Slow Cooker Chicken & Black Bean Soup

Original Recipe HERE

This was a huge hit, which surprised me because I've made many variations on Mexican/chicken/bean soups before.  Before it was even served, *J* told me that it looked delicious.  I served it with everyone's favorite cornbread, and the only complaint I heard was when I cut them off from more helpings.

The seasonings can be adjusted for heat.  I kept it mild so the kids would eat it.  To make it easier, I could've just done some generous shakes of McCormick Southwest seasoning.

I gave the soup a few zaps with the immersion blender to make it thicker.  We ate it straight from our bowls with spoons, but it could be served over rice or scooped with tortilla chips if thickened enough.

Ingredients

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts [I cut each in half]

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained & rinsed

2 cans (15 oz each) corn, drained & rinsed

2 cans (10 oz each) diced tomatoes & chilis [I used mild Rotel]

1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1/2 Tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

4 large garlic cloves, minced [I did not use]

4 to 8 ounces cream cheese

garnishes: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, green onions, etc.

Directions

(1) Place all ingredients except for cream cheese into slow cooker.

(2) Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours, or until chicken is cooked.

(3) Remove chicken; shred.

(4) If desired, blend soup to desired consistency.  Return chicken to slow cooker.

(4) Add cream cheese; stir.  Heat until cream cheese is melted.

(6) Serve with garnishes.

Kid Participation: None.

Two-Ingredient Cream Cheese Dip

Original Recipe HERE

Possibly the easiest dip ever.  I didn't make this with the brand and flavor that the recipe used...there was no need to make a special trip just for that.  I got a "caramelized onion & balsamic" jelly from the grocery store and figured it was close enough.  The dip was very good, although a little sweet - which would be easily remedied by using a more savory jelly (or just using a relish like the recipe called for).  

Really, you can't go wrong here.  Even a fruit preserve + cream cheese = tasty, especially if scooped with something like graham crackers.  And now this post is going off on a tangent and it'll take longer to read it than make the actual dip, so I will wrap it up.

Ingredients

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature [I used Neufchatel]

1 jar (10 oz) pepper and onion relish

Directions

(1) In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy.

(2) Stir in the relish until thoroughly combined.

Kid Participation: Run mixer.

Creamy Spicy Pasta with Peppers and Sausage

Original Recipe HERE

 

I love alfredo sauces, but I'm the only one in the family.  I don't get it, since the ones I make involve Parmesan and cream cheese and butter and milk...all things the other members eat in spades.  So I thought this was a great pasta dish, but I couldn't tell what others felt.  They all ate their portions, because they contained pasta, and no one here can resist pasta...but the fresh vegetables were pushed to the sides of their plates until I reminded them that they had to finish what they were first served if they wanted any more pasta (which they were then allowed to pick the veggies out of).  I will definitely make it again, maybe subbing in peas or something else they're more likely to eat for one of the peppers.

 

Ingredients

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound smoked sausage
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin [I chopped]
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced and separated
2 colored bell peppers, halved and sliced thin [I chopped]
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1-1/2 cups water
8 ounces pasta
2 cups 1% milk
3 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning [I improvised with individual spices]
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1) Slice sausage in half lengthwise, then into 1/4" slices.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage; cook 2-3 minutes or until it begins to brown.

3) Add onions; cook until slightly softened.

4) Add 4 cloves of garlic and bell peppers.  Cook until the peppers are tender-crisp. Transfer the sausage and peppers to a large plate.

5) Add the tomatoes and water to the skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat.

6) Add the pasta.  Cover; reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until the pasta is al dente and the liquid is absorbed.

7) While the pasta is cooking, blend the milk, cream cheese, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and flour until smooth (I used a Magic Bullet).

8) In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic; cook 1-2 minutes or until tender and fragrant.

9) Add the blended mixture; cook until smooth and thickened into a sauce.

10) Remove the sauce from heat. Add the Parmesan cheese; stir until melted and smooth.

11) Add the peppers and sausage to the pasta/tomato mixture; stir to combine.

