Chicken Tortilla Soup Like Max and Erma's

I found this recipe one evening after having a bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup at Max and Erma's. It was so good but I didn't want to have to go to the restaurant just to have this soup. I figured there must be copycat recipe on the internet and of course there was. This recipe is from Robbie's Recipe Collection at http://recipes.robbiehaf.com. It tastes very similar to the restaurant version, in fact, I've never been back to the restaurant.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk ( I use 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream)

8 oz. Velveeta - cubed

10 oz. can RoTel tomatoes and chilies

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded ( I don't shred my chicken, I prefer chunks instead)

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

flour tortillas - as needed, about 4-6 or Fritos

shredded colby jack cheese or mexican blend cheese (I use cheddar) - as needed

In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring often for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in small amounts of chicken broth at a time, then whisk in milk. Stir in the spices (the orginal recipe says to stir in the spices after adding the Velveeta, I find it easier to add them in after the milk as they do not clump up like they do when the Velveeta is added first). Reduce heat to low and stir in Velveeta cubes, stir until melted. Stir in RoTel and chicken. Once the soup is heated through, it is ready to serve at this point. However, if you wish to make tortilla strips, it can sit over low heat while they are made. Stir the soup occasionally. For the tortilla strips, cut tortillas into strips and deep fry in 350 degree vegetable or peanut oil until golden, then drain on cooling racks. I never use tortilla strips, I find that Fritos taste just as good and saves me some time. Ladle soup into bowls and top with shredded cheese and tortilla strips or Fritos.

Chicken and Stuffing Bake

Chicken and Stuffing Bake is an easy casserole that is just good comfort food. I got this recipe from my mom years ago and I am not for sure where she got it from. Also, I just made up the name because she just gave me the ingredients list. My picture is of a half a batch not a full one. This is a great recipe if you have left over cooked chicken.

Ingredients:

Cooked chicken(about 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1/2 can(6oz) of evaporated milk

Stove Top Stuffing Mix - made according to directions ( I always use 2 boxes for a full batch, I don't think one is enough)

season salt and pepper to taste

Mix chicken, soup, milk, season salt and pepper. Place in greased 9x13 baking dish and top with cooked stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Shrimp Cheese Ball

This recipe has been in my family for years. My mom always served it up at Christmas time and New Years Eve. I always looked forward to this dip.

Ingredients:

6 oz cream cheese softened

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. finely chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp. mustard

dash of salt and pepper

1 can of shrimp, drained (It's best to use a good quality canned shrimp. I used the Great Value brand from Walmart and it was not as good.)

finely chopped pecans to roll cheese ball in, optional

crackers of your choice

Mix all ingredients except pecans together. Refrigerate. As you can tell from my photo I did not shape the dip into a ball. That was because I was just serving this at home. For a prettier presentation you can shape the dip into a ball and roll in finely chopped pecans. Also, this dip does need to be made up ahead of time as it needs to chill for a few hours for the flavors to come together. Serve with your favorite crackers. My favorite crackers to serve with this dip is Wheat Thins.

Easy Ham and Cheese Appetizer Sandwiches

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com but changed it up to suit our tastes. These little sandwiches have quickly become a family favorite and I serve them up for meals not just as appetizers. I read in the comments section of Allrecipes.com for this recipe that once the sandwiches are put together you can freeze them at that point. Then when you need a quick meal or appetizer just pull them out of the freezer to thaw and bake as directed.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened

1 -2 tsp. of onion powder ( I don't measure this, so this is just a guess as to the amount I use, I just sprinkle it in.)

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons of prepared Dijon style mustard

2 (12oz.) packages white party rolls

1 pound sliced honey ham from the deli

1 package or 12 slices of swiss cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, onion powder, worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard. Slice rolls in half horizontally and set aside tops. Arrange bottoms in a single layer in 11x15 baking dish. Spread bottoms with the butter mixture. Top with ham and swiss cheese. Replace tops. Cover with foil and bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted(The baking time has always been more like 15-20 minutes in my oven).

Ranch Dip

This is an easy and yummy dip. It only takes 5 ingredients and is so simple to make. Serve it with your favorite crackers. Our favorite crackers to serve with it are the Keebler Club Snack Sticks in original and honey wheat flavors.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/2 cup milk

1 8oz. package of cream cheese

1 envelope of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

1 8oz fancy shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the first 4 ingredients in stand mixer or with hand mixer. Stir in cheddar cheese. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Holiday Monster Cookies

I saw this recipe yesterday at Tasty Kitchen.com and I just got done making them. They are so good. They are so pretty, too. They are a flourless cookie, which intrigued me and all the ingredients of oatmeal, peanut butter, coconut, chocolate chips, and m&ms.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. baking soda ( I normally leave out baking soda in all my cookies but I added it in these and would not leave it out)

1 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

4 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats ( I used quick cooking)

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 cup M&Ms, divided

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. According to the recipe on Tasty Kitchen you mix the ingredients together in the order listed but reserve half of the M&Ms. I creamed the butter and sugars, added eggs and vanilla. Then I added the baking soda, peanut butter, oats, and coconut and mixed. Next, I added the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup M&Ms and mixed. Drop by rounded tablespoons(I used my medium cookie scoop) onto baking sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork dipped in cold water. Press a few of the reserved M&Ms into the top of the cookies that have no M&Ms showing( I did this on all the cookies and ended up needing a little more than 1/2 cup). Bake 10-12 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. These cookies are best slightly under-done, so err on the side of taking them out too soon rather than letting them get overdone.

