Turkey Taco Salad

I was watching the Neely's the other day and watched them make this recipe with chicken. It looked delicious. One of those recipes where you wish we could at least have smell-a-vision! I ended up making this yesterday but used ground turkey instead of the chicken because the store I was at was out of ground chicken. Well, I was not disappointed. It was so tasty and I felt like I was eating healthy!

Turkey Taco Salad
adapted from Down Home with the Neely's

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
1 pound ground turkey (or chicken if preferred)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 (15-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
season to taste (onion/garlic powder, tony chachere's, salt/pepper)

1/4 cup low fat yogurt
1/2 cup salsa

1 heat of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup tortilla strips
1/2 cup cheese (whatever kind you prefer)
1 small handful cilantro leaves (1/4 cup)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet. Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeno. Saute until tender (3-4 minutes)
2. Add turkey and cook until browned, breaking up with spook as it cooks.
3. Add in seasonings and beans. Cook until warmed through.

4. Mix the yogurt and salsa together in a small bowl for the dressing


5. Toss the lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes, tortilla strips, and cheese together in a large bowl. Top with turkey mixture and dress with yogurt and salsa mixture. Enjoy!!

Mini Pecan Pies

These bring back memories of elementary school. My dad used to make pecan pies for my teachers. I remember them raving about about how good they were. Pecan pies are by far one of my most favorite desserts! Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Mini Pecan Pies

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes mini pastry shells (16 total)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup pecan pieces

Directions:

1. Beat eggs well. 
2. Add melted butter, sugar, flour. Stir together
3. Add syrup, vanilla and pecans.
4. Pour into unbaked pastry shells evenly distributing the mixture between shell
5. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes

Pork Stir Fry

Sweet and Sour Pork

From Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons sugar, plus a pinch
• 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 3 scallions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cups snow peas, cut in half

Directions

Toss the pork with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, the soy sauce, cornstarch, ketchup, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/3 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in another bowl.

Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the pork and slowly stir until it turns mostly opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Discard the oil and wipe out the skillet.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the skillet, then stir-fry the garlic with a pinch each of salt and sugar, 15 seconds. Add the carrots and scallions and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 minutes. (Add a little water if the garlic starts to stick to the skillet.) Add the pork, snow peas and soy sauce mixture; stir until the pork is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.

Roasted Potatoes

I adapted this recipe from one of Martha Stewart's recipes. It is super easy and oh so yummy! I served these with pan fried turkey breasts and peas.

Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:
1/4 pound small yellow potatoes
2 tbsb olive oil
seasonings to taste

Directions:
Boil potatoes in a large pot of water and a dash of salt until potatoes are fork tender (~20 minutes)
Coat a rimmed cookie sheet with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Drain potatoes and place on a cookie sheet.
Using a fork gently press down/smash each potato.
Brush the remaining olive oil over the tops of each potato.
Season with your favorite seasonings (I used a 20 blend seasoning mix from Costco...one of the best buys ever and some sea salt)
Bake in 450 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are a golden brown color. The skin should be slightly crispy.

Pork Chops and Fried Rice

This is a recipe that my mom made while I was growing up. I actually had to call her today to make sure I remembered the recipe correctly. Another really easy recipe with lots of flavor. The key here is to make sure not to over cook the pork chops.

Pork Chops and Fried Rice

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork chops
1 cup uncooked rice
3 eggs
3 tbsp chopped cooked bacon
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
season to taste (garlic powder, onion powder, pepper)

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add rice and boil rice for about 14 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Lightly season pork chops with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of soy sauce.
3. Brown pork chops on both sides and set aside.
4. In another pan, scramble eggs, then add cooked bacon (I used precooked bacon found on the salad dressing isle), rice, and green onions.
5. Season mixture with soy sauce and any additional seasonings. I usually just taste it until it's seasoned enough.
6. Pour rice mixture into a 9x13 glass dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Flatten rice in dish and place pork chops on top.
7. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until pork chops are no longer pink.

