Western Corn Chowder

2 cups water
2 cups potatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion (or you can use 1 Tbsp. dried onion)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can (15.5 oz.) creamed corn
Ham (optional)

Bring water to a boil in a 3 quart pot. Add the next 8 ingredients (down to the chili powder on the list). Return to boiling and simmer for 10 minutes. Do not drain.

Meanwhile, prepare cream sauce. Melt butter over low heat. Blend in flour and cook until smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk, bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Boil one minute and remove from heat. Add cheese, stir until melted.

Combine vegetables and cream sauce. Add creamed corn, reheat if necessary, but do not boil.

Label: Thaw. Reheat on low to medium on stovetop. Do not bring to a boil.

Chicken Enchiladas

Past Favorite cooked by Melissa McKay and Shelly Snapp

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup sour cream-reduced fat
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
10 flour tortillas
1 can of mild enchilada sauce
Green onions to garnish, chopped

Combine chicken and sour cream. Set aside. In another pan saute onions in butter until golden. Add onion, salt, and 2 cups of cheese to chicken mixture. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture into each tortilla. Roll up and place close together in pan. Pour can of enchilada sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle top with remaining shredded cheese.

Chicken Fajita Soup

2-3 cooked chicken breasts

2 can white beans

2 cans black beans

1 can chicken broth

1 can corn

1 cup salsa

1 ranch packet

1/2 packet taco seasoning

mix and heat.

label: defrost and warm.

White Bean Spinach Ravioli

Pasta

1 1/2 cups of unbleached flour

1/4 cup semolina flour

1 tsp salt in a bowl

1 tsp olive oil

2 eggs

Filling

2 cups white beans, cooked

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup spinach leaves

Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

Medium onion chopped

2 tsp dry oregano

2 tsp dry basil

1 bay leaf

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

1 tsp sugar

1 large can tomato sauce

Salt to taste

Follow instructions for making the pasta.

Combine filling ingredients in food processor. Add salt or pepper if desired.

Roll out pasta and make 1 inch squares. Place small spoonful of filling in the middle, place top ravioli piece and pinch edges closed - if pasta is not moist enough, brush around the edges with water before sealing with top piece.

Boil water in pot. Add frozen ravioli and let boil 4-6 minutes. Ravioli becomes tender, slightly translucent and floats when fully cooked. Serve with favorite tomato or cream sauce (to make sauce above, place onion and olive oil in large pan with medium heat, cook until onion is softened but not quite brown, stirring frequently. Add garlic, tomato sauce, herbs, sugar and lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, again, stirring frequently).

Enjoy!

~Snapps, McKays

Ritz Cracker Chicken

We are going to do a repeat of a favorite. We hope you like it the second time around. The recipe in posted under chicken as an old post. Connie let me know if you have trouble getting the label from the old post. Thanks!

Beef & Chicken Kabobs

Beef Kabobs (serves 8)
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. vegetable oil
3 Tbs. ketchup
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. brown sugar
2 lbs. cubed sirloin steak
16 sauteed mushrooms, cut in half
4 onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
Skewers

Mix vinegar, oil, ketchup and tarragon leaves in large bowl. Add steak and marinate for at least 1 hour. Skewer meat on sticks alternating with sauteed mushrooms, onions and red or green peppers. To cook: Grill until meat is cooked to your desire and brush with marinade while grilling.

Honey Chicken Kabobs (serves 12)
1/4 C. vegetable oil
1/3 C. honey
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic
5 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
skewers

In large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce and pepper. Reserve small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking. Place chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (the longer the better!) To cook: Preheat grill and remove chicken and vegetables from marinade. Discard marinade. Skewer meat and vegetable alternately onto skewers. Grill for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked. Turn and brush with marinade about every 5 min. during cooking time.

PLEASE NOTE: Soak wood skewers in water before assembling kabobs if cooking right away. No need to do this if freezing kabobs.

Label: Thaw in refrigerator, grill kabobs until meat is cooked thoroughly and enjoy!

Case Lot Sales

Case lot sales going on at Smith's and Harmon's. Smith's has Libby's can vegetables for 33 cents/can.

Taco Soup

3/4# ground beef
1 C. thickly chopped onion
2 T. taco seasoning
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. chili powder
1 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 14 oz. can sweet corn
1/2 can (7 oz.) kidney beans
1/2 can (7 oz.) chili beans
1/2 can (7 oz.)chicken broth

Brown ground beef; add spices and rest of ingredients. Heat on stove top or slow cooker.

LABEL: Defrost; warm on stove top til heated through or defrost just enough to cut taco soup out of bag and heat in slow cooker on LOW for 6 hours. Optional toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream and Frito or tortilla chips.

July Favorites

July Favorites
Mom's Chicken Enchiladas
Italian Turkey Burgers
Mini's Old Fashioned Mac & Cheese
Simmering Chinese Chicken
Spaghetti Sauce

May Favorites
Chicken with Plum Sauce
Mustard Stuffed Chicken
Asian Pork Marinade for the Grill
Chicken Fijitas

Chicken-Bacon Stuffed Pizza Rolls

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough* (or make your own)
Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
cheese (I used chedder jack mix)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T Parmesan cheese. Set aside. Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.

I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmesan-ranch mixture.

Freeze.

Label: Thaw in fridge. Bake at 400 degrees. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top. Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.