Corn chip Chili Casserole

This recipe really threw me off when I first checked it out. I was confused by the instructions and wondered why you just couldn't put the chips on top of your bowl of chili??? Well, let me just say, I was surprised by the results. There was something about the chips being baked in with the meat, beans and cheese. It almost had an enchilada taste to it. It was pleasantly delicious!

I also ended up halving the recipe because we wouldn't eat a 9x13 baking dish size for our family. I baked it in a 9x9 baking dish instead.

Corn chip Chili Casserole

3 (15 oz.) cans of assorted beans: kidney, pinto, black, etc...

2 (10 oz.) cans red enchilada sauce

2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 tbsp. chili powder

1 (9 3/4 oz.) bag of Fritos corn chips

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium sized onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

Sour Cream for topping

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a skillet over medium high heat, add ground beef, diced onion, minced garlic and brown until meat is cooked and onion is tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized mixing bowl, add beans, enchilada sauce and chili powder, stir to thoroughly combine. Add drained meat mixture to the beans and stir again to combine. In a 9 x 13" baking dish, place half of the meat & bean mixture on bottom. Next, layer with corn chips, cheese and repeat one more layer ending with the cheese. Bake in preheat oven for 30 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and chips are lightly browned. Remove from oven and serve warm with a topping of sour cream, if desired.

Note:

To half the recipe use: 2 cans beans, 1 can enchilado sauce, 1 lb. ground beef, 2 cups cheese, 1 tbls. chili powder, 1/2 of an onion, 1 garlic clove and 2/3 bag of corn chips. Regular corn chips, broken up, could also be used in place of Fritos corn chips.

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

Our local grocery store has been making these pumpkin bread bowls and selling them in their bakery department. I couldn't pass them up and knew I had to find a yummy cream-type soup to put inside them. Last month, we had a potluck dinner at work and one of my co-workers, Nina, made a delicious, creamy soup with cheese and vegetables. It was so good, we all asked for the recipe. I knew this was the soup for these cute pumpkin bread bowls. This recipe can easily be made in the crockpot once the veggies are cooked. It also makes a lot, but the recipe can be cut in half too.

Cheesy Vegetable Soup

5 cups water
1/4 cup onion, minced
2 large potatoes, cubed into 1/2" squares
2 stalks of celery, sliced thin
3 chicken boullion cubes

Boil above ingredients in a large pot for 8-10 minutes.

Add:
2 (16 oz.) pkgs. frozen broccoli, cauliflower & carrot mix, thawed and cut into smaller pieces

Boil for 5 minutes more

Stir in:
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted
2 cans creamed corn
1 lb. pkg. Velveeta Cheese, cut into 1" cubes

Keep stirring until melted. If soup is too thin, add some instant potato flakes to thicken. If the soup is too thick, add a can of chicken broth. If using a crockpot, set on Low and warm for 2-3 hours.