{not your ordinary mac and cheese}

I got this recipe off of the pioneer women cooks blog. I love her blog if you haven't looked at it well your missing out on something special. My family all loved it even Cole. I am not going to lie I had three helpings and I even scraped the plate when I was done. Let me know if you like it as much as we did. Happy cooking.

4 cups cooked macaroni or cavatappi

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 to 1/2 finely diced red onion

Equal amount diced red bell pepper

1 finely diced jalapeno

1 4 oz can chopped green chilies

1 cup frozen corn

2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup cream

1 generous cup grated Pepper Jack cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Salt

Pepper

Boil pasta until al dente. In a large skillet, add olive oil and saute garlic and vegetables over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add in canned chilies and stir around, then turn off heat. Drain pasta and add it to skillet. Pour on cream, add cheese, then add salt and pepper to taste and stir gently. At the end, add 2 tablespoons butter and stir again. Check seasonings and serve.
Serve with juicy steak, with grilled shrimp, chicken, or on its own.

Tasha's Tortilla Soup

My friend Tasha made this for pictionary and it was so yummy. I had two bowls of it when I first got to pictionary than I had one more before I left. If you love soup like me then you will love this. Tasha said that it was very easy to make.

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup chunky salsa
8 ounces corn tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the chicken in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and mix well. Then add the broth, corn, onion, chili powder, lemon juice and salsa. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Break up some tortilla chips into individual bowls and pour soup over chips. Top with the Monterey Jack cheese and a little sour cream.