Brittany's Minestrone Soup

1/2-1 lb. spicy ground sausage
1 can green beans with liquid
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 can tomato soup (can also use tomato juice, sauce, etc.--anything with a tomato base)
1 tomato soup can of water
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
Chicken or beef broth (or water and bullion or granules)
3 oz. melon seed pasta (or any small pasta)

These instructions are from Brittany: In a large kettle or pot, brown ground sausage. Add green beans and tomatoes with liquid. Add carrots and potatoes. Allow to simmer while chopping zucchini and yellow squash. Add desired amount of chicken or beef broth to create the consistency you want. I just used water and chicken flavoring granules, beginning with 1 cup at a time until I reached the consistency that I wanted. Allow the soup to simmer until the vegetables are almost tender. Add pasta and continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked (the type of pasta you use will determine the length of time--look at the cooking instructions on the package). Ready to serve. Makes about 6 servings.

NOTE: This recipe is pretty hard to mess up. You can use any variation of vegetables that you want. This can be a vegetarian soup by omitting the sausage and replacing it with kidney beans or any other kind of beans.

Open-Faced Sandwich With Avocado

1 loaf ciabatta or French bread, sliced
sliced ham (one per sandwich)
sliced turkey (one per sandwich)
2 Roma (or other) tomatoes, sliced
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
Cheddar cheese, sliced or shredded

Sauce
1/2 C. mayo
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2-1 tsp. cumin (start with lesser amount and add to taste)
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Place bread onto a cookie sheet and broil until crisp, but not golden. Spread desired amount of sauce onto each slice of bread. Place a slice of ham and a slice of turkey on each slice of bread. Layer tomatoes, avocados, and cheese on top. Place sandwiches back into oven and broil until cheese is melted. Serve and devour at least 3.

Notes: We've already had these twice and they are now one of my favorites. I will have to take photos next time we make them. Taco seasoning could probably be used instead of cumin and chili powder for the sauce. Just add a small amount at a time until you achieve the taste you are looking for. This amount of sauce was actually enough for 1 1/2 loaves of French bread. We had this once with ciabatta bread and once with French bread. Any harder bread will be fine.

Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup

1 lb. chicken
1 cup dried black beans (or 2 cans, drained and rinsed)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen corn
1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup sour cream (to stir in at the end)
shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional)

If using dried beans, soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover plus two inches. In the morning, drain the water and rinse the beans. Add beans to a 4 quart or larger crockpot. Add chicken, broth, salsa, corn, mushrooms, and cumin. Stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 4-5 hours. Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with cheese, avocado slices, or cilantro as desired. Makes about 6-8 servings.

NOTES: We used canned beans. We also didn't have quite enough salsa or any mushrooms, so we just used what we had. B found this recipe on that crock pot blog (here). Tasty. I like chicken + salsa + black beans + corn.

Corn Flake Chicken

Ingredients
Chicken
Butter, melted
Corn flakes, crushed

Directions
This is a fairly simple recipe. Put the melted butter in one bowl and the corn flakes in another. Dip the chicken in the butter, then coat with crushed corn flakes. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until done (another 10 minutes or so).

Notes: Using the foil prevents the corn flakes from burning. The last ten minutes give them a little extra crispiness. This recipe adds some crunch to the chicken, but not a lot of additional seasoning. There are variations of the recipe online (like here) that use different spices and coatings to change the flavor.

Apple Sauce Chicken

4 frozen chicken breast halves or thighs
1 1/2 cups apple sauce
1 Tbsp dried onion flakes or 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Mix ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees until chicken is done. Or, cook in a crock pot on low 5-7 hours or high 3-4 hours. Makes about 4 servings.

NOTES: B found this recipe on a crock pot blog (here), but she baked it instead of cooking it in a crock pot. She also used onion powder instead of onion flakes. We both thought that it was tasty, but a bit unusual. I don't think I would make this when having company over, in other words, but it might be a nice change of pace for an occasional family meal. And according to that crock pot blog, the kids like it.

