Easy Tortilla Soup

I was shocked at how good this tasted for how easy it was to make!  The flavor will vary depending on what kind of salsa verde you choose, but I went with the basic stuff I found in my regular grocery store and it turned out good.  Sour cream is a must.


1 12-ounce jar salsa verde
3 cups cooked chicken pieces
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained (I used northern beans)
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
Tortilla chips (optional)

Empty the salsa into a large saucepan. Cook 2 minutes over medium-high heat, then add the chicken, beans, broth, and cumin (if desired). Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top each bowl with a sprinkling of onions, a dollop of sour cream, and some tortilla chips (if desired). For a soupier dish, use 4 cups of broth.

Biscuit Pot Pie

Everyone loves pot pie, right?!  I made a few changes and used leftover turkey and homemade turkey stock in this yummy dish.  I chopped the veggies and made the biscuits earlier in the day, making this an easy dinner to put together on a busy afternoon.  Everyone in my family cleared their plates!  My husband and I both agreed that we could have used more filling, so I might double the veggies and add a bit more liquid next time.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced 
• 2 ribs celery, diced 
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups chicken broth or turkey stock
• 1 1/2 cups milk 
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme 
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 3 1/2 cups shredded chicken, or turkey 
• 1/2 cup frozen peas 
FOR THE BISCUITS 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes 
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 
  

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside. 
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add cold butter, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir using a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms. 
• Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10- by 7-inch rectangle, about 1-inch thick. Cut out 6-8 rounds using a 3-inch biscuit or cookie cutter. Place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet; set aside in the refrigerator. 
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. 
• To make the filling, melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, milk and thyme, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken and peas; season with salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Add chicken mixture to prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake for 15 minutes. Top with prepared biscuits and bake until tops are golden brown, an additional 10-12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Under a Brick

Earlier this month, Jessie and I did another menu swap, so I have lots of great new recipes to share as we wrap up 2014!  Each post this week will be from the menu Jessie gave me - everything was delicious!

My favorite thing about this chicken was that I discovered my girls and I share a love for banana peppers!  I would never have thought to make something for my family that starred banana pepper rings, but I'm glad I did because everyone enjoyed it!  I went easy with the sauce on the chicken pieces for the kids so it wouldn't be too spicy.  I usually cook meat too long, as I did with this, so the chicken was a tad dry, but that was totally user error.




4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
1T Dijon mustard
5 T EVOO, divided
3 T finely chopped banana pepper rings
2 T hot pickled pepper juice
Handful freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley 

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 
Combine crushed red pepper, mustard and about 2 tablespoons oil in a small dish. Slather the mixture over the skin of the chicken. Place chicken face down in a nonstick skillet. Set loose foil over chicken then a plate or smaller pan on top and weigh it down with a brick or heavy cans. Place pan over medium to medium-high heat and cook. 
After 18 minutes flip the chicken to get some color on the other side. Reduce the heat from medium to medium-low and cook for another 2 minutes, until cooked through. Remove weight, turn chicken over and sprinkle with chopped hot peppers then douse with pepper juice and top with parsley.