12) Add the garlic sauce to pasta or serve on the side.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Original Recipe HERE

 

I never ate fruit with dinner as a child, other than my mom's homemade applesauce.  It was her go-to side dish with pork chops and pot roast.  I never make either of those in my house, so eating fruit after 12:00pm never really crossed my mind.  Until I had kids.  Since mine love it, I don't have trouble getting (most) fruits into them every day.  But I understand if they get burned out on eating the same kinds, in the same forms, day after day.  Enter dip.

I always have the ingredients with this on hand, so when I'm stumped for a side dish, I can whip it up (literally) in the stand mixer in minutes.  I also send it with *N* for school lunches.  So far, we can attest that it's great with pears, apples, bananas, pineapples, cantaloupe, and red grapes.  It certainly takes the health benefits of the fruit down a notch, but variety is the spice of life, and I'm OK with it.

 

It works better if you plan more than 5 minutes ahead so (1) the cream cheese has time to soften enough, and (2) the brown sugar has time to dissolve (I recommend making a batch, letting it sit about 10 minutes, and giving it another quick blending to break up any remaining clumps of sugar).

 

Ingredients

1 block (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar [more or less, to taste]

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon [more or less, to taste]

 

Directions

(1) With a mixer or by hand, blend cream cheese until easily spreadable.

(2) Add sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Blend until well mixed.

 

Kid Participation:

* Mush up cream cheese

* Add other ingredients & stir

* Neglect other parts of dinner in favor of eating just fruit and dip

Lighter Alfredo Sauce

Original Recipe HERE

 

No, please keep reading.  "Lighter" and "alfredo" can go hand-in-hand, it seems.  I was shocked, too.

The nasty sludge in a jar keeps me from eating alfredo often, but I love me some awesome alfredo, pasta, and vegetables.  Bonus points if some bacon is thrown in.  So I was excited to have success with this recipe, and I've made it many times.  It makes more than enough to feed dinner to our family of five, and we have leftovers.  Also, the recipe is easy to cut in half, so...yay for portion control.  Because I would probably eat an entire saucepot of this on my own.

 

I keep meaning to add some tomato paste or other such product to see if I can achieve a slight cheesy vodka sauce result.  Also, the alfredo will thicken in the fridge, so adding milk and/or reheating it slowly (stovetop or mixed into an oven meal) will give the best next-day results.

 

Ingredients

2 cups low-fat milk [I use skim]
1/3 cups (3 oz) low-fat cream cheese
2 to 3 Tablespoons white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
2 to 3 garlic cloves
1 cups grated Parmesan cheese

 

Directions

(1) Put milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender (I used the Magic Bullet); blend until smooth.

(2) In medium saucepan on medium-high heat, melt butter.  Add garlic; saute about one minute or until slightly golden brown (do not allow to burn).

(3) Add blender mixture to pan.  Stir frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, or until it just begins to simmer.

(4) Cook several more minutes, stirring often, until thickened.  Be sure none is sticking to bottom of pan.

(5) Remove pan from heat.  Add Parmesan; stir.  Cover pot immediately; let stand at least 10 minutes to continue to thicken.  Add additional seasoning if desired.

 

Kid Participation: None.

Mexican-Style Brown Rice Casserole

Original Recipe: Weight Watchers (but tweaked)

This is an easy throw-together dish since I always have all the ingredients on hand. And if I don't, it's still forgiving and substitutions are easy.

The family all ate their servings of this dish (except *J*'s share of spinach). We just dug in with normal utensils, but this could also be served dip-style (scooped with chips) or perhaps even as filling for burritos or tacos.

Ingredients

4 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup salsa

1 teaspoon cumin [optional]

1 teaspoon garlic powder [optional]

2 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, softened [optional]

1 (15 oz) can refried beans [I used vegetarian, fat-free]

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn [I used 16 oz Trader Joe's roasted corn], thawed

1 (4 oz) can diced green chili peppers

1 Tablespoon chili powder [or to taste]

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart or 9x13" baking dish.

(2) In medium bowl, combine rice, salsa, cumin, garlic powder, and cream cheese. Evenly spread half of mixture on bottom of baking dish.

(3) In another bowl, combine beans, corn, peppers, and chili powder. Evenly spread over rice in dish.

(4) Layer spinach over bean mixture.

(5) Sprinkle cheese over spinach.

(6) Evenly spread remaining rice mixture on top.

