chicken & rice soup & butter dipped squares...

*chicken & rice soup*

4 chicken breasts, cooked & diced

2 cups cooked rice

3-4 carrots; diced

1-2 stalks celery; diced

1 small onion; diced

2 Tbsp butter

5-6 cups chicken stock

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

(extra stock or water can be added to desired consistency)

Sautee vegetables in butter until tender. Add cooked chicken, cooked rice, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Simmer 30-40 min. Add soup and sour cream and cook 10 min, or until heated through.

*butter dipped squares*

2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter (NO margarine); melted

flour

Place 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt in a measuring cup. Add flour to measure 1 cup. In a bowl, combine flour mixture, sugar and milk; mix well. Turn onto a floured surface; sprinkle with flour. Pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness. With a sharp knife dipped in flour, cut into 3-in. x 2-in. pieces (approx). Pour butter into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Dip one side of each piece into melted butter. Carefully turn to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 10 min. or until golden brown.

OK, yummy dinner! For the soup I actually used fat free cream of chicken soup and fat free sour cream...I had to counteract the butter in the bread somehow...Anyways, it was fabulous. I think it would be great with brown rice, too. I got this recipe from my friend, Jennie :), she also suggests making it with wild rice. My kids loved this soup. It makes a lot, but the recipe could be easily cut in half. However, we just had the leftovers the next night...with no complaints!

The bread is a buttery, biscuit-like, crispy edged perfect companion to this or any soup. It comes together really quickly, which is always a bonus! Don't be put off by the baking powder & flour measuring step...this is just a substitute for self-rising flour, which I never have on hand. The dough is really wet and sticky, so don't be afraid to use flour when patting it out on the counter. Also, mine rarely end up looking like squares...you could just cut/slice them any way you like...breadsticks come to mind...