Boudin Stuffed Chicken Breasts

One of my favorite foods is boudin. My dad has been making lots of homemade boudin and brought some over the last time he and my mom visited. I really wasn't in the mood to grill outside, which is the way we normally cook our boudin, so I had to think of another way to cook the boudin. As I researched on the internet I came across a Manda recipe for boudin stuffed chicken breasts. I adapted it slightly adding a little more seasonings and it came out delicious! Hope you enjoy.

Boudin Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, pounded out to get an even thickness
2 links of boudin, removed from the casing
1/2 can cream of chicken
Seasoning to taste (just salt and pepper works here)

Directions:
1. Mix the boudin and cream of chicken in a small bowl
2. Lightly season both sides of the chicken and place a couple of spoonfuls of boudin on the chicken.
3. Roll the chicken with the boudin inside and secure with toothpicks
4. Grill (I used an indoor grill pan) the chicken for about 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink. Make sure you flip the chicken over several time to ensure even cooking.

**Next time I make this I am going to wrap the stuffed chicken breasts with bacon and then cook them.

Fried Chicken with Mac and Cheese

I'm babysitting a friend's daughter and she loves chicken tenders and macaroni. I decided to make fried chicken tenders with mac and cheese for her. Definitely an "unhealthy" meal but I'll make up for it the rest of the week (hopefully). This was my first attempt at making a sauce for the mac and cheese instead of just putting cheese on the pasta. It came out good but still needs some tweaking.

Fried Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken tenders
~ 1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
Oil
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, place in a large bowl and cover with buttermilk. Sometimes I add a little hot sauce to the buttermilk to add a some heat. Let sit for about an hour.
2. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Season heavily with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. If you like a little heat you can add cayenne pepper as well.
3. In a large skillet, over med-high heat, heat enough oil so that the chicken tenders will be covered when placed in the oil.
4. When oil is hot, (test with a little water-if it bubbles it's ready), Coat chicken in seasoned flour and add to oil. Cook until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and drain on paper towels. You may need to work in batches.

3 Cheese Mac and Cheese



Ingredients:
1/2 box (1/2 pound) whole wheat penne rigate pasta
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fontina cheese
1/2 cup monteray jack cheese
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne powder

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large bowl toss cheeses together to mix.
4. In a medium sized sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth and slightly bubbly. Whisk in milk and stir in seasonings. Let come to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes, stirring to prevent lumps. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of cheese mixture. Stir to combine
5. In pasta pot, Stir together pasta and cheese sauce. Pour half pasta into baking dish. Cover with 1/2 remaining cheese. Pour remaining pasta on top and cover with remaining cheese.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Increase heat to broil and cook 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.

Baked Garlic and Green Chili Cheese Grits

Being a southern girl I grew up on grits, both for breakfast and dinner. For breakfast, I remember getting ready for school and my grandma having a bowl of grits and toast ready for me when I got to her house. For dinner, after a fishing trip my mom fried the fish and always served them with grits (my favorite part of the dinner!) This is a slightly different version from the plain grits that my mom used to make. They are delicious. And if you are one of those who have never tasted grits before this recipe is for you. Once you try them you will fall in love with grits!

Not the best picture because I took this the day after. I'll update the next time I make this dish.

Baked Garlic and Green Chili Cheese Grits


Ingredients:
3-4 cloves of garlic
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 cups regular grits
12 ounces cheese (any cheddar, I used sharp)
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs (beaten)
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (4 oz) can green chilies
8 ounces white cheddar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Roast garlic cloves for about 20 minutes or until soft.
Meanwhile, bring chicken broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a boil.
Remove garlic from cloves and set garlic aside.
Add grits to boiling water, whisking to prevent clumps. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 8-10 minutes or until thickened.
Add cheese and milk and stir until combined.
To add eggs you will need to temper them first. To do this take a spoonful of grits and add it to the eggs. Stir to gradually heat up the eggs without "cooking" them.
Add egg/grits mixture to the rest of the grits. Add butter, green chilies, and garlic until combined.
Pour grits into a greased 4 quart casserole dish.
Cover with white cheddar.
Bake 35-40 minutes or until set.

