Mama's (Amy's) Chili Recipe

Ground Beef (desired amount)

1 Can Kidney Beans, drained

2 cans Bush's Brand Chili Beans (there's a mild and medium), do not drain

Taco Seasoning Packet

Chicken Broth (to desired consistency)

Serve over fritos with cheese and sour cream.

My niece Evelyn stayed over at my house for a couple weeks one summer and she requested her Mama's Chili.  Once Amy told me how to make it and we tried it, I knew I had to save it for later.  Basically tastes like something you cooked for hours, but it's just a toss together recipe.  Go slow adding the chicken broth as you can get it too runny if not careful.

Delicious!!

Tenor Pasta

1 lb Sweet Italian sausage
1/4 lb Bacon or Pancetta, chopped
1 lb Ground beef
2 Onions, chopped fine
2 Celery stalks, diced
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups Chicken stock
1 can (8 oz) Tomato sauce
2 cans (19 oz each) Cannellini beans, drained
1 can (15 oz.) Red Kidney beans, well drained
1 can (14 oz.) Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp White pepper
1 tsp Dried Ground Thyme
1 tsp Dried rosemary
2 tsp Dried basil
1 1/2 cups Ditalini or other tube pasta
1 cup Cooked orzo
1 Carrot, shredded
Parmesan and Fresh Basil as garnish

Place a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the sausage links with a small amount of water, covered, until the sausage has browned, about 10 minutes.

Remove sausages to a plate and let cool. Once cooled chop into pieces and then put in a processor till finely ground. Brown the bacon in the same pot as used for the sausage links, using a little olive oil if necessary. Brown it but don't let it get crisp. Add the chopped sausage back in with the ground beef and cook until everything is browned, about 15 minutes.

Add onions, celery and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Add the stock and skim the fat off as it rises to the top (can use a gravy separator also). Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

In processor, blend tomato sauce with 1 cup cannellini beans. Pour the mixture into the pot then add the rest of the cannellini beans, kidneybeans, tomatoes and herbs. After 5 minutes, add the pasta and simmer for 20 minutes. Add more water if needed.
5
Add the orzo and carrots and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Should be a thick stew like consistency.

Yield: Makes about 8 servings.

Red Beans & Rice

1 lb bag of red beans
Smoked sausage (spicy)
1 onion
3 to 4 stalks of celery
1 bell pepper
2 bay leaves

Season to taste:
Tony's Creole seasoning (salty)
Salt
Garlic powder

No need to soak beans overnight. Brown sausage. Add to Crockpot with the washed beans and bay leaves. Cook vegetables until soft and add them to Crockpot. Fill with water to just cover all ingredients. Watch water level while cooking, because beans soak up water more hot water may need to be added. Cook on high for the first hour and then on low for at least 2 ½ hours. Serve with rice.

Source: Terry S (a friend I've lost touch with over the years)

***COMMENTS: This is the easiest Red Bean Recipe you'll ever come across. No more worrying about soaking your beans overnight. What a pain! Just throw everything together in the crockpot and let it do it's thing.

One small warning though. The reason you put the seasonings in at the end is because any kind of salt added before the beans are cooked kind of make the beans tough. You would still be able to soften them up...but it would take double the time. That being said...there have been a couple times where it seems my beans behave this way...they take longer than normal to cook. I really think that it had to do with my sausage. I think the brand I was using was much saltier than others I'd used in the past. So kinda watch for this.

Lastly, it's always better to start your beans way early and have to rewarm them than to have them still tough when everyone is hungry. This is a GREAT recipe though. Everyone likes it!

Potato Soup

5 to 6 medium potatoes, cubed
1/2 package of bacon
1 onion, chopped (as much as desired)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can corn and/or cream of corn, drained
Milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne Pepper (optional)

Cut bacon into thin strips. Sauté with onions until browned. Add potatoes and put enough water in to almost cover them. Bring to a boil. Let simmer 5 to 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. (Not too tender because you will end up with mush.) Add canned soups and corn, if mixture is too thick add some mile; maybe ½ a soup can. Let simmer for about ½ an hour. Mash some potatoes if desired to make thicker. Add salt and pepper to taste and add cayenne pepper right before serving. Store extra in containers. WARNING: Cayenne pepper will seem spicier after storing in refrigerator. If desired serve with tortilla chips.

