Chicken Enchilada Soup - Chili’s Recipe

I’ve made this soup so many times!  If you have had Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup, this is the recipe.  I bought some Velveeta cheese recently from Sam’s to make Chicken Spaghetti, at the grocery store it’s so expensive for one, like almost $8 and I’ve seen it over $9 so I spend $4 to get 2 loaves (that’s what they call them loaves). 

So I was like I have velvetta, chicken and pretty much everything else so I made some soup.

Crazy how prices have gone up on everything!  I just ordered Crisco from Sam’s online because there is only 2 Sam’s Clubs in my area that still carry it.  I use it for baking mainly but for $12 you get more than double because it’s $8 and $9 at the grocery store now.  I was ordering some gifts and threw it in my cart since it’s free shipping over $50 (didn’t use to have a limit for shipping). and now I don’t have to drive 20-30 minutes to get it! 

When I order from Chili’s I often get this soup and the more you order or I’ve found don’t order you get free chips using the app. Like the reward for ordering then when I haven’t ordered in awhile they send you free chips to so you will order.  Either way it’s a win win for me….I love their chips and hot sauce.

I’m a doubler so I doubled this recipe, it makes a lot!  I have some friends in mind to take soup to later today.  

Plus I had the extra cheese so I thought why not double it.  

I will say I generally bake my chicken or I use a rotisserie chicken.  This recipe says to boil the chicken but I rarely do that.  I also use Chicken base for broth, I get that at Sam’s or Costco but every grocery store has it. I feel it gives it a heartier flavor.

                      Also this is the Masa Harina I use

Ingredients

For Soup:

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 chicken breasts (skinless/boneless)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup Masa Harina 
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup red enchilada sauce
• 16 ounces Velveeta Cheese,  diced into cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 
  

For Tortilla Garnish:

• 3-4 corn tortillas
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 
  

For Pico de Gallo:

• 1 medium tomato , diced
• 1 heaping Tablespoon minced red onion
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 handful cilantro (approx. 3 Tablespoons), chopped
• Salt and Pepper , to taste

Instructions

To prepare soup:

1. Add vegetable oil to a large pan. Heat on medium heat. When oil is hot, add chicken breasts to pot; cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, until they are light brown. Remove from pan; set aside.
   
   
   Note- I generally bake my chicken breast in a roasting pan or any pan with a lid.  I add 1 cup of water and a Tbsp of butter, I add that broth at the end to the soup.  Or if I use a rotisserie chicken,  add that good broth at the bottom from the rotisserie to the soup.
   
   
2. Add chopped onion to pan. Cook over medium heat for two minutes,; add the minced garlic then add chicken broth to the onions.
   
   
3. In bowl or large mixing cup, mix the masa harina with 2 cups of water. Mix well, to combine, then add to chicken broth and onion mixture in pan. Whisk well, to combine.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese cubes, and spices to the pan. Cook, and bring it all to a boil.
   
   
5. Shred the chicken into small pieces; add chicken to soup. Reduce the heat and let soup simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching on the bottom of pan. Soup will thicken as it cooks. Prepare tortilla strips and pico de gallo while soup cooks. When done, ladle soup into serving bowls, and garnish with pico de gallo and tortilla strips.
   
   

To Make Tortilla Strips:

1. Cut tortillas in half, then cut into thin strips, you can fry them in a skillet or bake at 375 degrees adding some vegetable oil bake at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes on each side flipping midway through baking, until light brown and crispy.

To Make Pico de Gallo:

1. Combine ingredients in small bowl. Mix well. Taste test; add additional salt/pepper, if desired.

Spicy Beef and Potato Soup

Here in Texas it is finally getting cold!  The low today was 33 degrees and it will warm up to nice 61 degrees.  

So let the soups began!

I thought that I got this recipe from my friend Shari who lives in Minnesota but a couple a years ago I was telling her how much I like this soup.  She had never had the soup so I have no idea where I got this recipe.

I will add about a tablespoon of Chicken Base to give it that heartiness. I do that with other things when it just needs something. I get my Chicken Base at Sam’s but you can get it at any grocery store.  

Also here is a great recipe for cornbread using Bisquick and cornmeal …. Like it’s even good the next day!

https://itsallaboutagoodrecipe.blogspot.com/search?q=Cornbread

 

Spicy Beef and Tomato Soup

1 lb lean ground beef

4 cups cubed peeled potatoes

1 small onion

1 lg can (29oz) tomato sauce

4 cups water

2 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp pepper

1 can rotel  or ½ to 1 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 Tbl chicken Base

 

In a large dutch oven or stick pan brown ground beef, drain the fat.  Add potatoes, onion & tomato sauce.  Stir in water, salt & pepper and rotel tomatoes.  Bring to boil; reduce heat & simmer 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened.

I do however cook the potatoes separate in a pan then I drain them and pour into the soup. 

 

Serves 6-8 about 2 qts

Here is the Chicken Base I use, I buy their Beef Base too it’s basically like adding chicken bouillon cubes but better.  I do however love Knorr’s chicken bouillon cubes that would work too.. they are soft and dissolve well.

 

 

Chicken & Dumplings

 

Here in Texas the temperature's have finally dropped some, hallelujah!  August and September have been hot but the last couple of weeks some coolness has come in the mornings and evening, then like today it's in the 70's mid day!

Of course we Texans at the hint of cooler weather get out the stock pots to make something like Chicken and Dumplings.

I found this recipe at least 12-15 years ago, it's been my go to since.  It's pretty easy and if I'm honest I often use a rotisserie chicken. I also generally just use the chicken breast, I know it's a waste but I do that for other things to.  However I always make sure to use that good juice which sometimes turns into a jell consistency at the bottom it adds so much flavor.

