Heather's Bytes

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago while trying to find something different to add to our bi-weekly dinner list. It looked easy enough and though I was a little wary about serving something new, it was a huge hit. I’ve tweaked the original recipe a bit to suit my family’s tastes.

Instead of putting it in a casserole dish I’ve also been able to make it a “one pot” meal, doing the whole thing in my giant (oven-proof) skillet and putting it directly in the oven after it’s been on the stove.

I also like to use the Foster Farms pre-cooked southwestern chicken strips (diced) as it adds a little bit of zing, too, and pre-diced ham also helps speed things up.

Baked Jambalaya

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut in 1/4 inch slices
2 cans (15 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup raw white rice
1 1/2 cups (1 15 oz can) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Cook slowly, stirring often, until the onion and pepper are tender.

Add the chicken, ham and sausage; cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their liquid, the rice, broth, thyme, parsley, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

Turn the mixture into a large casserole. Cover and bake until the rice is tender, about one to 1-1/4 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

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Forgive the picture, this one doesn’t photograph very well!

One of Mike’s favorite restaurant foods when he lived in South Dakota was Chicken Tortilla Soup from Ground Round. I got to have it one time when we flew out to see his family, and it was really good. We don’t have Ground Rounds out here so it’s been at least 12 years since we last had it.

Anyway, he mentioned a couple of weeks ago that he was craving it, so I went online and found a “copycat” recipe for it. I adapted it for the crockpot and surprised him with it, and it was a huge hit. Even the kids, who aren’t that crazy about soup, loved it!

Chicken Cheese Tortilla Soup

1 pound cubed chicken breast
2 cans Fiesta nacho cheese soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups milk
2 cans mild enchilada sauce
Crushed tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese

Gently boil the chicken breast until cooked through and shred or cube. Combine all ingredients except the tortilla chips and cheddar cheese and place in crockpot.

Let cook on low for about four hours, stirring occasionally as it will burn easily. Crush tortilla chips and place in bowl, ladle soup over top. Sprinkle top with shredded cheddar cheese.