Eat.

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
3 T. all purpose flour
½ t. Garlic powder
½ t. Cumin
½ t. Chili Powder
¼ t. Black Pepper
2 cans cannellini beans
2 cans Swanson’s chicken broth
1 T. Lime juice
Cheese (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)
Chopped Avocado (optional)

Cook chicken all day on low in a crock pot with Cream of Chicken Soup. Remove chicken and shred. Discard liquid.

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes- just until it starts to become translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans and rinse with cold water and set aside. Once onions are translucent, add tomatoes with green chilies, spices, and flour. Stir well. Add beans and chicken broth.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream, cheese, and avocado.

Makes about 8 cups of soup.

(adapted from Ina Garten)

Ingredients
30 extra-large white mushrooms
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 1/3 cup panko crumbs
8 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, stir in the cream cheese and continue cooking until it has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

8 summer squash
1/2 sweet onion
1 T. olive oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c. milk
4 T margarine
1 1/2 stacks Ritz crackers
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Sautee 8 sliced summer squash and 1/2 sweet onion in 1 T. olive oil until tender.
(Hint: Slice squash at least 1/2″ thick…they cook down a lot.)

Mix egg, 1 cup of cheese, milk, melted margarine, salt, pepper, and 1 stack of crushed Ritz in a bowl.
Spread this mixture in the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish.

Drain squash and onions, and gently place on top of “crust.”
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/2 stack of crushed Ritz.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until casserole is bubbly and Ritz on top are golden brown.

*As pictured, recipe is doubled and in a 11x15 dish.

1 white cake mix
1 (3-oz.) package strawberry Jell-O
3 T. flour
1/3 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (10-oz.) package sweetened strawberries, thawed (drain and reserve ½ cup of syrup for frosting)
½ c. cold water
½ c. butter
5-6c. confectioner’s sugar
fresh strawberries, optional for decoration

Cake
Mix white cake mix, package of Jell-O, and flour. Beat in oil and eggs. Drain berries and reserve ½ cup of syrup for frosting. Add berries and water to batter and mix well. Divide the batter between two 8” pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes and then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Frosting
Mix butter and reserved strawberry syrup. Add confectioners sugar gradually and beat until smooth, at least 2 minutes. Decorate with fresh strawberries if desired.

(courtesy of Amy Lister)

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 stick butter
1 c. pecans, chopped
2-8oz. pkgs cream cheese
2 c. sugar
12 oz. Cool Whip
2 cans blueberry pie filling (you probably won’t use the whole 2 cans, but 1 isn’t quite enough)

Mix the flour, pecans, and butter (softened) until crumbly and pat into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes then cool. Cream together cream cheese and sugar (beat hard at least five minutes). Stir in Cool Whip. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and chill. Just before serving, top with blueberry pie filling. (You can actually put the blueberry pie filling on top right away and just refrigerate the whole thing.)

(courtesy of Pam Jones)

3 c. mashed sweet potatoes
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. butter

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped nuts
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter, softened

Mix above ingredients until smooth.
Place in souffle dish and sprinkle with topping.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

(courtesy of Paula Dean)

1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained, and 6 tablespoons pineapple juice reserved
1 cup cracker crumbs (recommended: Ritz)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing pan
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a medium-size casserole dish with butter.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Gradually stir in the cheese. Add the drained pineapple chunks, and stir until ingredients are well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

In another medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter, and reserved pineapple juice, stirring with a rubber spatula until evenly blended. Spread crumb mixture on top of pineapple mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

(courtesy of Stephanie Vitulli)

one 10 oz package of chopped spinach, drained.
one can of cream of mushroom
one stick of butter
one cup of stuffing mix (or bread crumbs)
one and a half cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
one half of an onion, chopped and sauteed.

Mix the spinach and onions.

In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter and stuffing crumbs so that the crumbs are saturated. Spoon this into the spinach and onions mixture.

Mix in the cream of mushroom and grated cheese. Spread into a casserole dish and top with more stuffing crumbs.

Heat at 325 degrees until top is browned.

1 stick butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together all ingredients. Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour. (Check w/ toothpick for doneness starting at 45 minutes.)

3 c. plain flour
2 c. sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. allspice
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. oil
2 eggs
3 t. vanilla
1 can cooked pumpkin (15oz.)
1 c. pecans (optional)
1 c. raisins (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients.
Gradually add wet ingredients.
Bake at 350 in a well-greased pan for 45 minutes.

(or, I made 4 shallow mini-loaves + 12 muffins…
and drizzled them with thin cream cheese icing.)

Pair with Apple Muffins for a plate full of fall amazingness: