Polar Vortex Chili

Polar Vortex Chili

I can make this flavorful chili in 30 minutes. This recipe makes enough chili for 4 people to have two big bowls of tasty chili. The ingredients are simple!

Easy ingredients to keep in the pantry and freezer

You Need This To Make This Chili....

• 2 packages of McCormick Original Chili Mix (this brand...this flavor....important)
• 2 cans of dark red kidney beans (works with light red kidney beans too)
• 2 small cans of tomato sauce (not PASTE)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes and green chilies (you can use just diced tomatoes)
• 2 pounds of hamburger (or 6 frozen patties defrosted 3 to a plate....cover frozen patties with paper towel and put in microwave, hit defrost, hit 1, hit 0, hit start) 
• Variation - I love to add an extra can of diced tomatoes because I love tomatoes.

I use Costco frozen hamburger patties because I never have defrosted hamburger in the fridge. You can adjust the meat in this recipe. I would use 1 pound if that was all I had. (3 frozen patties)

3 frozen patties for a pound of hamburger microwaves on defrost easily

This is easy. Dump the defrosted hamburger into a skillet with sides. Brown on medium high heat. Use a paper towel to absorb extra fat. Add the tomatoes with chilies (or just diced tomatoes), tomato sauce, the two cans of beans, and the two packages of chili mix. STIR well. Let it bubble and then turn it down to low for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls. Top with shredded cheese. Add some hot sauce if you like your chili hot. Pull out some crackers and you have dinner. This is good for you  and it is filling. You can sit around the table and talk. Nothing in a bag or a box on your table tonight!


It makes a lot of chili!

Polar Vortex Chili

Warm Me Up White Bean Soup With Kielbasa and Kale

Warm Me Up White Bean Soup With Kielbasa and Kale

I am not used to temperatures in the single digits in winter in North Carolina. I have been frozen. My friends in Minnesota have been turned into solid ice. Alas....I must make some soup that will warm my soul and feed my refrigerated body. This is a soup you can make in an hour. I take some shortcuts but I am cooking with some great ingredients. 

Here is what you are going to need.....

• 2 cans of white beans (I used Cannellini beans)
• 1 box of chicken broth (32 ounce) (could use cans (2) 15 ounce)
• 1 Kielbasa cut up
• 5 cloves of garlic (break bulb to get them) ( no garlic bulb=jarred minced garlic)
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 4 cups of fresh kale chopped (I used chopped, bagged, washed kale from store)
• 2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt (can use less if you want)
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Chop your onion. 

Chop your garlic and your sausage

Add one tablespoon of oil to your soup pot. Heat to medium high. Add your chopped onion. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the chopped kielbasa to the pot. Stir for another 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic. Stir and cook for 2 more minutes. Now add the chopped kale. Stir

This looks like way too much kale right? Wrong!

This is what it looks like after 3 minutes.


Now you add almost all of your chicken broth. Keep about 1/2 cup in a measuring cup for another step. Add 1 1/2 cans of white beans. Add 2 teaspoons of Italian Seasoning, Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir.

Add all the beans but 1/2 of a can.

Now put the 1/2 can of beans in a bowl with the leftover 1/2 cup of broth. Use an immersion hand blender until the mixture is smooth. (You can use a potato masher if you do not have the hand blender....it is soup....perfect smooth is not necessary) Now pour this back into your soup. Stir. Add 2 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon (could use 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon granules). Stir. 

Use hand blender or potato masher.

Pour smooth beans into soup to thicken.

Stir all of this up and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Stir every few minutes and keep it just at a simmer. Taste it.  See if you need more salt or pepper. (You can add water if you put in too much salt)

This is your final product.


If your family does not like kale or soup where the beans can be seen, you can use the hand blender and turn this into a lovely soup that looks like cream of broccoli soup.  I serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some good bread. 

Chicken Alfredo For Busy People

I love Chicken Alfredo. Everyone loves my Chicken Alfredo. I am giving away my secrets. I do not work near as hard as my friends think I do on my Alfredo. It can be done in 45 minutes....less if I take a few shortcuts. This dish will impress company and make your children smile. It is one of my most requested recipes. Clearly cooking great food is not that tough. I will say that Bertolli is my favorite Alfredo Sauce. I catch it on sale 2 for $4 at Food Lion often.

This will feed 6 people with leftovers for lunch. It will feed 4 people with leftovers for lunch if you have 3 hungry men at the table. (Cut the amount in half if you need less....my family loves this particular recipe and they eat several plates and then reheat for lunch) This recipe can be made with several options. 

You Need....
1 (12 ounces to a pound) box of your favorite dry pasta (angel hair, bow tie, and penne work well)
2 jars of Bertolli Alfredo Sauce ( I used the mushroom Alfredo....choose the flavor you like)
1 small jar of mushrooms (if you hate mushrooms...leave it out)
6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken tenders ( or 1 1/2 leftover cooked chicken)
1/3 cup of milk ( I use evaporated milk but regular or skim is fine)
1/2 half cup of grated Parmesan Cheese ( bought or you can grate it)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
1 level teaspoon of chicken bouillon granules or Chicken Better Than Bouillon (I used this one)
Salt
Salad in a bag or ( you could make your own....mine was romaine a cucumber and pepper....leftover)

This is about the right amount of chicken.

