Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Simple Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

Makes about 6 Enchiladas | Serves 2 - 3


This is a recipe that has been passed down from my mother-in-law to my husband, who then taught me how to make these easy yet super delicious enchiladas! I don't have a specific serving amount, because it really depends on how big your tummy is! We usually eat 2 per person, but they are small, so I always make extra- just in case! You can also put them in a tupperware and throw them in the fridge for lunch the next day. They usually stay pretty well for about 5 days if you keep them refrigerated. This is also a great dish for a large party. Just double, triple, or quadruple the amount!

Ingredients:
1 cooked chicken breast
6 corn tortillas
1 10 oz can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1 10 oz can of green or red enchilada sauce
2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese mix
3 T. of olive oil (maybe more, just make sure you have some spare available just in case!)

Make it:
Set your oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the olive oil in a small pan, the closer to the size of the tortilla the better. Heat the oil on medium-low to medium. You don't want it getting so hot it spits.

While you let the oil heat up, shred your chicken. I like to use my fingers, just pulling apart the chicken into thin shredded pieces.


Once oil is hot enough, place one tortilla at a time in the oil for about 3 to four seconds per side.


Tortilla will usually bubble up once in the oil. if it doesn't, the oil isn't hot enough. Place cooked tortillas on a paper towel to help drain the excess oil.


While tortillas are cooling, mix together shredded chicken, 1 cup of cheese, and the entire can of soup. Sometimes I even sneak some sour cream in there, but my hubby isn't a big fan of sour cream. If you want to try it with the sour cream, I usually add one or two spoonfuls.


Open your can of enchilada sauce and pour a layer of sauce on the bottom of your 1.5 qt dish. A 1.5 qt dish is plenty big for up to 8 - 10 enchiladas. If you're making more, you'll want to use a 3 qt dish.


Once tortillas are cooked and your chicken mixture is all mixed up, scoop two to three spoonfuls of chicken mixture onto a tortilla.


Roll up the tortilla and place in baking dish seam side down. Repeat until all tortillas are finished.


Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tops of the rolled enchiladas and finish off with the remaining cheese.


Cook for 20 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes. Dish entree and serve!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Layered Enchilada Bake

Total Time = 1:10 | Serves 8

What you Need:

1 lb lean ground beef
2 cups of salsa
1- 15 oz can black beans, drained
½ cup Italian dressing
2 tbsp taco seasoning mix
Flour tortillas (6-9)
2 cups Shredded cheese
Sour cream for garnish

How to Make it:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. While oven is warming up, cook your ground beef.


Add salsa, beans, dressing and seasoning mix together with the ground beef once it’s finished cooking.


Spread a thin layer of salsa at the bottom of your 13 x 9 pan (or you can use a 1.5 qt, you just might not use all the ingredients).


Arrange tortillas in a single layer on the bottom of the pan, then cover with a layer of the meat mixture and 3/4 cup of cheese.


Repeat layers once more.


Top the Layered Enchilada with one last layer of tortillas and the rest of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 min. Top with sour cream or your favorite garnishes and enjoy!



**You can also add onions to this recipe. I personally don't like onions in this, but if you can't live without them, chop up 1 large onion and add it to the meat mixture! Proceed as normal.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts

The Martha Stewart Show has been my favorite ways to learn more about one of my favorite hobbies, crafting. Just this last month she released a new book, and I LOVE IT!!! Check out my book review here:

A Review of Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts