White Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Green Chile Sauce

Enchiladas are a favorite in our home. These are made using a rotisserie chicken and topped with a simple creamy green chile sauce. They are easy to make especially when you have your kiddos help roll them up.

Filling:

2 rotisserie chicken breasts, chopped
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 tsp cumin
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
cilantro
Flour tortillas

Sauce:

3 T canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T flour
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup 2% milk
4 oz can green chiles
4 oz (1/2 block) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed
1/2 tsp cumin
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Topping:

1 cup monterey jack cheese
cilantro, as garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray (I use our big lasagna dish).

In a large bowl, combine chicken, monterey jack cheese, cumin, salt, and pepper.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the canola oil and saute the garlic for one minute.  Whisk in the flour and cook for another minute.  Add the chicken broth and milk and cook until thickened, whisking often.  Add the green chiles and cream cheese and stir until melted and combined.  Add the cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.  Turn off heat.

It's time to assemble the enchiladas.  Wrap flour tortillas (about 10) in wet paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds.  Take a flour tortilla, put some filling down the middle, and top with cilantro.  Roll up tight and place in prepared dish seam side down.  Repeat and lay them down side by side in dish.  Pour sauce evenly over top.  Sprinkle remaining 1 cup monterey jack cheese over top.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve up and top with cilantro and sour cream.  Enjoy!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Happy Spring Break! My girls are home for the week, and we have lots of fun stuff planned. Dinner is always a priority, so when I saw these Mexican Stuffed Shells on Pinterest, I couldn't stop thinking about them.  Jumbo pasta shells are stuffed with creamy, seasoned ground taco beef, then topped with a taco sauce/hot sauce mixture and shredded cheese.  They were so easy and simply delicious!

Ingredients:

20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
1 cup water
4 oz. lite cream cheese
1/4 cup cilantro
1 cup hot sauce (I used Pace Picante medium)
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese
Lite sour cream, for topping
Cilantro, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Cook jumbo pasta shells in salted boiling water until al dente.  Drain and set aside on a baking sheet in a single layer.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground beef until cooked through.  Add the onion and cook another 5 minutes.   Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Stir in the taco seasoning and water.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat, then stir in the cream cheese and cilantro.  Set aside to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, stir together the hot sauce and taco sauce.  Spread a layer into the prepared baking dish.

Spoon meat mixture into each of the cooked pasta shells and place side by side in baking dish open side up. Top with remaining sauce mixture and sprinkle shells with shredded cheese.

Cover with non-stick foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Serve immediately and top with lite sour cream and cilantro.  Enjoy!

Recipe slightly adapted from The Way to His Heart

Beef Taco and Cheese Enchiladas

We had dinner at our neighbors house recently and she made some really good enchiladas.  I tried to recreate them for our Sunday dinner, using homemade Red Enchilada Sauce.  We topped them with sour cream, homemade Tex-Mex Salsa, cilantro, and green onions.  My hubby wants them again next week, and my kids ate every bite on their plates!

Ingredients: 

1 lb lean ground beef (93%)
1 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup water
black pepper, to taste
10 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
cilantro
Red Enchilada Sauce
Toppings of choice: sour cream, salsa, black olives, jalepenos, shredded lettuce, cilantro, green onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a large cassserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown ground beef until cooked through.  Add the canola oil and yellow onions and cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Stir in the taco seasoning, water, and black pepper.  Cover with a lid and simmer for 8 minutes.  Remove the lid and cook until liquid is absorbed.  Turn off heat and let cool slightly.

Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with Red Enchilada Sauce, about 1 cup. 

Assemble the enchiladas by putting some of the Beef Taco mixture, shredded cheese, and cilantro down the middle of a flour tortilla.  Roll up tightly and place seam side down in casserole dish.  Repeat this for all tortillas placing them side by side in the casserole dish.  Top with the remaining Red Enchilada Sauce and remaining shredded cheddar cheese. 

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is completely melted and bubbly.  Serve immediately with your toppings of choice.  Enjoy!

Red Enchilada Sauce

Tex-Mex Salsa

Mexican Style Frittata

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I made this Mexican style Frittata for me and hubby to eat before our morning walk.  This is the first time I made a frittata, and was surprised how simple it was from start to finish.  The eggs are nice and fluffy, and full of flavorful filling.  You can customize it however you like.  I served it with avocado slices and salsa.  It gave us the energy we needed for our power walk.  To top off our day, we made carne asada tacos for dinner...oh so good!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Owen's breakfast sausage
1 T unsalted butter
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T pickled jalapenos, chopped
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
6 large eggs, beaten
2 T cilantro, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper
ground cumin
1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium high heat, brown the crumbled sausage until cooked through.  Remove to a bowl.  Lower heat to medium low, add the butter, then the green onions and mushrooms.  When mushrooms are done, add the garlic, jalapenos, and cherry tomatoes and cook another minute.  Add the cooked sausage back to the skillet.

