Fall Food

I don't know if it's the change in weather or the fact I have left the just-had-a-baby-therefore-cannot-perform-daily-chores coma, but I have been doing some cooking in recent weeks.  And the theme of my cooking has been soups.  I've made regular chili, but I've also made a few variations of chili and I thought I would share the recipes for all to enjoy.

Both of these soups received 2 thumbs up from my husband.  And a word of warning the Chicken Taco Soup is pretty spicy.

Chicken Taco Soup (via Allrecipes)

Soup Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) can chili beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 oz) can chicken broth (or beer)
2 (10 oz) rotel, undrained
1 package taco seasoning (or make your own see recipe below)
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Taco Seasoning Ingredients (recommended):
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper


Directions:

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and rotel in a crockpot.  Add taco seasoning, stir to blend.  Lay chicken on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients.  Cook on low for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup and shred.  Stir the shredded chicken into the soup and continue cooking for 2 hours.
3. Serve topped with cheese, sour cream, and crushed chips.

White Bean Chicken Chili (via Jodi Lambert)

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1.5 tsp. garlic powder
2 (15.5 oz) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilis
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic
2. Add beans, chilis, broth, and seasonings to cooked chicken
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes
4. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and whipping cream. 
5. Serve and enjoy the deliciousness.

And true to my nature what's a meal without dessert?  This is a simple dessert that was wonderfully moist and lemony.

Lemon Burst Cookies (Tidy Mom via Pinterest)

Ingredients:
1 box lemon cake mix
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip
1 egg
1/3 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a bowl beat cool whip, egg, and cake mix until well blended.  Dough will be thick and sticky.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls into a bowl of powdered sugar and roll to coat.
4. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.