A Few of My Favorite Recipes

A Few of My Favorite Recipes:

Creamy Green Chile Enchilada Soup

Tomato Basil Soup & The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Photo & recipe adaptation from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom

Slow Cooker Creamy Green Chile Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

32 oz chicken both

1.5 pounds chicken breasts
28 oz can Green Chili enchilada sauce
4 oz can of diced green chilies
2 tbsp of ground cumin
1 tbsp of chile powder
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 cup of frozen corn (defrosted)
1 block of reduced fat cream cheese 
3/4 cup of instant brown  rice
1 tbsp of corn starch

Instructions:

In your slow cooker, mix together the first 8 ingredients. Cook on low for 7 hours. Remove the chicken, shred it & return it to the slow cooker. Add the cream cheese in pieces, rice, & corn, cook for 30 more minutes, or until the cream cheese has melted. At this point, if you want a thicker consistency, mix a tablespoon of corn starch with about 1/8 cup of water and stir into the soup, after 10 to 20 minutes the soup should thicken considerably.

Healthy substitutions: I used brown rice instead of white rice, & reduced fat cream cheese instead of the full fat. This was really delicious, it was full of flavor & was hearty & filling.

Photo & recipe adaptation from Everyday Occasions

Tomato Basil Soup & The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Tomato Basil Soup:

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes

2 cups of chicken stock

1 tsp of sea salt

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper`

1/4 cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned (or 1 tablespoon dried)

Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, sauté garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute, add the crushed tomatoes, then add the whole tomatoes, squeezing them into the pan to break them up. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well.  Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.  To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

I LOVE this soup! And, on a heartfelt note, I made this soup the last time my mom every came to my house, & she ate a whole bowl & loved it! She passed away a short time later. I think about her last visit here every time I make this soup <3.

The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich:

8 slices of Italian bread (I use a loaf of French break & cut diagonal slices)

1 cup of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2/3 cup of provolone cheese, shredded (I use sliced from the deli)

2/3 cup of Swiss cheese, shredded

butter

Butter one side of each slice of bread.  In between the slices, divide up the shredded cheeses.  In a hot greased sauté pan or griddle, grill the sandwiches on medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side until they are brown and the cheese has melted.  

Photo & recipe adaptation from The Comfort of Cooking



Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

1 medium-sized spaghetti squash
1 tbsp butter
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp flour
1 cup skim milk
1 tbsp reduced fat cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tbsp extra for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut spaghetti squash in half length wise, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with olive oil and place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 40 minutes.
Once squash is cooked, use a fork to gently scrape the strands into the center.

For the sauce, melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour, cooking for another minute while stirring. Whisk in milk until smooth. Add cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in Parmesan, add salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce equally into each spaghetti squash half. Gently pull up the spaghetti strands to coat as much as possible with the sauce. Top with extra Parmesan and place under the broiler of your oven for 2-3 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
I'm not sure how skinny this is, but it cant be as bad a real full fat alfredo sauce! I absolutely loved this & it reheated well too!