2. Chicken Sopa

From 2006 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I had bookmarked this recipe because 1) I love Mexican food and 2) the particular combination of ingredients looked appealing.

But, I'll be honest...this dish didn't thrill me. The consistency was odd (thick and kind of mushy), and it lacked a certain "punch." I went back and added several halved, jarred jalapeno pepper slices to my bowl to give it a little texture and a boost of flavor, which helped.

I think this is a pretty popular Mexican dish, so I'm interested...do you have a better recipe?

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 (14-oz.) can chicken broth

2 (4-oz.) cans roasted diced green chiles (or 1 can Rotel)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-size pieces

Two cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

Combine first seven ingredients, along with half of cheese. Spread into buttered 9x13 baking dish and top with remaining cheese.

Bake covered at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until golden brown.

Tip: When a recipe calls for chopped cooked chicken, I sometimes use shredded rotisserie chicken, but more often than not, I put three chicken breasts in a dish with a bouillon cube, cover with water, and microwave for 10 minutes.