Chicken in a Blanket

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
12 refrigerator biscuits, each rolled out flat
1 cup bread crumbs, seasoned
8 ounces cream cheese
2 eggs

Mix together cream cheese and shredded chicken. Scoop some of mixture into each flattened biscuit and form biscuit into a ball to cover all of mixture. Beat eggs into a bowl and dip each biscuit in eggs and then coat with bread crumbs. Line a greased cookie sheet with biscuits and bake at 375 for about 12 minutes. Any leftovers can be frozen until ready to use.

NOTES: We found this recipe on the Simplify Supper web site (here). B made her own biscuit dough (see her recipe here) and bread crumbs. We both thought this was a tasty recipe, and B will probably make it again sometime. Halving the recipe made about 6 chicken balls.

Cafe Rio Style Pork

3 lb. pork roast, cooked and shredded
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 c. BBQ sauce
3/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. sugar

Cook roast in crockpot with 1 cup water on high till tender (about 3-4 hours); shred and season with 1 tsp. garlic salt, BBQ sauce, ketchup, and sugar. Let warm and serve!

Notes: I got this recipe from my sister, Jen. I'm not sure where she found it. B and I both liked it. It is really easy to make, but I don't think it is as tasty as real Cafe Rio pork. Apparently there are a lot of other Cafe Rio pork recipes online, so maybe we'll try another one in the future and make a comparison. We halved the recipe and had enough for at least 4 servings.

London Broil With Southwestern Marinade

1 London broil, about 2-4 lbs.
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. cumin

Place meat in a shallow dish (we used a crockpot). Make marinade by mixing dressing, lime juice, honey, and cumin. Pour over meat, turning to coat well. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, at least 8-10 hours.

NOTES: Typically London broil is a good meat for broiling (hence the name), but we cooked it in the crockpot for about 4 hours on high. Slow cooking the meat makes it more tender. The recipe for this marinade was on the London Broil package along with a couple of others. There are plenty of other marinade recipes to be found online if southwestern doesn't sound good.

Easy Stroganoff

1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
onion powder
salt
pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Cook ground beef. Add cream of mushroom soup and a little water until soup sauce is at desired consistency. Add onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, then add approx. 1/2 cup sour cream just before serving. Serve over pasta, noodles, or rice. Makes about 4 servings.

Zippy Chicken Enchiladas

1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can green chilies, small can
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
6 Tortillas

Mix the soup, sour cream and green chilies in a bowl. Spoon filling onto edge of each tortilla then top with chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Fold into enchiladas and place in a coated 9x13 pan. Spoon any extra ingredients on top of enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Make 6 enchiladas.

Notes: We found this recipe here, on a website called Simplify Supper. Looks like a pretty neat site. B cooked the enchiladas for 20 minutes uncovered, and then for 20 more minutes covered with aluminum foil. The bottom of the enchiladas were a little crispy, but B thinks that would be solved by putting some extra sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Honey Barbecue Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
seasoned salt
garlic salt
pepper
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour

Slice chicken into 1/2 inch strips (can use any size or type to suit your needs, works well with wings). Place the chicken in a in large bowl and coat with Worcestershire. Sprinkle with seasoned salt, garlic salt and pepper. Put oil into frying pan and heat to med/high to fry chicken. In a bowl, coat pieces of chicken with flour. Fry chicken in a skillet with oil on medium/high heat until golden brown. Mix BBQ sauce and honey in a small bowl. Place chicken on a cookie sheet or oven pan. Brush or drizzle BBQ mix over chicken and bake at 400F for 10 min. Remove chicken - baste again with BBQ mix and return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Makes about 4 servings.

NOTES: B found this recipe here. We forgot to coat our chicken with flour, so the picture doesn't match exactly what this recipe should look like. Even without the flour, this was tasty.

