Spicy Chicken Dip

I tried this stuff at a baby shower a few weeks ago, and I'm kind of obsessed with it. I got the recipe, tweaked it ever so slightly, and made some a few days ago. We have actually been eating it for meals, as kind of deconstructed nachos. Brandon was skeptical at first, but when he smelled it cooking he insisted on trying some...and then his face broke into a big grin!

Spicy Chicken Dip

What You'll Need: 

2 large cans (12.5 oz each) cooked, chopped chicken (or 3-4 cups leftover cooked, chopped chicken)

Scant 1/2 cup hot sauce

1 cup ranch dressing

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened

2 cups shredded cheddar, divided

1 tsp onion powder

Tortilla chips and veggies for serving

How to Make It: 

Drain the chicken and place it, along with the hot sauce, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to combine it well. When the chicken is hot, add the cream cheese and ranch dressing. Continue stirring and mashing the mixture until the cream cheese is melted, the chicken is shredded, and everything is fully mixed together. Add the onion powder and half the shredded cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted. At this point you can either add the rest of the cheese and transfer the dip to a serving bowl, or move it to a small slow cooker and turn it on the "keep warm" setting. This stuff is not remotely healthy, but it is amazingly delicious, and I'm really sad that we finished off the rest of our leftovers for lunch today.

Chicken and White Bean Soup

This was originally supposed to be some sort of chili. But then I lost the recipe, and then forgot my grocery list, and ended up winging it anyway. I think it turned out pretty fantastic. Normally I am not a big soup-eater, but I'm looking forward to having leftovers for lunch today! The great thing about this is that you can easily adapt it for a slow cooker, or swap the chicken and broth for seitan and vegetable stock and make it vegetarian!

Chicken and White Bean Soup

What You'll Need: 

2-3 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I had a rotisserie chicken, so I just used that)

4 cups chicken broth

4 cans white beans, drained

3 tbsp dried chopped onions

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or more if you like it 

1 cup sour cream or heavy cream

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

How to Make It: 

In a large pot, combine the chicken, broth, beans, and all the spices. Stir, cover, and heat on medium-low for about 30 minutes, or until hot. When soup is heated, scoop the sour cream into a bowl and slowly add about two cups of hot soup, stirring to combine. Then add this mixture, and the cheese, back into the soup pot, and stir well. If you add the sour cream directly to the pot of soup on the stove, it's going to be overwhelmed by the heat and won't blend in well. Stir everything to combine it thoroughly, cover, and simmer until it's all heated through and you're ready to eat! Serves 6-8.

There really isn't a great way to make white beans look pretty. Sorry. But they're so good!