(7) Cover; bake 20-30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Kid Participation:

* Combine various mixtures

* Spread mixtures (perhaps not so evenly)

* Sprinkle cheese

Buttercream Cream Cheese Frosting for Sugar Cookies

I developed this recipe by cobbling together several recipes I came across.  We used it at *N*'s fifth birthday party to decorate cookies.  It worked perfectly well, and I was glad to avoid the shortening that so many buttercream recipes call for - yet be able to have the "sturdiness" of the cream cheese to prevent the frosting from turning into a melted buttery mess.

It tasted good in that it was pretty standard frosting.  I was most interested in its functionality, however, and it delivered.  The night before the party, I used my mini ice cream scoop to put two Tablespoon-size balls of frosting in individual paper Dixie cups, thus making the serving of the frosting in the midst of the craziness much easier.

Update: I made a half-batch next time, and it was enough to cover about 30 sugar cookies, 2.5" in diameter.

Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

4 oz cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 4 Tablespoons half-n-half [or cream]

4 to 5 cups confectioner’s sugar

Food coloring [optional]

Directions

(1) In a large mixing bowl, soften butter & cream cheese almost to room temperature.

(2) Cream butter & cream cheese together until well blended.

(3) Add vanilla extract; mix thoroughly.

(4) Add 2 Tbsp half-n-half and food coloring.

(5) Add sugar, one cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.  Add additional food coloring if desired.

(6) Add remaining half-n-half if needed.

Kid Participation:

* Run mixer

* Dump ingredients into mixing bowl

* Constantly stick fingers into frosting and sample

Peanut Butter & Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

Original Recipe HERE

This is based on the recipe linked to above, but I have a similar recipe bookmarked that is peanut butter-based.  I added the yogurt and peanut butter of that one to this guy, and this is the end result.  It's a good fruit dip because the cream cheese and peanut butter ensure it won't be too sweet (unlike popular ones that involve Cool Whip or marshmallow fluff).  I thought it was a success, and my kids ate all of theirs and asked for more.

We dipped apple slices and grapes in it and would've used bananas next.  Also, I served carrots and broccoli with a separate dip alongside this, and my kids both dipped their vegetables in this one instead.  Whatever...as long as they're eating the green stuff, I don't care about the unorthodox fashion.  I think this would be good with graham crackers and Nilla wafers, in which case I might throw in some mini chocolate chips to make it more of a dessert dish.

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup plain or French vanilla yogurt

3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Fruit for serving

Directions

(1) Cream together cream cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.

(2) Add brown sugar and cinnamon.  Whisk or stir until sugar is dissolved. 

Kid Participation: Combine all ingredients.

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Original Recipe HERE

I was looking for a frosting recipe that was more interesting than a basic buttercream and thought this was seasonally appropriate.  Poor Husband; his birthday always is the guinea pig one where I try recipes I've never made before.  Luckily this one turned out well.  It's not sweet, so pairing it with the chocolate zucchini cake (which also wasn't very sweet) was a good match since I wasn't looking for a traditional sugar-laden dessert.  And if Husband didn't like it, there's always next year to try something new.  I'm sure he's already anticipating it with dread excitement.

I doubled it for a 9x13" sheet cake and it was more than enough.

Ingredients (for non-doubled recipe)

8 oz Philadelphia 1/3 fat cream cheese (do not use fat free)

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

5 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

Directions

(1) Allow cream cheese to soften to room temperature.

(2) Add pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and brown sugar to cream cheese.  Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth.

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Original Recipe HERE

These were really easy and really tasty.

I will give this recipe an extra shout-out for durability.  It was brought to a BBQ held on a day when the heat index was well over 100 degrees.  I was in a pool up to my neck and my head was still pouring sweat.  These were put out on a picnic table in direct sunlight, and my heart sank, knowing they'd be a melty mess within minutes.  Surprisingly, they held up really well.  Some condensation-type beads appeared on the top, but they stayed firm until I was able to move them into the air-conditioned kitchen.  I had ice-filled ziploc bags underneat the pan, so I'm sure that helped them stay cool...but the lesson is to not let the idea of cream cheese scare you from making these for a summer event.

Ingredients

2 cups finely crushed Oreo-type cookies
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

3 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened [I used low fat]

1 14-oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 oz of chocolate, melted [I used semi-sweet chocolate chips]

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 13x9" baking pan with foil or wax paper.

