Tortilla Soup Mix

1 cup converted long grain rice
2 to 2 1/2 cups slightly crushed tortilla chips
1 (5 oz.) can chicken
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies

Seasonings:
Mix the following and place in a zip-close sandwich bag.

2 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoon lemon-flavored sugar
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dried cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried minced onion

1 wide-mouth quart jar and lid

Place ingredients in jar in this order:
Add rice to the jar first.
Add the seasoning packet into jar.
Fill jar with tortilla chips.
Add the lid to the jar.

Decorate and attach the directions to the jar.

You might want to attach the can of chicken to top of the jar. This can be done by taping it to the top of the jar. Cut a larger than normal circle of fabric to cover the can and the top part of the jar. Attach the fabric with ribbon or twine.

Or you can simply include both extra cans and the soup mix in a little bag or basket.

Attach the following directions to the top of the jar:

Tortilla Soup Mix in a Jar

Remove tortilla chips and seasoning packet from the jar into a dish and set aside. In a one-gallon soup pot, add the rice and 10 cups of water. Add 1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, plus the seasoning packet included in the jar. Bring to a boil; then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add tortilla chips, replace the cover and simmer 5 more minutes. Makes 3 quarts soup. Enjoy!

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This recipe may be freely distributed with the following information:

Leslie Sausage lives with her husband in rural Texas. She is the mom of four grown children, a freelance writer, and has a degree in business administration. You are invited to visit her online for more creative, practical and fun ideas -- http://heart4home.net.