Buffalo Chicken Soup looks like a cheese soup … but it’s not. It’s a spicy (but not too spicy) and a bit tangy cream soup with shredded chicken, chiles, spices, and lots of Franks RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce – and voila! Yummy soup perfect for that game day party
Looks cheesy – but it’s really a cream soup. This is easy to put together and ideal for a holiday or game day party – just put it in a slow cooker! Don’t know about you, but I always have the ingredients around, so I can throw this together on little notice. (Note: I buy the large size of Hidden Ranch Salad Dressing mix at Costco. I use it in a number of recipes. This looks a bit like a dip, but more liquid. And everybody loves this.
I just used mild green chiles – you can adjust the heat either with the green chiles or the Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce. It really depends on what you’re going for.
Spicy Polenta Bites are a unique, easy to make appetizer with the robust flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and green chiles
I took these to a party last night – this is one of those appetizers where people take a bite, their eyes widen, and they say, “Wow – these are amazing!” These are full of robust, complementary flavors that you don’t find in your typical appetizers.
I made two versions – a large and a small. The large are made with discs of polenta 2 1/2 inches in diameter – you just buy a premade tube of polenta and slice it into discs 1/4 inch thick and fry them in olive oil. The small ones are 1 1/2 inches in diameter – and you have to mix the polenta with some water, pat it out to 1/4 in thick and use a cookie cutter (or similar) to cut out the disks, so it’s more work. Photo above is the miniature ones, photo below is the larger ones.
Once you fry up the polenta, you are basically assembling – easy peasy. But you should also wait until no more than an hour before serving to assemble – as they sit, they get soft and lose their crispiness. They still taste good soft, but they are better crispy.
Chop the sun dried tomatoes up into little pieces and set aside.
Slice the polenta into ¼ inch slices. (See notes for making bite-sized ones)
Coat a large nonstick skillet with the olive oil and fry polenta until golden brown on each side (about 2 minutes per side), then remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. You will have to fry them in batches of about 6 to 8 at a time.
To assemble each polenta bite, take a polenta disc, smear it with basil chile pesto, sprinkle sun dried tomatoes on top, then cover with about a half teaspoon of Cotija cheese. Top with a few pieces of diced green chiles.
Serve within about an hour or they get soft. *See notes
Notes
To make the bite-sized Spicy Polenta Bites (1½ inch in diameter), crumble the tube of polenta into a saucepan. Add ⅓ cup water, cover, and cook on low for about 10 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash into a smooth consistency. Spread to ¼ inch thickness on a flexible cutting board or a cutting board covered in wax paper. Use a cookie cutter (or similar, like a bottle cap) to cut out discs of polenta. Fry per regular instructions and assemble the miniature versions just like the larger ones.
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Spicy Polenta Bites are an unusual, simple to make appetizer with the robust flavors of pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and green chiles
Hot Turkey Provolone Sandwich is an easy to make classic sandwich with an extra burst of flavor with a hint of heat from the basil chile pesto. Adapted from the turkey sandwich served at Costco, this is sure to become a family favorite.
In case you’re wondering – yes, this is an adaptation of the hot turkey provolone sandwich from the Costco food court. We have bought so many of those, it was time to start making them at home. All the ingredients are available at Costco. And … of course we’ve spiced it up with green chiles – a wonderful enhancement!
This has become a family favorite. I make this again and again – it’s really easy, you can make one at a time, and it’s a special, real deli-quality sandwich. This is obviously a great way to use that leftover turkey. I just about always have the ingredients on hand.
Note that my recipe for the Basil Chile Pesto is posted here, but it’s so simple it’s repeated below. Also, note that pesto freezes well and keeps in the freezer for 3 to 6 months.
1 torta roll (available at Costco - individual ciabatta rolls are also good)
2 tbsp Basil Chile Pesto
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 slice provolone cheese
2 tomato slices
½ slice small red onion
2-3 thin slices turkey
Instructions
The Basil Chile Pesto is 2 parts basil pesto blended with 1 part hot green chiles. See recipe here. Blend the 2 tbsp of Basil Chile Pesto with 1 tbsp mayonnaise; use more if desired.
Slice the torta roll in half (like a burger bun) and spread the pesto mayonnaise on each half.
On the bottom half, put the turkey slices.
On the top half, place the 2 tomato slices and separate the onion into strips and loosely scatter over the tomato. Top with the slice of provolone cheese.
Place the two halves on aluminum foil in the toaster oven or oven and heat at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until the provolone is melted and starting to bubble.
Basil Chile Pesto is super simple to make, bursting with flavor, and incredibly versatile as a condiment, on sandwiches, on pasta, in casseroles, use your imagination.
This is a super simple version of pesto that I’ll be making again and again and using in all kinds of dishes – sandwiches (obviously), pasta, on potatoes, in casseroles, you name it.