Creamy Chicken and Rice

One of my favorite foods is rice. I love it with just about anything so I am always looking for new recipes that can be served with rice. This dish is fairly versatile. You can play around with the vegetables and seasonings to change it up to suit your taste buds.

Creamy Chicken and Rice


Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in strips)
1 can chicken broth
1 1/2 cans cream of chicken
1/2 can peas
1 tbsp parsley (dry or fresh)
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
tony chachere's

Directions:
1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and tony chachere's
2. Over medium high heat, heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and saute until soft (about 5 minutes)
3. Add chicken to skillet and brown on all sides
4. Add chicken broth and cream of chicken. Stir to combine. Add parsley. Reduce heat to low
5. Let chicken simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
6. Add peas. Serve over cooked rice.

Copy Cat Chuy's Dip

If you're like me if you go to Chuy's in Houston you can't help but order their delicious Creamy Jalapeno dip. It's one of the best dips in town! This dip is a copy cat dip and tastes just as good as the real thing! Hope you enjoy!

Creamy Jalapeño Dip

Ingredients:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 (1 oz) pack dry ranch dressing mix
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 cup pickled jalapeños
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. lime juice

Directions:
Whisk mayonnaise, milk, sour cream, and ranch dressing mix.
Use a food processor to combine green chilies, jalapeños, and cilantro.
Add mayo mixture to food process along with the salt, garlic powder, and lime juice.
Mix to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors combine.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Creamed Spinach

As I was growing up this is a recipe that my dad used to make all the time. I used to never eat it because it had onions in it. Now that my pallate has significantly changed over the years it has become a favorite of my dad's many tasty recipes. It is pretty easy to make and in my opinion far surpasses any other creamed spinach I've tasted.

Hope you enjoy!

Creamed Spinach 

passed down from my dad

Ingredients

• 2 tbs oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 2 boxes frozen chopped spinach
• 1/2 box (4 oz) cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• ~4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp celery seed
• season to taste (salt,pepper, Tony's)
• 
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. Saute onions in oil until soft. 

3. While onions are cooking, place box of spinach in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Boil about 15 minutes. Drain completely and return to saucepan. 

4. Add cream of mushroom, onions, cream cheese, celery seed, and seasonings to spinach. 

5. Cook on medium about 5-10 minutes, or until ingredients are combined. 

6. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted

BBQ Chicken Foil Packs

This is hands down one of the easiest dishes to make. My friend from college shared this recipe with me and I have been making it ever since. So simple, yet packed with so much flavor.

BBQ Chicken Foil Packs


Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce (whatever your favorite is)
1 onion, cut in strips
1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, tony chacheres, salt, pepper)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Season chicken to your preference
3. On a large sheet of aluminum foil, place one chicken breast. Place the onion and bell pepper over the chicken. Cover the chicken with 1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce.
4. Fold the foil up to seal everything in. Place onto a cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, or until chicken is no longer pink.

This is best served with a baked potato, but since we are dieting I served it with a salad...boring I know but still a delicious meal!

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

In preparation for our upcoming wedding DJ and I have decided to change our eating habits. We are trying to stay away from all the starchy carbs and include healthier meals in our diet. I recently subscribed to Cooking Light magazine and have been throughly impressed with lots of their recipes. This one is a healthier version of a traditional Mexican beef casserole. It serves 8 and is only 331 calories per serving. Very delicious!


