White Bean Chicken Chili & Sweet Cornbread

I was looking for a good white chili recipe and found one from Giada De Laurentiis from the Food Network. Aside from looking delicious, coming from Giada, it also meant that it was likely a fairly healthy recipe. (Score.) With a few modifications,  I think this is my new favorite chili recipe.  

When you think of chili, I know that peoples' minds typically go to thick, red, meaty recipes, but I think more people should give white chilis a try, cause this one is a real winner. This chili is full of flavor and spice, and the Swiss chard and fennel add a whole new dimension. It's just good stuff is what it is. 

Pair some sweet cornbread with a big bowl and you've got yourself one tasty meal.

The Chili

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 lbs. chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 2 (15 oz.) cans reduced-sodium cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1-1/2 c. frozen corn
• 4 c. low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• Grated Parmesan cheese and parsley for topping

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large pot at medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add chicken and salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Stir well and allow to cook for approximately 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
3. Add flour and stir. Then add beans, Swiss chard, corn, and chicken stock. 
4. Bring chili to a simmer for 1 hour. Then add crushed red pepper flakes and allow to simmer for 10 more minutes.
5. Serve chili with topping of Parmesan and parsley.

The Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 9 tbsp. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 c. biscuit baking mix
• 1/4 c. yellow cornmeal
• 2/3 c. milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add vanilla and mix.
4. Add biscuit baking mix and cornmeal. Then add milk. Mix well.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Grandma's Reuben Casserole

Curtis loves Reuben sandwiches. I think he would claim that they are his favorite food...next to brats of course. :P My grandma had asked me probably 20 times if I had tried to make her casserole recipe yet, so last night I finally decided I would. So easy to make - I already have it memorized and I definitely will make it again.

I bought the "normal" ingredients this time around, but you could "skinny" it up a little bit by buying Fat Free Thousand Island dressing or by cutting back on the cheese, but I think it's fine just the way it is...maybe even with a little bit of extra cheese in my opinion. 

Another note, I only made this last night, so I am curious to see how left-overs taste today, what with the bread likely being on the soggy side now. I think I'll reheat it by putting some in the toaster oven instead of the microwave, in hopes of getting the rye bread to toast up a bit again. We'll see how that goes. 

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 oz.) can sauerkraut, drained
• 1 c. Thousand Island Dressing
• 1 lb. deli corn beef
• 2 c. Swiss cheese
• Rye bread, buttered on one side

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Mix sauerkraut and dressing together and smooth in even layer into greased 9 x 13 dish.
3. Cut or shred beef into smaller pieces and layer on top of dressing and sauerkraut. Then top with Swiss cheese.
4. Cover with slices of rye bread, buttered side up.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bread is toasted and cheese is bubbly.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I think these are my favorite cookies of all time. And they don't even have peanut butter in them! (Crazy.) These cookies are super flavorful, crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and can clearly pass for breakfast, because let's face it...it's basically oatmeal topped with cranberries. (Highly nutritious. Let's just keep telling ourselves that.) 

Anyways, these make really great cookies, they freeze well, and the dough tastes amazing pre-baked. ;) And as a side note, in my experience with these cookies, they taste EVEN better if you allow 24 chill time in the refrigerator before baking. 

Enjoy! This one is a winner.

Ingredients: 

• 1-1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 c. butter, softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 c. old fashioned oats
• 2 c. dried cranberries
• 2 c. white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Using mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. 
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Then add vanilla.
5. Slowly add flour mixture until incorporated. Then add oats. 
6. Fold in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
7. Spoon 1.5" inch balls onto baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes until tops start to turn a golden brown.

Cheeseburger Pizza

So this is pretty manly pizza, but it's fantastic. I put a few different recipes I found online together, made some small modifications and came up with this delicious thing to use up some of the plethora of left-over burgers we have sitting in our fridge. I would have NEVER ordered a pizza like this at a restaurant, but having tried this one, I will definitely consider it next time. 

This recipe is super easy and takes no time at all. No waiting for the bread machine to make your pizza dough, no buying dry crusts at the grocery store. What you're left with is a really flavorful pizza and flaky crust. YUM!

