Nicole's Chicken Tortilla Soup

3-4 chicken breasts
2 cans chicken broth
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 jar salsa
1- 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 can green chilies
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can pinto beans w/chili sauce or chili beans w/sauce
1 can corn
1 can kidney beans
1 can sliced olives, if desired

Drain and rinse cans of beans, corn, and olives (except can of pinto/chili beans w/sauce).  Place chicken breasts in crockpot and pour other ingredients over.  Cook 8 hrs on low or 4 hrs on high. Shred chicken and serve with cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips.  (Can use a roasted chicken, shredded).

Nicole Larsen

Creamy Banana Pudding

1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 ( 4 serving size) pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 cups (1 pint) whipping cream
36 vanilla wafers
3 sliced bananas, dipped in lemon juice concentrate

In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and water.  Add pudding mix and beat well.  Chill 5 minutes.  Fold in whipped cream.  Spoon 1 cup pudding mix into a 2 1/2 quart glass serving bowl.  Top with 1/3 each of the wafers, bananas, pudding mix.  Repeat layering twice more, ending with the pudding.  Chill, garnish as desired.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Baked French Toast with Blondie Sauce

1 loaf French bread (the more dry, the better)
12-14 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 - 3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese

Spray pan.  Break up bread and place in pan.  Mix eggs, milk, syrup, and vanilla and pour over bread.  Dollop cream cheese over top.  Let sit in fridge over night.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min.


Blondie Sauce

1 cube butter
1 cup sugar

Melt butter in microwave and stir into sugar in separate bowl.  Then on stove in saucepan, mix the following:

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Heat up for about 1 minute, then mix in sugar and butter.  Yummy!

Serve with chopped pecans and blueberries.


Note:  Smith/King Soopers French bread is best to use


Shared by Nicole Larsen

Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Covered Pretzels

• Pretzels, small twists or square shaped
• 12 oz. Rolo candies, unwrapped
• 2 - 11.5 oz milk chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• sea salt

1.   preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.   line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper

3.   place pretzels on baking sheet in a single layer

4.   lay a Rolo candy on each pretzel and place in oven for 3 - 5 minutes

5.   gently press a pretzel on top of each Rolo to create a sandwich

6.   refrigerate until chocolate and caramel have cooled

7.   add chocolate chips and coconut oil into a microwave safe bowl

8.   microwave for 30 seconds and stir, repeat until chocolate chips are melted

9.   using a fork, lower a pretzel Rolo sandwich into the melted chocolate and cover completely

10. allow excess chocolate to drip off and place back on baking sheet

11. repeat with all the pretzel sandwiches

12. sprinkle sea salt on top of each of all the pretzel sandwiches

13. refrigerate for 1 hour or until chocolate is hard

14. enjoy!

Shared by:  Nicole Larsen from realhousemoms.com

Loaded Mashed Potato Bake

4 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup butter
2 Tbs heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Chopped chives, for garnish

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large pot, add potatoes and cover with 2 inches water.  Boil until fork tender, 15-20 minutes.  Drain and return to pot.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, 6 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

3.  Mash potatoes.  Add 1 1/4 cups cheddar, most of the cooked bacon, sour cream, butter, heavy cream, and garlic.  Season generously with salt and pepper.

4.  Transfer potatoes to oven-safe skillet (or a 9 x 13" baking dish) and top with remaining cheddar and cooked bacon.

5.  Bake until cheddar is melty, 15 minutes.

6.  Garnish with chives and serve.

Serves 6-8

Granola - Delicious and Easy!

12 C quick oats
1 3/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp salt
2 C nuts (pecans or almonds)
1 1/2 C canola oil
2/3 C water
3 tsp vanilla
2 C dried fruit (craisins, blueberries, coconut)

Combine oats and sugar.  Add salt, nuts, and berries, mix well. In separate bowl mix oil, water, and vanilla and add to dry ingredients until all is well coated.  Spread in bottom of 3-4 cookie sheets. Bake at 250 for 1 hour.

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped

Cream butter and sugars.  Add egg and beat until combined.  Add rest of dry ingredients and beat until mixed.  Fold in apples.  Pour into greased and floured round 8 inch cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, make a caramel sauce by melting 1/2 cup butter (not margarine), 1 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt in a pan over medium-low heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, or until it just begins to bubble.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup whipping cream.  Whisk until smooth.  This makes enough for 2 cakes or 1 cake plus ice cream!

Drizzle warm caramel sauce over cake slices when serving.

Karren Mitchell (shared by Wendy Hess from The Recipe Club)