My Amish Friend's Carmel Corn

I got this recipe off of Allrecipes. com. I made just a few changes. It's the best carmel corn.

Ingredients:

7 quarts plain popped popcorn ( I use corn pops located in the chip aisle because there are no kernels or hulls to deal with and my family just prefers it over regular popcorn in this recipe.)

2 cups dry roasted peanuts, optional ( I use 1 cup pecans and 1 cup almonds)

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup margarine ( I use butter)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans and add peanuts if using. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Line counter with waxed paper. Dump the corn onto the wax paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

Seafood Gumbo

This is my mom's recipe for gumbo. She was born in New Orleans, LA. This is a wonderful recipe. We have gumbo at every holiday meal because that was the tradition passed down in my mom's family. Unfortunately, measurements were never used, it is just thrown together. I don't measure either except for the butter and flour for the roux. So, the measurements listed are just estimates. This makes a large batch. Also, chicken can be substituted for all the seafood in this recipe for a batch of chicken gumbo. Another version I make is shrimp and chicken. For the batches made with chicken, I just use 5 or 6 uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts cut up into bite size chunks.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1/2 to 1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1 to 2 tsp of dried garlic pieces, if using fresh garlic I use 3 or 4 cloves

1 to 2 bay leaves - I always use 2

3 to 5 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning ( I just sprinkle it out of the can so I have never measured this, I just know when it looks right)

1/2 lb smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces

8 cups chicken broth

2lbs peeled, uncooked shrimp

1lb crab meat( I get this at Sam's club in the meat department)

2 to 3 teaspoons of File (I buy Tony Chachere's Gumbo File in the spice aisle and I just sprinkle it in just before serving and have never measured this)

3 to 4 teaspoons of Kitchen Bouquet - this is for coloring and making the gumbo a more brown color.

1 - 2 teaspoons of cajun spice, optional( This is something I don't measure either and just sprinkle in just a bit, we don't like our gumbo too spicey but we do like to have just a tiny bit of spice.)

Cooked white rice

Melt butter in large stockpot and add flour. When roux is the color of peanut butter add green peppers, onions, celery, and garlic. Cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add bay leaves, Old Bay seasoning, cajun spice and sausage. Cook until sausage for about 5 or so minutes, you just want to brown it a bit. Then slowly add chicken broth. Stir in kitchen bouquet until a nice brown color. You do not want to add too much as it will change the flavor of the gumbo so it is best to start out with a teaspoon or 2 and stir. If the color is still too light continue to add some kitchen bouquet but make sure to stir after each addition. Then add peeled, uncooked shrimp and crab to gumbo(or chicken if using instead of the seafood). Allow to simmer for 2 hours. Just before serving add the gumbo file. Serve over cooked white rice.

No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe a few years ago on Christmas-Cookies.com but they call them Peanut Butter Oatmeal Drops. They are a peanut butter version of the chocolate no bake cookies. These are a family favorite and well liked whenever I bring them to potlucks.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup milk or evaporated milk (I always use milk)

pinch of salt

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups quick cooking rolled oats

Line two baking sheets with waxed paper. In a large heavy saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, milk and salt. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Without stirring, let mixture boil for exactly 3 minutes. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until peanut butter has melted. Quickly stir in oats, mix well. Working fast, drop mixture by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Allow to cool and become firm(this doesn't take long).

Cherry Cake

This recipe has been in my family many years. It is not a cake at all and is more on the order of cheesecake so I am not for sure how it got its name. It is one of our family's and especially my husband's favorite dessert.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)

1 1/4 cup chopped pecans

2 envelopes of Dream Whip

1 8oz cream cheese, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

2 cans cherry pie filling ( you can use blueberry or strawberry if desired. We prefer the original cherry)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter. Add flour and pecans to butter, mix well. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool completely. Mix Dream Whip according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar, then add to Dream Whip and mix until well blended. Spread over cooled crust. Spread pie filling over top of cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate.

Cheesy Ranch Potato Bake

I got this recipe from Allrecipes. com. I changed a few things. This is a really good recipe and great side dish.

Ingredients:

4 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch cubes ( I left the skin on but it would be just as good without)

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt ( I used Lawrey's Season Salt)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 tablespoons butter, cubed ( I used margarine)

1 (8 oz) package shredded colby-monterey jack cheese blend ( I used cheddar and I used a bit more than 8 oz.)