I just made this on Monday of this week but decided to make it for a good friend of mine who turns 89 tomorrow.  Her name is Lenora and she loves Chicken & Dumplings so today  I took some chicken breast with the bone in out of the freezer and will use that this time..  I'm going to bake it but you can boil a whole chicken, chicken breast or thighs and legs.  I like the baked flavor and the drippings to incorporate into the soup, makes a great broth when water is added, I still add the chicken base and bouillon cubes.

I also use Chicken Base, I love the flavor it adds, it gives a heartiness to what ever you are making.  I also like Knorr Chicken bouillon cubes too they are soft and crumble easy plus have a good flavor.  I sometimes use both the chicken base and Knorr bouillon cube especially if I am making a big pot of something like Chicken and Dumplings.

 I keep on hand Beef Base plus the Knorr beef bouillon cubes and tomato bouillon cubes plus chicken bouillon always, I add the tomato to things like Tortilla Soup or even Spanish Rice.

This is the Chicken Base from Sam's Club but Costco has some plus pretty much every grocery store.  I just love the Sam's price even like everything it's gone up in price but  I do like the flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 Rotisserie Chicken, cut or shredded OR you can boil or bake 3 chicken breast then cut or shred.  (I shred mine)
• 
  

To Make The Dumplings:

• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 heaping tbsp vegetable shortening
• 1 cup HOT water
• 1 cup plus 4 tbsp all purpose flour
• 
  

Soup base:

 .  12  cups of water ( you can use chicken broth in carton)

• 3 tbsp Chicken Base or 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 3 tbsp flour into 1 cup hot water
• Salt and Pepper to taste 
• Lawry’s Garlic Salt with green lid

If you boil a chicken of course use that chicken stock or  if you use a carton that is fine too however I would still add 1 tbsp of the chicken base or a bouillon cube make it a little bit hardier. 

Instructions

• In a stock pot heat 12 cups of water and put in 3 tbsp of chicken base or 3 chicken bouillon cubes. Take the chicken off the rotisserie chicken and shred it or cut into bite size. If you boiled or baked chicken, do the same, add chicken to the base and let boil. Oh and if using a rotisserie chicken use the good stuff at the bottom for flavor, the juice or jell)

• 
  
• While chicken stock is coming to a boil, make the dumplings. In a large bowl, using a pastry blender, mashed potatoes smasher or two knives, cut the shortening and salt into the cup of flour, until shortening is the size of small peas. Add 1 cup HOT water, stir  and work the mixture until a soft dough ball forms firm enough to roll , let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into about 4 portions. 
• 
  
• 

  
  

 

Generously flour a work surface. Roll each dough ball out one at a time sprinkling with flour if necessary to keep dough from sticking to work surface. Roll out to about the size of a large pie crust. Cut dough into strips about an inch wide using a knife. Repeat process for remaining dough balls.

Drop dumplings a couple at a time into hot boiling chicken/broth mixture until all have been added to pot; add butter, and continue cooking.  Stir so that the dumplings do not stick together.

 To thicken it add 3 tbsp of  flour to about 1 cup of hot water. Stir well to combine, then add to pan, and stir well. Cook an additional 10 minutes on high to fully cook dumplings. Taste test broth, and add additional salt and pepper or I add Lawry's Garlic sea Salt.

Less is more when it comes to salt.  You can always add more but you can’t take it out if you add too much.  So a little salt at a time and taste .  I mainly use the Lawry’s garlic salt just a few sprinkles here and there.

If it isn’t as thick as you want add another 1tbsp of flour to 1/4 or 1/2 cup of hot water, stir then pour in. 

Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice Soup

 It’s 14 degrees here in Texas!!  Soup is in order for today!!  I love a good chicken and rice soup!!  I make this quite a bit especially when it’s cold outside! You can always switch out the rice for noodles, just prepare the noodles as per the package then add to soup.

I make the rice first in a separate pan, sometimes I use the bags of rice and other times I just cook some rice.  Then I add it to the soup, the longer it's in the soup the more tender it gets!

I use chicken base or  Knorr's chicken broth cubes (shown below) to add heartiness to the soup....
 
I didn't get a picture of the chicken boiling but all you do is add enough water to cover the chicken and cook until it's done!!  

Sauté'  onion, celery and carrots in pan then add garlic (whole)

This is what I use if I don't have chicken base (I get chicken base at Sam's Club)

I start out with the broth from the chicken I cook then I add can chicken broth

 

Hearty and delicious

 

 

 

 Chicken and Rice Soup

1 whole chicken or 3 chicken breast with bone (bone in gives more flavor)
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped or sliced celery
1 cup chopped carrots
3 garlic cloves (add in soup whole then pull them out in the end)
1 or 2 cans chicken broth ( depending on how much broth you get from the chicken you cook)
3 bags of cooked rice  (3 cups of rice)
Chicken base (1 Tbsp.) or 1 Knorr's chicken bouillon
Lawry's Garlic Salt (green lid)
Black Pepper

 

Boil chicken till done about 20 to 30 minutes

In a stock pot melt 1 Tbsp of butter then add onions, celery and carrots, sauté until tender. Sprinkle some Lawry's Garlic Salt and black pepper and add broth from the chicken.

 Shred Chicken or chop it,  then add the chicken and cooked rice to the above.   Add Knorr's chicken bouillon or chicken base  along with Lawry’s garlic salt to taste. Let cook for about 30 minutes to  45 mins on med- high heat.  Add extra chicken broth as needed. 

The longer you cook the soup the softer the veggies and the more tender the rice.