Easy Enchiladas

After one bite of my homemade enchiladas, I had a OMG moment. Not to brag, but it was pretty delicious. I was impressed by how easy this was to make and how yummy it was! So, if you invite me to dinner and ask me to bring a dish to pass, guess what -- I'm bringing enchiladas. If I invite you over for dinner, please bring something that would go nicely with the enchiladas. And yes, Tequila counts as a dish to share :)

For the chicken, I cooked it all day on low in my slow cooker. I added water and grill seasoning. When I got home from work, the chicken was ready and I really do find that chicken is easier to shred after cooking in a slow cooker. Once the chicken was shredded, I added taco seasoning. You could use a premade taco seasoning packet, but I made my own.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 enchilada sauce (any variety)
3 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

Taco Seasoning -- can use a packet or make your own! (Recipe below)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz)

1 can black beans, rinsed
1 cup light sour cream
1 can (4.5 oz) green chiles
1 package flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas; 8 inch)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
Chopped avocado or green onions, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of baking dish. In medium bowl, stir together chicken & taco seasoning. Once it's mixed well, add in black beans, Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream and chiles. (Don't even bother with utensils for this. Use your hands!)

2. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; arrange, seam sides down, in baking dish. Top enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.

3. Bake 35 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until hot and cheese is melted. Top with avocado or green onions. If desired, serve with lettuce, chopped tomato and additional sour cream.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix.

One of my favorites meals to make....

This is not a new recipe for me... and I'm actually surprised this wasn't one of the first things I made after my "no oven rule" was lifted. I really do love making this oven baked fish & sichuan green beans meal. Most of the ingredients are things you already have in your kitchen and it comes together very quickly. Pick any kind of white fish and use whatever spice combinations you like/have on hand.

Oven Baked Fish

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds grouper or other white fish fillets
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon onion powder or garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dill
a little hot sauce (optional if you like some kick)
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Place fish in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine lime juice, mayonnaise, onion powder, dill, hot sauce, and pepper in a small bowl, and spread over fish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs; drizzle with butter.
3. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley.

Hot Sichuan Style Green Beans

Ingredients
1 pound green beans
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1. Rinse and drain green beans; trim off and discard stem ends. Cut beans into 2- to 3-inch lengths. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chili flakes, and white pepper.
2. Set a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add beans, onion and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring once, until beans are bright green and slightly crunchy to bite, 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook until any remaining water has evaporated.
3. Add oil, garlic, and ginger to pan; stir until green beans and garlic are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir soy mixture and add to pan; bring to a boil and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce thickens and coats the beans, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour into a serving dish. Serve hot or cool.

Comfort Food, Cozy Nights

Last week's weather in Chicago made me believe all of the reports about "This could be the coldest winter ever" are probably true. 7 degree high in early December?? Ugh, when it's that cold, nothing sounds better than a cozy night in with some easy to make comfort food.

I've been looking for an easy pot pie recipe and I came across on BettyCrocker.com. The recipe is very basic and I did read some reviews that it did lack some flavor... So I made some additions to the recipe with some spices I had and I think everything came together really nice.

If you decide to use chicken (turkey can be used too), I would recommend cooking 3 chicken breasts in the crock pot. I covered the chicken with water and threw in a bunch of spices -- Garlic Powder, Dill & Grill seasoning. I find its easier to shred meat after its been cooking in the slow cooker.

This meal is great for leftovers. The Bisquick topping did not get mushy, which was a concern of mine. I had many co-workers popping over to my desk asking "what smelled so good?" I love this recipe and I'll be making this a lot this winter!!

Chicken Pot Pie with a Bisquick Topper

Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed cream of chicken and mushroom soup
1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed chicken broth
4 cups shredded chicken or turkey
1 bag (12 oz) frozen mixed vegetables
1 tablespoon of dill
2 cups Bisquick Heart Smart® mix
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 cups fat-free (skim) milk

1. Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for glass pan). In 4-quart saucepan, add olive oil, garlic and onion. Cook onion for 3-5 minutes. Add soup, broth, chicken, dill and vegetables to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Spread in ungreased 13x9-inch pan.
2. In medium bowl,stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour evenly over soup mixture (crust will rise during baking).
3. Bake about 30 minutes or until light brown.