Ingredients:

The Crust:

• 2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 2/3 c. warm water
• 1/2 tsp. instant yeast

The Toppings:

• 3/4 lb. ground beef, browned
• 8 slices of cooked bacon (optional)
• 2/3 c. ketchup
• 2 tbsp. yellow mustard
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 jalapeno, diced with seeds
• shredded lettuce and diced dill pickles for topping

Directions:

1. Sift together flour and salt in large bowl. Add butter and mix with pastry cutter or hands until the mixture is crumbly.
2. In a small bowl, mix sugar and water. Add yeast and cover with saran wrap until mixture is frothy.
3. Add yeast to dry mixture and mix until together. Then turn over onto floured surface and knead until smooth (about a minute). Form into ball and allow to rest for 30 minutes, covered with a damp towel.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If using a baking stone, heat with stone inside.
5. After dough has rested, roll out into a 14" circle on a floured surface. Transfer dough to heated stone or parchment lined baking sheet. Poke holes in with fork and bake for 5 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to 425 and take the stone and crust out of the oven. Top with ketchup and mustard mixture, then top with remaining toppings (besides the lettuce and pickles).
7. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until cheese has melted and crust is golden brown.
8. Top with shredded lettuce and dill pickles and enjoy!

Gramma Cabaj's Meatballs

This is what home tastes like to me. Every time I come home to Sheboygan, we have one of two things...steak or spaghetti. And with Grandma Cabaj's meatball recipe, I wouldn't have it any other way.  They are simple to make, use ingredients you always have on hand, and are de-licious to eat. 

So here's a short and simple post for meatballs that are 10 times as yummy as the ones you buy in a bag in the freezer section. Don't be a lazy putz...

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4.c water (less/more depending)
• 1 egg
• Dash red pepper flakes
• Dash garlic powder
• Dash Italian seasoning 

Directions:

1. Mix above ingredients in bowl with hands.
2. Roll into 1" to 1-1/2" balls and place in skillet. Brown on medium-high heat - no need to cook through. 
3. Place into pot with spaghetti sauce and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. *Note: Sometimes I put meatballs in crockpot on low for 5+ hours, turning to high for the last hour. 

PB & Banana Doggie Treats

Dog's need homemade goodies too, right? These little dog treats are incredibly easy to make and can be made with things you probably already have on hand. This recipe was taken from Allrecipes.com.

Ada LOVES peanut butter. So goes crazy for it (much like me). We usually let her lick on a spoonful of the stuff while we clip her toenails. She goes after it like it like a mad dog. Her eyes go wide, her mouth waters, and peanut butter goes flying everywhere. So these peanut butter and banana treats are a real winner.

You also get much more bang for your buck. I usually buy the Bil Jac PBnanas dog treats at Pet Smart when they are on sale for around $3 for a 4 oz. bag. I got all the ingredients at Woodman's yesterday for under $15. And I could make manyyy batches of these with the supply I bought. But like I said, chances are...you probably have most of this on hand - with the exception of maybe the whole wheat flour and wheat germ ($3.50 and $2.50...not bad).

This is also a really great way to use up over-ripe bananas that have been sitting in your freezer far too long. 

This makes a lot of treats, so you may want to consider freezing half of the batch. Your dog will probably want to eat them in a matter of seconds, but portion control is probably better. (That's what I always say...psh!)

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. peanut butter
• 1/2 c. mashed banana
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. wheat germ (* Note: If you don't want to use wheat germ, you can probably use oatmeal to get the same nutritional benefits. Quick oats may be best for consistency purposes.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine egg, peanut butter, mashed banana, and honey. Mix thoroughly. Add flour and wheat germ.
3. Roll dough to 1/4" on floured surface. Cut into desired shapes or just cut roughly into small pieces and place on cookie sheet. 
4. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

Lemon Poppyseed Biscotti

I love lemon. I love biscotti. And I LOVE this recipe.

I think it came from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I'm not quite sure what to say about this recipe because it was DELICIOUS pretty easy for a biscotti recipe. Usually biscotti dough is super sticky and hard to work with, but the dough from this recipe was very easy to handle. Unlike my Cranberry Almond Biscotti which turns out more scone-like (but still yummy), this recipe was true to biscotti form - light and crunchy.

If I liked tea, I be this would be very good with a side of hot tea. :)

Ingredients:

Biscotti:

• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg  + 1 egg white
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. lemon zest
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. flour
• 2 c. poppy seeds
• Melted butter and  coarse sugar for topping

Glaze:

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. milk

(Note: Add more lemon juice or milk to achieve desired consistency.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using mixer, beat butter on high for 30 seconds. 
3. Add sugar, basking soda, baking powder, and salt. Then add egg, egg white, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla. 
4. Add flour and poppy seeds. Mix to combine.
5. Prepare two 7" x 2" logs on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Allow biscotti to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into slices. Place slices on baking sheet, cut side down, and bake for another 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
8. Let cool and drizzle with glaze.