Rice With Black Beans

This is one of those quick weeknight dinners that can literally be prepared in minutes.  My family has always liked Rice and Beans and this recipe is so simple you can't help but like it!

Serve this with some Mississippi Cornbread or some Southern Buttermilk Cornbread and you've got an entire meal in minutes!

1 Tablespoon oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

2/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 cups Instant brown rice, uncooked

Chop onion.

Mince garlic.

Heat oil in skillet on medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir until tender, but not browned.

Stir in stewed tomatoes.

Rinse and drain black beans.

Add beans to tomato mixture.

Add water and dried oregano and stir thoroughly.

Stir in rice. Return to boil; reduce to low heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until heated through.

Remove from heat. Let stand approximately 5 minutes. Stir and serve.

Chicken Chili

With the weatherman predicting record low temperatures this weekend, I thought you all could use a little comfort food to warm you inside and out! This is what my family will be having tonight on a cold Friday evening.

It's another one of my family's favorites!

You absolutely MUST try this with the Mississippi Cornbread in my previous post!

1 chicken, cooked and shredded, or equivalent

2 Tablespoons oil

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes 

1 can Rotel tomatoes  **

16 oz. chunky salsa

16 oz. can black beans, drained (can use pinto beans or chili beans, if preferred)

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Chop onion and green pepper.

Finely chop garlic.

Saute green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender.

Add stewed tomatoes and Rotel tomatoes.

Add all remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.

Bring to a boil and then cover and turn on Low. Simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Stir well prior to serving.

Top with grated cheese, sliced green onions, sour cream, ripe olives or avocados.

My family also loves it served atop corn chips.

**Note: Can use 2 (14.5 oz.) cans of stewed tomatoes and omit Rotel tomatoes, if preferred.

Mississippi Cornbread

1 cup Self-Rising corn meal

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup cream style corn

1 medium onion, chopped

Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Mix well.

Pour into greased 7" x 14" x 2" baking dish or pan. **

Bake in 40o degree oven for approximately 45 minutes to an hour until golden brown.

(** I used a 10" x 15" baking sheet and lowered temp to 375 degrees because we like this cornbread thin.)

We love to crumble this cornbread up in a bowl of homemade vegetable soup or chili. YUM!

**UPDATE**

Correction to Chicken Breasts Supreme recipe below---- 

I have already made this correction to the recipe, but just in case some of you had printed it off prior to that, the recipe calls for TWO cans of cream of mushroom soup (rather than 1).

I don't want to do anything to deprive any of you of the yumminess that IS Chicken Breasts Supreme!

Sorry for any inconvenience!

Chicken Breasts Supreme

This dish is probably my family's all-time favorite dish. We all absolutely LOVE it! My husband said today that, for him, his favorite is a toss-up between Chicken Breasts Supreme and what he calls "Spaghetti Roast".

I know that many people have their own adaptation of this recipe, but I decided to post it anyway because I don't think that ANYONE should be deprived of this goodness!

This is also the perfect Sunday dish because it can literally cook on Low for the entire time that you are gone to church and will have your house smelling so yummy when you return. With some rice, baby lima beans and yeast rolls, you are good to go!


6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 strips of bacon

1 package of thin sliced beef lunch meat **

1 pint sour cream

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray. Line bottom of baking dish with thin sliced beef.

Wrap one slice of bacon around each chicken breast.

Lay bacon-wrapped chicken breasts in baking dish.

Place cream of mushroom soup and sour cream in medium bowl.

Combine soup and sour cream thoroughly.

Pour sour cream mixture over chicken.

Bake uncovered for 3 hours at 250 - 300 degrees.

(I usually set mine between 265 - 275 degrees and it is perfect when we come in from church.)

Pictures don't actually do this dish justice. There is no way to describe the goodness of the flavors that the beef and bacon give to this dish. The gravy is absolutely delicious and my family devours it.

** Note: You can substitute dried beef, if you prefer, but it is a little too salty for our liking. We prefer the thin sliced beef lunchmeat.

Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast

This is one of my husband's favorite "comfort foods".  He loves Creamed Chipped Beef, so I recently surprised him with some -- and served it to him in bed, no less!!!  That's TRUE "comfort food", isn't it?

6 oz. sliced dried beef, rinsed in cold water **

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup minced onion

2 Tablespoons flour

2 1/2 cups milk

salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

8 slices of buttered toast

Melt butter over medium heat in skillet.

 Add chopped onion and saute until tender.

Sprinkle in flour, stirring constantly until smooth -- about 2-3 minutes.

Gradually add milk while stirring.

Cook 5 - 8 minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Add chipped beef, then salt and pepper to taste.

Keep stirring gravy until well-combined and desired thickness.  Add parsley, if desired, and remove from heat.

Toast bread slices.

Pour gravy over toast and serve.

**  Note:  I substituted thinly sliced beef pictured above, because dried beef is a little too salty for our liking.  If you use, dried beef like this,

be sure to rinse the beef off prior to making recipe.  The beef I substituted works fine, too.