Mexican Chicken Casserole
adapted from Cooking Light 


Ingredients: 


Salsa:
8 plum tomatoes, halved
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, chopped
1 seeded jalapeno pepper, quartered
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
3 tbsp lime juice
1/8 tsp black pepper

Lasagna: 
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup diced zucchini
3 cups cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 (10 oz) can green chili enchilada sauce
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
12 (6 in) corn tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey pepper jack cheese
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler
2. Prepare salsa, place tomatoes, garlic cloves, small chopped onion, and seeded jalapeno on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes, or until charred. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place mixture into food processor; add cilantro, lime and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350
4. Prepare lasagna, heat large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, corn, bell pepper, and zucchini; saute 6 minutes or until tender.
5. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through green chiles); saute 2 minutes or until throughly heated. Remove from heat.
6. Spread 1/2 cup salsa over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of the tortillas over salsa. Spoon 1/2 chicken mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with 3/4 cup salsa and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers beginning with tortillas, ending with cheeses.
7. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, until bubbly.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

This is another easy dessert that is very versatile. You can change all the ingredients to combine your favorite flavors. My sister and I put this combination together.

Red Velvet Cake Balls

Ingredients:

1 box moist red velvet cake mix

1 container Betty Crocker rainbow chip frosting

1 cup white chocolate

assorted sprinkles

Directions:

1. Bake cake according to box directions.

2. Once baking is complete crumble warm cake in a large bowl. Add container of frosting and mix completely.

3. Form cake into quarter-sized balls. Freeze balls for about 1 hour, or until firm.

4. Melt white chocolate in microwave for about 1 minute or until completely melted.

5. Cover frozen balls with white chocolate. Top with sprinkles before chocolate begins to harden. You will need to do this pretty quickly since the balls are frozen the chocolate hardens very fast. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tip: We found the easiest way to coat the cake balls is to poke the bottom of the ball with a toothpick, then dip top into the white chocolate. Use a spoon to get the cake ball off the toothpick and place on a cookie sheet with wax paper.

Other yummy combinations:

*strawberry cake/cream cheese frosting/white chocolate or dark chocolate coating

*chocolate cake/chocolate frosting/dark chocolate coating

*spice or carrot cake/cream cheese frosting/white chocolate coating

*yellow cake/butter cream frosting/chocolate coating

Chocolate Drop Pretzels

I got this recipe from a friend at work. These are so easy to make (definitely kid friendly) and taste so yummy. How can you go wrong with pretzels, chocolate, and caramel?

Chocolate Drop Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 bag of Rolo candies

1 bag mini pretzels

1 cup whole pecans

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Line pretzels on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Top each pretzel with a Rolo on the center.

4. Bake for 5 minutes, or until chocolate begins to melt.

5. As soon as you remove from oven top each with a pecan, smashing down the Rolo onto the pretzel.

6. Melt white chocolate chips in microwave until melted. Drizzle white chocolate over Rolo pretzels for decoration.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle

Adapted from Taste of Home Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 box family size brownie mix

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 package (10 oz) peanut butter chips

4 1/4 cups cold milk, divided

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 packages (5.9 oz each) instant chocolate pudding mix

1 carton (12 oz) cool whip, thawed

1/4 cup mini Reese's pieces

Directions:

1. Prepare brownie mix according to directions, add pecans or walnuts to the mix. Pour batter into a greased 13x9 baking pan.

2. Bake according to box directions. Cool on a wire rack.

3. In a heavy sauce pan, combine peanut butter chips, 1/4 cup milk, and cream. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted. Remove from heat, add vanilla. Cool to room temperature.

4. In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 4 cups of milk and pudding mixes for two minutes. Let stand for two minutes or until soft-set.

5. To assemble: crumble 1/2 the brownie mixture into a 4 qt. trifle bowl. Pack the brownie mix down into the bottom of the bowl. Layer 1/2 the peanut butter sauce, pudding, and cool whip; repeat layers.

6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Sprinkle with Reese's pieces just before serving.

