Rotisserie Chicken, a dozen ways

So, today I have a leftover Rotisserie chicken. Yes, a whole one. Sam's sells them for $5, so I always buy 2. I usually use the 2nd one for chicken salad for sandwiches, but wasn't in a chicken salad mood (AND had nothing planned for dinner tonight so I needed it anyway). I posed the question on facebook: What should I do for dinner with leftover rotisserie chicken. Holy cow. Got quite a response. I will link to a recipe if I have one!

• Chicken Spaghetti
• Tortilla Soup
• Quesadillas
• Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas (okay, who am I? Betty Crocker? What the heck?)
• Chicken Pot Pie
• Chicken salad
• Fettucini Alfredo
• Chicks-in-a-blanket (I made that name up -- chicken w/ grated cheese wrapped in crescent rolls cooked according to directions)
• Etouffe' (again... Betty Crocker? What?)
• Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
• Chicken Tacos
• Chicken and Dumplings
• Fajitas
• Paninis

So, what are you waiting for? Get cooking!

Tortilla Soup II

SuperMom already posted one Tortilla Soup recipe. Mine is a hair different (minus the hair, though I was served Tortilla Soup with hair in it at a very fancy local restaurant when my husband came here to interview for his job, though that is an entirely different story).

Start your can opener:

2 cans cooked chicken or 4 cooked chicken breasts
2 cans chicken broth
1 can Ro-Tel
1 can Whole Kernel corn, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Ranch Style Beans
1 can Enchilada sauce
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Combine and heat (hello, Crock Pot). Serve with grated cheese, tortilla chips, avocado slices, and sour cream. And... if you are really feeling fancy, jalapeno cornbread muffins.

Updated so that I will remember this next time: Sarah, a double recipe of this does NOT fit in your 6 qt. crock pot. Here is what you do: pour everything except the chicken into the lg. crock pot. Cook the chicken (frozen as it can be) in smaller crock pot. Pause to give thanks for crock-pot liners. Once chicken is cooked and after soup has cooked a while, ladle some of the soup into smaller crock pot while you dice chicken. Divide chicken between two crock-pots.

Salsa

This recipe was given to me by a precious friend from Temple. It's becoming one of the precious few (if not the only) things I am quasi-known for around Abilene! People LOVE my hot sauce! Sadly, my 'quality control' is a little 'if-fy' and I NEVER KNOW how hot it's going to be. So, roll your dice...:

1 lg. (28 oz.) can tomatoes (diced, crushed, or whole – whatever’s cheapest!)
cilantro (I like to use a LOT – 1 bunch if there is plenty, 2 bunches if small)
½ medium onion
1 or 2 jalapenos

Blend together in blender. Pour into saucepan. Add:
1 TBSP. salt
½ TBSP. cumin
½ TBSP. garlic powder
1 TBSP. veg. oil

Mix together. Heat over med./low heat until just beginning to boil. (It starts as an almost green color because of the cilantro – as it heats, it turns a rich red color. This is how I judge when it’s done). Enjoy and share with many others!
“Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:13

Mexican Sundae's

This recipe was born in my head a week ago when I was waiting for fresh tortilla's from the tortilla maker at HEB.

Blue Bell Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Bag of Bunuelo Chips (tortilla chips coated in cinnamon and sugar, in Abilene you can get them at the tortilla maker stand on the bottom shelves under the fresh tortillas.)
Caramel Ice Cream Topping
Whipped Cream, I use the canned kind that you can squirt out.
Marisino Cherries

Dish out a couple of scoops of the vanilla bean ice cream. Crush a couple of the bunuelo chips on top, then drizzle caramel sauce. Cover top with whipped cream. Make it tall. Take a whole chip and stick it into the side of the whipped cream. Put cherrie on top. My kids also liked this with hot fudge topping in addition to or instead of the caramel.

It looks pretty and tastes delicious. If you have ever had the Dessert Nacho's at Abuelo's this is basically the same thing but it is put together like a sundae instead. Yummy.

Tex-Mex Black Bean Dip

1 t. oil
1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. chopped tomato
1/3 c. bottled picante sauce
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
1/4 c. (1 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Monterrey Jack cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 T. lime juice

*Heat the oil in skillet
*Add onion and garlic to the oil to saute
*Add tomato though black beans, cook 5 minutes stirring constantly to thicken.
*Remove from heat; mash some with a potato masher.
*Add cheese, cilantro, and lime juice. Stirring until the cheese melts. Serve warm or at room temp.