Corn Chowder

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Few things scream comfort food louder to me than Corn Chowder.  It’s been awhile since I last made any though.  I’m not sure why some of our favorite recipes drop out of rotation (in some cases for years).  This is another one of those recipes.  I think I last made it in the early 90s.  I don’t think I’ve ever made it in Washington state!  It’s always a joy, though, to rediscover these forgotten or lost recipes! 

I tend to use different ingredients in this recipe depending on what I have on hand.  For example, I don’t always have carrot, celery or red bell pepper on hand.  Last night I substituted a small, drained jar of pimientos in place of the bell pepper which worked out great – that is if you like pimientos.  (Sorry Linda – I know you don’t.) Oh yeah – I was out of potatoes last night so they were not included. 

There are a few secret ingredients I use which I believe take it over the top to flavor town.   I highlighted those below so that you know what they are.  I tend to use the 1/3 less fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese and it works great in this recipe.  I think there are some recipes that require the regular cream cheese but this isn’t one of them given all the other flavors in the soup.

One thing I’ll tell you is that the Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix is a great secret ingredient used in a lot of my recipes.  If you ever have a dish that seems like it’s missing a little something, add an envelope or two of this secret ingredient and you’ll find it gives the dish just the right oomph.  Just saying …

This is a recipe that is hard to make fail.  I love those!

Corn Chowder

• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 C chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (secret ingredient)
• 16 oz bag of frozen corn (sweet white is our fave)
• 2 small cans white shoepeg corn, drained
• 4 russet potatoes, diced (optional)
• 2 cans green chilies, diced
• 2 envelopes Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (secret ingredient)
• 1/2 C long grain brown rice
• 2 cans diced turkey or chicken (optional) or diced leftover chicken meat (optional)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced (or a small jar of pimientos, drained) (optional)
• 1 carrot diced (optional)
• 2 rib celery, diced (optional)
• 1 brick cream cheese (secret ingredient)
• 2 C half-and-half

In a large Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat until it’s hot.  Add onions, celery, carrot, and bell pepper (if using).  Salt and pepper the veggies to your liking.  (We tend to use a lot of black pepper.)  Once veggies are tender, add garlic, chicken, potatoes, corn, and green chilies.  Stir and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.  Deglaze pan with chicken broth.  Add the rest of the chicken broth.  Simmer until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).

Stir in rice and Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix.  Bring to a boil and add rice.  Stir to mix.  Turn the heat down to medium low.  Cut the brick of cream cheese into 8ths.  Drop into the soup mixture.  Stir frequently to help it melt.  Once it’s melted taste for seasonings and adjust.  (Typically I add more salt and pepper here.)  Stir in the half-and-half.  Cook for another 20 minutes letting the soup reduce slightly and thicken.

Ladle into bowls, top with hot sauce (if desired), and enjoy with biscuits, French bread, or whatever your family enjoys.

Fajita Roast

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It’s been a while since I’ve made the Fajita Roast.  I’m not sure why it fell out of my rotation.  But it’s been over 10 years, I think, since I last made it!  What I love about it is that It’s a very simple, delicious recipe.  You can cook it in the oven or in the crockpot.  It comes out great either way.  I often top it the way I would tacos or gonzo pie.  It’s great even if it’s simply topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream.

I like my serving over cheesy-garlic grits.  The rest of the family likes to have theirs over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.  Tonight the family is eating it almost like a dip using tortilla chips to scoop it out of the bowls.  My only regret is that I didn’t have any avocado so that I could give them guacamole too!  We’ve also been known to wrap this up in tortillas dipping it in the au jus that braises the meat.  I can’t think of a way that you could serve this that wouldn’t taste great.

Tonight I’m eating mine over some leftover Funeral Potatoes.  Wow – very, very tasty!!

Fajita Roast

• 4 pound roast beef
• 1 can Ro-Tel orginial
• 1 envelope McCormick Fajita seasoning mix
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 or set crockpot to low.

Put the roast in the bottom of a Dutch oven or in the crockpot crock.  Sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce over it.  Pour the Rotel over it.  Sprinkle the garlic powder and fajita seasoning over it. 

Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours in the oven or 6 to 8 hours in the crockpot.  Thinly slice or shred the meat when it’s finished cooking and put it back into the au jus.

Serve over grits, rice, noodles, mashed potatoes topped with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

Making a list and checking it twice … 10 days to Christmas, yikes!

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I keep looking at the calendar thinking that the days are passing faster and faster as we get closer to Christmas and closer to the end of the year.  Is it just me or does it seem inconceivable that there are merely 10 days left until Christmas is here?  I’m shocked to think of how few days are left until Christmas!  Where has the time gone?!