Savory Baked Chicken Breasts

1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. sage
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 cups fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

At least 4 hours before baking, combine sour cream and lemon juice in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in a shallow bowl and pour mixture over chicken. Cover and refrigerate.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine salt, seasoned salt, paprika, sage, garlic salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Mix in bread crumbs. Dip chicken breasts in crumb mixture to coat all sides. Arrange in baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over top. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes to brown. Makes 8 servings.

NOTES: Recipe from the Lion House Christmas cook book. I didn't follow the instructions very closely when I made this last week. I didn't marinate the chicken for 4 hours, I used crushed saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs, I made a smaller amount of chicken and guessed on the proportions of ingredients, I didn't have sage, and I baked it for a shorter time at a higher temperature covered with a glass lid instead of foil. I still enjoyed the flavor, but I think following the directions would probably make it much more "savory."

Barbecue Spare Ribs

1 lb. pork spare ribs

Barbecue Sauce:
1 can tomato soup
3/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 medium onions, sliced
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cloves

Mix ingredients together and pour over meat. For spare ribs, bake 2 hours at 350 degrees. Makes about 4 servings.

NOTES: We put ours in the crockpot in the morning and let it cook all day. The BBQ sauce recipe comes from a recipe book that B's mom put together.

Macaroni and Beef Casserole

1 small package macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
salt and pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 can tomato paste (we used the 6 oz. size)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sherry (we just used water)
1 can tomato soup
grated cheddar or Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon leaf oregano

Toss cooked noodles in oil. Place in greased crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients, except cheese. Stir thoroughly. Sprinkle cheese over top. Cover and cook on low 4-8 hours or on high 2-3 hours. Makes 6 servings.

NOTES: We were low on groceries and short on time when I made this, so I changed a few things in the recipe. We didn't have celery, we used onion powder instead of a real onion, we only had 1 lb. of ground beef, and we added water in place of the sherry. We also cooked everything in a skillet, as seen in the photo. Despite the changes, it still turned out tasty. I found this recipe online somewhere a couple of years ago, but I don't remember where.

Oven-Fried Chicken

1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 finely crushed saltine or rich round crackers
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, or drumsticks)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

1. In a small bowl combine egg and milk. In a shallow dish combine crushed crackers, thyme, paprika, and pepper. Set aside. Skin chicken. Dip chicken pieces, 1 at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture.

2. In a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan, arrange the chicken, bone side down, so the pieces aren't touching. Drizzle chicken with the melted butter.

3. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees for breasts; 180 degrees for thighs and drumsticks). Do not turn chicken pieces while baking.

NOTES: Makes 6 servings. B and I halved the recipe, and we used boneless skinless chicken breasts. Recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th edition.

Instant Potato Soup

4 cups water
1 1/3 cups instant non-fat dry milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups instant potato flakes
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat water to almost boiling, using high heat setting. Turn off heat. Add instant milk, stir. Add butter, stir to melt. Add instant potato flakes, stir. Add seasoned salt, onion powder, and salt, mix well. Optional: garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, or parsley flakes. Makes 4 1/2 cups.

Variations: You can add cooked chopped broccoli or chopped ham.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg stuffing
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1 can green beans

Prepare stuffing according to package directions; set aside. Place chicken in baking dish. Add a small amount of milk or sour cream if desired to cream soup, then mix with green beans. Pour soup and beans over chicken. Cover with stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is done. Serves 4-6.

Note: Years ago, Stove Top used to put a recipe like this on the back of the stuffing box. It was the first recipe that I remember making on my own, and is still one of my favorites. It is also tasty with broccoli instead of green beans, or just cream soup. One time I made it with cornbread-flavored stuffing and used chili in place of cream soup.  For a variation, use turkey instead of chicken. (Great with Thanksgiving leftovers.)

Cooker Chops

4 pork chops
10 3/4-oz can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1. Put chops in slow cooker.
2. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chops.
3. Cover. Cook on High 3-4 hours, or Low 8-10 hours.
Variation: Add one sliced onion to mixture.

