Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Growing up, my grandmother had a few asparagus patches scattered throughout her yard. Those suckers would grow continuously for a few weeks, so it was only natural that almost every meal she prepared for a month or so came with a side of asparagus. And I absolutely hated it. Not only did the texture seem weird to me, but the taste was so foul. My mother would also receive some of the year’s asparagus bounty, so there was no escaping it. Of course, those two never really dressed up the side - just served boiled with butter. That could be one of the reasons I thought it was so awful. My how the times have changed. These days, I buy asparagus at the store, wishing I had a patch of my own to which I could tend. I’ve found oodles of recipes on the Internet that add flavor to the veggie and I’ve given a few of them a try. This one, which I altered very slightly, is my favorite. The bacon and sweetness are the perfect compliment to the asparagus.

12 strips of bacon

1-1/2 to 2 lb. asparagus

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1/4 tsp. salt 

Preheat oven to 400°. Trim bottoms of asparagus and separate into bundles of 5 to 6 pieces. Wrap one piece of bacon around each bundle. Arrange bundles in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Meanwhile, in a small non-stick saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Pour the sauce over the asparagus bundles. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes until bacon is cooked and asparagus has begun to wilt. Serve alongside your favorite main dish.

Seafood Salad

Many years ago, my family would go to Sam’s Club when they had free membership days. Because they didn’t happen a lot, we didn’t go all that often. However, every time we would go, my mom made sure to pick up a container or two of this delicious seafood salad. We’d open up a box of Chicken in a Biscuit crackers and enjoy it for as long as we could make it last. And then, one day, they didn’t carry it anymore and it was kind of devastating - it seems it’s always the good things that go away. Anyway, we searched for the seafood salad for quite a while and never had any luck. A few weeks back, I decided I wanted to make seafood salad salad, so I scoured the Internet for recipes. Not finding anything that sounded good right away, I finally stumbled across a recipe that seemed like it might be comparable to the seafood salad that we used to buy at Sam’s Club, so I gave it a go. And it was almost spot on. Of course, I tweaked it by adding lobster meat, but, other than that, it reminded me of the good old days.

1 small onion, diced

3 celery stalks, finely diced

1 cup sour cream

1-1/2 cups mayonnaise

2 tsp. dill weed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coriander

1 lb. salad shrimp, thawed

1 lb. refrigerated imitation crabmeat, flaked

8 oz. lobster meat, thawed (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, sour cream, mayo and seasonings. Add the seafood and stir until combined; add additional seasoning if desired. Refrigerate about an hour before serving. Enjoy with crackers, on a salad or with your favorite veggies.

Maple Bacon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

It was just a few years ago that I discovered sweet potatoes. I believe the very first thing I made with them was a sweet potato pie for Christmas (which I ended up missing out on because I had tickets to a Packers-Bears game at Lambeau Field - not a single piece was left, so it must have been good). Anyway, when I moved to Massachusetts and met my boyfriend, I started eating baked sweet potatoes with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar, which is so good. I've also grown fond of ordering sweet potato fries (also delicious) whenever they're offered as a substitute side. As you can tell, these yummy root vegetables have become a staple in my diet. Wanting to do something a little different with them, I decided to try out a mashed sweet potatoes recipe. While I could have simply done a mashed version with cinnamon, butter and brown sugar, I opted to add something a little different - maple syrup. And, of course, whenever you add bacon to something, it’s extra delicious, so that was a given!

5 or 6 medium sweet potatoes

2 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. milk

3 Tbsp. maple syrup

6 slices bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces and cooked

Preheat oven to 350°. Pierce each potato about six or seven times with a knife. Bake the potatoes for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until soft. Remove potatoes from oven and allow to cool a few minutes. Cut the potatoes in half; scoop out the pulp and place in a medium-sized pot. Mash the pulp with a potato masher. Stir in the butter milk and syrup until well blended. Fold in the bacon pieces, Serve along side your favorite entree.

