Firenza lived up it its claim in that it takes 3 minutes to put their cornbread in the oven. The recipe on the back of the package give you the option of using oil or butter as an ingredient. I recommend that you use the butter because it gives the cornbread moisture and enhances its flavor. Speaking of the latter, I must warn you that this bread is very spicy. I barely ate a bite before I had to eat something else to stave off the fire.

This chili has a sweet and smoky flavor with a spicy kick. I added meat to give this dish some substance and to make it last for more than one meal. You can make it either with or without the meat. To compliment this chili, I’m serving it with Krusteaz’s Honey Cornbread.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
2 15oz. cans black beans, drained
1 15oz. can corn, drained
1 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 14.5oz. can S&W Petite Cut Tomatoes with Sweet Onions and Roasted Garlic
1 7oz. can LaVictoria diced green chiles
1 pkg. The Spice Hunter Chili Mix
1 clove garlic

Directions

1. Dump all of the ingredients into a dutch oven, except meat, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
2. Brown meat until it’s fully cooked. You can spice it up a bit with minced onion and southwestern seasoning or cook it plain. Drain the fat. Add to the soup.
3. Simmer chili for at least thirty minutes before serving.
4. Garnish with cheese and sour cream.

The most aggravating aspect of grocery shopping is going to the store to pick up the ingredients that they have carried for up to a year, only to find that they no longer carry them. This doesn’t happen to me very often, but when it does it makes me mad, which makes me get creative.

My family loves my adapted version of the Campbell’s Soup Spicy Taco Bake recipe. So I decided to cook that because it was quick and easy. I sent my husband to the grocery store with a list. He called me fifteen minutes later and told me that our grocery store no longer carries Campbell’s Creamy Ranchero Soup.

At first, I was very disappointed. Then, as I was browsing the aisles tonight, I started brainstorming for a suitable substitute. I wound up buying Tostitos Medium Salsa Con Queso and using that. The result turned out cheesier and tastier than the Campbell’s version, even with my own adaptations.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef.
1 10-pack pkg. flour tortillas, cut into small strips
1 medium jar of Pace Picante Sauce (mild or medium)
1/4 cup water
1 jar Tostitos Medium Salsa Con Queso
1 pkg. shredded Mexican cheese
1 pkg. Lawry’s Taco Seasoning
2 dried arbol chili pods

Directions

1. Crumble ground beef into a a pan. Add the taco seasoning and stir. Brown and drain fat.
2. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, mix the beef, salsa, con queso, tortilla strips and half the shredded cheese. Spread evenly across the dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, garnishing with the arbol chilis.
3. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375º for 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1 pound navy beans, soaked
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
8 ounces chopped green chiles
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves
14 ounces chicken broth
1 cup water

Directions

1. Put beans in medium pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and allow to simmer 20 minutes. Discard water. Variation: To save time, you can subsitute the navy beans by buying canned white beans. Make sure to drain them.

2. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces.

3. Put all ingredients in your slow cooker and mix thoroughly.

4. Cook on low 10-12 hours or high 5-6 hours.

Serves 6-8