Notes: Up until this entry, B and I had personally made all the recipes on this blog. This is my first exception. Jill and Brett had us over for dinner last Saturday and made this for us. Thanks, Jill and Brett! Jill mentioned that she liked this better when served over potatoes.

Chicken Roll Ups

Crescent roll dough (we used 2 of the large crescent roll packages)
chopped/shredded cooked chicken (we used 1 large can)
cream cheese
shredded cheese
sour cream
crushed rosemary
pepper
season salt
chopped fresh spinach (optional)

Start by mixing the cream cheese, sour cream, rosemary, pepper, and salt together. Add the chicken, shredded cheese, and chopped spinach. It should stick together in mounds and not run all over. Scoop the filling onto the fat end of the crescent rolls. Roll up and seal the edges. Sprinkle with rosemary if desired. Bake at the temperature indicated on the crescent roll package until golden on top.

Variation: use tuna fish instead of chicken.

Notes: Quick, easy, and very tasty. B got this recipe from her sister, and it didn't come with exact amounts. If I remember, I will ask B how much of everything she used. The ingredients we used made 12 roll ups.

Chicken Gumbo Sloppy Joes

Ingredients
1 lb. hamburger
1 can Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup
ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar to taste

Directions
Cook hamburger; drain. Mix in soup and boil for a while until it is no longer runny. Add ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar to taste. Serve on hoagie or hamburger buns. Makes enough for 4-6 sandwiches.

Notes:  This is the way B's mom makes sloppy joes. I liked it enough to have seconds, even though we ran out of buns. Updated 10/16/11 with a new photo.

Fettuccine alla Carbonara

6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces dried fettuccine or linguine (we only had spaghetti, so that's what we used)
1 beaten egg
1 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a saucepan combine egg, half-and-half, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until egg mixture just coats a metal spoon (about 6 minutes); do not boil. Immediately pour sauce over pasta; stir gently to coat.
4. Add cooked bacon, Parmesan cheese, and parsley; stir gently to combine. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.

Note: Brittany and I thought this could have used a bit more flavor, but we didn't have as much Parmesan cheese as the recipe called for. Recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th edition. Makes 4 servings.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs (1)

Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
3/4 C. rolled oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 C. finely chopped onion
1/4 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
Few grains of pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Sauce
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. vinegar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/4 C. barbecue sauce

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients; mix well.
2. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in
casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below).
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Notes: This recipe can also be cooked in a crockpot for several hours on low. Very tasty!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 C. flour
2 Tbs. packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 C. milk
1/2 C. pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

*Substitution for 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4
tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. allspice, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg


Directions:
1. Sift together together dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, egg, and vegetable oil
and mix well.
3. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Do not over-mix. Batter
should be slightly lumpy.
4. Cook like normal pancakes on a hot griddle. Top with pumpkin maple
syrup (recipe below) when ready to serve.

Pumpkin Maple Syrup
Combine together the following ingredients:
1 C. maple syrup
1 1/4 C. pumpkin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (could also use pumpkin pie spice, or other spices to taste)

Baked Apple French Toast with Caramel Sauce

1 loaf French bread, sliced in 1 1/2 inch slices
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 medium apples, peeled and sliced (Fuji, Jonathan, or Granny Smith)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 recipe caramel sauce (see below)

The night before serving, coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer bread slices on the bottom of the pan. Combine milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat well and pour over bread slices. Place apple slices on top of bread. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered about 50 minutes; remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Serve toast hot, topped with caramel sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.

NOTE: I am made this for breakfast for B on her birthday. It was yummy! We used the thinner sliced bread that we already had instead of French bread, and halved all the ingredients. We also only used 2 Granny Smith apples. I didn't notice the instruction to peel the apples, and I didn't know that's what you normally do when baking apples, so I left the peels on. I liked it that way, though. We had some leftover caramel sauce that B had made with a different recipe, so we used that instead. Recipe from the Lion House Christmas cookbook.

Variation: Replace the apples with peaches and top with syrup and powdered sugar after serving instead of caramel sauce.