Drop frozen chicken into boiling salted water.

What You Need To Do....

• Put on a big pot of water. When it boils, add a teaspoon of salt and a sprinkling of garlic powder.
• Add frozen chicken tenders (if you have leftover cooked chicken you can skip these steps)
• Set the timer for 20 minutes....turn down to medium heat once it boils again..

• 
  
• Add both bottles of sauce to a big pan. 
• Pour half the milk into each jar and shake. 
• Pour into the sauce. 
• Add the can of mushrooms (If you like them) but make sure you push down on the lid to get the extra water out
•  Add the teaspoon of chicken bouillon granules for Chicken Better Than Bouillon (love the stuff...keep it in the fridge). 
• Sprinkle garlic powder and onion powder for two seconds each. 
• Stir. 
• Once the sauce bubbles well....turn it down to medium low.

• Add the Parmesan cheese ( you can grate it, buy it already grated or use the stuff in the green can.....try to avoid the green can) 

I grated my cheese this time. 

Chopping chicken 

Dump in your leftover chicken or your chopped chicken

Drain in a colander

• The chicken should be done....timer should be going off. (If you have already cooked chicken you will just have a pot of boiling water)
• Take the chicken out.
•  Add four cups of water to the chicken water and add a sprinkle of salt.
•  Put it on high and wait for it to boil. 
• Chop the chicken.
• Add it to sauce.
• Stir.
• Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook it for two minutes longer than the box says for al dente.
• Drain pasta.
• Add to sauce.
• Plate your lovely, homemade dinner with some salad and a piece of bread.

Variations....add fresh spinach (or lightly steamed broccoli from a bag)  to the sauce and simmer stirring for 4 minutes. If your family hates veggies in their Alfredo...ignore this suggestion. 

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup in Under an Hour

I came home to find out it is going to be 12 degrees tonight. It is time for a bowl of hot vegetable beef soup! This can be made in an hour. 

This was my dinner tonight. My family ate the entire pot of soup. This is a good for you soup that is very tasty and easy to make. Your are going to need. a few things. I keep soup ingredients in my house at all times in winter.

(This will feed four people 2 big bowls of soup with some left over for your lunch)
  1 bag of frozen vegetables for soup (these are not the steam bags of veggies...regular frozen bag)
1/2 pound of lean hamburger ( I pull out my tall bag of frozen patties from Costco and pop off 2)
2 cans of stewed Italian tomatoes ( squeeze the tomatoes with your hand to break them up...or use a metal spoon...less dishes with using your hand)
1 box of Chicken broth
1 beef bouillon cube
2 raw potatoes
2 raw carrots
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Italian seasonings
Salt, pepper
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese 
Bay Leaf (if you have one)
Texas Pete Hot Sauce (4 drops)

  These two patties started as frozen meat (popped off the Costco frozen lean beef patties sleeve). Two frozen patties....cover with paper towel. Put in microwave. Hit defrost....hit 1 and hit 0 and hit start. When it starts, just stop it at one minute and pull out your meat. This can be done in less than four minutes. You need a half-pound of lean hamburger meat...it can just be a half pound from the store. Then brown the meat in your soup pot on medium high .Add a swirl of olive oil to the meat. 

Wipe up extra oil with a paper towel. Add two cans of stewed Italian (you could use diced tomatoes). 
Break up the tomatoes with your hand. You COULD use a metal spoon. :) The pot should be on medium high. While the mixture bubbles sprinkle it with Italian Seasoning (heavy), sprinkle it with onion powder and garlic powder ( sprinkle each while counting to three) Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (reduces acid but add to taste). Add one teaspoon of salt and a good sprinkle of pepper. Add the Bay Leaf if you have one. Add 4 small drops of Texas Pete Hot Sauce....or your favorite hot sauce. 

Add your box of chicken broth. Turn heat up to high. Now peel and chop your two carrots and two potatoes...use what you have..no stress. Now dump in in the carrots and potatoes and the frozen vegetables for soup from the bag. 

Now add the beef bouillon cube. Stir. Wait for it to boil. When it does...turn down heat to medium and cover. 30 minutes later you have DINNER! Remove the Bay Leaf...it is a spice not a veggie. You have one more important thing to do to make this taste great. Serve each bowl with a swirl of Olive Oil (it carries the flavor). You can put shredded Parmesan Cheese on top if you like. A slice of bread and a glass of iced tea...or a glass of white wine... and you have yourself a lovely dinner on a cold night. All phones in a basket. Everyone at the table. No TV. Ask each person "What was the best thing that happened to you today". Talk to your family.   This soup freezes well in Zip Lock Freezer Bags....great for when people are sick or just cold. If someone answers his phone....that person does dishes immediately after dinner. 