I’ve made it two different ways – totally from scratch and using a premade pesto from the deli section of King Soopers. When I made it from scratch, I used this Classic Pesto recipe from Epicurious, but I substituted walnuts for the pine nuts. I made the recipe and then blended the green chiles with it. Then I made this Basil Chile Pesto just by blending green chiles with the store-bought pesto. Then I compared them side by side. Perhaps the homemade was a notch better, but it was hard to tell the difference. I will also be trying the pesto from Costco.
Bottom line? It’s not worth it to make the whole thing from scratch. When you use the pesto in a dish, I doubt that anyone could tell the difference.
A hot, sweet, spicy chutney ideal to serve alongside turkey or other meat dishes.
Author: Anita
Recipe type: Condiment
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup diced red onion
2 tbsp diced hot green chiles
½ tsp Kosher salt
4 cups butternut squash, ¼ to ½ " dice
1 cup Craisins (dried cranberries)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup Trader Joe's Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar
1 orange
2 tbsp mustard seeds
2 tsp ground mustard
½ tsp spicy brown mustard
¼ tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 green onion top, finely chopped
Instructions
Use a vegetable peeler to peel off strips of the orange peel. Peel shallowly to get the orange surface skin without the white part. Then dice the strips into ¼" or smaller pieces to make 3 tbsp of orange zest. Set aside.
Saute the onion in a large, straight-sided saute pan over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, or until soft and then stir in the green chiles and saute for another minute or two.
Add the squash, Craisins, brown sugar, champagne vinegar, salt, orange zest, mustard seeds, mustard, and ground mustard and mix well, reducing heat to simmer.
Squeeze the orange to get about a half cup of juice, add water to make a cup of liquid, then pour into the squash mixture and blend.
Simmer for about 10 minutes. Blend in the ginger then remove lid and cook down to a chutney consistency, about 15 more minutes. The squash should still hold its shape, so do not cook until it turns to mush.
Garnish with chopped green onions and serve.
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I’ve always loved that combination of starchy-sweet flavor of sweet potato or butternut squash, orange, cranberry, and green chiles. What a fabulous combination! Perfect with turkey. This is reminiscent of my Caramelized Butternut Squash with Cranberries from a year ago. But that was clearly a side dish that you could easily eat a pile of … and it had a wonderful crumb topping.
This dish definitely fits in the chutney category. It’s hot and spicy, much heavier on seasonings. I definitely scoop up a spoonful to pop in my mouth, but it’s really more of a spicy condiment. Take a half spoonful and mix it with a little mashed potato and turkey. I did some tweaking with the balance of chiles, mustard, and ginger. You might want to tweak it yourself to make it hotter or shift the balance.
This is one of those recipes you want to always have at your fingertips – when you taste it your eyes (& tastebuds) will light up. Yet it takes less than a minute to prepare,only has 5 ingredients, and you can easily always have those ingredients at hand. They keep for a loooong time in your pantry & freezer.
I’m just serving this much like a classic bruschetta – plopping a spoonful on each cracker. I used Mary’s Gone Crackers organic, gluten-free, vegan crackers. I get the idea that this would be good on all kinds of things – meats, put a dollop on top of a cream soup, put it on your taco salad, the possibilities are endless. Come up with an interesting way to serve this? Send it to me!
I used a hot Sandia chile, and it added a definite heat and green chile character; but some of you will like it twice as hot – so use 2 tbsp. of hot green chiles. Or you might like more green chile flavor, less heat – use 3-4 tbsp. of mild green chiles.
Butternut Chile Mac and Cheese – a satisfying, nutritious meal!
Butternut Chile Mac and Cheese is a subtle variation on the classic dish that works surprisingly well. Butternut squash adds another dimension to the flavor and texture, yet blends in so well most people will have trouble spotting just what is different about this version. And the chiles add an entirely different character to the flavor.
I made 2 different versions of this, one with mild green chiles and one with Pueblo Hots (Mirasol). My preference is to use the milds and more of them. That way you really get lots of that green chile flavor without being overpowered by heat. Don’t get me wrong – I really like the hot a lot, too, but there’s just something about a dish with lots of green chile taste all blended with cheese and bacon and the flavors that perfectly enhance those green chiles.
This makes a massive amount – enough for about 12 people. I was going to freeze half of it, but …. it got eaten.
Cook the macaroni until al dente, then rinse and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a baking dish in water about ¼ inch deep. Roast until fork tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, Check periodically to make sure it doesn't burn. Set aside to cool, then mash with a potato masher or fork.
While the macaroni and squash are cooking, fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Put the bacon on paper towels to drain.
Drain off all but about 2 tbsp bacon fat, then saute the onions in the bacon fat over medium heat until soft and golden brown. Remove them to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, Melt 4 tbsp of butter over medium low heat. Sprinkle in the flour and ground mustard and slowly cook, stirring constantly. As it thickens, gradually add the milk, stirring constantly to keep blending until you get a thick, smooth roux. Add about a half tsp salt and ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper.