Cheddar Jalapeño Beer Bread

OK...so here is my first attempt at making bread from scratch and it came out really good. The dough was a little dense but that is certainly something I can work on. The taste was fantastic. I got this recipe from one of my friends at work and adapted it slightly. Thanks Meredith!

Cheddar Jalapeño Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups self rising flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 12 ounce beer

2 tbsp diced jalapenos

3/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a large bowl combine flour and sugar until mixed

3. Slowly add beer to the bowl stirring slightly

4. Add in jalapenos and cheese and mix until dough forms a ball. It will be a little sticky.

5. Shape dough and place into a 5x9 loaf pan

6. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

I love anything with rice but one of my favorite things to eat is gumbo. It's just a perfect way to warm you up on a cold day. This is the first I've made this year but know there will be plenty more to come.

I know it's cheating a bit but I always use jarred roux. You can definitely make your own if you want to take the time. I just think the jarred is a little easier. You always want to make sure you include the trinity of New Orleans cooking: ONION, BELL PEPPER, and CELERY. You can hardly find a good cajun recipe without those three. Also make sure you have a big enough stock pot. For this time around I tripled the recipe since we had pe

ople coming over to watch the Alabama LSU game, which we won by the way! GEAUX TIGERS!! Anyway, I ended up having to transfer a third of the gumbo to another pot because when I tried to add all the meat it was almost overflowing. Definitely compensate for the meat and veggies when you are figuring out the water level. We also like our gumbo very meaty so I tend to go a little overboard on the meat. It's totally up to you how much you use.

Just a suggestion...DJ's family loves to eat their gumbo with a serving of potato salad. Just make your plate and spoon the potato salad right on top of it. I've never tried it but they claim it's the only way to eat gumbo. Just thought I'd throw that out there for anyone who wants to try something different.

The Cajun Trio:

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

8 quarts of water

1 16 oz jar of roux (or you can make your own)

2 large yellow onion, chopped

2 green bell peppers, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 pounds of chicken breasts

1-2 pounds of andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (if you can't find andouille use a high quality smoked)

season to taste with pepper, Tony Chachere's, cayenne pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder

Directions:

1. Combine water and roux in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and boil for about 30 minutes or until roux is completely dissolved. Make sure to stir constantly so the roux doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

2. While the roux is dissolving, saute the veggies in a small amount of olive oil until tender.

3. Add veggies, sausage, and chicken to boiling water/roux. Reduce heat and simmer on low for about 2 hours. The longer you cook it the better the flavors mend.

4. While cooking, season to taste.

5. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

I had been craving these cookies for while. I saw this recipe on the Betty Crocker website and decided to try them. They are extremely easy and very tasty. I only made one batch this time and they were all eaten in no time. I should have definitely made two batches.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

adapted from Betty Crocker

1 package (1 lb 1.5 oz) Sugar Cookie Mix

2 tbsp flour

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Combine cookie mix, flour, egg, and butter. Stir until a soft dough forms.

In a seperate bowl combine sugar and cinnamon

Roll dough into balls and cover with sugar/cinnamon mixture

Bake for 10-11 minutes

Weeknight Simple Tortilla Soup

It's starting to get a little cooler here in Houston, though that's not saying too much (it's currently 57 F). Anyway...it's a nasty rainy day which seemed perfect for soup. This is one of my favorite soups and it super easy! Definitely good for a middle of the week dinner after a long day of work.

Weeknight Simple Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 package Bear Creek Tortilla Soup Mix (or any other tortilla soup mix)

4 cups chicken broth

6 cups water

1 can original Rotel

1 small can chopped chilis

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 package frozen corn

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

1/2 tbsp. onion powder

1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

Optional Toppings:

sour cream

avacado

salad tortilla strips

cheese

pica de gallo

Directions:

1. Bring chicken broth and water to a boil in a large pot

2. Once boiling, whisk in soup mix until combined

3. Reduce heat to low

4. Add remaining ingredients

5. Let simmer for about 30 minutes

6. Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

Goes great with homemade cheese quesadillas.