Chicken Tortilla Soup

My friend Brittany made a chicken tortilla soup last week, and I decided to try my hand at putting together a recipe for it myself. It turned out fantastic, and I am looking forward to leftovers! The measurements are approximate and can be adjusted to your liking. Also, if you want to change it up, consider adding corn, black beans, or whatever else sounds enticing to you. Also, I baked my own tortilla strips. You can always use store-bought.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves 4 to 6 people

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

48 oz. chicken broth

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 jalepeno pepper, chopped

2 medium tomatoes or 1 large tomato, diced

1 avocado

2 limes

1 bunch cilantro

5 corn tortillas

Cooking spray

Olive oil

Chili powder

Cumin

S&P

Cut chicken into thin strips and season with chili powder and s&p. Heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small pan. Add chicken to pan and cook until done.

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, pepper, and cumin (approx. 1 to 2 tsp.). Cook until translucent. Add chicken broth, tomato, and cooked chicken. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes.

For the tortilla strips, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Cover tortillas with oil or cooking spray, cut into thin strips, and sprinkle with salt. Spread out on cookie sheet and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until crispy.

When soup is finished, ladle into individual bowls and add the juice of one lime wedge, avocado (or guacamole, which I made since all of the ingredients needed were already in the soup), cilantro, and tortilla strips.

Southern Corn Casserole

This was always on the table at my husband, Jonathan's, Thanksgiving dinners, so I decided to add it to my repertoire, and I often serve it with my chili.

Southern Corn Casserole

1 can (16 oz) cream corn

1 can (16 oz) whole kernel corn

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix

1 1/2 sticks margarine, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp. sugar

8 oz sour cream

8 oz mozzarella cheese

All mixing is done by hand. Open and drain whole kernel corn and pour into a mixing bowl. Add cream corn and sour cream. Slightly beat eggs and add to mixture. Add melted margarine. Add sugar and cornbread. Mix well.

Pour into ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Add cheese on top the last 15 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Vicki Jenkins

Chili con Carne

I planned to make this chili as soon as I found out it was going to be in the 60s this weekend (perfect sweater weather). It is simple but delicious—and always a crowd-pleaser. Instead of serving it with standard cornbread, I make my mother-in-laws recipe for Southern Corn Casserole to pair with it.

Chili con Carne

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 medium white onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 1/2 jalepeno peppers, chopped

1 can (approx 14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 1/2 cup tomato sauce

1 can dark-red kidney beans

1 to 2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

Cook meat, onion, and peppers until meat is lightly browned and vegetables are tender. Drain 3/4 of the fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove bay leaf and serve.