Chicken Alfredo Soup

Chicken Alfredo is one of my very favorite pasta dishes; I’ve come to love it so much that I created my very own Alfredo recipe. One day, while planning dinner, my decision was between chicken Alfredo and some sort of cream soup; and then a light bulb went off … chicken Alfredo soup. Why didn’t I think of this brilliant dish sooner? Anyway, combining an Alfredo soup recipe I found online with my Alfredo sauce recipe, one of the best creations to ever come out of my kitchen was born.

1 lb. farfalle bow tie pasta

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cups water

3 cups boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 head broccoli, florets only

1/2 onion, diced

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 quart heavy whipping cream

2 cups shaved parmesan cheese

1-1/2 tsp. pepper

1-1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coriander

2 tsp. parsley flakes

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add 2 Tbsp. butter, stirring to coat pasta. Pour into a mixing bowl, cover and set aside. In the same pot used for cooking the pasta, add the water and heat to boiling. Place a folding steamer basket into the pot and add chicken. Steam the chicken until tender and cooked through. Add the broccoli and steam another few minutes until broccoli is slightly cooked. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, in another large pot over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in butter for a couple minutes; add flour and cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes, stirring continuously, until bubbly. Whisk in chicken broth and heavy whipping cream; add the pepper, salt, coriander and parsley. Cook and stir until thickened. Add the parmesan cheese to the soup base and cook, while stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. Add the cooked broccoli, chicken and pasta; heat through. Serve.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I love chicken enchiladas. The one thing I’m not so fond of is all the preparation that goes along with making them - that and the waiting, of course. Craving enchiladas the other day, I decided to try something a little different. And it turned out amazingly delicious. Given all the ingredients that go into enchiladas, I figured it would make a great, tasty soup. And I was right. Originally, I was planning on making this a creamy, cheesy soup, but, half way through cooking, I changed my mind. I decided that, instead of adding the cheese directly into the soup, it would work better as an add-in, along with sour cream and tortilla chips. While all three are optional, I highly recommend adding them. Also, one of the best things about this recipe (aside from its simplicity) is the fact that no additional seasoning is necessary. It’s flavorful enough just the way it is.

4 cups chicken broth

2 lbs. chicken breasts, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 - 15.25-oz. cans southwest corn (with poblano & red peppers), drained

1 - 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained 

1 cup salsa

1 - 10-oz. can enchilada sauce (any variety)

2 - 16-oz. cans refried beans

Tortilla chips, crushed

Pepper Jack cheese

Sour cream

In a Dutch oven, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add chicken and onions; continue boiling for 15-20 minutes. Add corn and black beans. Stir and continue boiling an additional 15 minutes. Stir in the salsa, enchilada sauce and refried beans until the beans are incorporated into the soup. Cook until heated through. When serving, top with chips, cheese and sour cream. 

Jennie’s Gumbo

While this is not a true Cajun or Creole gumbo recipe since I can’t find okra around these parts year-round, I came up with my own version of the delicious Southern staple. Aside from okra, a typical gumbo often calls for crabmeat and beef bouillon. Since I’m not a fan crabmeat or anything that has to do with beef, I instead used chicken and chicken bouillon. I also cut back on the amount of Tabasco sauce used in most gumbo recipes. While I love spicy food, it doesn’t always agree with some people (namely, my boyfriend). Regardless, you can always add more hot sauce if you can stomach it. And while I used Cajun-flavored chicken sausage, any kind of sausage (andouille being the most common gumbo sausage) will do. Also, if you can find file gumbo powder, use that in place of the cornstarch.