Source: Sherie K (My Mom)
***NOTE: This is one of my favorite cold weather staples. The girls like this...Tommy's not a huge fan.

I have to mention too though...the Cayenne and Chip thing was my contribution and is not part of the original recipe. I think it happened kind of on accident. I was in the mood for something a little spicy and the spicy flavor lent itself to the tortilla chips I had nearby...but the saltiness of the chips and the spicy soup and creamy texture actually all go better together than you would imagine.

If you are skeptical, make it without the cayenne and just try it in one bowl. Go easy on the Cayenne...you can always add more but cant take it out. :)

**Note: I tried freezing this and it didn't really work. You don't get the yummy creamy consistency when you re-heat this soup after it's been frozen. :(

Kidney Bean Vegetable Soup

1 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 stalk celery, sliced
5 cups light beef stock, heated
1 cup cooked kidney beans
1 green pepper, diced medium
1 red pepper, diced medium
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup corned beef, cubed
1 cup cooked corn kernels
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and peppers; sauté 5 minutes or until veggies begin to get tender. Add beef stock and mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper; bring to boil. Cook 12 minutes over medium heat. Serve. Great low-fat recipe.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

2 cups Chicken, chopped and cooked
2 medium Carrots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
1 to 2 Lemons
2 tbs Fresh Parsley, snipped
1 Garlic clove, pressed
1 can (10 3/4 oz) 98% fat-free reduced sodium condensed Cream of Chicken
3 cans (14.5 oz each) 100% fat-free chicken broth
1/4 tsp Black pepper
2/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1 Chop chicken, carrots and onion. Zest one lemon to measure 1 teaspoon zest, finely snip zest with kitchen shears. Juice lemons to measure 1/4 cup juice. Snip parsley using kitchen shears; set aside.

2 Heat a soup pot over medium heat, coat lightly with cooking spray. Add carrots, onions and pressed garlic. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, lemon zest, lemon juice, soup, chicken broth and black pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce heat. Cover; simmer over low heat 15 - 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat; stir parsley into soup just before serving.

Servings: 8
Yield: About 10 1/2 cups

Cooking Tips
Would go well with biscuits, tastes similar to chicken and dumplings

Source: Pampered Chef - It's Good For You Cookbook

Goulash Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 lb meat, cut up good
(Either a beef round or fondue meat; fondue meat is already cut up and more tender, it will not have to be cooked as long.)
4 medium potatoes, cubed
1/2 to 3/4 cup celery or green onions
1/2 to 3/4 cup parsley
1/2 to 3/4 cup carrots
2 beef bouillon cubes
Paprika (to taste)
5-6 spoons catsup
Pickle, chopped

Heat some butter in pan and sauté onion and meat. Dissolve bouillon in about 2 to 3 cups of water. When all redness is out of the meat add bouillon and vegetables. Simmer about 2 to 3 hours stirring occasionally and making sure the liquid level is at the top of where the meat is. The potatoes must go in at least 40 minutes to get soft. Put the pickles, catsup and paprika in about 15 minutes before serving.

***Comment: I have alot of good recipes from her. She was german and taught me a lot about cooking. Some recipes I got just by standing behind her and writing things down while she made it. She doesn't really follow recipes like me. HA! I hope that she doesn't mind me sharing alot of her recipes...it is really a compliment to her cooking! I hope she is doing well...and Joe too! :)

Source: Dorothy M (My first Mother-in-Law)

Fish Chowder

1 large Fish (approximately 4 lbs.)
2 to 3 cups Potatoes, diced
6 to 8 strips Bacon
1 quart Half and half
1 cup Green Peppers
1 quart Milk
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1/2 cup Green onions, chopped
1/2 cup Celery, chopped
Salt
Pepper
Celery salt
Onion salt
1 to 2 tsp Liquid Crab Boil Seasoning

1 Cook fillets in enough water to cover for about 20 to 30 minutes, save stock. Remove, cool, then de-bone and crumble fillets. Fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and saute green pepper, onion and celery in drippings. Place 2 cups of fish stock in large pan. Add diced potatoes and cook until tender. Add sauteed vegetables, crumbled fish and bacon (if desired).

