Recipe Reports

I’ve tried several new recipes this week. I’m somewhat surprised to report that they were all really good.

My daughter and I are both working on musical productions (at two different high schools — she is on the backstage crew for hers and I am the accompanist for mine). We had rehearsals every night this week either after school or evenings, and this weekend we have two concerts plus an extra rehearsal. Next week I have 6 shows (I think!) and two choir rehearsals and she has tech week (also known as Hell week in the theater realm).

SO — I’ve been looking for meals that are quick to fix and either either bake (can be left in the oven for an hour or more) or cook quickly.

Chicken walking through the village image by World Bank Photos via Flickr CC license

Chicken legs and thighs were on sale last week, so these are all chicken recipes.

Moroccan Sheet Pan Chicken

First up is Moroccan Sheet Pan Chicken. The recipe is from The Wanderlust Kitchen website.

Annabel Farley image of olives via Flickr CC license

Ingredients

For the Spice Mixture

• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
• ¾ teaspoon turmeric
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed

For the Sheet Pan Chicken

• 1 lemon
• 2 large sweet onions, cut into 12 wedges each
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3 skin-on chicken quarters (I used 8 chicken bone-in skin-on chicken thighs)
• 1 cup green olives, pitted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I forgot to add this!)

Brian Siewiorek image of cilantro, via Flickr CC license public domain

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a small bowl, prepare the spice rub by combining the salt, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and black pepper. Stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and the pressed garlic.
3. Cut the lemon in half and set one half aside. Cut the remaining half into thin slices, then arrange the slices in a single layer on a rimmed half sheet pan. Scatter the onion wedges over the lemons, then drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the onions. Sprinkle the pan with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric. (I think you could get by with 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric. It is SO expensive!)
4. Place the chicken quarters on the pan, skin side up. Pat the top of the chicken dry, then brush the prepared spice mixture evenly onto the skin of each quarter. I rubbed the spices all over the chicken with my hands.
5. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and roast for 45 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees and the juices run clear.
6. Scatter the pan with the olives and cilantro leaves. Squeeze the juice from the remaining half lemon onto the chicken. (I baked the olives on the pan with the chicken. I did remember the lemon juice, but forgot the cilantro.)

We had brown and wild rice with this. I poured the sauce from the pan over my rice and it was delicious.

 

Kate Ter Haar, lemons via Flickr CC license

One Pan Greek Chicken

Next up is another sheet pan recipe, this one from Damn Delicious:  One Pan Greek Chicken.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved (I had Idaho potatoes; I cut them into quarters. They were great.)
• 16 ounces green beans, trimmed (I used a 1 lb. bag of frozen green beans. It worked fine.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

For the marinade

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano (or Italian seasoning)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mike Mozart image of green beans, via Flickr CC license

Instructions

• In a gallon size Ziploc bag, combine chicken, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and oregano; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Marinate for at least 20 minutes to 1 hour, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
• Place potatoes and green beans in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with chicken in a single layer.
• Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes.*
• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

This recipe was quick and easy, baked beautifully and was absolutely delicious.

Turmeric image by Steven Jackson, via Flickr CC license

Little Chicken image by poppy via Flickr CC

Pukka Yellow Curry

The next recipe was not quite so easy (my kitchen was a huge MESS by the time dinner was ready), but I think that might be just first-time-working-out-the-kinks issues. Pukka Yellow Curry is a Jamie Oliver recipe. The result was flavorful and very well spiced. It takes a pretty large pan to fit all the ingredients in.

Ingredients

• 2 onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
• 2 yellow peppers
• 1 cube chicken bouillon
• 1-2 fresh red chillies (I used a jalapeno)
• ½ a bunch of fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon runny honey
• 1 level teaspoon ground tumeric
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (I used Penzey’s Sweet Curry)
• 8 chicken drumsticks
• olive oil
• 1 (14.5 oz can) chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon tomato purée (I left this out.)
• 320 g basmati rice
• 1 lemon
• OPTIONAL:
• fat-free natural yoghurt , to serve

Peel the onions, garlic and ginger and de-seed the peppers. Put 1 onion, 1 pepper, the garlic and ginger into a food processor. Crumble in the stock cube and add the chilli (de-seed it first, if you prefer a milder curry), the cilantro stalks, honey and spices, then blitz to a paste.

