Thursday, April 29, 2010

Jenny's Turkey Chili

I have been trying really hard to eat healthier.  Some days I do better than others.  This is one of my new favorite meals and it is super healthy!  It kind of has a lot of spices, but it is so worth it to make!  I like to freeze it in individual serving sizes and have it for lunch (if I remember to take it out of the freezer the night before).  It is one of those meals that is even better the next day after the flavors have all melded together!

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Jenny’s Turkey Chili


2 (generous) Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
20 oz. pkg ground turkey breast
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coriander
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (or more if you like it hotter)
1 cup chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 cans (15 oz) kidney, pinto and/or black beans, undrained


Place large pot over moderate heat and add olive oil. Add onions, garlic and peppers and cook until tender. Add mushrooms and cook a couple minutes longer. Add ground turkey breast and break it apart with a spoon while it cooks. Add spices, chicken broth, tomatoes and beans ( I happen to really like beans so I add 4 cans, draining my last can).  Stir together and simmer for at least 30-60 minutes.  You can use any garnish you like--I like to substitute plain greek yogurt for sour cream.  I can't even tell the difference!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Barbeque Beef Sandwiches

A definite crowd pleaser and so easy for a big group of people.  With this recipe, I got about 15 cups of shredded beef which makes at least 45 sandwiches!  If you don't want to make this much, I would decrease the sauce by one-third and use about 6 lbs. of meat.  It freezes really well which makes for some easy meals down the road!

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Barbeque Beef Sandwiches

10 lbs. chuck roast
Salt and pepper
2 onions
4 Tbsp. butter
3+ cups ketchup
1 ½ cups water
6 Tbsp. white vinegar
9 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. liquid smoke
3 Tbsp. mustard
¾ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp. lemon juice

For the sauce: melt butter on the stovetop. Add onions and cook until they soften. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put in refrigerator overnight to blend the flavors.

For the meat: season roast with salt and pepper. Place in a slow cooker (mine has a 6 qt. capacity) and cook on low 8-10 hours or until the meat is fork tender (mine cooked overnight for about 12 hours).

Drain liquid from crockpot (you may want to reserve about ½-1 cup of liquid just in case you want to add it back in later). Pull meat apart using 2 forks. Put shredded meat back in the crockpot along with the sauce you made the night before. If you think your meat needs more liquid, add some of the reserved liquid back in as well (I added about ½ cup reserved liquid). Put crockpot on low and let it heat through for a couple of hours.  Serve on buns.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Janelle's Famous Chicken Enchiladas

imk chicken enchiladas


I don't know who Janelle is, but I know that I LOVE her chicken enchilada recipe.  I wanted something different from the enchiladas that I always make, and I found this recipe over at Tasty Kitchen.  It is super yummy--ALL three of my children cleaned their plate!!!  That's pretty exciting for me!  Here's the recipe:


Janelle’s Famous Chicken Enchiladas


1-½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
26 ounces cream of chicken soup
7 ounces chicken broth
4 ounces chopped green chilies
¼ cups salsa verde, plus more for topping
1-½ Tbsp. chili powder (more or less depending on how spicy you like it)
1-½ tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
¾ cups sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese (use any kind you like)
10 whole flour tortillas


Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker. Top with:
cream of chicken soup
chicken broth
green chilies
1/4 cup salsa verde
chili powder
cumin
paprika
garlic powder
cayenne pepper (optional)


Cook on high for 3-4 hours, until chicken is cooked and tender. Remove chicken and shred. I use 2 forks and go to town. Add sour cream and 1/2 cup of cheese to the sauce left in the slow cooker. Spray a 9×13 dish and put a thin layer of the sauce mixture in pan. Spoon chicken and sauce into the tortillas and roll. (Make sure to leave enough sauce for the top.) Place seam side down in the dish. Top with more salsa verde (if you don’t like it spicy, skip this step). Top with remaining sauce and cheese. (If you run out of sauce, just mix some sour cream and cream of chicken with some spices.) Cover with foil.


Place in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, remove foil and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until bubbly.


Garnish with shredded lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes and green onions.