Chopped Wedge Salad

I've been doing this salad for years and I'm making it again for New Years Day - but with so much going on right now - I decided to look it up on this blog to make sure I don't forget anything and what do you know? I've never posted it! What? 

This is seriously one of my best crowd pleasers. I made it a few years ago for a family get together and my brother in law who is a man of few words came over and gushed and gushed about how much he loved it.

To be honest, I came up with it because I love a good wedge salad - but it's so hard to eat! Especially when serving a crowd that includes a million kids!!

I'm not going to include measurements bc it really depends on how many you are serving.

CHOPPED WEDGE SALAD
Iceberg lettuce
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Tomatoes, diced
Red onion, thinly sliced
Blue cheese, crumbled
Blue cheese dressing
Balsamic glaze (I love Nonna's)

*For the kids - I don't dress the salad. I put the blue cheese on the side and also offer shredded cheddar. I also offer Ranch and Poppy seed dressing (my kids fave)

I'll take a picture when I make it!! 

Chewie Caramel Popcorn

2 cups brown sugar

1 stick butter

1 c corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 bags of microwave popcorn

Slowly bring all ingredients (except popcorn) to a boil over medium low heat (so it doesn't burn).

Sift through the microwave popcorn for unpopped kernels shaking your bowl to let the kernels settle to the bottom and use your hands to move popcorn to another bowl - leaving the unpopped kernels behind.  Drizzle caramel over popcorn and use a plastic spatula to mix everything together bc the caramel is still a bit hot. 

It stays nice and chewy for about 7 days!!

Waldorf Salad

I'm going over our Christmas menu and this year we are going to mix it up. We usually have prime rib - but this year we are doing prime rib on New Years - so I'm revamping.

Talking to a friend the other day and she said that for ALL big holiday meals they serve a Waldorf Salad on the side. To be honest - I don't know if I've ever even had it - but it sounds interesting and I really love a salad with apples and grapes in it - so what the heck? I'm going to give it a try. If we don't like it - at least we'll have apples and grapes on hand! This is her recipe:

A New Spin on the Waldorf Salad
1 lb green seedless grapes
2 lbs red seedless grapes
1 lb diced red apples
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1 c sour cream
1/2 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, mix softened cream cheese, sour cream, white sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer or hand mixer. You can use a mixer or mix by hand with a spatula. Add the grapes to the cream cheese mixture and stir thoroughly to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Sprinkle brown sugar over the grape mixture. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours until ready to serve. Right before serving sprinkle nuts on top.

Crock Pot Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

My husbands cousin that lives in Colorado posted this and as I LOVE soup - and living in NM I learned to LOVE green chilis - this looks like an amazing soup to try!

Crock Pot Green Enchilada Chicken Soup
2.5 lbs of boneless skinless Chicken Breasts or thighs
28 oz can of Green Enchilada sauce
24oz of Chicken broth
1 Cup half and half or heavy whipping cream
2 Cups Monterey jack cheese
4 oz cream cheese, cubed at room temp
4oz Green Salsa (salsa verde)
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In Crock Pot add Chicken breasts or thighs, green enchilada sauce and chicken broth...cook on low for 6-8 hrs
2. About 30 min before serving Remove Chicken and Shred. the add shredded chicken, Jack Cheese, Cream Cheese, 1/2 and 1/2 and green salsa to crock pot. stir until cheeses are melted. * you can add additional salsa for taste.
3. You can top with sliced avocado, cilantro, green onion and sour cream and add strips of Crisp tortillas if you like!