Mr. G always takes me to get Mexican Chicken Soup at the local Mexican Restaurant whenever I have a bad cold... it's such a comfort food. When reader Diana shared this soup with us on Facebook, my ears perked up... sure would be nice to have some of this delicious goodness on hand for those chilly days and winter colds.

The recipe is a little different than our local restaurant serves, but it's so yummy! The restaurant includes rice and doesn't have beans... and they add avocado and lime juice... When I opened a jar of this soup recently, I added some sliced avocado and a squeeze of lime... it's pretty close!

Here's what I did...

I cooked, de-boned, and shredded three chicken breasts (boneless, skinless would save a step here)

Then in my large stainless steel stockpot I combined the shredded chicken with

1-1/2 cups sliced carrots


2 cups sliced celery


2 cans Ro-Tel (tomatoes with peppers)


2 cans kidney beans (if you prefer dry, soak some overnight before adding)


4 cups peeled, chopped tomatoes
6 cups water
3 cups whole kernel corn (I used frozen, fresh or drained canned would work)


1 tsp. cumin


1 Tbsp. canning salt
3 cloves minced garlic
3 bouillon cubes

I brought the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, reduced the heat and simmered for 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile... I washed and sterilized 7 quart canning jars and put my lids in hot water to simmer.

I ladled the hot soup into the hot jars leaving an inch headspace, wiped the jar rims with a damp cloth, and tightened on my hot lids to fingertip tightness.

I processed the jars of soup in my pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 90 minutes (if you choose to do them in pints, process for 75 minutes)

After processing, I allowed the pressure in my canner to drop to zero on its own (don't hurry it or you might get liquid loss)... then opened it up and removed the jars using my jar lifter and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool... and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar!



Come on winter! We're ready!

For a printable copy of this recipe click here.

When one of Canning Granny readers, Diana, shared the recipe for Sweet and Sour Chicken, I knew I had to try it...

Here's what I did...

I sterilized 5 quart canning jars.

I cooked and shredded 4-1/2 pounds of chicken breast

Drained 3-15 ounce cans of pineapple chunks, reserving the juice

Diced 2 green bell peppers, 1 red bell pepper, and 2 medium onions

I layered in the jars... chicken, onions, peppers, and pineapple chunks.


In my large stainless steel saucepan, I combined...

3 cups reserved pineapple juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 cups white vinegar
6 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. ginger

I brought this mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Then poured the hot liquid into the jars, covering the layered ingredients, leaving a one inch headspace. I removed any air bubbles and adjusted the liquid as necessary.


I wiped the jar rims with a damp cloth, then tightened on my hot lids to fingertip tightness.


I processed the jars in my pressure canner at 10 pounds of pressure for 90 minutes. After processing, I allowed the pressure in my pressure canner to drop to zero naturally, then opened it and removed the jars using my jar lifter. I set the hot jars on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool... and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.


Several weeks after canning this "meal in a jar," I opened a jar for dinner, made a pot of rice and served it over the rice... SO YUMMY! Mr. G said it was Chinese Restaurant GOOD!

For a printable copy of this recipe, click here.