Chicken, Potato, and White Bean Soup

The little man's favorite food these days -- and probably for all time -- is chocolate. His second favorite? Forget chicken finger or grilled cheese or hamburgers, or all those perennial kid favorites. My little man likes him some beans.

I've made this soup several times, tweaking the ingredients here and there to find what I works best. And each and every time, the little man gobbles this up like it's his first meal in days. Beans first.

The soup starts with bacon, but pancetta would be a fine substitute, or even some ham. Or you can try it without the bacon altogether. Although I'm not sure why anyone would pass up the opportunity to make bacon. (In fact, we usually cook up the remainder of the package of bacon and keep it in the fridge for another of the little man's favorites -- BLTs. With mayo. And minus the L.)

Chicken, Potato, and White Bean Soup
Serves 6-8

4 slices bacon, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb. potatoes, cut into cubes
2 carrots, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1 32-oz. container (4 c.) chicken broth, plus one 14-oz can
1 1/2-2 c. chopped cooked chicken
2 15.5-oz. cans small white beans, drained
Additional salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, thyme, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables start to sweat, about 4-5 minutes.

4. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.

5. Add the chicken and white beans and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Shredded Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

We had back-to-back blizzards here the week of New Year's, and more than a week later, some of the roads are still glare ice. Needless to say, we stuck around the house for New Year’s Eve -- and had ourselves a little fiesta.

I’m a huge fan of enchiladas with red sauce, but even when we go to a Mexican restaurant with a huge variety of combo platters, I have difficulty finding my favorite combination: one shredded beef and bean enchilada and one cheese enchilada. (If you combine them all together, the cheese flavor gets lost.) Luckily, it’s quite easy to make these at home.

For the beef filling, I used my shredded beef taco meat recipe, which is so versatile. Plus, it’s easy to make a day or two ahead. And while I strongly encourage making your own enchilada sauce, I didn’t have the ingredients I needed on hand. But I did have enchilada sauce. Go figure.

Shredded Beef and Cheese Enchiladas
Serves 4

1 c. refried beans (I usually use fat-free)
2 large can enchilada sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
Pinch of sugar (seriously, just a tiny pinch)
8 8-9” tortillas (corn is traditional, but I prefer flour)
1-1½ c. shredded beef taco filling
6 oz. shredded cheese (I prefer Monterey Jack)
1 c. shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese
The usual accompaniments for serving: lettuce, tomato, olives, sour cream, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat refried beans until they’re of spreading consistency. (I sometimes add a bit of water or broth to mine to make them a bit thinner.)

3. In a small saucepan, heat enchilada sauce to a simmer and add beef bouillon cubes. Stir occasionally, until bouillon is thoroughly dissolved. Add a pinch of sugar.

4. Ladle a bit of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. This helps keep the enchiladas from sticking to the bottom.

5. Heat each tortilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds. For the beef and bean enchiladas, layer some beans on the tortilla – however much you prefer. (Or leave them out altogether if you’re not a bean fan.) Top with beef.

6. Tightly roll the tortillas and place them in the baking dish.

7. For the cheese enchiladas, add beans if you prefer, and tightly roll tortilla. Place in baking dish, alternating with the beef and bean. Or however you want to arrange them.

8. When finished with all 8, top with enchilada sauce.

9. Spray the dull side of a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and cover the pan (spray side down). Bake enchiladas about 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. Immediately sprinkle with 1 c. cheese.

10. Serve with toppings.