Chicken and Biscuits

2 medium chicken breasts
1 to 1 1/2 cup mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 can of water
corn starch to thicken gravy
1 recipe biscuits (see below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken and vegetables (we boiled the chicken). Cube chicken. Make gravy by mixing cream of chicken soup, water, and corn starch in a pot over medium heat. Mix chicken and vegetables into gravy, bring to a boil. Pour gravy mixture into baking dish. Place biscuits on top of mixture. Bake at 450 degrees until biscuits are golden brown (10 to 15 minutes or so).

Notes: This is something that B's mother used to make. Made enough for two hungry people with some left over. For variation, try turkey instead of chicken.

Biscuits
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/4 cup shortening

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Cut in shortening until it is like course crumbs, then add milk. Stir quickly with fork just until dough follows fork around bowl. Turn onto lightly floured surface (dough should be soft). Knead gently 10 to 12 strokes. Roll or pat dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut into round shapes (I did this with a small cup).

Calico Beef and Bean Bake

1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped onion
2 20 oz. cans pork and beans
1 16 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 16 oz. can butter beans
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste

Brown ground beef, bacon, and onion in a 12-inch skillet, drain off fat. Pour meat mixture into a baking dish or slow-cooker pot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook in baking dish in 325-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, or in an electric slow cooker set on low for 4 to 6 hours. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: Recipe from the Lion House Christmas recipe book, which someone gave us as a wedding gift. Very tasty.

Sour Cream and Dill Chicken

8 chicken pieces, skinned 

Pepper, to taste 

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

1 env. onion soup mix 

1 c. sour cream 

1 tbsp. lemon juice 

1 tsp. dried dill weed (or 1 tbsp. fresh) 

1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained 

Paprika 

Place chicken in a single layer in a 13x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with pepper. In bowl, combine soup, soup mix, sour cream, lemon juice, dill and mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hour or until chicken is tender. Serve over egg noodles or rice. Serves 6-8. NOTE: The first time we had this, the flavor of the onion soup mix was stronger than the flavor of the dill and sour cream. The second time, we used a different brand and it tasted better. We also used fresh mushrooms, which I liked better. Recipe from the Second Amendment Sisters cookbook.

Five Spice Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 lb. chicken
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon and crushed anise seed
1/8 tsp. each nutmeg and ground cloves

Place chicken in shallow glass or baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over chicken and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 350. Bake, uncovered, for at least one hour. Baste once or twice during cooking. Serves 6-8.

NOTE: We didn't have any anise seed, but we decided to try this anyway, so I guess our version was Four Spice Chicken. I still really liked it. B liked it, too, but not as much as I did. I think the dominant flavor was the cloves. I am interested in trying this again with the anise seed (black licorice flavor). We got this recipe from the Second Amendment Sisters recipe book that someone gave us as a wedding gift.

Hearty Western Casserole

1 lb ground beef (browned)
1 can corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can tomato soup
1 cup cheese (Colby)
¼ cup milk
1 tsp minced dry onion flakes (or 1/2 cup chopped onion)
½ tsp chili powder

Combine ingredients, put in crockpot and cook for 1 hr on low. Serves about 4 (although there might not be enough for seconds).

Notes: I got this recipe from Jill over the phone, so it may not be exact. She also mentioned that you can bake dinner rolls separately and serve on top. For us, 1 hr. on low wasn't enough time to warm it up all the way, but we used frozen corn. B and I both liked it. In fact, B said she really, really liked it.

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

1 lb. boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 can Campbell’s Southwest Style Pepper Jack soup
¼ cup water
8 flour tortillas (8”), warmed
Salsa

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cook chicken in nonstick skillet until done and juices evaporate, stirring often. Add soup and water and heat through. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on half of each tortilla to within ½” of edge. Moisten edge with water. Fold over and seal. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 5 min. or until hot. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa. Makes 8 quesadillas.

Note: This recipe is on the can of Campbell's Southwest Style Pepper Jack soup.