Chicken Corn Chowder

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My new favorite healthy soup recipe!  This stuff hit the spot big time this past week as we had our first snow here in the valley.  And at only 7 WW points plus per cup, it kept me full for a few days after, too, with the leftovers.  Love this stuff!!  John even loved it, too, and said it didn't taste "healthy" at all:).

{What you need}

1 TB butter

1 small chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrots

1 can diced green chilies

2 TB flour

3 cups milk

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 can corn

1 can creamed corn

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and carrots.  Cook until carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes.  Add flour, cook while continually stirring for one minute.  Slowly add milk and stir until slightly thickened.  Incorporate the remaining ingredients, and stir until heated through.  Top with sour cream or mozzarella cheese (will add to the points value, though).

inspired by this recipe

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

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Holy moly, it just doesn't get better than this.  I made these for John's birthday celebration and served them with Mexican Hot Chocolate.  We were all melting, it was just so yummy.  The pumpkin is really subtle.  Plus, these are baked, so they are way healthier than the regular donut!!

{What you need}

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup milk

{for the coating}

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients except the brown sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar and all the wet ingredients, and then slowly incorporate into the bowl of dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined.  Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups (I used a cookie dough scooper and was able to stretch it to about 30 muffins).  Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.  After they are baked, dip each one in melted butter, then cinnamon/sugar mixture until entirely coated.  Best served warm!!

inspired by this recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod

Mexican Hot Chocolate

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Oh my word, this was amazing!  John requested it for his birthday meal so I searched online for a unique hot chocolate recipe, and this one is just perfect.  Plus, what is fall without some hot chocolate?  (We had friends over and I made this x 9)

{What you need}

3 Tbsp instant hot chocolate mix

1 Tbsp chocolate syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch chili powder

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup water

Add all ingredients to a pot, whisk until blended, and heat to a simmer, or until it gets as hot as you like.

original recipe here

Baked Potato Soup

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• 
  
• 
  
• Drooling!!!  This is my favorite baked potato soup recipe, EVER!  Made it for a shower last week and it was a raving hit.  And it's even better the next day!!

• {What you need}
• 
  
• 9 baking potatoes
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups whole milk
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup bacon bits
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 
  
• Prick potatoes with a fork, cover in tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour, or a little longer.  Scoop out the flesh and reserve in a bowl.  While potatoes are baking, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in potato flesh, salt, pepper, and most of the cheese.  Cook until thoroughly heated.  Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve topped with bacon, onions and remaining cheese.

Original recipe here.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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THE single most perfect cake for the fall season!!  So utterly moist and flavorful, this is one of my new favorite recipes.  It's a major hit at showers and parties and will drive you crazy with how many people ask you to give them the recipe.

{What you need}

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 
  

{frosting}

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 round pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.  In a large bowl combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Spread batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.  Combine all frosting ingredients and frost as desired, stacking the cakes with frosting in between.
• 
  
• Inspired by this recipe and this recipe.

Best-Ever Meatloaf

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• 
  
• LOVED this easy and delicious recipe.  John isn't even a fan of meatloaf, but he really liked this and said it was hands down the best meatloaf he's ever had.  

{What you need}

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can tomato soup 
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 envelope dry onion soup and recipe mix
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 large potatoes, peeled

1/2 onion, diced

4 carrots, peeled and diced

• Thoroughly mix 1/2 cup tomato soup, beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs and egg in a large bowl. Place the mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan and firmly shape into an 8x4-inch loaf. arrange the vegetables around the loaf.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the meatloaf and potatoes are cooked through. Combine remaining tomato soup, water, ketchup and honey in a small bowl and pour over meatloaf when there is 20 minutes left.

Inspired by this recipe.

Oatmeal Cake

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I've posted this recipe before, but I made it again this past weekend and remembered how absolutely incredible it is.  So I decided to re-post it for you all so you don't miss out on it.  This might be my all-time favorite recipe ever. I got it from a dear mission friend, Johna Jarnagin. She got me through some hard times on the mission by feeding my face with delicious food. This was my favorite of all the delicious food that she fed my face with.

{What you need}

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup margarine

1 1/3 cups boiling water

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

Mix oatmeal, margarine, and boiling water. Mix sugars and eggs into mixture. Sift flour and spices. Put in a 9x13" pan. Bake for 30 min at 350.

