Creamy White Chicken Chili
a la Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 T oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces (leave whole for crock pot method)
1/2 c chopped onion
1 1/2 t garlic powder, or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
2 cans (15.5 ounces each) Great Northern beans =, or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 3/4 c chicken broth (14.5 oz can) 
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilis
1 t salt
1 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 c sour cream
1/2 c heavy cream
fresh cilantro, for garnish
shredded cheese, tortilla chips, other toppings

Stovetop: in 4-5 quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat. add the chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes, until the onion starts to soften (it's ok if the chicken isn't completely cooked) 
Add the beans, broth, chilis, and spices. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15-30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with toppings. 

For Crock Pot: Place chicken in whole, adding onions, garlic, beans, chilis and spices. Reduce the chicken broth to 1 1/2 c and add to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. 
Shred or cut up chicken. Mix together cream and sour cream in a separate bowl, and add to crock pot. Garnish to serve. 

 Mel's Kitchen Puppy Chow

2 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 c peanut butter
6 T salted butter
1 t vanilla
10 1/2 to 11 cups rice or corn chex (12 oz box) 
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
2 T cocoa powder

Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter and melt together. Stir in the vanilla. 

Place the cereal in a very large bowl, and pour the chocolate mixture over it. Let the cereal rest for 5-10 minutes, ging from wet and shiny to sticky. 

Whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa. Put cereal mixture in a large paper bag, sprinkling the sugar mixture on top. Shake shake shake! 

 Scotcharoos
a la Salt and Baker

1 c light corn syrup
1 c sugar
1 c creamy peanut butter
5- 5 1/2 c Rice Krispy cereal

Topping: 
1 c butterscotch chips
1 c chocolate chips

In medium saucepan over medium low heat, stir the Karo syrup and sugar until it is no longer grainy. Do not let this mixture come to a boil. Once the mixture is hot, almost boiling, remove it from the heat and stir in peanut butter. Pour the hot mixture over the cereal, in a separate bowl. 

Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13 baking dish and spread into an even layer. 

In a medium bowl, melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips. Pour the melted mixture over the cereal mixture. Let set- I use the fridge. 

 Waffle Cookies

Ham and Cheese Sliders

24 slices of deli honey ham

6 slices of swiss cheese, cut into fourths

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1/2 cup butter melted

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

2 packages (12 count) KING'S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls

Cut KING'S HAWAIIAN rolls in half and spread mayo onto 1 side of the rolls. Place a slice or two of ham and slice of swiss cheese in roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and worcestershire sauce

Pour sauce over the rolls, just covering the tops. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for additional 2 minutes until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve warm.

 Chocolate Banana Bread

1 c flour

1/2 c cocoa

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/2 c butter, melted

3/4 c brown sugar

3 large bananas

2 eggs

1/2 c sour cream 

1 t vanilla

1 c chocolate chips

1/4 c mini chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients. Mix butter and sugar into a paste. Add bananas, then eggs one at a time, then sour cream and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. 

Bake at 350 in bread pan (9x5) for 50-60 minutes. 

Sister Brigg's Bread

a la Val Briggs

Ingredients: (Makes 3 loaves)

2 Tbsp. yeast

3 cups warm water

1/3+1/3 cup honey

4+3 cups Kamut flour

1 Tbsp. salt

3 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the yeast, warm water, 1/3 cup of honey, and 4 cups of flour in a mixer. Once combined, let rise for 22-24 minutes.

Then, add the rest of the flour and honey with the salt and oil. Let it mix for 5 minutes to knead it. Let it rise until it has doubled in size. Divide into pans.

Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes

TIP: This bread is very dense and hearty. It has lots of flavor. It is more of an eating bread than say a sandwich bread. Also, I have never made this without Kamut flour, but this flour can be hard to come by and expensive. Follow your heart!