Place a very large casserole pan on a medium-high heat and fry the chicken drumsticks (pull the skin off first, if you prefer) with a splash of oil for 10 minutes, or until golden, turning occasionally with tongs. Remove the chicken to a plate, leaving the pan on the heat. Roughly chop the remaining onion and pepper and add to the pan to cook for a few minutes, then tip in the paste and let it cook down for around 5 minutes. Pour in 500ml of boiling water. Drain the chickpeas and add along with the tomato purée and a pinch of salt and pepper, then stir well. Return the chicken to the pan, pop the lid on, reduce the heat and simmer gently for around 45 minutes, or until the sauce darkens and thickens. Sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro leaves.

With 15 minutes to go, put 1 cup (320g) rice and 2 cups of boiling water into a pan with a pinch of salt and simmer with the lid on for 12 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve the curry in the middle of the table with a few dollops of yoghurt (if using) and a scattering of coriander leaves, with lemon wedges for squeezing over and the fluffy rice on the side.

One Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce

My last success recipe to share is from Little Spice Jar:  One Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ⅓ cup finely diced shallots (or red onions)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or basil

INSTRUCTIONS

 Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large oven proof skillet and then add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides. The chicken doesn’t have to be completely cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside. Add more oil if needed. Saute the onion until softened add the garlic and saute about a minute more. Then add the broth, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the liquid until about 1/3 to 1/2 cup remains. Add the butter and whisk (or use a fork) until it is melted. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the cream. Put the chicken in the sauce and then stick the whole thing in the oven for 5 minutes or so to finish cooking the chicken and heat up the sauce. Serve with hot cooked pasta or noodles. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley or basil.

image via Flickr CC by cookbookman17; Fresh Parsley — A bunch of fresh hand picked parsley. This parsley is bursting with flavor and ready for use.

Chicken image by Smudge 9000 via Flickr CC

 

 

 

Ben’s Favorite Cheesy Beef and Rice Enchiladas

 

XL Beef Enchilada image by Cris via Flickr CC license.

I don’t remember where I got this recipe. As with most of the recipes I use, I’ve tweaked it a bit. My son (now 20) will request these every once in a while. It is probably because they are HUGE and have plenty of cheese. He has lived in Wisconsin since just before his first birthday so he is a native Cheesehead.

Beef and Rice Enchiladas

1 pkg. 6.8oz Spanish rice and vermicelli mix (such as Rice-a-roni)
1 lb. ground beef (or pinto beans)
20 oz. enchilada sauce (large can – I’ve used red or green)
10 large tortillas, warmed (could use corn)
4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (can use less)
Sliced black olives, cilantro, sliced green onions – garnish as desired

Prepare the rice mix according to package directions (The brand I use calls for a 14oz can of diced tomatoes). Brown the beef in a skillet and drain. Combine the beef with the cooked rice mix; add 1 ¼ c. enchilada sauce to this mixture. Save the rest of the sauce for later.

Into each tortilla put:

½ to 2/3 c. rice/beef mix
¼ to 1/3 c. shredded cheese
(and anything else you want to add in there)

Put a little of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking dish. Place the filled tortillas in the dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Makes at least 10 large enchiladas.

We usually eat these with refried beans, sour cream and sometimes guacamole and tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Image of Wisconsin Cheese by Shihmei Barger via Flickr CC license

TTQ’s Improved Spinach Dip

Image by kitchenplate via Flickr CC license

Most people are familiar with the classic Knorr Spinach Dip recipe.

I tweaked the recipe a little and think it tastes just a good, if not better.

Classic Knorr Spinach Dip recipe ingredients:

• 1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, cooked, cooled and squeezed dry
• 1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
• 1 cup Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise
• 1 package Knorr® Vegetable dry mix
• 1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped (optional)

Image by Artzone via Flickr CC license

Here are my tweaks:

Use 8 oz. of sour cream and 1/2 c. of mayonnaise.
Add 1 or 2 grated carrots.

Other tweaks you might consider:
Add finely chopped green or red pepper.
Add grated radishes.
Substitute plain Greek yogurt for 1/2 the sour cream and/or mayonnaise.
Start with fresh spinach. Cook in skillet with a little EVOO til it wilts. Drain.

Mix all ingredients. Chill for an hour or two. Eat with sliced veggies, rye garlic chips, wheat thins, or Hawaiian bread chunks.

 

Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

image by jeffreyw via Flickr CC license

My mom used to make these yummy hot ham and cheese sandwiches for special events. They are quick to make and taste really good. Figure about 4 to 6 sandwiches per pound of ham, depending on how much ham you put on each bun.

