Official Christmas Baking/Cooking/Craft/Secret Santa Thread!

[2stepz]

This is the recipe I dreamed up while talking to Mr. Fiend on Twitter earlier.

‎1 half chicken breast
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can green chillies
16 oz chicken broth
...8 oz jack cheese
~1 TB cayenne pepper
~1 TB cumin
~1 Tsp oregano
~2 TB garlic

Sautee chicken breast, (salt and pepper to preference) remove from pan when 1/2 cooked. Dice into bite size chunks. Return to pan with dry spices till chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

While chicken is sauteeing, add broth to a 2 Qt sauce pan. Melt cheese into chicken broth, stirring with whisk while it melts. Drain corn and beans. Add corn, beans, and chillies to broth after cheese is melted. Stir together (with whisk... since its already dirty.) Add chicken and spice mix.... let simmer for 10 mins. Remove from heat and serve.

[Metcarfre]

Will cheese go in to broth well that way? I thought cheese was normally added near the end of a soup. And why do you half-cook the chicken before chopping it up?

[2stepz]

The broth-cheese thing is the same method I use for my white chili, and yes, it works very well. The whole process only takes about 20 minutes, so it is relatively near the end of the soup.

As for the half-cooked chicken. I hate handling raw chicken, and chopping it after its completely cooked leaves chunks with little flavor. This is a compromise that works well. The chicken is solid enough to chop easily, yet has enough time left to cook that the spices adhere to the smaller meat chunks to increase flavor.

[TheRocket]

I'm going to add cooking to the thread title because all foodstuffs are needed here!

[Mad Madam Mimm]

I may post up the recipe for the "Ultimate Comfort Food Casserole", if I can find the recipe... among friends, it's also become known as the "Bad Day" casserole, because when you've been having a bad day, it's really easy and rewarding to cook, and makes you feel so much better.

[Metcarfre]

My candied yam recipe is kicking around on the forum somewhere, if someone is looking for an addition to their holiday feast.

Now, I need to find a good rose sauce recipe.

[TheRocket]

Okay guys.. I'm going to give the last 2 people I'm waiting for a response from till the end of tonight then I am drawing names. If they (ever) do respond they will have eachother as a secret santa, hehe.

[Dubious_wolf]

Yay!

[Metcarfre]

Did I respond/ you have my address?

Yes?

I AM NOT A BAD PERSON!

[TheRocket]

Yes I got yours. The people I havn't recieved it from havn't even opened the message I sent.

[TheRocket]

So only one of the two people responded so we are uneven numbers again. What do you guys suggest I do?

[Vanguard]

Forget about the other person who didn't respond and throw both you and Wraith's names back into the hat?

[JustAName]

Or put his name and just you do the drawing, so it's still a secret for him?

[TheRocket]

Due to some recent illness that has plagued both of us we can't afford to mail gifts to anyone. Gotta love being sick in America. $$$$$$$$

Otherwise I would have just put Wraiths name in the list and not told him who got him.

[xdeathknightx]

Shove me in that muthabuzza then, I can take it

[TheRocket]

*thumbs up* HURRAY. Ima draw the names right meow. Sorry Telaril, you are out, we can't wait any longer.

[Evil Jim]

Why does there have to be an even number of people? Are you only swapping two names at a time?
Like this?
A->B
B->A

It can work with odd numbers.
A->B
B->C
C->A

[TheRocket]

Yes but with odd numbers someone is going to get left not giving a present to someone.

[TheRocket]

At least in my head that is how I worked it out for the drawing. Either way we are good now because deathknight gets to join in super happy fun times.

[xdeathknightx]

baddabing baddaboom and my address was sent

[TheRocket]

Drawing... right .. meow.. *pew pew pew*

Ima enter the names in a giant robot who will then spit out your compatible secret santa.

[Metcarfre]

Robot Santa is the best Santa.

Science.

[TheRocket]

HILARE! I'm dumb and forgot to add Tally to the front page there. So NOW we are odd numbers again... so I'm just going to go ahead and add Wraith to the list. fml, I suck at this. Sorry guys.

[Vanguard]

Eh, it happens.

[TheRocket]

You should all have your Secret Santas sitting pretty in your inboxes!