{topping}

1 cup brown sugar

1 cube margarine

1/2 cup canned milk

--boil these ingredients together--

add:

1 cup chopped nuts {I left these out}

1 cup coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

--pour hot mixture over baked cake--

Be warned that although this has oatmeal in it, it is not the most figure-friendly cake on the block. But it is sooo moist and rich. It really will change your life. Eat with a huge glass of cold milk.

Taco Soup

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Such an easy recipe.  We had pretty much everything on hand already, and it all came together quite nicely for an impromptu dinner party.  It was a major hit, everyone went back for at least seconds!

{What you need}

2 pounds ground beef, browned with the fat drained

3 cans stewed tomatoes

2 cans kidney beans

2 cans garbanzo beans

1 can pinto beans

2 cans corn, drained

1 can green chilies

1 packet taco seasoning

1 packet ranch dressing mix

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 cup water

{toppings}

sour cream

shredded cheese

tortilla chips

guacamole

Combine all ingredients {including the juices of the canned beans--don't drain them} and heat on medium-high until heated through.  Add more water if you want it "soupier."  We served it with this cornbread, this honey butter, this fruit dip, and an assortment of fruits for dipping.  It was such a great meal!

Brie Cranberry Chicken Pizza

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I thought this looked like a fun twist on your average pizza, and the cranberry sauce in it made it sound holiday-y to me.  It's super easy if you use prepared pizza crust, but we prefer to buy pizza dough and make it fresh.  This would be great for a Christmas Break lunch for the hub, now that he's done with finals!!

{What you need}

1, 12 inch prepared pizza crust {or dough to make your own}

1 1/2 cup cranberry sauce

2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces

1 Tbls vegetable oil

6 ounces brie, chopped

8 ounces mozzarella, shredded {or you can use fresh and chop it like the brie}

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large skillet, heat oil and add the chicken.  Saute until the chicken is browned and almost cooked through.  Spread the cranberry sauce over the pizza crust.  Top with the chicken and brie and cover with the mozzarella.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Serve with caesar salad and apple bear to make it a festive holiday meal!

{Compliments of Gillie at allrecipes.com}

Pumpkin Crumble Dessert

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My Aunt Lyssa brought these delectables to Baby James' blessing last week and I can't TELL you how incredibly they are!!  If you like pumpkin desserts, this will sink you.  If you don't, you'll still lurve it.  Perfect for the fall/winter weather, and could be a great alternative to traditional pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving!!  This seriously might be my new favorite dessert... And they are soooo easy!!!!

{What you need}

1, 15 oz can pumpkin puree

1, 12 oz can evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1, 18.25 oz package yellow cake mix

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts {optional}

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking pan.  In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, and spice.  Pour into greased pan.  Sprinkle the dry cake mix on top and drizzle melted butter on top.  Add walnuts on top, if desired.  Bake for one hour at 350 or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  Serves great hot or cold!

recipe compliments of allrecipes.com

Creamy Baked Yam Soup

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I was nervous that this soup wouldn't turn out, because I sort of created this recipe by myself {inspired by this recipe that i came across on pinterest}. . . but it seriously changed my life and the lives of the rest of my family who partook! And the best part? IT IS INCREDIBLY HEALTHY!!!!! AND EEEEAAAAAASSSSYYYYYYYYY!!!!! Perfect for the upcoming fall season, and delicious enough to entertain with and blow the minds of even the toughest critics. {yields 4 quarts}

{What you need}

5 pounds yams, cleaned and diced into 1/2 inch cubes, keeping the skin on

1 medium yellow onion, diced

10 cloves of garlic, whole

8 cups chicken broth

8 oz. full fat cream cheese

8 oz reduced fat cream cheese

1 Tablespoon seasoning salt

Combine yams, onion, garlic, broth, and seasoning salt in a 6 quart slow cooker.  Cook on high for 5 hours or until yams are cooked through.  Next, puree the cooked yam mixture and the cream cheeses in batches in either a food processor or blender until it is all incorporated.  Serve with diced green onion, a little sour cream and shredded cheese, if desired.  We had it with whole wheat rolls, too.  Amazing!!!!  

Chicken Noodle Soup

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It's cold and flu season in the Beehive State right now and this soup is just the ticket to feeling some relief.  I gave some of this to a co-worker who was under the weather last week and she loved it!  It's not bursting with chickeny flavor, just has a clean, wholesome taste and weight to it.  I absolutely love this recipe.

{What you need}

4 chicken breasts

5 carrots, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 quarts water

4 chicken bouillon cubes (or 4 teaspoons granules)

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1 teaspoon basil

pepper to taste

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

noodles of choice, cooked, as much as you want (I load it with them)

Boil chicken in water for 20 minutes and cut into small pieces.  Boil veggies, bouillon and water together for 15-20 minutes.  Add chicken.  Add cream of chicken soup, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil again before adding noodles and peas.  cook for 5 more minutes. Enjoy!

(Compliments of Favorites)

Carrot Ginger Soup

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John took me to the cutest little hippy diner last night for our date night and we had this amazing soup.  I looked up the recipe right when we got home and found this one, rated 5 stars from The Food Network.  This will surely be a fav in our fam for years to come.  Plus it's snowing in our town right now, and it's the perfect ticket for warming the cockles.  Such a great, unique combo of flavors.

{What you need}

2 Tablespoons butter

2 onions, peeled and chopped

6 cups chicken broth

2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced (chopped mini carrots do, too)

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

1 cup whipping cream

salt and pepper (white pepper is best)

sour cream

parsley sprigs for garnish, if desired

In a large pan, saute onions in the butter until onions are translucent and limp.  Add broth, carrots, and ginger.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced.  Remove from heat and transfer to a blender.  Do not fill the blender more than half full.  Do this in batches if you need to.  Cover the blender and put a towel over it.  Be careful when blending hot liquids in a blender as the liquids can spurt out and burn you.  Pulse the blender to start and then puree until smooth.  Return the soup to the pan and add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add the sour cream and parsley right before serving.

Creamy White Chili

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Happy Halloween!! My mom would make this delicious chili for us on Halloween when we were kids.  We've also made it for baby blessings, showers, and big family get togethers.  It's go a great clean taste and doesn't leave you feeling heavy like some chilies do.  Perfect for the colder months!

{What you need}

2 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into small cubes

2 medium onion, minced

3 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbs. vegetable oil

4 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (14.5 oz ea.) chicken broth

2 cans (4 oz ea) chopped green chilies

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 cup sour cream

1 cup whipping cream

Monterey jack cheese for topping

In a large sauce pan, saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.  Add beans, broth, chilies and seasons and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and whipping cream.  Serve immediately, topped with cheese.

Compliments of Jackie Durrant

Chicken Corrn Chowder with Sweet Potatoes

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This one comes from my sister Andee.  Perfect for the colder months.  The Jiffy mix really adds something special!  Who'da thought??  A very delicious soup! 

 

{What you need}

3 cups 2% milk

1 (8.5 oz) box Jiffy corn muffin mix
2 T. butter

1 onion, chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

2 quarts chicken broth

2 small chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 " cubes

2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

3 cups frozen corn (not thawed)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 Tb dried parsley)

salt and pepper, to taste

Mix milk and muffin mix in bowl until well combined. Meanwhile, heat butter in large pot over medium heat until foaming. Add onion and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, chicken (raw) and sweet potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked and sweet potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in milk and muffin mixture and simmer until soup thickens (can take up to 10 minutes although mine thickens immediately) Add cheese and corn and cook until cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.



Crock Pot Beef Stew

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This is the easiest stew ever, and it is so hardy and delicious! Perfect for fall! You can load it chalk full of all your favorite stew veggies. Next time I make it I'll put sweet potatoes in it, onions, and maybe some squash. Oh and of course loads of mushrooms. I told John the other day that my headstone should read "That would be better with mushrooms." I say that about practically every recipe. This recipe comes from a great cookbook, The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

{What you need}

1 pound beef stew cubes

4 carrots, sliced

4 medium potatoes, cut in large chunks

1 (1-oz) package dry onion soup mix

2 (10.75-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup 

(you could get light soup to make the stew healthier)

1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

1 (10-oz) package frozen green peas

Mix all liquid ingredients in a medium bowl. Add all ingredients to a slow-cooker and cook on low for up to 12 hours.

Mama Henrie debuted (who'd a thought that's the past tense spelling of debut?!?!) this on Sunday and everyone looooooved it. I'm not even huge into stew, and this rocked my world.