1 cup all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup bacon grease 

1 cup coarsely chopped celery 

1 large onion, coarsely chopped 

1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

3 quarts water 

6 chicken bouillon cubes

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt 

1 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce 

1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning blend

4 bay leaves 

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves 

1 - 14-1/2 oz. can stewed tomatoes 

1 - 8-oz. can tomato sauce 

4 tsp. cornstarch, divided

1 pound precooked pork or chicken sausage, sliced 

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 lb. cooked medium shrimp, peeled 

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 

Make a roux by whisking the flour and 3/4 cup bacon grease together in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat to form a smooth mixture. Cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it turns a rich mahogany brown color, about 10 minutes; watch heat carefully and whisk constantly or roux will burn. Remove from heat; continue whisking until mixture stops cooking. Place the celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic into the work bowl of a food processor or into a blender and pulse until the vegetables are very finely chopped. Stir the vegetables into the roux. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Bring the water and chicken bouillon cubes to a boil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir until the bouillon cubes dissolve, and whisk the roux mixture into the boiling water. Reduce heat to a simmer. Mix in the sugar, salt, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer the soup over low heat for 1 hour; mix in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch at the 45-minute mark. Add the sausage, chicken and shrimp, along with the Worcestershire sauce, and simmer until flavors have blended (about 30-45 more minutes). Just before serving, stir in 2 more teaspoons of cornstarch.

Brocc-iflower Salad

When I was younger, I loathed broccoli, but in the past five years or so, it has become one of my favorite veggies. Whether it’s smothered in cheese, mixed in with pasta or just raw with some ranch dressing, I’m developing quite the love affair with broccoli. My boyfriend’s step-mom made a broccoli salad for Easter dinner earlier this year and it was one of the most delicious side dishes I had ever had. Thus, I felt obligated to find and/or create a similar recipe so I could make it at home. While I could have simply just used broccoli for this, I thought I’d throw in some cauliflower, which turned out to be a good idea. And, of course, I added my favorite condiment (bacon) for flavor. It adds just the right amount of saltiness to the sweetness of the dressing. This will definitely become a staple in my potluck repertoire.

2 broccoli crowns, chopped

1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound bacon (8-10 strips), fried and crumbled

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 

Combine the chopped broccoli and cauliflower in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, and salt to make a creamy dressing. Add the dressing to the broccoli–cauliflower mix, stirring to evenly coat the vegetables. Stir in the bacon and the cheese, reserving a small amount to sprinkle on top of the salad just before serving.

Chicken Bacon Gnocchi Minestrone

Being a huge fan of soup, I’m always looking for creative ways to put my own spin on some of my favorites. A few weeks back, I was torn between making a minestrone or a chicken, potato and vegetable type stew. This turned out to be the perfect compromise ... making a chicken minestrone and adding gnocchi to satisfy my potato craving. And, of course, no meal is complete without bacon, so I made sure to incorporate that into the recipe, as well. The result … one of the most flavorful and filling soups I have ever had. But, if you're not as big a fan of gnocchi as I am, you may use any type of rotini or penne type pasta in its place.

6 strips bacon, sliced into 1-inch pieces

1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. dried oregano

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 small red bell pepper

1 small yellow bell pepper

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 cup diced onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth

1 - 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 - 15-1/2-oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 - 16-oz. package potato gnocchi

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon until lightly crispy. Cut chicken into cubes and sprinkle with oregano. Sauté the chicken with the bacon and 1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil until no longer pink. Remove the chicken and bacon and set aside. In the same pan, cook the red and yellow pepper, carrots, celery and onion in the remaining oil until tender. Add the garlic and cook one minute longer. Mix in the broth, tomatoes, beans and chicken. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook the gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and stir into the soup. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Garnish each serving with cheese.

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Taking a recipe from the Food Network and, as always, making some minor changes to make these my own, these potatoes turned out phenomenally. My boyfriend and I both loved these … so much so that we kept eating them, even after we were full. One thing I would recommend is cutting your potatoes in about 1-inch cubes or a wee bit smaller to make sure they cook fully in the oven. If you need or want to add your favorite seasonings once these are done, that’s also an option. For spicy garlic roasted potatoes, I would suggest adding 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper to the following recipe.

