White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
One pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast cubed (Or one rotisserie chix torn into small pieces)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 15.5 oz cans of Great Northern Beans, drained
1 14 oz. can chicken broth
1 7 oz can green chilies chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (omit if you don't want the heat)
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions:
In a large pot saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in vegetable oil, cook until chicken is no longer pink (or if using rotisserie chicken, cook until chicken is heated all the way through). Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and whipping cream. Serve immediately. Top with cheese, green onions, and sour cream.

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 c. chicken broth
2-3 cups coconut milk
10 slices of fresh galangal (similar to ginger)
4 stalks lemongrass, smashed and cut into 2" lengths
6 green Thai chiles, cut in half crosswise
8 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 tsp of sugar (omit if you want to)
1/2 c. drained canned straw mushrooms
1/2 c. sliced bamboo shoot
3 T. fish sauce
1/4c. fresh lime juice, or to taste
1/4 c. cilantro
2 c. cooked jasmine rice

In a large pan, combine chicken, stock, coconut milk, sugar, galangal, lemongrass, chiles, and lime leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce and simmer for 20 min. *Strain soup and place back in sauce pan. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots, stir well. Raise heat to high and bring to boil. Add fish sauce, lime juice and then taste to adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls filled with jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro.

*the galangal lemongrass and lime leaves are meant for flavoring and are too tough to eat, so you can just strain the soup. However, you can skip this step and just leave it in if you like.

Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients

1 can cream of chicken
1 cup shredded cheese 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. sour cream
1/3 c. onion or 2 Tbsp minced onion
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 32 oz. package of frozen hash browns
1/2 c. crushed cornflakes

Mix all ingredients together except the cornflakes Put in a 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, stir and add cornflakes on the top. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Grasshopper Cake

**Taken from Whitney's blog**

Hey Amy! Here's that cake recipe:

1 package mint sandwich cookies (Oreo or store brand)
Reserve 1/3 of the crumbs for sprinkling

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 container Mint Moose Tracks Ice Cream

1 large container of Cool Whip

1 Symphony bar with almonds and toffee pieces, chopped

1 jar of hot fudge sauce

Instructions:

Mix 2/3 of the crushed cookies with 1/4 c. melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom of a greased spring form pan or a 9X13 pan

Scoop out half of the container of ice cream and spread over crust using your scoop (your hands will melt the ice cream)

Layer the remaining 1/3 of the crumbs on top

Layer remaining ice cream on top of this, leveling out with your scoop

Layer the Cool Whip on top

At this point you may want to put the cake in the freezer for a while as it will be kind of melty at this point.

Now pour the chocolate syrup over the top. If you heat up the jar of chocolate sauce, it will cause the cake to melt a bit (it still tastes good though). A couple of other options are to use some Hershey Chocolate Syrup, or make a home made sauce that can cool and still be runny enough to pour over the top.

Now sprinkle the crushed Symphony Bar over the top and put the cake back in the freezer until ready to serve.

Cottage Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. To make meat filling: Place a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble in ground beef and saute 1 minute. Add onion and carrot, then continue to saute until meat is no longer pink and onion begins to brown, about five minutes. Mix in flour, cinnamon, mixed herbs, and parsley.
3. In a small bowl, combine beef broth and tomato paste. Mix together, then add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of liquid has been absorbed. Spoon mixture into a 9 inch pie plate.
4. To make potato topping: Place diced potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and place over high heat. Allow to come to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain.
5. Mash potatoes until smooth, then add butter or margarine, followed by milk. Whip until fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until top is browned and cheese is bubbly.

(Alternate instant potatoes for steps 4 &5 for a quicker preparation)

Hot fudge sauce (mom's)

1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 c. canned milk
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir sugar and cocoa together in a sauce pan on stove over low heat. Don't let it melt! Add milk and butter. Bring to rapid boil for 2 minutes. Take off heat and add vanilla.

Yield: 2 cups

See's Fudge or Powdered sugar fudge

2 eggs well beaten
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. butter (one and a half cubes)
1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Melt together: butter and chocolate chips.

Mix together: eggs, powdered sugar (one at a time), vanilla, and salt.

Add chocolate and butter mixture to egg mixture.

Pour into greased 9X9 pan and regrigerate 3-5 hours.