Deviled Ham Cheese Spread

1/2 lb deli ham, minced

1/2 cup minced onion

1 t Worcestershire Sauce

1 T hot sauce

2 T mustard

8 oz softened cream cheese

1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients with mixer. Refrigerate over night. Serve with crackers.

Notes:

-Ritz are my favorite with this, but any cracker will do.

-Use any cheese you like.

-One of the only times you will hear me say this: pre-shredded cheese is fine in this!

-I prefer Tapatio hot sauce, as it's a little hotter. Cholula is also a great choice, or even Sriracha if you'd like.

-I have doubled this before and I always regret it, even for a very large group. It just goes so far.

-One of my most requested recipes!

Southwest Chicken Chowder

3 cups chicken, cooked and diced

1 12 oz bag frozen corn

1 can condensed cream of potato soup

1 4 oz can diced green chiles, undrained

1 T taco seasoning (or half a packet)

3 cups chicken broth

16 oz sour cream

8 oz Velveeta cheese

Place chicken, corn, soup, chiles taco seasoning and chicken broth to crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Pour one cup of hot soup into bowl of sour cream, stirring to combine. 

Add sour cream/soup mixture and Velveeta to crock pot and stir to combine. 

Replace lid and cook additional 15-20 minutes.

Stir to combine cheese.

Serve with tortilla strips, fresh cilantro and shredded cheese.

Notes:

-I like to use the "hot" chiles because we love spicy stuff.

-You can also use 3 uncooked chicken breasts. Remove them after 8 hours and shred, then return to crock pot. 

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta

1 12 oz bottle Parmesan Garlic Sauce (Buffalo Wild Wings brand)
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup milk

8 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

12 oz pasta

Place chicken in crock pot. Pour entire bottle of Parmesan Garlic Sauce over chicken. Add milk to sauce bottle and shake. Pour milk over chicken. Add cubed cream cheese and parmesan cheese to crock pot. Stir to coat chicken.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

Shred chicken and return to crock pot.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Add to crock pot and stir to combine. 

Notes:

-Use freshly grated cheese, please. Trust me.

-We had this with bowties, but anything would work!

-I would spray your crock pot or use a liner. 

Chicken Carbonara

1 lb angel hair pasta (or pasta of choice)

2 T olive oil 

8 slices of thick-cut, high-quality bacon, chopped

4 chicken breasts cooked and diced

1 cup diced onion

1/2 t minced garlic or 1 clove

4 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. 

Reserve 1 cup pasta water to thin sauce if you find it to be too thick. 

Drain pasta. 

Stir 2 T of olive oil in to the pasta and set it aside.

Cook chopped bacon in large, deep skillet or Dutch Oven. 

Drain on paper towels once it is cooked to desired crispiness.

DO NOT DRAIN YOUR PAN!!

Add onions and garlic to bacon grease and cook 4-5 minutes, until onions are translucent. 

While your onions and garlic are cooking, heat cream to 180* in saucepan or microwave. (*see notes below)

Beat eggs and stir in parmesan, salt and pepper. 

Once cream has reached desired temperature, SLOWLY pour into egg mixture, stirring constantly. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. If you do not temper the eggs in this manner, they will turn into scrambled eggs in your pasta.

Add pasta to pan with onions and garlic. Turn heat on low and stir to combine. 

Pour egg/cream mixture into pasta mixture and stir to combine. 

Add chicken and bacon and stir to combine. 

Stir constantly over low to heat pasta through. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water to desired thickness.

Notes:

-I used fried chicken breasts from the deli. I just removed the meat from the bones. I added it to the onions and garlic in the bacon grease to heat it through and crisp it slightly. It was yummy and easy.

-I would recommend heating the cream on the stove top. You do not want to overheat or scald it. Heat it until it just barely starts to form little bubbles around the edge. Do not boil. I would highly recommend a cooking thermometer, but this should get you fairly close. If it boils, let it cool for a few minutes as it will be too hot to temper eggs and will scramble them. I have this thermometer. I also use it for candy and meat. 

-As I have said in many previous posts, I would not use pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese just does not melt - and Parmesan is the worst offender. Just bite the bullet and buy it fresh. I use a rotary grater like they have at Olive Garden. I have loved having it and use it often. Buy it HERE.

Hamburger Soup

1 pound ground beef

1 cup diced onion

2 garlic coves or 1 t minced garlic

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (1 1/2 -2 cups)

4 cups beef broth

28 oz can tomato puree

1 can tomato soup

2 t Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 t pepper

1 t salt

1 cup corn

1 cup peas

1 cups carrots

1 can green beans, drained

Brown meat with onions and garlic. Drain fat.

Combine all ingredients in large stock pot and cook for 25-30 minutes, until veggies are cooked through.

OR

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Notes:

-I use frozen corn, peas and carrots. Fresh carrots are also great and will cook in the same amount of time as the potatoes. You can definitely substitute canned veggies if you prefer, but be sure to drain them.

-The original recipe called for 28 oz of diced tomatoes. We are not tomato fans here and the puree was preferred by all.

-If you prefer a ground meat other than beef, by all means, use it. I am sure it would be just as good! Perhaps substitute for chicken or vegetable broth based on your meat choice. Or try it meatless!

-I have also added cooked elbow macaroni to this and it is yummy! I prefer to cook it separately and add it at the end so it doesn't get overcooked.

-Fill up quart size freezer bags and save this in the freezer for lunches on the go or for a lazy day!