3 lbs. white potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. thyme

2 Tbsp. chopped garlic

1-1/2 tsp. freshly ground sea salt

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Wash and cut the potatoes into quarters or eighths, depending on the size of the potato. In a large bowl, combine the oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes in the bowl of oil and spices until coated. Spread the potatoes out into one layer on a large baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or an hour until the potatoes are brown and crispy, flipping twice during baking to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and season to taste. Serve hot.

Veggie Stir-Fry

This was a recipe I found in Taste of Home and absolutely loved. If I recall correctly, my mom even liked it, which was surprising since she hates celery. I modified this slightly to my liking, mainly by adding more soy sauce. I’ve also used this recipe and added cooked, cubed chicken breasts to make it more of a meal. I’m sure it would taste just as great if you added pork or beef. If there’s one thing I like about side dishes, it’s the ability to elaborate upon them to create an amazing meal.

4 tsp. corn starch

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp. soy sauce

1-1/4 cup celery, julienned

1-1/4 cup green pepper, julienned

1-1/4 cup carrots, peeled and julienned

2/3 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup sliced onion

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, mix corn starch, broth and soy sauce until smooth. Meanwhile, stir-fry the vegetables in a large skillet or wok until tender. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Serve alongside your favorite entree.

Chicken, Bacon & Pepper Stew

Before I quit eating red meat, I would wait all year for my mom to make stew. Finding myself craving some, I was perplexed at how I could satisfy that craving. I mean, even though I no longer eat dead cow, I find my mouth watering when I see someone eating a nice, juicy bacon cheeseburger - mostly because it has bacon and cheese on it - because it looks so delicious. Lo and behold, stew tastes just as good when it’s made with chicken. This recipe, in particular, turned out fabulous … very hearty and extremely flavorful.

1.5 lbs. chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks

8-10 strips bacon

1 large onion, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

4 cups chicken broth

2 - 14.5-oz. cans stewed tomatoes (plain or flavored)

1 cup white cooking wine

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. parsley flakes

4 potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the red and yellow peppers in half, removing the stems and seeds. Roast in a toaster oven (or regular oven) until skins start to blacken. Remove from oven and let cool. Slice the peppers into strips and set aside. Cut bacon into small strips. Cook in a skillet until crispy; Remove the bacon from the pan, reserving the liquid gold (bacon grease). Sauté the onion in the reserved bacon grease until translucent. Place chicken and bacon in a Dutch oven. Add the sliced peppers, onions and chicken broth. Add the tomatoes, white wine, thyme, parsley and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 to 3 hours until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Fried Rice

I have always loved fried rice. Growing up, my mom used to make it without any vegetables, so that kind of stuck for me. I remember the first time ordering fried rice at a Chinese restaurant; I was completely surprised to find peas and carrots in it. Though I omitted the veggies when I made it, you can definitely add peas and carrots if you so desire. Another thing my mom used to do was, instead of using the full amount of soy sauce, she would add brown sauce. I’m not sure why exactly – perhaps it was to cut down on the saltiness and still get the color – but I love soy sauce and definitely think fried rice tastes exceptionally better with it.

1-1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots (optional)

4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 cup diced onion or 1-1/2 Tbsp. minced onion

2 large eggs

1 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

4 cups cold, cooked rice

1-2 Tbsp. soy sauce

In a saucepan, boil peas and carrots 3 to 5 minutes; drain and set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the onion and sauté. Stir in the peas and carrots. Add the eggs, salt and pepper and scramble until no longer runny (but not dry). Remove the eggs and clean out the pan. Add the remaining oil and rice. Stir fry for a few minutes using a wooden spoon to break it apart the rice. Stir in the soy sauce until blended. When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled eggs, peas and carrots back into the pan. Serve.

Brown Rice Pilaf

I love rice. When I was in college, I ate an ungodly amount of Rice-A-Roni. One of my favorites was rice pilaf. So when I decided to make garlic butter shrimp one night, I thought pilaf would be a great side to o along with it. Whipping out my cell phone and looking for recipes on the Interweb, I came across one similar to this. After making jambalaya, I had a lot of brown rice leftover, so I used that, which turned out to be a great choice. Also, in place of the broth the recipe called for, I used the chicken stock that my boyfriend had made from the chicken carcass we had leftover from another dinner. If there’s one thing I love, it’s being able to use ingredients from previous meals. And this had an exceptional flavor because I didn’t use the salt-infused, store-bought chicken broth.