(2) In bowl, combine crumbs and butter and press firmly into bottom of pan.

(3) In another bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix. Pour half of the batter evenly over cookie crumbs.

(4) Stir melted chocolate into remaining batter; mix well. Spoon over plain batter.  Use a knife to swirl batter to make a marble-like design.

(5) Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Cool, then chill for a couple hours or overnight.  Yield: 24 bars.

Kid Participation:
* Crush cookies
* Stir chocolate into batter
* Marbelize batter

Parmesan Potato Balls

Original recipe cut from a magazine years ago.  Taste of Home, maybe?

I thought my kids would like these because of the novelty involved.  It's something they're actually supposed to eat with their hands, the taste and texture aren't offensive in any way, and they can dip them if desired.  Both gobbled them up and kept asking for more - so much so, that I was worried the entire pan would disappear and had to cut them off lest Husband have no dinner waiting for him.

Ingredients

3 large potatoes

2 ounces cream cheese, softened [I used low fat]

2 Tablespoons milk [I used 2%]

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon finely chopped green onion [I used 2 onions]

2 1/2 teaspoons onion soup mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder [optional]

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce [I used several dashes of Tobasco]

dash of pepper

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes *OR* panko [I needed more]

Directions

(1)  Peel and cube potatoes.  Place in large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Drain.

(2) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

(3) In large mixing bowl, mash potatoes until no lumps appear.  Beat in cream cheese, milk, and butter until smooth.

(4) Stir in Parmesan cheese, soup mix, salt, garlic powder, hot pepper sauce, and pepper.

(5) Place egg and cornflakes (or panko) in separate bowls.

(6) Shape potato mixture into 1 1/2" balls.  Dip each ball into egg, then roll in crumbs.  Place on ungreased baking sheets.

(7) Bake 15-18 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.  Yield: approximately 36.

Notes: These took longer to make than I expected, so next time I can make the entire potato mixture ahead of time.  Also, I can experiment with making smaller balls...if able to be kept warm, they could be a good party food and/or appetizer.

Kid Participation:
* Using the electric mixer to combine all ingredients
* Shaping a few of the potato balls (because Mama works much more efficiently)
* Dipping the balls in eggs and cornflakes / panko (if you don't care about uniformity and coverage)

Veggie Pizza Appetizers

This is a dish for which I pulled inspiration from several sources...several years ago.  It's a "make it up as you go to suit your own taste" kind of thing.  But it's always a hit at parties because people feel good about themselves for eating something loaded with vegetables.  It justifies going back for seconds (or fifths) of the queso dip or barbecue meatballs.  Using a variety of colorful vegetables - and chopping them very small so no one veggie dominates a particular slice of the pizza - draws attention to this appetizer.

Ingredients for "Sauce"

2 tubes crescent rolls

8 oz low-fat cream cheese [or to taste]

4 oz low-fat sour cream [or to taste]

bottled ranch dressing [or powdered ranch dressing mix]

1/4 cup salsa [optional]

grated parmesan [optional]

seasonings [garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne, smoked

paprika etc.]

Ingredients for Toppings

green onions

broccoli

carrots

red onion

radishes

peppers [red, green, yellow, or orange]

shredded Mexican cheese [optional]

Directions

1) Put cream cheese in mixing bowl and allow to soften slightly.

2) Unroll crescent rolls and spread onto baking sheet.  Distribute as evenly as possible and seal all seams.

3) Bake crescent rolls according to package directions.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely or until just slightly warm.

4) Add sour cream and ranch (and optional salsa) to cream cheese in several increments.  Mix thoroughly each time until desired consistency is reached (should be spreadable but not runny). 

5) Mix in optional parmsean and seasonings.  Evenly spread cheese mixture over crescent rolls.

6) Finely chop vegetables into smaller-than-bite-size pieces.  Toss together to mix well.

7) Scatter chopped vegetables over cheese mixture.  Top with shredded cheese (optional).  Gently press toppings to ensure they stay in place.

8) Cut pizza into pieces of desired size.  Refrigerate until serving.

Notes: None.

Kid Participation:

* Seal crescent roll seams

* Mix sauce ingredients together

* Spread sauce over crescent rolls

* Add toppings to pizza