The Eagle vs. The Giant

Wow! I cannot believe it’s the end of October already. Where did this month go? I live in Eagles’ country and in this part of the U.S., there are two things an Eagle fan really dislikes: one is a Cowboy (we all know the Dallas Cowboys are not welcome around here) and the other is a Giant. That’s right the New York Giants. This Sunday, the New York Giants will travel the measly two hours into our great city of Philadelphia and walk onto our field to get a good taste of good old Eagles football!

In honor of us beating the Giants this Sunday, I am throwing a small party at my house. There will be cheering, singing and of course the usual grunts. Besides all this noise, I am serving my infamous Buffalo Chicken Dip. A football party cannot function without this dip! But I am also serving another favorite around here, Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches. We have a great recipe, which I will share in a moment but I do want to say, if you are feeling adventurous, try making your very own BBQ sauce the day before. It will make it that much more special!

E-A-G-L-E-S! Go Birds!

Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 small green pepper, chopped (about 1/2 cup) (optional)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 cans (4.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
4 Pepperidge Farm® Farmhouse Premium White Rolls with Sesame Seeds, split and toasted

Directions:

Heat the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir the pepper, onion and celery in the saucepan and cook until they're tender.

Stir the barbecue sauce and chicken in the saucepan. Heat until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Divide the chicken mixture among the rolls.

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!

It’s Pumpkin Carving Time!

Halloween is only eight days away! I’m not sure about you but it’s a big holiday in my family and one of our favorite past times has been pumpkin carving. Every year, we all get together, travel to a pumpkin patch and pick out our best, perfectly round and oversized pumpkins! We then carve our pumpkins, have great treats and watch a scary movie. This year, I’ve been tasked to make the yummy food for our yearly gathering. I will be serving Fiesta Chicken Casserole. It’s quite easy to make and it’s great for a larger group of people. It’s just a great way to get into the Halloween mood!

Sunday is our annual trip and this year, I am preparing to make the best carved pumpkin of all my family! I began to do some research and found a lot of great resources online for carving pumpkins. One of the best I’ve found was on the History Channel’s website (http://www.history.com/content/halloween). They had a wealth of fun information about myths, legends, the history of Halloween and a whole section on carving pumpkins. You can actually download stencils and print them out! Here is the one I chose . Ok, It’s a little challenging but I love a good challenge when it comes to pumpkin carving. Wish me luck and I will be sure to share with everyone the outcome!

Fiesta Chicken Casserole

From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Serves: 8


Ingredients:
1 package (15 ounces) refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
1 jar (16 ounces) Pace® Chunky Salsa
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)
1 package (24 ounces) frozen whole kernel corn
2 cans (9.75 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
1 can (about 15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

Let the pie crusts stand at room temperature for 15 minutes or until they're easy to handle.

Stir the salsa, soup, sour cream, cheese, corn, chicken and beans in a large bowl. Spoon the chicken mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

Unfold the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface. Lay the crusts side-by-side so that they overlap by about 3 inches in the center. Press the seam to seal. Roll the pie crust into a 14 x 10-inch rectangle. Place the pie crust over the chicken mixture. Trim the excess crust from the edge. Cut several slits in the crust.

Bake at 400°F. for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin.

It’s Lunchtime in the Campbell’s Kitchen!

Lunchtime at Campbell Soup Company is a big deal. Come on, you can’t work with one of the best food brands and not have a really good lunch everyday. Believe it or not, everyone really enjoys lunches together in the Campbell Cafeteria. It’s a great time of the day where we all enjoy speaking with each other about life outside of work. This is the time you spend with your colleagues where you get to know a little bit more about them. The next time you’re at work, you should really take a moment to learn a little bit about your workmates!

Last week, I tried a new recipe for lunch, a Chicken Salad Melt. It was so good, I had to write a blog about it and share with all of you. Enjoy!

Chicken Salad Melt

From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 5 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Serves: 4





Ingredients:

4 English muffins, split
2 cans (4.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons reduced fat or fat free mayonnaise
8 tomato slices
2 ounces reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)


Directions:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Bake the muffin halves on a baking sheet for 10 minutes or until they're lightly toasted.

Stir the chicken, celery and mayonnaise in a small bowl.

Divide the chicken mixture among the muffin halves. Top with the tomato slices and cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Just a reminder, in case anyone forgot, I’m fortunate enough to work with Swanson Chicken, which is why I have access to all these terrific recipes.

Best, and until next time, Kaitlin!

Fall Foliage & Dinner for Two

Fall has officially hit the northeast. I live right outside Philadelphia and the leaves have really been turning the past few weeks. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I love this time of year!

Since being thrown into adulthood, I’ve been fairing quite well with entertaining my friends post-college but what about the rest of my life?! I’m been planning a dinner for two, which is more nerve-racking than dinner for ten. I am always one to really try to impress those around me with great food and entertainment and this dinner is no exception! As my thoughts raced for the past week about what I will serve at my special dinner this Saturday, I began to test out some recipes in order to avoid an utter disaster. My first attempt of a great dinner for two is Spinach, Feta and Chicken Shells. And let me tell you, it came out really well. So, here is my top contender of what I will serve at my dinner for two:

Spinach, Feta and Chicken Shells

From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 package (10 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Shells
1 can (4.5 ounces) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in
Water, drained
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 package (about 9 ounces) frozen spinach in cream sauce, prepared
according to package directions

Directions:

1. Prepare the pastry shells according to the package directions.

2. Use a fork to remove the pastry "tops" and the soft pastry underneath.

3. Stir the chicken, cheese and spinach in a medium bowl. Divide the chicken
mixture among the pastry shells. Top with the pastry "tops".


Best, and until next time, Kaitlin.

Pumpkins, Squash, Apples and Pears!

Last week, I visited my local farmer’s market and was delightfully surprised to see that almost all my favorite fall vegetables have harvested quite well this year! On the east coast, we received a lot of rain in June, which stalled a lot of growth for fall harvest. Oh, what will I make first?! Pumpkin fritters or my classic Squash Soup? Since my Fall Harvest Party is next week, I decided to make a large batch of Butternut Squash Soup. It can easily be kept fresh in my freezer and I can heat it over the stove just in time for my guests! What’s your favorite fall vegetable?


Butternut Squash Soup with Sage
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Serves: 4


Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into 1" cubes
2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
1 tablespoon butter OR margarine
12 fresh sage leaves

Directions:

HEAT oil in saucepot over medium heat. Add squash, apples and onion and cook until almost tender. Stir in sugar, coriander and red pepper. Cook and stir 2 min.

ADD broth. Heat to a boil. Cook over low heat 10 min. or until squash is tender.

PLACE cooked squash mixture in food processor, using a slotted spoon. Cover and blend until smooth, adding enough cooking liquid to make soup of desired consistency.

HEAT butter in small skillet. Add sage and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Reserve butter in skillet. Divide soup among 4 bowls. Drizzle each with sage butter and garnish with fried sage leaves.

By the way, I’m sure my savvy readers have noticed that my recipes are coming from the Campbell’s Kitchen. When you work with Swanson Chunk Chicken, like I do, I’m constantly visiting the test kitchen at Campbell Soup Company. I get so many great ideas that allow me to test new recipes with familiar and comfortable ingredients. If you’re ever in need of a new recipe, check out www.campbellskitchen.com!