my Slow Cooked White Chicken Chili.

Toss everything together in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until bubbly. Then, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. Tastes just as good as the slow-cooked recipe in a fraction of the time. Particularly when you’ve just finished shoveling snow (we had 5 inches here today…our first snow day with schools closed in about a decade) and want something warm and satisfying without a long wait. For the ingredients, use the list in the link above and feel free to substitute…I used black beans and added a can of diced tomatoes and substituted taco cheese this time. Crescent rolls made the perfect, speedy complement to the chili, and the crescent roll baking time matched up hand in hand with the chili simmering time. Add in a batch of freshed baked sugar cookies (how could we resist baking cookies on a snow day?), and you’re all set.  There’s nothing like tasty comfort food!

Your Turn: Have you tried this chili recipe yet? What did you think of it? Leave a comment on this post or show off your chef skills by posting a picture of your creation on my new Facebook page.

Cheeseburger Bundles…aka…Dirty Diapers

You can imagine the kids’ reaction when I told them we were having dirty diapers for Sunday dinner.

I found this awhile ago on my favorite recipe website, www.allrecipes.com.  The original recipe is called Dirty Diapers, but I prefer the name Cheeseburger bundles, as they remind me of warm summer night fare, even on the coldest of January days.

Given the name, it at least peaked the interest of both kids.  What’s in these, mom? The Youngest tried one and liked it (ok, one small bribe was required…video game time…but he said he genuinely liked it).  The Oldest (aka…the pickiest) said no way. 

Regardless of the name, these little packets of goodness are unbelievably YUM.  They are great as a stand-alone meal or served as appetizers.

My adapted recipe is a lighter version.  It uses reduced fat crescents, half the cheese, and half the beef than the original recipe. 

Cheeseburger Bundles (aka Dirty Diapers)

Melted cheese and ground beef wrapped in flaky crescents make the perfect game-day snack.

1/2 pound ground beef
1 8oz can refrigerated reduced fat crescent rolls
1/2 onion, chopped
4 slices American cheese

 Prep:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef over medium-high heat.  Add the onions in the last few minutes.  Then, remove from heat, and let cool slightly.  Unroll the crescents and cut each of the 8 crescents in half with a sharp knife to form 16 smaller triangles.  Cut each slice of cheese in half diagonally to make 8 triangles.  Then, cut the 8 cheese triangles in half to make 16 cheese triangles.  Layer a piece of cheese on each crescent, and then top with a tablespoon of beef.  Carefully stretch each point of the dough over the beef and secure on each side.  Place bundles on a 9 x 13 baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, until browned. Serve with pickles and ketchup for the full cheeseburger experience.

Amy’s Notes:

Brown an entire pound of ground beef and save the other half to jump start dinner later in the week.  I like to have it on hand to mix into spaghetti sauce or for a speedy taco salad.

A new culinary adventure…

What better way to start than with soothing comfort food.  Warm, creamy, rich comfort food.  Meat and potatoes.  The meals mom always made on chilly winter days.  Grab a blanket, your fuzzy slippers, and a mug of steaming hot chocolate…go ahead…throw in an extra handful of mini marshmallows.

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

2 cups ham
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
3 cups milk
4 cups potatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic – diced or pressed

Peel potatoes, thinly slice, and set aside.  Slice or dice ham and set aside.  Place butter in a 4-cup glass measuring cup and microwave 30 to 60 seconds until melted.  Whisk in salt, pepper, and flour.  Gradually whisk in milk until smooth.  Stir in garlic.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes.  Whisk.  Microwave on high for another 3 minutes.  Whisk again.  If sauce is thin, microwave for another 3 minutes on high until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, but keep a close eye on it, as it tends to boil over in the last few minutes.  Layer half of the potatoes, ham, onions and sauce in a 2-quart casserole dish.  Repeat layers.  Cover.  Microwave on high 18 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Amy’s Notes:

This recipe is adapted from a scalloped potato recipe found in The Microwave Cookbook (Copyright General Electric 1998).  I added ham and garlic to give it my own spin.  Every time I make it, this recipe reminds me of the one my mom used to make when I was little.  Most recipes call for baking the scalloped potatoes, but mom always microwaved hers, and after a few attempts at baked scalloped potatoes, I decided the microwave is the only way to go.  Not only is the sauce creamier, but also the cooking time is cut in half.  It’s a great, hardy meal, even on a busy weeknight!