This is what you need:

• sliced ham — any kind is fine: shaved, spiral sliced, leftover.
• sliced baby swiss cheese (1 or 2 slices per sandwich; or any kind of cheese you like)
• hamburger buns — poppy seed, onion, sesame seed, Hawaiian buns or plain
• mustard (any kind) — I like spicy brown or horseradish mustard best.
• finely minced onion (or use onion powder)
• butter

Soften 4 Tablespoons of butter. Add 2 T of mustard.
Mix in about 1 to 2 T. of minced onion (or more to taste).
Some recipes include 1 or 2 teaspoons of Worchestershire sauce in the mix as well. Mix all together.

Spread the butter/mustard/onion mixture on both sides of each hamburger bun, laying all the buns out on a cookie sheet or other flat surface.

Onto each bun bottom place a slice (or 1/2 slice of cheese) and your desired amount of ham (sliced or shaved). Top the ham with another slice of cheese (or 1/2 slice). Put a bun lid on each sandwich. Hopefully they all match up!

Wrap each ham and cheese sandwich in foil, sealing each little package tightly.

Place all the foil wrapped sandwiches on a cookie sheet. It is okay to stack them if you have too many.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Unwrap carefully. Enjoy!

I like to serve these with vegetables (carrots, celery, cucumber, radish) and dip (ranch, dill or spinach). They are also good with home made soup of any sort.  Crispy green salad?  You bet.

image of open faced ham and cheese fondue sandwich by Chris Gallevo via Flickr CC license

Okay, the photo above is not of this recipe.  But it does look like a pretty amazing hot ham and cheese sandwich, right?

Here are some links to similar recipes:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hot-ham-n-cheese
http://andreadekker.com/delicious-baked-sandwiches/
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/hot-colby-ham-sandwiches

This sandwich is not similar but this guy’s site has many delicious looking recipes for many different kinds of sandwiches:  http://whats4dinnersolutions.com/2015/03/03/sammich-pr0n-pulled-pork-with-slaw/

 

 

 

The Tromp Queen’s Chili

Image by Marissa Garza of ornamental peppers; via Flickr CC license.

I have posted several chili recipes here:  White Chicken Chili, My Mom’s Chili (which I called Super Easy Super Bowl Chili), and Chili Spaghetti.

I have a couple more favorite chili recipes, believe it or not.  Here is one that I created by combining several of my favorite recipes and adding some of my own flair, too.

Ingredients:

1.5 ground beef (85% lean)
1 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic (run through garlic press or use the kind in a jar)
3 T. Penzeys Chili 3000
1 T. Penzeys Medium Hot Chili Powder
1/2 t. cumin
1 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
25 grinds black pepper
1 large can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, drain and chop
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 cans (14 oz) dark red kidney beans, drain and rinse
2 c. water
4 c. tomato juice

Brown the ground beef; drain.  You can add the garlic and onion while you brown the beef or add it after you brown it; if after, cook a few minutes more.  Add the rest of the ingredients bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.  Cook, covered, at a simmer for an hour if you can.  Less will be okay, but it will taste better if you cook it longer.

This makes a pretty large batch and is soupier than some of the other chili recipes I make.

I hope you like it!

Manti

When we visited Turkey a couple of years ago, one of the meals our two teenagers enjoyed most was a big dish of Manti. According to a wonderful Turkish cookbook I have,

Manti are the ravioli of Anatolia. They are admittedly a little fussy to make, as the dough is to be rolled thinly and cut into fine squares, filled with a smidgeon of meat and sealed into neat little parcels. But the effort is well worth it – they taste delicious with the traditional distinctive yogurt, garlic and herbed butter topping.

For our young Turkish niece and nephew, Manti is one of their favorite comfort foods — it is their macaroni and cheese.

After looking through my lovely Turkish cookbook, my daughter asked if we could try making homemade Manti. We go the ingredients and dove into the process. My daughter and I made the dough, rolled it as thinly as we could then cut it into 1 1/2″ squares. We stuffed each square with meat and pinched the corners shut into the special four corner shaped little packets.

Image by thebittenword via Flickr CC license

Image by thebittenword via Flickr CC license

This took FOREVER! After all that the only thing left to do is boil them for a few minutes until they are cooked through (and float in the boiling water) and cook the simple yogurt sauce that goes on top.

Restaurant worker making tiny manti pasta in Istanbul. The best manti originated in Kayseri and is filled with minced lamb. Image by Phil Norton via Flickr CC license

We came to the conclusion that using meat-filled tortellini would make everything so much easier and that it would taste essentially the same. So that is what I’m suggesting you do, too. Our homemade version was delicious, but we do not think the time and effort involved made a huge difference from buying ready made tortellini (except for the shape, which most Americans won’t know about anyway).