*** Serve with your favorite mashed potatoes recipe.

Spicy White Bean & Chicken Chili

If you’re looking to steer away from your typical tomatoes & beef chili, I would recommended going for a chicken chili. I threw this recipe in my crock pot 10 minutes before heading out to watch some football on Sunday. The hardest part of this recipe is shredding the chicken, but since it’s cooking in chicken broth all day, it comes apart with little to no effort. My favorite thing about chili is you really can throw whatever you want in it!! You can use this recipe as a guide and then add in extras that you like!!





Spicy White Bean & Chicken Chili

6 skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 lb)
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sliced jalapenos (add as many as you like)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce
2 cans (15 to 16 oz each) great northern beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (11 oz) white corn, drained
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Remove excess fat from chicken. In 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix onion, garlic, broth, cumin, oregano, salt, jalapeños and pepper sauce. Add chicken.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours.

3. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Use 2 forks to remove bones and shred chicken into pieces. Discard bones; return chicken to slow cooker. Stir in beans, corn, lime juice and cilantro. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 15 to 20 minutes or until beans and corn are hot.

Bacon Lovers - This meal is for you!

I LOVED THIS MEAL!!! I would make this anytime -- for a Sunday night meal or to entertain friends. It was great and the left overs warmed up just fine.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 scallions, sliced on bias -- they didn't have scallions at Jewel, so I used red onion
4 slices good-quality center cut bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
Special equipment: toothpicks
Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper. (I did roll two chicken breasts and forgot to add the pecans. I decided to sprinkle the pecans on top of the gravy sauce when the chicken was plated.)

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.

Melt the butter in the same skillet pan the chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and grain mustard, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to warm.

Halve the chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Note -- this recipe is for 12 people. I quartered the recipe and it made a lot!!

10 large russet baking potatoes (about 7 pounds total)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 pound mild Cheddar, grated (3 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
3 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub the potatoes well and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels and prick the potatoes in several places with a fork. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

When the potatoes have cooled, cut each potato in half and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop the flesh out of the skins, leaving as little flesh as possible. Place the potato flesh in a large bowl and add 1 stick of the butter, the sour cream, heavy cream, salt, and pepper and mash until chunky-smooth. Add the bacon, cubed white Cheddar, half of the grated Cheddar, the green onions, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole with the remaining tablespoon of butter and reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Place the seasoned potato mixture in the prepared casserole and top with the remaining grated Cheddar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges and heated through and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. Serve hot.

What to do with left over BBQ Chicken?? I have an idea!!

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas! This was so simple and easy to make, makes me wish I always had shredded meat on hand. This would be a great appetizer or a game day snack. Enjoy!!



BBQ Chicken Quesadillas


2 Tablespoons melted butter (don't skip this, it makes the tortillas crispy!!)
6 flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like)
diced onion
leftover slow cooker barbecue chicken or your own bbq chicken
BBQ Sauce or Ranch Dressing for dipping.. I like the Ranch!


Brush one side of the tortilla with melted butter. Place butter side down in frying pan. Sprinkle the entire tortilla with a light layer of cheddar cheese and sprinkle on some onion. Cook over medium heat until under side is browned and crisp and cheese is melted. Top half the tortilla with warmed bbq chicken and fold tortilla in half, then cut in half so you have two triangles.

I'm baaack - Comfort food for fall days

Wow, I've been lazy! It would be silly to say that I haven't had the time to post new recipes I've tried in the past few months. I've just been straight up lazy! I'm going to try to make some postings this week of new things I made... you'll just have to give me a few days to remember what was worth making again :)

So it seems that fall is here in full swing and I'm happy to say my oven can be used again! However I think chili is better the longer it simmers, so here is another crock pot recipe.

This chili recipe is a little different from what I normally make. It uses canned pumpkin, which replaces the high sugar content from tomato paste yet it has the same consistency. You really can't taste the pumpkin but it does help to thicken up the dish. I found the recipe online but I did make a couple changes. I added an extra can of beans (pinto) and a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes. Overall, its a very healthy chili but you might want to mess with the seasoning options. I found myself adding more garlic, chili powder and cumin -- but I like my chili with a kick. The recipe below has the recommended seasoning measurements from Better Homes & Gardens.

Black Bean & Pumpkin Chili

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey ( I used ground turkey instead)
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a large skillet, saute the ground turkey, onion, yellow pepper and garlic in oil until tender. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through.