1 (8 oz) bottle Ranch dressing ( I used buttermilk ranch dressing that I made from the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix packet)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Place the potatoes in the baking dish. Season with chili powder, salt, and pepper. Evenly distribute the butter over the potatoes. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour until potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and mix in the cheese and ranch dressing. Continue cooking 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Fall Snack Mix

I found this recipe on a recipe blog called Sunday Baker a couple of weeks ago. I finally got around to making it tonight and it is so good. If you would like to check out Sunday Baker's blog post for it go to http://comeandpeek.blogspot.com/2008/08/fall-snack-mix.html, she has step by step photos of the complete recipe.

Ingredients:

1 box of peanut butter Ritz

1 bag of mini-pretzels, any preferred shape

1 large jar of roasted peanuts or any nut variety you prefer ( I just used the Walmart brand party peanuts and I used half of a can, I think pecans would be wonderful in this recipe)

1 bag of M&M's ( I always buy mine from Sam's Club so I just used 2 cups from my big bag)

1 bag of candy corn

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup butter (I used real butter not margarine)

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a large roasting pan with non-stick spray. In the roasting pan, mix the pretzels, peanut butter Ritz, and peanuts.

In a medium saucepan, mix together the sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will sputter and foam up so be careful. Pour the hot mixture over the pretzel mix. Stir to coat everything. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, stirring mixture after the first 15 minutes. Pour onto wax paper immediately after removing from the oven. Let it cool for a few minutes and then start breaking apart the pieces that are stuck together. Let cool completely. Put into a large bowl and mix in M&Ms and candy corn.

Slow-Cooked Chili

This is not a traditional chili but it is our favorite chili recipe. I got this recipe from Mr. Food many years ago. It is so easy to make. You basically dump almost all the ingredients in a slow cooker(crock pot) and let it cook. It's a great recipe for days when you don't have time to cook or just don't feel like cooking.

You will need:

2 pounds boneless beef chuck or round, cut into 1/2 inch peices ( I just buy stew meat that is already cut up therefore saving me more time)

2 cans (15.5oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed ( I have never used the beans because I don't like them)

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel is the name brand for these tomatoes)

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 medium onion chopped ( I have never used the onion either as my husband doesn't like onions and there is plenty of onion in the salsa)

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup thick and chunky salsa( any kind that you like will work, I usually use Pace Picante Sauce as we prefer that to salsa - I use Medium heat which gives this chili a bit more spice)

The following ingredients are optional. Mr. Food did not include them in his recipe, however, I never serve this chili without them.

Fritos

Shredded cheddar cheese

diced onion

sour cream

In a 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 quart slow cooker, combine all the ingredients except the salsa; mix well. Cover and cook on high setting for 5 to 5 1/2 hours, or on low setting for 8 to 9 hours, until beef is tender. Just before serving, stir in the salsa; cook for 2-3 minutes, until heated through.

Serve in a bowl topped with the optional ingredients of your choice.

Chicken and Dumplings

This is my mom's recipe for chicken and dumplings.  Actually, she just always threw it together and it never was made with exact measurements and it is one of my family's favorite meals.  I decided a few years ago that maybe I should write down measurements and so here it is.

1 family size can of cream of chicken soup

2 envelopes of Lipton cream of chicken soup cup of soup

4 tsp. chicken broth granules 

6  cups of water

4 - 5  cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (my family prefers white meat)

1 -2 tsp. of Emeril's Bayou Blast (optional)

black pepper to taste

2 1/4 cup of Bisquick Mix

2/3 cup of milk

Add chicken granules to the water and dissolve or you could use 6 cups canned chicken broth instead.  Pour broth into large stockpot and add all of the soup.  Add in Bayou Blast and black pepper.  Add cooked chicken.  Bring to a boil then turn to low.  Now it's time to make the dumplings.   Mix the milk and Bisquick Mix.  Once mixed, drop by teaspoon full into simmering soup. (I use my small cookie scoop from Pampered Chef for this.  I love it as it makes the dumplings all the same size and pretty round shape.)  Once all dough has been dropped into the soup, cook them for 10 minutes.  After the 10 minutes cover with a lid and cook for 10 more minutes. I know that on the Bisquick Mix recipe for the dumplings calls for less cooking time for the dumplings but they were never done for me and I have found the 20 minutes is perfect. 

As far as add-ins, my mom used to add peas to it before she added the dumplings but I don't like peas, so I don't add them.  Every once in a while I will slice up some mushrooms, sautee them in butter until nice and brown and add those into the soup too.  I've never done carrots but I imagine those would be nice, also.  

Sweet Snack Mix

The original recipe for this mix is from Quick Cooking Magazine.  I'm posting the original recipe, I will note where I made changes to it.

Sweet Snack Mix

3 cups Honey Grahams cereal 

1 cup miniature pretzels

1 cup salted peanuts ( I use cashews)

1 cup pecan halves

1 package (10 to 12 ounces) vanilla or white chips ( I use Wilton Brand white chocolate melting discs because they set up much faster)

In a large bowl, combine the cereal, pretzels and nuts; set aside.  In a microwave safe bowl,  heat the discs 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth.  Pour over cereal mixture.  Stir to coat evenly. Spread mixture on wax paper until cooled and set.  Break into pieces.  If using the Wilton discs, you will need to work quickly as they set up fast.