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3/4 cup onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup long grain brown rice

2-1/2 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, sauté onions and garlic in oil for 4-5 minutes. Add rice and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed (about 45 minutes). Uncover, add salt and pepper and stir. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

The first time I ever made spinach artichoke dip was at Wind River Brewing Co. in Pinedale, Wyo. It was part of the new owners’ menu improvements. To be honest, before I made it, I had never even tried the popular party staple. But, as soon as I did, I loved it. Of course, making it in a restaurant environment, you must make it in a huge batch. Thus, I ended up using frozen spinach that had been pre-chopped and thawed … not necessarily my cup of tea since I love using fresh ingredients. So, for this, I used fresh baby spinach and it turned out to be extremely good. Tearing it up and removing the stems may be a bit more tedious, but, trust me, it’s definitely worth it.

1 - 10-oz bag fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 - 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1 - 8-oz. container sour cream

1 - 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup grated parmesan and romano cheese, divided

Tear spinach into bite-size pieces and remove stems. In a large frying pan, cook spinach with garlic in olive oil until spinach is wilted, but still bright green (about 3 minutes). Add cream cheese and sour cream, mixing well. Remove from heat. Stir in artichoke hearts and red pepper flakes. Add 1/4 cup of the parmesan and romano cheese and the lemon juice. Mix well and spread into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese. Set pan on the center shelf of the oven set to broil. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly with lightly browned edges. This will not take very long (about 5 minutes), so watch closely. Remove from oven. Serve hot with chips, veggies or bread.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Again, going back to my affinity for spicy foods, I found a recipe for spicy black bean soup in a magazine. Adjusting the spiciness to meet my tastes and throwing in some beer for added flavor, this turned out absolutely fantastic. If you don’t like things super spicy, you may want to only use one jalapeño pepper and, perhaps, just use plain diced tomatoes instead of the ones with chiles in them.

1 large onion, diced
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp. oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 - 15-oz. cans black beans
1 - 10-oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 - 4-oz. can chopped green chiles
1 - 12-oz. bottle porter beer
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 cup red cooking wine or sherry
2 Tbsp. cilantro
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Mexican cheese

In a Dutch oven, sauté the onion, red pepper and jalapeño peppers in oil until tender. Add the garlic and cook two minutes longer. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, chiles, beer and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes. Add cooking wine and cilantro. Cook 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Place half of the soup in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Return to the pot and heat through. Top each serving with sour cream and cheese.

Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup

Since she passed away in 1975, I never got to meet my maternal grandmother. However, given the numerous stories my mom has told me about her, I’m sure I would have gotten along with her famously. For starters, she was a hell of a cook; I’m fairly certain that if culinary skills were hereditary, she would definitely have been the person from whom I would have acquired them. Anyway, my mom has been making a variation of her chicken noodle soup for years. I call it a variation because my grandma made her’s a lot spicier.

1 - 15-oz. package chicken gizzards, thawed and chopped
1 - 23-oz. package chicken wings, thawed
1 - 15-oz. tub chicken livers, thawed
1 - 16-oz. bag frozen peas and carrots
1 - 2.5-oz. box Mrs. Grass Noodle Soup mix
12-16 cups water
2 cups fine egg noodles
2 cups chicken broth

In a Dutch oven, cook the gizzards in 8 cups of water (adding more as needed) until tender, about 2 hours. Add the chicken wings and cook for 45 minutes, again adding more water if needed. Add the peas and carrots and the broth packet from the soup mix. Cook for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, boil the chicken livers in 2 cups of chicken broth for 10 minutes. Drain and strain. Remove the chicken wings from the soup. Add the egg noodles and the noodles from the box of soup mix. Return to a boil and cook until noodles are done. Return the wings to the pot and add the livers. Heat through. Serve.

Pepper Jack Chicken Pasta Salad

Yep, that’s right … another pasta salad recipe; while I can’t usually take all of the credit for my pasta salad ideas, this one is purely my creation. One day, while trying to decide what kind of pasta salad I wanted to make, I came across a block of pepper jack cheese in the fridge. Taking the idea from one of my favorite meals, pepper jack chicken over rice (which will be added to this ever-growing collection of recipes shortly), I decided to start throwing some things together and make pepper jack chicken pasta salad. In my eyes, spicy and chicken is probably the best combination of ingredients in the world. And depending upon the type of pepper jack chicken you buy, you can control the level of spiciness, which is also an added bonus.

3 cups dry pasta (rotini, rotelle, shells, etc.)
1 - 15 oz. can corn, drained)
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 - packet Italian dressing mix
1/4 cup creamy Italian dressing
8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 small onion, diced
3 medium chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 - oz. block pepper jack cheese, cubed

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Add the corn to the boiling water after about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water twice. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the mayo, Miracle Whip, dressing mix, Italian dressing, bacon and onion. Add the pasta, corn, chicken and cheese. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

White Chili

I’ve been a fan of chili all of my life. My mom made excellent chili while I was growing up and out in Pinedale, Honis made spectacular green and red chili. But, now that I have cut red meat out of my diet, I’ve had to come up with different options, such as turkey chili – the recipe for which can also be found on this blog. So when I came across a recipe for white chili, which is made with chicken, I had to give it a try. Since I love chicken and spicy foods, I absolutely had to give it a try. After tweaking it to my tastes, it’s become a favorite of mine. My brother even told me he was bragging to people about how good it was and that I should enter it in a chili cook-off. While I haven’t done that yet, I have a feeling it’d be a winner.

1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. oil
3 cups chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 - 15.5-oz. cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 15.5-oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 small orange or yellow pepper, diced
1 - 11-oz. can corn, drained
1 - 15-oz. jar alfredo sauce
1 - 7-oz. can green chiles
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Sauté the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the chicken, broth and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Add the beans and return to a boil. Reduce heat. Add the pepper, corn, alfredo sauce, chiles, sour cream and spices. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add the cheeses, stirring until melted. Serve.

Tuna Pasta Salad

Every time I made my BLT Pasta Salad or Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad for barbecues with the folks, my dad would constantly ask me why there wasn’t tuna in it instead. Usually when people ask for things, I immediately go out of my way to please them, Thus, this was my cue to begin crafting a tuna pasta salad recipe. Lo and behold, the next time we had a barbecue, this was a hit.

3 cups elbow macaroni
1-1/2 cups frozen or fresh peas
1 small onion, diced
3 - 4-oz. cans tuna, drained
1-1/2 cups Miracle Whip
1-1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Boil macaroni until tender, adding the peas to the pot about 10 minutes into boiling. Drain and rinse with cold water twice. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the onion, tuna, Miracle Whip, mayo, celery salt and mustards. Add the pasta and peas and mix until well blended. Refrigerate before serving.

Thanksgiving Chowder

When you cook a huge 25-pound turkey for Thanksgiving, chances are you’ll have leftovers. This year, I decided I would experiment a little bit with the remaining turkey … which ended up becoming chowder. Taking my experience with making soups and chowders, I concocted a recipe that used all the key staples of any Thanksgiving dinner – potatoes, turkey, carrots, corn. Thankfully, the experiment worked out and the chowder was a hit. Guess I know how I’ll be spending Black Fridays from now on.

8 cups chicken broth
2 cups potatoes
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1-1/2 cups cooked turkey
1 - 14-oz. can corn (optional)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sage
salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven, combine the broth, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. Bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until well-blended. Add the milk and stir until thickened and bubbly. Pour the milk mixture into the Dutch oven and return to a boil. Add the turkey and spices; stir and heat through.