Herbed Chicken Casserole

In the early 1980's, a friend of mine gave me this recipe. Over the years, this has proven to be my favorite dish for entertaining during the week. The casserole may be made the day ahead, refrigerated and then baked the day it is to be served.

Herbed Chicken Casserole
by Tamela K.

3 chicken breasts, cut in half

1/2 cup butter

Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups rice, slightly under cooked and drained

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup sauterne or white wine

1 5-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 3-ounce can mushroom slices with liquid
1/2 teaspoon thyme

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Brown chicken breasts in melted butter on stove top in pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Place cooked rice in casserole dish with browned chicken on top. Saute the onions until soft in the pan which the chicken was browned. Add soup to the onions and stir until smooth. Slowly add sauterne or wine to onion mixture, stirring well. Add water chestnuts, mushrooms and thyme to the sauce pan.
Pour the mixture over chicken and rice. Cover and bake for an hour, or until tender.

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup
By Tamela K.
Adapted from Guy Fieri's Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

6 large baking potatoes
6 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons Jada Spice's Low Sodium Chicken Salt seasoning, divided
16 ounces bacon
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups whole milk
1 Tablespoon freshly ground pepper
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
6 ounces sour cream
3 Tablespoons finely chopped green onion

Preheat oven to 350°F. Scrub the outside of the potatoes. Rub approximately 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the outside of each potato. Sprinkle the outside of each potato with approximately 1 teaspoon of Jada Spice's Low Sodium Chicken Salt seasoning. Roll each potato individually in enough aluminum foil to cover each potato. Bake the potatoes for approximately 1 hour, or until the potato is soft when pinched.

Cut bacon into strips and fry in large Dutch oven pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon pieces from pot and place on paper towel. Drain approximately half of the bacon grease and discard. In the remaining grease, cook diced onion and celery over a low heat until they become soft, approximately 3 minutes. Add flour to Dutch oven and stir with onion and celery over low heat for 1 minute. Pour all of the milk into the mixture, stirring frequently and cook until it starts to thicken.

Unwrap baked potatoes from aluminum. Peal skins off of potatoes and discard. Cut potatoes into small cubes. Place potato cubes into the pot. If you prefer a thicker consistency for the soup, smash some of the potato cubes with a potato masher or back of spoon.

Stir in remaining 1 Tablespoon Jada Foods Low Sodium Chicken Salt seasoning, pepper, 6 ounces of grated cheese, 4 ounces of sour cream and 3/4 of the cooked bacon. Continue to cook and stir until the cheese is melted and soup is bubbly. Remove from heat.

Place soup into individual bowls. Top each bowl equally with the remaining cheese, sour cream, chopped green onion and bacon bits.

White Chicken Chili

When our neighbors completed their home, they had an Open House for their friends and new neighbors. Our hostess, Kjersti, prepared a tremendous amount of delicious food and this was one of the dishes that went quickly. She is so organized that she has all of her “go-to” recipes in her computer. When I asked for this recipe, I was fortunate enough that she sent me all of her recipes! She’s a marvelous cook and even better neighbor.

White Chicken Chili
by Tamela K.

1 pound of dried white beans, sorted and rinsed
2 quarts water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
One 4-ounce can diced green chili peppers with liquid
3 cups chicken broth
Grated cheddar cheese
Sour Cream
Cilantro
Avocado slices
Tortilla chips

Soak the beans in a large pot covered with 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon salt for eight hours, preferably overnight, before cooking. Drain and rinse the beans.

Season the chicken with pepper and remaining salt. Preheat the Instant Pot. When it is hot, add 1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil, chopped onion, garlic and cubed chicken to the pot and cook on the Sauté mode with the lid off for about 3 minutes. Stir in the crushed red chili pepper, cumin, diced green chili peppers with liquid from can, chicken broth and soaked beans. Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on Beans/Chili mode for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes. Then do a quick release. Serve with grated cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, avocado slices and tortilla chips.

Perfect for Easter! Trix Coconut Nests

Trix Coconut Nests
by Tamela K.

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 Tablespoons water
4 to 5 drops of green food coloring
1/2 cup white melting chocolate wafers
3/4 cup Trix cereal

Place paper liners in mini muffin pans. In a plastic sack, shake together sweetened shredded coconut, 2 Tablespoons water and 4 to 5 drops of green food coloring. Add more food coloring if you prefer a darker green. Shake the sack until the shredded coconut has an even green color. Place the white chocolate wafers in a medium-sized glass bowl and melt at 15 second increments, stirring in between. When the chocolate has melted to a smooth texture, add the green shredded coconut and stir until fully coated. Spoon a heaping Tablespoon of the chocolate coated coconut mixture into each of the mini muffin pans. Press the center down, so it forms a nest. Place Trix cereal in the coconut nests and refrigerate approximately an hour for the chocolate to firm. Remove the paper liners to serve.

Chocolate Cheerios Filet of Beef with Raspberry Crostini

Chocolate Cheerios Filet of Beef with Raspberry Crostini
by Tamela K.
Adapted from The Black Peppercorn's Cocoa Coffee Crusted Beef Tenderloin with a Raspberry Reduction Sauce

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Beef tenderloin, 1.5 to 2.0 pounds
1/2 cup Chocolate Cheerios, finely crushed
1/8 cup ground coffee
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon Piment d’Espellette or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 French baguette, sliced
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
1/8 cup fresh cilantro or watercress leaves

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a saucepan, cook the 1 cup of raspberries, water and lemon juice over medium heat stirring frequently. Remove from heat after the raspberry sauce thickens. 

Rinse tenderloin, trim off any membrane and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine crushed Chocolate Cheerios, ground coffee, cinnamon, ground cloves, Piment d’Espellette and salt for the rub. Firmly pat a generous coating of rub onto the roast. 

Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in Dutch oven on the stove top. Brown all sides of filet over moderate heat. Finish cooking roast in oven, until thermometer placed in center reads 120°F to 125°F for rare, 130°F to 135°F for medium rare, 140°F to 145°F for medium, 150°F to 155°F for medium well and 160˚F and above for well done. Remove filet from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. 

Cut the baguette into 1/4-inch diagonal pieces, brush remaining olive oil on one side of the bread, sparingly sprinkle with thyme and bake in 350°F oven until toasted to golden brown. 

Place a thinly sliced piece of tenderloin on each toast and spoon approximately two Tablespoons of raspberry sauce over them. Top each piece of roast with either a cilantro or watercress leaf and crown with one of reserved raspberries.