In a bowl, beat the eggs together with the cilantro and season with salt, pepper, and cumin.  Pour the eggs into the skillet and stir slightly.  Top with shredded cheese.  When the eggs have set around the edges and slightly in the middle, transfer to the oven.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until eggs are cooked through and fluffy.  Carefully slide frittata onto serving platter.  Garnish with green onions, cherry tomatoes, and avocado slices.  Serve with a side of salsa.  Enjoy!

Chicken Spaghetti

My mom makes the best chicken tetrazzini in the world.  Mine never tastes as good, and I dirty so many dishes.  I thought I would try chicken spaghetti as it uses many of the same ingredients.  I bookmarked this one from The Pioneer Woman last year and have been waiting for my chicken tetrazzini craving to hit.  My Mom mentioned she wanted to make some chicken tetrazzini, but I still have her recipe file at my house so she couldn't.  Sorry Mom!  This conversation left me with a craving, and I'm so glad.

I made very few adjustments since Ree's recipes are perfect as is.  I saved some time by using a rotisserie chicken and chicken bouillon cubes.  At first, I was going to cut the recipe in half, but I guess my ingredients just kept growing, so my sauce did too.  I made a huge casserole dish of chicken spaghetti for dinner last night, and froze another smaller casserole.  Maybe I will save it for the next time my mom comes to visit.  She better come over soon because I don't know how long it will remain in the freezer since my family loved it. 

Ingredients:

2 rotisserie chicken breasts and 2 thighs, cut  or shred into pieces
3/4 lb thin spaghetti, broken into thirds
8 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 oz jar diced pimentos (I did not use)
2 cups reserved chicken broth (from cooking spaghetti)
kosher salt
black pepper
garlic powder
cayenne pepper (optional)
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (reserve 1 cup for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Fill large stock pot with 8 cups water and add chicken bouillon.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Add the spaghetti and cook for 5 minutes, or until al dente.  Reserve 2 cups of the chicken broth and drain spaghetti.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cooked spaghetti, soups, green pepper, onion, pimentos, 1 1/2 cups cheese, and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth.  Add more broth as needed.  You want the mixture to be fairly thin and stirable, and it will thicken up while baking.  Taste and season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder as needed.

Transfer mixture into prepared casserole dish and top with remaining 1 cup cheese.  Cover with a lid or foil.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Uncover and cook another 15-20.  We topped ours with a dollop of sour cream.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas with Green Chili Sauce

Tex-Mex is my all time favorite food, especially when it's cold outside.  These enchiladas are very easy to prepare and taste great. 

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can (10 oz) mild green chili enchilada sauce
1 tsp cumin
kosher salt
black pepper
8 corn tortillas
Rotisserie chicken breast and thigh, cut or shred into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a sauce pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil.  Add onion and cook until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Add the flour and cook for another minute while stirring.  Add the chicken stock, chicken enchilada sauce, and seasonings.  Stir well and simmer over medium heat while you assemble the enchiladas.  The sauce will thicken and reduce slightly.

Wrap the corn tortillas in damp paper towels.  Microwave on high for 45 seconds.  Assemble the enchiladas by placing chicken and shredded cheese down the middle of the corn tortilla, then roll up.  Set stuffed enchilada in the casserole dish seam side down and tuck them in tight next to each other side by side.

Pour the enchilada sauce over top the stuffed enchiladas and top with remaining shredded cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.  We always use sour cream and salsa.  Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

This one is for my favorite Mom #2.  She said that she would like to see me make a homemade Chicken Pot Pie.  Well, here is my first attempt and it turned out great!  My kids ate every bite on their plate.  Chicken and vegetables in a creamy sauce rucked inside a buttery crust has to be good.  I read some various recipes and this is what I came up with to please my family.  Now that I've used my kids and hubby as guinea pigs for this dish, I can make it for my MIL next time she has dinner with us.

Ingredients:

2 pastry crusts (homemade or store bought)
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 cup broccoli florets, partially steamed
1 cup diced baby carrots, partially steamed
1 can (15 oz) sweet peas
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
kosher salt
black pepper
egg (for egg wash)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper.  In a large deep skillet over medium high heat, add 1 T olive oil.  Add the chicken and cook completely, about 8 minutes.  Remove to a bowl and set aside.  Add 1 T olive oil to skillet and cook the onions until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Add the 2 T butter and melt.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes while stirring.  Add the chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes until mixture thickens. 

Let me teach you a cool way to steam vegetables in the microwave instead of dirtying up your steamer.  Place your raw vegetables in a microwave safe bowl with 3 T water and cover with a dinner plate.  Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes, or until tender.  I only cooked mine for 3 minutes so they were still slightly crisp.  The vegetables will cook more in the oven.