Bread Machines Can Be Your Friend

I make homemade bread every four days at our house. It is easy because I have a bread machine. I have a 15 year old model (Breadman Ultimate). It does not matter what brand you have as long as you follow a few rules. If you have one on a shelf collecting dust, you will not believe how easy it is to serve your family bread without any preservatives. I will admit that if you love homemade bread.....you will need to purchase a wooden slicer and bread box. Even a fourth grader and a kindergarten child can do this recipe. I have proof....

These are my grandchildren. They love to make bread. The first time we made bread one of those cuties ask "How can you put ingredients into a printer and get bread?" I then realized how much my bread machine looks like a printer. 

I promise that this white, sandwich bread takes 5 minutes to mix up and pop into the machine. Look at the ingredients....IT IS CHEAP! You leave it alone and in 3 hours you have hot bread. It beeps when it is done....your model may get the bread done a little faster or slower. Get the bread pan and pop out the bread.....use a sharp knife to remove the mixing blade from the bottom of the bread. Then you have a loaf of scrumptious hot bread.

My Favorite 1.5 lb. White Bread (great for toast and sandwiches)
1 cup of water heated to 100 to 110 degrees (instant read thermometer works....15 seconds in microwave works for my microwave) 
3 tablespoons of white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (NOT olive)
3 cups of BREAD flour (all grocery carry bread flour....King Arthur Bread Flour is best)
2 and 1/4 teaspoon of yeast for bread machines (keep in fridge)

HERE IS HOW YOU MAKE BREAD THE EASY WAY

Measure your cup of water and heat it in the microwave around 15 seconds... just do not get it hotter than 110 degrees. I use an instant read thermometer. Dump the water into the bread pan. Do NOT grease the bread pan. 

Add  3 tablespoons of sugar into the pan. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the pan. Pour your 3 tablespoons of oil into the pan. Put 3 cups of bread flour into the pan. Then make a line with a spoon across the flour. Add 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast for bread machine (keep yeast in the fridge) across the line on top of the flour. 

Pop this pan into your bread machine. Make sure the setting are WHITE BREAD, 1.5 LB LOAF SIZE, AND LIGHT CRUST SETTING. Hit start. Now flour is a funny thing. You never know exactly how much water you need. Once you hear the machine mixing your dough, check on it. My dough needed a couple more tablespoons of water. I added two extra tablespoons of water from the tap.  I used a spatula to get the flour out of the corners (while the machine was running)....be careful but it is easy. Then I had a lovely big ball of dough without flour sitting in the corners. Done. Now all you have to do is wait. If you do this at dinner time when you come home, you can pop it out before you go to bed. 

Once the bread is done. Use some mitts and turn the bread pan over. Then put the bread sideways on a board and use a sharp paring knife to cut out the paddle from the bottom of the bread. Be careful it is hot. Then you can cool the bread on a wire rack. If you cut it hot....and I always do....it will not be as pretty. I got this great Amish inspired bread slicer from Amazon. I also have a bread box that glides so that it can fit a changing size loaf of bread. These bread slices fit in the toaster and makes great sandwich bread. 

The right tools make slicing bread simple.

Easy Spaghetti That Tastes Homemade

Spaghetti That Tastes Homemade

You will need.....
1 box of thin spaghetti noodles. (16 ounces)
1 jar of your favorite sauce (24 ounce medium size jar...NO sauce with meat in it)
1 pound of lean hamburger (85% or higher lean) or use three frozen hamburger patties from Costco defrosted
1 can of diced Italian style tomatoes or 1 can of stewed Italian style tomatoes broke up with your fingers
Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, sugar

This meal will feed 6 to 8 or 4 with leftovers

1. Take out your pound of thawed hamburger meat OR take out three frozen patties of the Costco hamburger meat. You can get them apart... frozen ...with a can opener. Put the frozen patties on a plate and cover with a paper towel. Put in the microwave and hit defrost, hit 1, hit 0, hit start. That should defrost a pound of hamburger without cooking it in about 4 minutes.
2. Put a big pot half-filled with water on the stove. Heat it on high.
3. Put meat in a pan on medium high heat with a teaspoon of olive oil. Brown it. Then open the can of tomatoes. If you have stewed Italian tomatoes you need to break them up with your fingers before putting them in the pan.
4. Sprinkle ( two seconds a sprinkle) the pan with Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion powder, and add one half teaspoon of sugar (reduces acid). Now stir and add your jar of sauce.
5. I hate cleaning lids. I always just put a piece of foil to cover instead. Turn it down to low once it bubbles. Cover with lid or foil. Stir every few minutes.
6. Add two teaspoons of salt to the boiling water. (It will make the pasta tender and tasty)
7. Add noodles to the boiling water and set timer for 10 minutes once it comes back to a boil. Stir.
8. Drain noodles in colander. Put the noodles in a bowl. Pour sauce over the top. Put shaved Parmesan cheese on top or the Parmesan in the green can if that is all you have.
9. Serve with a salad out of a bag with your favorite dressing.

Frozen hamburger patties

Pop apart patties with this

Brown your hamburger

I cannot find the lid

Salt your water 

You need spices (glass of wine helpful)

Pour sauce on top and stir

Plated spaghetti