I’m not sure what my problem has been this year.  I’m not keeping to my normal Christmas schedule.  Typically I’m completely done with my Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving.  Yes.  I’m done before Black Friday or Cyber Monday.  (I’m not a crowd kind of a girl, doncha know!) 

Sure – maybe I pay more than some people for what I’m buying by not waiting for those two magic shopping days.  Ack.  Who cares?  It’s only money, right?  I’m not going to lose sleep over it.  It’s worth paying a little more (maybe—not sure it happens in all cases) just to be done with it early and not to have to deal with crowds of Christmas shoppers getting their gifting on!  Or, worrying about whether or not all my packages will arrive before Christmas eve!  Since I’m late in my shopping this year, I feel like I’ve actually spent more even though I’m allegedly getting ‘deals’ on the gifts.  What’s up with that?! 

Anywho … I think I’m finally completely done with my Christmas gift shopping.  Since I do all my shopping on-line, I’m now just waiting for the last batch of packages to all arrive.  It looks like everything will be here by 12/22 that is unless bad weather impacts shipping.  (fingers crossed that it won’t!)  AND … I’ve gotten all my packages out in the mail and have heard from a few folks that they’ve already received them – woo hoo!!  Gotta love that cyber shopping, just saying …

Next I have to get everything wrapped.  I’m not a big fan of this part in general.  Every year Tasha volunteers to wrap everything for me while I watch.  Yeah – I’m so lame.  A few years ago I started letting her do it!  Bad Mommy!  Odds are I’ll let her do it again this year.  Although I had an epiphany last night:  I suggested that Monk wrap hers while she wraps his.  He didn’t seem as enthusiastic about this proposition as I had hoped.  His suggestion was that they each wrap their own presents.  =D  Oh well … it was worth a shot!

My Christmas apathy isn’t just limited to gifting.  I still haven’t decided what we will eat for Christmas dinner.  I’ve been thinking about it and rejecting all my ideas so far.  I think I may do something completely out of the box.  But – I’m not married to any option yet.  Tick, tock, tick tock.  That’s the sound of my time for planning running out … <sigh> I’ll miss Dexter!

My father had a tradition that I loved and think I may use this year.  Oyster stew for breakfast.  Seriously.  That sounds so good to me!  So, I’m leaning towards making that happen this year.  Out.of.the.box. of what we normally do.  He used the Betty Crocker cookbook recipe.  I wonder if this one online is what is in that old cookbook my mom has.  I’ll have to ask her to look.  If I do make it, I will likely cook the oysters per Betty and use the seasonings per Paula Deen.  I think I’d like it to have a bit of a kick!  Yum!!

I’m also thinking about simplifying Christmas dinner to some fine Ribeye steaks, baked or mashed potatoes, salad, stuffing (it’s just not Christmas without it!), and dessert (likely pumpkin and apple pie). 

Normally we eat Christmas dinner between noon and 1 pm.  I think I’ll do that still.  However, since I won’t be doing our normal Prime Rib roast, it means limited leftovers for supper. 

Here’s where I’m really going to go out on a limb.  I think I’ll do a Super Bowl like snackfest for later in the day.  I’m still trying to figure out exactly what I feel like doing for that, but here’s my current thinking:

• Sausage balls (Bisquick/Jimmy Dean HOT sausage/PepperJack and Cheddar is our standard)
• BBQ Meatballs (Oldie but a goody!!  Heinz Chili Sauce and Welch’s Grape Jelly for the sauce  Be sure to add Cholula hot sauce to taste!)
• Pioneer Woman’s Spicy Shrimp
• Pimento cheese and crackers
• Bobby Dean’s recipe is pretty good so I’ve provided a link to it. 
• Someday I should share my pimento cheese recipe with you.  My father always thought I should start a business around it!  My little sister and children think I should also do the pickled jalapeno as a standard vs. the pimentos.  We love them both!
• Deviled Eggs
• Crudite (with Lipton Onion Soup dip and Ranch dip)
• Pickles and olives
• Cheese tray
• Paula Deen’s Symphony Brownies

While I’m not committed to this plan yet … it’s what is sounding really good to me.  It will keep Christmas day pretty simple especially since so much can be prepared in advanced and the meatballs can simmer in the crockpot.  In fact, if I were smart, I’d start the snackfest for Christmas Eve and have ‘leftovers’ for Christmas day suppertime!

Hmmmm … the more I think about it … the more I’m digging my thinking here!  This may very become the plan!  =D