Gently stir in the mashed butternut squash, then the Parmesan cheese and the Cheddar cheese. Crumble in the bacon and stir in the green chiles. Finally stir in the macaroni (if your skillet isn't large enough, you'll have to do this in 2 batches).
Pour into a 9" x 13" baking dish. In a small bowl, blend the poultry seasoning with the Panko bread crumbs. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and blend in with the breadcrumbs, then sprinkle over the mac and cheese.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the crumbs are golden and the edges bubbly.
Smoky Lime Pulled Pork only has a few ingredients – and a definite lime and smoke taste with heat perfect for stree tacos. Keeps and freezes well.
This pulled pork recipe is loosely based on a TGI Friday’s specialty. It has a lot of lime in it and a distinctive lime & smoke taste, really good for street tacos. It’s very simple and keeps well, so after I shred the pork, I like to pack some up and freeze it.
Mini Southwestern Falafel are super tasty treats with a nice amount of heat and a wonderful avocado spread that complements the falafel perfectly
Wow – my son even asked for extra helpings of these! They are not only tasty, but really cute. I was hoping to slide them into the mini-pocket breads, but that doesn’t work; they are too fat. You have to split each mini-pocket. The spread is really, really good and you may want to make extra.
I first made these with hot green chiles, tasting before cooking them. After cooking, they were actually a bit milder than before. With hot chiles, I’d use about 3 tbsp and with medium 1/4 cup. You might want to make them hotter or milder; I think they work either way.
You can also make these full-sized. Just use 2 full-sized pitas, cut each in half, and shape the bean mixture into 4 patties. Otherwise it’s the same.
An exceptionally tasty appetizer or lunch that perfectly combines several interesting flavors
Author: Anita Edge
Recipe type: Sandwich
Cuisine: Southwest Mediterranean Fusion
Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can white kidney beans, drained
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips (separated into ¼ + ¾ cups)
¼ cup medium hot diced green chile
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 large egg white
1 tbsp canola oil
Spread
½ cup mashed peeled avocado
¼ cup diced plum tomato
2 tbsp diced red onion
¼ cup sour cream
2 tsp fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
12 mini-pitas (Pitettes), split
Instructions
To prepare patties, place kidney beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add Monterey Jack cheese, ¼ cup crushed tortilla chips, chiles, green onions, cilantro, cumin, and egg white; stir until well combined.
Form into patties about 2 inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick and set aside on a large plate. Pour the ¾ cup crushed tortilla chips in a bowl. Roll each patty in the tortilla chips and place back on the plate.
In a large skillet, heat half the canola oil to medium-high heat and fry half the patties at a time to a golden brown, turning to brown both sides. When done, place on paper towels. Replenish the oil between batches.
To prepare spread, while patties cook, combine the avocado, plum tomato, red onion, sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Place 1 patty in each pitette. Spread about a tablespoon on each patty or serve the spread on the side so each person can fix his own.
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Mini Southwestern Falafel are awesome tasty treats with a nice amount of heat and a wonderful avocado spread that complements the falafel sandwich perfectly
Barb Dennis created this flavorful green chili – 1st place winner of the Denver Chili Fest green chili cookoff. Easy, classic slightly thickened chili that cooks in a crockpot overnight.
This recipe from Barb Dennis won 1st place at the Denver Chili Fest. It was an exceptionally good green chili, really good flavor. And it’s a bit different from our typical entry – we don’t get many chicken green chilis.
On a side note, 3 weeks ago I worked the Big Chili in Evergreen. I must have tasted over 50 chilis. There were only about 3 or 4 that were even close to this for really good flavor.
Robust, very flavorful green chili stew with chicken and bacon.
Author: Barb Dennis
Recipe type: Green Chili Stew
Cuisine: Southwestern
Serves: 3 quarts
Ingredients
1½ lbs. diced chicken breasts
½ lb. thick cut bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 medium onion chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ cup flour
1 quart chicken broth
2 cups water
1½ cups diced roasted green chili (I use Big Jims)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
½ tablespoons cumin
Instructions
Fry bacon till quite crispy, remove from pan and drain, when cool crumble bacon into bits depending upon how much bacon grease is in pan, remove some if necessary and add chicken
Salt & pepper chicken, then cook chicken in bacon fat till done, usually, 5 to 7 minutes
Add onions & garlic cook till done, 3 to 4 minutes
Add flour to pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes
Add water and broth
Add green chilies, tomatoes and cumin
Add crumbled bacon bits to chili, stir well, cover and let simmer on stove for about an hour
Put in crock pot on low setting and let cook for at least 12 hours
I let it stay in the crock pot overnight
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Note – we are still in peak chile season! Download a coupon for 2 bushels for $35 at Morales Family Chile Store here. They also have a very nice variety of chile powders (which can be hard to find), such as green chile, jalapeno, Dynamite, Habanero, Scorpion, and Ghost chile powder. Fabulous in green chili recipes.
