what's for dinner this week

I am always in need of some inspiration for dinner, and in light of that, I thought I'd share what I'll be cooking this week.  Also, I made a giant pot of delicious soup last night and shared a picture on Instagram, then had several folks reach out for a recipe, so I'll share that as well.  I'll start with the recipe first.

This Dutch oven was FULL of chicken tortilla soup. 

Here's what you need:

2 cloves of garlic, minced (or about three TBSP of minced garlic out of a jar)
1 onion, chopped
3 TBSP of butter
2 TBSP of all purpose flour
3 cans (14 0z) of chicken broth
4 cups of half and half (you can use milk to cut the fat) (But why do that?)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of fresh salsa
1 can of creamed corn
about 4 cups of chopped chicken, or one rotisserie chicken (which is what I used)
2 tsp of cumin
1 packet of fajita seasoning
3 TBSP of fresh cilantro

And here is what you do:

Start with the butter~melt it in your soup pot, along with the garlic and onion.  Saute this until the onion is translucent, then add in the flour.  Stir together and cook for two, so the taste of flour will be gone. 

Add the broth and half and half.  Bring this to a boil (I turned the heat down to medium), then reduce the heat to low.  Add the soup, salsa, corn, chicken, cumin, fajita seasoning, and 2 TBSP of the cilantro.  (I actually used a lot more than that, because I LOVE fresh cilantro.)  Stir, continuing to heat for fifteen more minutes. 

To serve, we topped it with a bit of shredded cheese, more fresh cilantro, and tortilla chips.  As good as it is right away, it's even better the next day. 

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Originally I was going to book club tonight, but we're not meeting this week, it turns out.  I had already gotten the ingredients to make Beer Cheddar Joe's, and I'm sticking with that.  This is equally delicious, and something my kids love.  Click here for the recipe.  (This is a Mix and Match Mama recipe.  The only thing I added that was extra was salt...I don't think the original recipe had that in it, and you will miss it, if you don't add a pinch or two.  My boys add hot sauce over theirs, as well, and sometimes I add that into the pot while it's simmering.)

On Wednesday, with the kids at church, we usually snack or eat leftovers.  The boys like to go to Chick Fil A with friends after church, so Todd and I usually do our own thing.  On these nights, I love making oven roasted potatoes with lots of toppings.  I wash and cut up a bunch of potatoes, pouring olive oil, salt, and garlic powder over the top, mixing them well.  I bake them at 400 or 425 for about an hour, until they're golden brown, and shriveled up and crispy.  We top them with shredded cheese and homemade ranch dressing, and sometimes, turkey bacon that I've cooked and chopped.  This is delicious and so easy!  My homemade ranch dressing is easy too.  It's a cup of mayonnaise, a cup of sour cream, salt, pepper, 3 TBSP of worcestershire sauce, and 2 to 4 TBSP of taco seasoning.  While whisking this together, drizzle in milk until it's the desired consistency that you prefer.  We like ours a little on the thin side.  My kids like my ranch dressing so much, that I no longer buy it in the store.  Thanks to Ina Garten, for showing me how easy it is to make, and it so much better than anything you would buy. 

I bought some dried pinto beans from Kroger yesterday, and plan on making that for Thursday, along with some sort of meat and cornbread.  I love meals that are just beans and cornbread, but my family would argue.  For them I'll add some meat, and other than soaking the beans overnight the night before, they're super easy to cook~you just simmer them low and slow for a few hours, adding salt and tasting often.  Beans can be hard to season.  I usually add a little something extra, like cumin or garlic, and some chicken broth.  (Can you tell we are Mexican food lovers around here?) 

That takes us all the way until Friday, and by then, I'll have to figure out something else.  Call me crazy, but when the weather turns cool, I love to cook even more, usually opting for something warm and comforting. 

So, what are you having for dinner this week?  I would love to know!  I am always looking for ideas of new things. 

Thanks for reading!  Love to all.