Add the cooked chicken and vegetables to the sauce and stir well.  Turn off the heat and add the heavy cream and parsley.  Taste and season with kosher salt and pepper as needed. 

This makes quite a bit of filling, so you will either need a large and deep round casserole dish or deep pie dish.  I used an oven proof serving bowl.  Another option is to use oven proof bowls (like you use for french onion soup) and just top with the pastry crust.  This way, everybody could have their own little chicken pot pie.  I need to buy some of these!

Line your casserole or pie dish with a pastry crust.  Pour in the filling.  Place the other pastry crust on top, and seal and crimp the edges.  Make a slit in the middle of the crust to allow the steam to escape.  I used a big and small snowflake cookie cutter to make it look cute.  Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.  Let cool for 15 minutes before trying to cut.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

I am so excited about Thanksgiving dinner next week!  I bought some sweet potatoes at the store so I could make this casserole for my girls.  I finally had a chance to make it with our dinner tonight.  I also made Bobby Deen's "Unfried Chicken", which was really good.  I will post that recipe later. 

This sweet potato casserole is my own recipe that I experimented with until the flavors were just right.  This is a sweet and creamy side dish that goes well with all the savory side dishes.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes
2 T butter, softened
1/4 C light brown sugar
1/4 C milk
1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
1 egg
dash of salt
1 C mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Poke holes in the sweet potatoes using a fork.  Microwave on high for 7-9 minutes, depending on size of potatoes.  They are done when you can easily insert a fork into the middle without any resistance.

Let rest for about 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.  Cut open the potatoes, scoop out the flesh, and put in a large stand mixer bowl.  Add the butter, brown sugar, milk, apple pie spice, egg, and salt.  Mix until well blended.

Pour mixture into prepared casserole dish and top with marshmallows.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until marshmallows are lightly browned on top.  Enjoy!  Happy Thanksgiving! 

Mexican Black Bean, Corn, and Rice Casserole

Mexican is my favorite comfort food.  I got this recipe from For The Love of Cooking.  I made this for dinner and it was really good.  I added extra tomato sauce, more spices,  and corn.  It made so much that I put half in a casserole dish to freeze for a night when I'm too busy or tired to cook.  You should see my girls' playroom when I spend an hour or more in the kitchen.  It takes another couple of hours to get our house back in order, kitchen included.  But I LOVE to cook and the cleaning comes with the territory.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked white rice (I use Minute 5 minute premium rice)
1 T olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef (93% lean)
1/2 white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp Mexican oregano dried
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can low sodium corn, drained
2 cans tomato sauce
1 T cilantro, chopped
3 roma tomatoes, sliced into large rings
1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Toppings:
Sour cream
Hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare the rice per instructions.  While the rice is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add ground beef and break up with a spoon.  Dice onion and add to pan.  Add all spices and cook until onion is translucent.  Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.  Add the tomato sauce, black beans, corn, cooked rice, and cilantro.  Stir to combine and taste for seasonings.  Add more if you like.  I would have made it spicier if my kiddos weren't eating it too!

Spray a large casserole dish (very large if you are cooking the entire batch) with non-stick cooking spray and transfer the mixture in an even layer.  Top with sliced tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese.  Cover dish with non-stick foil (what a great invention) and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Top with your favorites, like sour cream, hot sauce, guacamole, cilantro, etc.  Enjoy! 

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I was craving a cheesy Mexican meal last night, but did not want to go grocery shopping. I figured I could come up with some sort of a casserole with ingredients from my fridge and pantry. I decided on a creamy, cheesy chicken enchilada casserole. My family loved it and so did I. It definitely hit the spot and I had an extra helping with my husband later that evening!

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 yellow or white onion, diced

1 can rotel tomatoes with green chilis

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 slices American cheese

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5-6 flour or corn tortillas (whichever you prefer or have in your pantry)

1 chicken boullion cube

cumin

paprika

Mexican oregano

salt

pepper

8 oz. shredded Cheddar/Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Fill a large pot with hot water. Add chicken, cumin, salt, pepper, Mexican oregano, and chicken bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, lower heat slightly, and cook for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken to cutting board and either shred or dice into bite size pieces. Set aside. Reserve chicken broth for other mixture.

Saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add rotel tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, 1 cup reserved chicken broth, salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin. Cook until heated through. Add chicken and American cheese slices, and stir to melt cheese. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Turn off heat.

Cut tortillas into quarters.  Add 1/2 cup reserved chicken broth to coat bottom of casserole dish. Add layer of tortillas, then chicken mixture, tortillas, chicken mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes until bubbly. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and salsa. Enjoy!