Menu Plan Monday: Nov 8th

Fall menus are so much more fun to make than summer ones! I much prefer making those hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals that are so good in the cooler weather. This past week we had a couple of really good soups that I'm sharing with you today.

Chicken Enchilada Soup
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen corn
1/2 cups onion, chopped
1/2 cups red pepper, diced
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce
1 can (10.75 oz.) cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1-1/2 cups milk
2 whole chicken breasts
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips
*****
In a 3-1/2 -5 qt. slow cooker, combine beans, tomatoes, corn, onion and bell pepper. Place chicken breasts on top of mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce, soup , cumin and chili powder. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite-sized pieces. Add chicken back into the soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of pepper jack cheese and crushed tortilla chips on top.

Bean Soup
(Susan Branch)
1-1/2 lbs. smoked ham hocks*
1 lb. dried small white beans**
3 sliced carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 bay leaves
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Water to cover
*****
Put all ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for 3-4 hours. It will get very thick, so add water when you think it needs it. Somewhere down the line remove the ham hocks from the soup and cool them. Cut the meat off the bones, discard the fat and return the meat and bones to the pot. When you're ready to serve, remove the bones and bay leaves and bring out some crusty bread and serve!
*I used a ham steak instead, chopped up.
**I used Great Northern beans, but Navy beans would be great, too.

Here's what's on the plan for this week:

Monday: Beef Veggie Soup
Tuesday: Feisty Fajitas with Rice
Wednesday: Tostadas
Thursday: {dinner out for my dad's birthday}
Friday: French Dip Sandwiches

Saturday: Leftovers/Snacks

Happy Cooking to you this week!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.