Chicken Taco Soup...

This recipe is one of our favorite soups, Chicken Taco Soup.  We also have a Taco Soup that I will post later and link to it!  It's basically the same just with hamburger meat.  But when it's cold outside, this simmering all day and smelling up the house makes your all warm inside!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cans of chicken breast
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1-jar of Picante Sauce (I prefer Mild)
• 1 can whole kernel corn
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 pack of ranch dressing mix
• 1 pack of taco seasoning mix
• optional: fresh mushrooms or canned mushroom (my husband loves mushrooms)
• cheese
• cour cream

Directions

1. Place chicken breast in stock pot or Dutch oven pot and break up the chunks, add chicken broth.
2. Drain corn, black beans, kidney beans and mushrooms then add to stock pot.
3. Add Picante Sauce, ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning mix then stir.
4. Simmer on the stove about 20 minutes or until warm. 

Serves 6-8

All of the ingredients...

Ingredients in the my dutch oven pot!

If you don't have one of these I would be the first to tell you to invest!  I L-O-V-E mine.  They are a little pricey, but the meals you can cook in it are endless!  It works on the stove, and in the oven.  It also keeps things hot for a while after turning the stove off.

Dinner for two...Yes Please!

Alterations:

• Boil your own chicken for your soup.
• Toppings can be of your choice such as chives.
• Add some extra onions and peppers.
• Serve with chips or cornbread. 

Enjoy!

New York Cheesecake...

 

This is the 2nd attempt at a cheesecake. The first attempt was a HUGE FAIL!!! I used a different recipe, so see my other blog for details! But this recipe turned out to be ridiculously delicious and super easy! 

Ingredients

• 15 graham crackers, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted 

• 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Your favorite topping
• Cool Whip or Whipped Cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch springform pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press onto bottom of springform pan.
3. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. Pour filling into prepared crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Turn the oven off, and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours; this prevents cracking. Chill in refrigerator until serving.

Serves 12

It's not supposed to crack, so I have to work the kinks out in that, but I read where you are supposed to put it in the oven, do not open at all.  Cook it for an hour and then turn off the stove and leave it in there to cool for the 5-6 hours.  This is supposed to prevent the cracking, for me not so much.  I will be cooking this again!

The edges turned out great! 

Toppings can be anything!!  My strawberries and blueberries were no longer good, but I had some leftover Halloween candy so I crushed up some Reece's Peanut Butter Cups.  And nothing better than topping it off with some Cool Whip or Whipped Cream!

Topping ideas:

Strawberries

Blueberries

Hot Fudge

Any Candy

Any Fruit

Caramel

Come up with your own and let me know!  I will add it to the list! 

Enjoy!

Recipe Credit

The Brown's Recipe Box...

Let me just begin by saying this...I AM NOT A COOK!!  Really, I don't even care to be in a kitchen.  But, sometimes I just get the urge to cook.  We are all the time wanting to cook something we had before and then I can't find the recipe, or I get to the store and want to cook something, but can't remember all the ingredients.  So instead of having a handwritten recipe box at home, we have decided to make ours through a blog.  Now, when I am at the store, I can pull up my blog on my phone and...TA DA... there all my recipes will be!! 

Most of these recipes will be family recipes, ideas from other websites or friends recipes.  I read several blogs, so they will be linked if I use a recipe from one of them.  Credit will definitely be given where credit is due!  I do usually add or take away some things when I cook, so I will tell you when I do.  If you have any ideas, or suggestions to add to any recipe let me know.  I also would love any feedback if you try a recipe!  Also any cooking tips would be greatly appreciated! 

I hope you enjoy our journey in cooking and feel free to enjoy a recipe from

The Brown's Recipe Box!