2 Season to taste with spices. Add half-and-half. Thicken if you like with cornstarch mixed with milk, or just add milk. Heat just to boiling and serve immediately.

***NOTE***I know this seems like an odd recipe. I used it when I had a bunch of fish in the freezer to use up. It makes a HUGE batch, so you might want to try and half it. Notice how much cream and bacon and goodies are in it...it's not really fishy tasting at all...almost like a potatoe soup with kick! I guarentee it wouldn't be on this blog if I didn't like it. :)

Fiesta Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, frozen
2 cans (14.5 oz) low sodium chicken broth
15 oz can kidney beans, undrained
1 cup salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup 10-minute rice
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Remove protective ice glaze from frozen chicken by holding under lukewarm running water. Cut into ½ to 1-inch pieces. In large saucepan, combine chicken, chicken broth, kidney beans, salsa and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 to 10 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear. Stir in rice, cover and remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Top each serving with cheese. Serves 4. Garnish with tortilla chips, sliced avocado or toasted tortilla strips.

Source: Tyson's Perfect Meals Cookbook

Crawfish Etouffee

1/2 to 3/4 bag (12 oz) Crawfish tails
1 stick Butter
1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell pepper, chopped (Michelle uses 1/2 a bell pepper)
2 to 3 tbs Flour
Water
Tony Cachere's (salty but gives it heat)
Garlic powder
Serendipity (like Season-All-Salt or Salt and Pepper)
Salt as desired
Link sausage
Chicken

Saute veggies with butter till soft. Season (don't make too salty or too spicy). Add crawfish. Cook till the tails are curled. Tommy likes sausage and chicken in his as well. Add the flour and cook till you get a thick base then add water slowly till you get the soupiness that you want.

Serve over rice.

Source: Michelle S (my Sister-in-Law, she makes great cajun food and great desserts)

Bronx Mix

1 bag (16 oz.) Frozen Corn
2 cans Italian Rotel, desired heat
1 1/2 sticks Butter
1 pound Italian sausage, desired heat (mild, medium, or hot)
1 cup Chicken broth

Fry sausage. Combine with the rest of the ingredients in a large pot and heat through. Freezes well. If spicy Italian sausage is used this dish is really spicy.

***COMMENT: This is one of Tommy's favorites to eat on camping trips with the guys...really easy to warm up from frozen over the campfire. I have to admit though, I've edited this recipe slightly, Vinny's had double the butter and NO Chicken broth...I just couldn't eat something (or feed something to Tommy) with THAT much butter in it. :) It's still good my way too. SPICY!

Source: Vinny (one of Tommy's co-workers from Halliburton)

Berma Soup

Soup:
2 cups of red lentils
at least 6 cups of water
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Add ins:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
3 green chilies cut into thin rings
2 large potatoes, or frozen hash browns
Vegetable oil
2 to 3 yellow onions cut into 1-inch slivers
Toasted cubed bread or croutons
1 cup fresh Cilantro

Pour distilled vinegar into a bowl with the green chilies and let sit for at least 1 hour prior to serving. To prepare soup, wash lentils 2 or 3 times watching for stones. Add lentils and water to a pan, cooking for 20 - 35 minutes or until it forms a soupy base. Add chopped cilantro and salt and pepper. While this is cooking prepare sides. Fry up some "hash browns", sauté onions in butter until they are golden colored, roughly chop cilantro. Put all these in separate bowls and serve the soup buffet style allowing people to choose their toppings.

Source: Calling All Cooks Show