So — buy enough meat-filled tortellini for your family and cook it as directed on the package.

Manti; Image by Sean Munson via Flickr CC license

For the Manti taste, you definitely need the sauce. Here’s how to make it:

Melt 1/4 c. butter (or use extra virgin olive oil) in a skillet.
Add 2 or 3 (or more to taste) cloves of minced garlic (cook briefly), then add 2 t. paprika, 1 t. dried red chili flakes (or use 1/2 t. is you like less spice). The recipe says to add some dried mint (2 t.) but we didn’t have it that way in Turkey so I didn’t add that.

To serve:
Top each serving of hot, freshly cooked meat-filled tortellini (our Manti substitute) with a large dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a generous drizzle of the flavored butter (0r olive oil) mixture. Stir to combine as desired and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Serve with a salad and warm, crusty bread. YUM!!

You could use cheese tortellini to make this a vegetarian dish. You could also use (meat-filled or cheese-filled) ravioli instead of tortellini if you want bigger bites. You might need to make more sauce if you use ravioli, though.

Ingredients needed:
Enough meat-filled tortellini for your folks and hot boiling salted water in which to cook it
2 c. plain Greek yogurt (full fat is better than non-fat for this dish)
1/2 c. butter or olive oil
several cloves of garlic
paprika
dried red chili flakes
(optional: dried or fresh mint)
parmesan cheese

The lovely Turkish cookbook is called Turkey: More than 100 Recipes with Tales from the Road by Leanne Kitchen.

Related Articles:

Making manti, turkish dumplings, as seen in the February 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living. Each dumpling is filled with lamb, onion and parsley. They are served with a yogurt sauce and melted butter.

Read the recipe and all about how to make Manti here at thebittenword.com.

Image by Hui via Flickr CC License.

Best Chicken Curry

RECIPE REVIEW
Penzeys Recipe: Curried Chicken with Basmati Rice pilaf

In a food processor or blender combine and purée:
1 large onion, cut into eighths
3 cloves of fresh garlic
1 piece of fresh ginger root about 1″, peeled (or use 3/4 t. powdered ginger)
2 jalapeño peppers, quartered and seeded

Image by Jutta M. Jenning via Flickr CC license.

Image by Dubravko Soric via Flickr CC license

Image by Daniel R Blume via Flickr CC license

Image by Q family via Flickr CC license

In a large skillet:
Heat extra virgin olive oil (3 to 4 Tablespoons).
Brown 10 – 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs for about 4 min per side until browned.
Remove the chicken to a platter.

Add a little more oil if needed.
Add 1/2 t. whole cumin seeds and stir til they sizzle (1 min. or so).
Add the purée to the skillet along with
2 T. sweet curry powder
1/4 t. cayenne
1 t. salt
Cook all this for 5 to 10 minutes until it is golden and fragrant.

Add the chicken back to the skillet and stir to cover well with the curry.
Add 1 1/2 to 2 c. water or chicken broth.
Bring to a gentle boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 min or so.
While the chicken curry is simmering it is time to make the rice.

Image by Laura Turner via Flickr CC license.

Basmati Rice Pilaf:
2 c. basmati rice
3 1/2 to 4 c. water or broth
1/2 t. sweet curry powder
1 t. salt

Heat water or broth to boiling. Rinse rice. Add rice and curry powder to boiling water. Return to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover tightly and set the timer for 13 or 14 minutes. Check toward the end to be sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Fluff. Top with any or all of the optional stir ins below.
optional stir ins about 1/4 c. each:
sliced green onion
thawed frozen green peas
chopped fresh cilantro leaves

This recipe might look complicated but it is essentially just a few steps.  The onion/garlic/ginger/jalapeño mixture is a breeze, then the chicken simmers in the sauce. While that cooks, then you are taking care of the rice.

My family really enjoys this curry!  It is very tasty; nicely spiced but not overpowering.  You can serve the chicken with plain rice if you want to simplify it, though.

FIVE FORKS!  This recipe is fantastic!

Another choice for the rice side dish would be to make the pilaf from this recipe:
https://thetrompqueencooks.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/middle-eastern-chicken-kebabs-and-basmati-rice-pilaf/

Penzeys Spices: Sweet Curry

As I’ve said before, use Penzeys Spices if at all possible.  They really do taste better.

 

 

Name Change: The Tromp Queen COOKS!

vintage sign, image by The Tromp Queen CC license 4.0

I decided to change the name of The Heat is ON! to

The Tromp Queen COOKS!

