Harvest Meal of White Chicken Chili...... Farmer Approved

I am BIG on traditions. To keep up with old ones and create new ones is important to me. Several years ago I started the tradition of sour Annual Hayride and this year I added a "Harvest Kickoff Dinner." Nothing big - I  just invited my farmers side of the family over for chili to kick off the beginning of Harvest.

In addition to good ol fashioned regular chili I made a White chicken Chili. I planned on it being popular for the women only, I did not anticipate making it again for my farmer two nights later. Yes that's right, we have had this chili twice in a week, I'd call that a farmer approved Harvest Meal.




In a large Pot (preferably a Dutch Oven, if you don't have one - go buy one, they are fantastic!) add one pound (ish) of chicken breasts and 4 cups of chicken stock.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boil until the chicken is cook through (mine took about 15 minutes)

 



Move chicken to a cutting board and shred. The original recipe called for chopped chicken, but I prefer it shredded, or at least as much as possible.

Return to pot of chicken stock and add salt and pepper.

Add one chopped up white onion, a bag of frozen corn, and three cloves of fresh minced garlic

One little jar of green chilies and two cans of cannelloni beans. Or really any white chili bean is fine. That's what great about this recipe. If you think something might taste good, add it. That's how I came up with this recipe.

Squeeze the juice from a lime.

Add one block of cream cheese and...... If you like the heat add a few pickled jalapenos. They aren't too spicy but add nice heat to this chili.

Put your lid back on and simmer until cream cheese is mixed. I combined everything and let it sit on the stove until about 20 minutes before my farmer was to be in from the field. it worked perfectly...

 

I baked some biscuits to go with our chili.

Dinner is served..... I know with the temps still in the 80's it's harder to get thinking about fall soups and chili, but this one is worth sitting in the AC eating.

 

 

I feel a need to "confess" that even though MOST of the time I do have a hot meal on the table for my farmer when he gets home, we definitely have those nights where I do not. Like last night, when I was at my mother in laws and my farmer called me telling me he was home and I told him to preheat the oven for a pizza... I will leave the Digiorno Pizza Harvest Meal off the blog, but it was a good one.

Hope everyone is having a great Harvest. With dealing with all of the adversities during planting season we sure have been blessed yet again.

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Harvest Meal of Italian Beef..... Farmer Approved

My farmer is still hitting it pretty hard with corn harvest. Moisture is dropping every day and we thank the good Lord for the yields that we are getting. We might hold our breathe a little bit more during bean harvest but so far so good.

 

This weeks Harvest ready meal is Italian Beef. I got this "recipe" if you can call it that, from my mother in law. It is just so easy that it needs little explaining. I rely on meals this time of the year that I can put together in the morning or prep when I get home from work and bake it right before my farmer gets in.

 In a crock pot on low put in a beef roast, one whole jar of pepperoncini's (with juice) and a packet of good ol Italian Seasonings.




When it's all done (4-6 hours depending on the size) shred the beef. 

 





 Return beef to the crock pot and keep warm until your farmer gets in from the field.

 
I toast rolls on my stove. it really makes the sandwich.

And there it is... With a little bit of preparation - dinner is served. I made this for my sister in law after she had her baby back in April. The whole family loved it.

And yes - add the great juices to a little bowl - it's perfect for dipping.

 

Happy Harvest.

 

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Harvest Meal of Oven Baked Ribs..... Farmer Approved!

I hope you all have a safe and bountiful harvest season... Although every spring during planting season I declare that my favorite time of the year, I truly think harvest is it. We can all breathe a little sigh of relief that another growing season is in the books.

 

 



Harvest is in full swing for us here. We got started picking corn yesterday afternoon - obviously when I say "we" I mean my farmer. I watch from afar snapping pictures and making sure that dinner is ready when he gets home. I have this dream of bringing dinner to the field. Hauling everything out there, setting up a table and having dinner there for my farmer and his dad - I think they would both look at me like I was crazy if I did that. They would both rather eat when they get home. Do people still eat dinner in the fields on your farm?

 

Sometimes dinner is fairly reasonable during harvest (8:30) last night. And sometimes dinner is much much later. Sometimes when it's extremely late I eat first, but regardless if I do or not I am always up and always have dinner on the table when he walks in the door. I realize that in a few years from now things will be busier and it might not always happen just like that, but during busy times this is the only conversation that I have with my farmer. So while some days I might choose sleep over staying up and hanging out with him - its not going to be anytime soon.

 

SO I am always cooking a fairly easy yet filling dinner for my farmer during harvest. We usually try to eat your usual healthy fish, chicken and salads, etc at least a couple of times a week (sometimes followed by pizza) But I can't imagine giving him salmon and broccoli when he gets in from the field. He needs something more filling so he sleeps all night for the long next day ahead.

 

Enter Oven Baked Ribs...

 

I got this recipe from my sweet sister in law, Melissa. She is a busy mamma to four little kiddos and my brother owns his own tiling business, so he is always working super late. Somehow she manages to do it all. I hope I learn a thing or two from her.

 

And she puts recipes on recipe cards..... I love that and have since been trying to do that - even my pinterest recipes.



 

Place ribs on aluminum foil and sprinkle a little salt and pepper.

Apply generous amount of olive oil.

And a generous amount of barbecue sauce.

Cover tightly with foil and place in casserole dish. Bake on 400° for 2 hours.

They literally fall off the bone.

In addition to the ribs I made cheesy hash brown potatoes. My farmer literally said "what did I do to deserve this". It was SO funny. We normally would opt for maybe some roasted potatoes but I wanted to kick harvest off with a bang. PLUS these are so easy to make up as soon as I get home from work and pop them in the oven about an hour or so before I think he will be home. This recipe also came from my sister in law, Melissa.

I chop one small onion and shred 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese. I always always always shred my own cheese... Do it, I promise you will not be disappointed. it tastes so much better.

Add the onion and cheese to 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 2 pounds of thawed shredded hash browns, 1/4 cup butter and 12 ounces of sour cream and salt and pepper.

Mix all together.

Spread in a casserole dish, top with corn flakes and 1/4 cup of melted butter.

Bake in 350 ° oven for 45 minutes. (I usually end up cooking it for close to an hour)

I promise we had this really delicious green salad while I was waiting for the potatoes to finish up. I just failed to get a picture. Meat and potatoes, every farm wives staple during harvest.

 

 

See that big pile of apples... I'm making apple crisp tomorrow night.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

2 pounds of thawed hash browns

½ cup melted margarine

Salt and pepper

1 can cream of chicken soup

12 oz. sour cream

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

2 cups of corn flakes

 

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