The Prize of Cooking

Cooking to win a prize is awesome but sharing it with the ones you love is even greater.

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Dumplings

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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Dumplings

Update: 4/20/22 In honor of the 2022 National Cornbread Festival, I am bringing forward one of my past entries. It was so delicious and fun to make. Best of luck to my food friends that are finalist this year.

A quick and easy chicken soup that is filled with Mexican flavors and fluffy cornbread dumplings.

 

This was my second time entering this contest. Lodge Cast Iron and Martha White Cornbread hosts the National Cornbread Festival Cook-off. Finalist get to travel to South Pittsburg, Tennessee to compete in their live cook-off. Each finalist receives a $500.00 stipend for travel expenses. This year the festival was celebrating 22 years of food and fun. It’s estimated that over 27,000 people will attend the festival.

The prizes were very nice.

First Prize–$5,000 cash; a 30-inch FiveStar® stainless steel gas range [Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $3,250] from Five Star® Professional Cooking Equipment, a Division of Brown Stove Works, Inc., of Cleveland, Tenn., and special gifts from Lodge® Cast Iron and Martha White (ARV: $50).

Second Prize–$1,500 cash and special gifts from Lodge® Cast Iron and Martha White (ARV: $50).

Third Prize–$1,000 cash and special gifts from Lodge® Cast Iron and Martha White (ARV: $50).

Seven Honorable Mention Prizes of $150 cash and special gifts from Lodge® Cast Iron and Martha White (ARV: $50).

Total ARV of all prizes: $12,300.00

 

 

I ordered a variety of Martha White’s Cornbread mixes from their website for creating recipes since the stores in my area do not carry the required product.

I really was drawn to their Mexican Style Cornbread mix. It’s not unusual for me to add Mexican flavors to my regular cornbread at home. But what to make?

 

 

I had recently made chicken and dumplings which was one of my girls favorite dinners. The idea of make a fluffy cornbread style dumpling that simmers in the soup was starting to come together. I also wanted to make this soup quick and easy so I chose to use precooked shredded chicken. I had to play around with the cornbread mix, blending in extra flour and baking powder to create a light and fluffy dumpling. The big test came with I finished the base of the soup and was ready to scoop in the dumpling batter and close the lid. No peeking!!!

 

 

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Dumplings

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” slices
  • 3 stalks celery, cut onto ¼” slices
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
  • 3 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, divided
  • 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
  • 2 cups red enchilada sauce
  • 15 ounce can sweet corn, drained
  • 1-10.5 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 ½ pounds precooked shredded chicken
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1-6 ounce package Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread & Muffin Mix
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (or parsley)
  • 1 green onion, white and green chopped
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ cup flour
  • 2 tablespoon butter, melted
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
  • Optional garnish; chopped cilantro and sliced jalapenos
  • Lodge Dutch Oven

Instructions

  1. In a Lodge 5 qt. Cast Iron Dutch Oven, heat the oil over medium high temperature. Add in the onion, carrots, celery, salt and cumin then sauté for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and 2 teaspoons of minced jalapeno then sauté for another minute.
  2. Next, pour in the chicken stock and red enchilada sauce then bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and continue simmering for 10 minutes.
  3. Add in the corn, condensed cream of chicken soup, shredded chicken, sugar and lime juice. Increase heat to medium and return to a simmer.
  4. While the soup returns to a simmer, mix the Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Dumplings. In a large mixing bowl, blend together the Martha White Mexican Style Cornbread & Muffin mix, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno, green onion, baking soda, baking powder, flour, melted butter and milk. Blend until all of the ingredients are incorporated and moist.
  5. Spoon 8 dumplings into the simmering soup. Cover and cook for 18 minutes. Uncover, add half of the cheese on top of each dumpling. Cover and simmer 2 minutes longer.
  6. Serve each bowl of soup with 1-2 dumplings and top with the remaining cheese.

 

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