In celebration of this change, I’m presenting several “old” recipe posts from my original “The Tromp Queen” in blog new posts here on The Tromp Queen COOKS!  These are some of my very favorite recipes and I feel they deserve more visibility than they currently have (which is buried in a post entrancingly called “Recipe Re-visit”).

I hope you enjoy reading through these recipes and that you will try one or more of them.  Please let me know what you think!

I tried to go back through to be sure all the old links will still work, etc.  Please let me know if you come across any glitches with the new domain name.

THANK YOU for reading my posts.  I love comments!

Oven-Roasted Sausage and Potatoes

Oven Roasted Sausage and Potatoes

I saw this recipe posted on a friend’s wall.  I shared it with my husband because it looked like a pretty easy recipe that he and our daughter would like.  I am not a big fan of smoked sausage (the kind that comes in a tight plastic wrapped ring), so I would be happy if they ate it sometime when I wasn’t home.

Well, one night this week — we were all home.  We happened to have the ingredients to make this recipe so I gave it a try.  Here is the recipe:

Oven Roasted Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

1 package of smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
6 or more large potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
smoked paprika (or any kind of paprika — I used Spanish Smoked Paprika from Penzeys)
dried thyme (or any blend of herbs that includes thyme — I used Bouquet Garni from Penzeys)
1 cup of good quality grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking tray (with sides) with several sheets of foil, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Spread the oil out over the pan. Set aside.

Put the sausage rounds, onions and potatoes onto the foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika and dried thyme (or other herbs). Toss together with a wooden spoon (or your hands) until everything is evenly distributed.

Place into the heated oven and roast for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. Turn off the oven. Scatter the cheese over top of the cooked meat and potatoes, Pop back into the oven a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.

We had a bag of baby spinach leaves, some fresh parmesan cheese and some kalamata olives so I made a quick little Greek-Ceasar salad to fill out the meal.

Our daughter made pumpkin bread (using a Trader Joe’s mix) for dessert.

It was a not too time consuming, delicious, and fairly reasonable clean up.

Every liked it.  Even me.

Overall:  FIVE forks!

This recipe is adapted from one published by The 205 Tavern of Church Point, LA on their Facebook page. If I ever get to Louisiana, I would love to look up this place and have a bite to eat there.  It looks like they specialize in Cajun food and it all look delicious!

Recipe Review: White Chicken Chili

image by Joshua Bousel via Flickr CC license.

I got this recipe from a family of food-lovers.  (Thank you, Schoonovers!)  If you like chili but are in the mood for something a little different from the traditional chili (tomato-meat-beans), then I hope you’ll give this recipe a try.

I have made it a couple of different ways.  It works really well in a crock pot.  I also sometimes make it on the stove top.  Either way, it is quick to make and delicious to eat.

The original recipe comes from Taste of Home.

Of course, I always make a few changes to most recipes, so I’ll make note of those changes.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced  (I used the kind in a jar.  Use more or less to taste.  I use more.)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb. total), chopped  (I prefer chicken thighs.  You could also use leftover chicken or meat from a deli roasted chicken.)
2 cans (14 oz) chicken broth (I like the 32 oz. boxes of broth, especially Trader Joe’s organic broths.  YUM.)
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
2 t. ground cumin (If you aren’t sure how much spice, you could cut down on this.  As always, I use Penzeys spices.)
2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (I used only about 1/2 t. of cayenne for my family.  The last time I made this I used 1 1/2 t. of regular chili powder instead and it tasted great.)
3 cans (14-1/2 oz each) great northern beans, drained and rinsed (Look for a large jar or can that has close to this total amount to save time opening cans.)
*oh — smash one can of the beans with a fork or potato masher before added them to the soup pot.  This will thicken the soup nicely.

salt and pepper to taste

optional garnishes:
shredded cheese (A good sharp cheddar, colby-jack, or pepper jack would be tasty)
chopped jalapeno pepper  (I haven’t done this one.  You could even use the pickled, jarred or canned jalapeno.)
cilantro  (Always!)
sour cream
crushed taco chips

Procedure:

The easy way is to put all the ingredients in the crock pot, turn it on and walk away for several hours.

I’ve used bone-in chicken to make this, even in the crock pot.  I dug it out of the crock pot shortly before serving time, took the meat off the bones and threw the meat back into the pot.  It was not a big deal.

On the stove top, I’ve browned the chicken and sautéed the onions and garlic in olive oil, then added the rest of the ingredients.  Simmer for 20 min. or until you are ready to eat.

This is good with corn bread or with crunchy cheese quesadillas.  A nice salad is always a good thing, too.

 

Overall:  FIVE FORKS!  This is a great recipe.