Best Chicken Enchiladas EVER! (easy too)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  It is a day for love, and I LOVE these enchiladas!!!  This go around I'm taking my time, so prepare for a lot of photos!!!

I realize there is no chicken in the above picture, but it's thawing in the microwave.  The joy about this recipe is that you can seriously nuke the whole thing!  Of course I am going to make most of it on the stovetop, cause I love using my new pan! Most of what you see above you can find, except for the salsa...my mama made that...and it is the BEST salsa in the whole world, and ruined me for any store bought salsa.

I don't really measure, especially onion and garlic, cause I simply love onion and garlic.
Sweat the onion in a pan (use oil) then add the garlic when the onion is almost done. Don't want to overcook the garlic.

In the meantime, be cooking the chicken in the microwave or any other method you choose.  When it is cooked throw it into your stand mixer, yes seriously.  Lock it down and turn it on medium and let it go.

Before

After

Add the chicken and spices to the pan and stir to combine and heat.

Then add the cream cheese and stir together.

Fill the flour tortilla shells, this recipe should make more, but I like to really stuff my shells so I end up with around 6 total, and I just put them in microwavable containers so they are already read for lunch!

After these are ready to go, prepare the cheese topping.  In deference to Valentine's Day I'm going to use the Queso Blanco Velveeta so the salsa turns it nice and pink!  And as usual I'm making more than what I need for this recipe because it is soooo yummy and perfect for dipping! Cover the tops of the enchiladas with the cheese mix and cover and put in the fridge.

When you are ready to eat, just reheat the enchiladas and you are ready for a party!

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

½ cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

¼ cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 oz cream cheese, cubed

6 flour tortilla (6 or 8 inch)

¼ pound Velveeta, cubed

2 tablespoons milk

½ cup chopped tomato, divided (I use salsa)

 

Microwave onion, garlic and oil in 2-quart microwave-safe casserole on High 2 – 3 minutes or until tender, stirring after 2 minutes.  Stir in chicken, chilies, broth and seasonings.  Microwave on high 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Add cream cheese; stir until cream cheese is melted.  Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in 8-inch square microwave-safe baking dish.  Microwave Velveeta, and ¼ cup tomato in medium microwave –safe bowl on high 2 to 3 minutes or until Velveeta is melted, stirring after each minute.  Pour sauce over tortillas; top with remaining tomatoes.  Microwave on high 6 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated, turning dish after 3 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Balsamic and Onions and Mushrooms! OH MY!

Sundays are a great time for pot roast.  Especially since mother nature has decided to give us an ACTUAL winter, at least a weeks worth of winter weather.  So this morning while I am making fresh blueberry muffins I'm also starting tonight's dinner!

My DH loves blueberries.  And as luck would have it his parents brought us a Valentines bag of fresh fruit, which included a pint of blueberries!!!  The muffins I made came directly from the 1976 Betty Crocker cookbook, the orange one.  I love this cookbook, my mom has it, and when I found it for $12 I had to buy one too!  The consistency was dense, but overall good flavor and super yummy still warm!

On to the main event! Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast!

I tried to follow the recipe as closely as I could, but bottom round roast was much cheaper than chuck roast, so I am using the round roast.  All of my other changes are noted in the recipe.  (see above link)

I have also decided that I need a sous chef...because trying to do all of the steps, and photograph is next to impossible for some recipes...this one is included.  I did manage to get a picture of everything IN the Crock-pot.

Dinner was wonderful, I am glad I added the extra tomato sauce, the balsamic was almost overpowering, also could be that my balsamic isn't the highest quality...But in the end this recipe recieved the thumbs up from DH.  And a "you can make this again" too!

**Last night after eating this delicious meal complete with garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, we both almost passed out on the couch from overeating...which is why I'm posting this now...

Easy Italian

Hello my readers! A lot has been doing on since I last posted...school started, my last semester, and I'm planning a wedding!!!  :0D

Tonight I am preparing a meal of stuffed manicotti, garlic rolls and Italian sausage!  I found the recipe for stuffed manicotti on Pinterest and had to try it.  I love stuffed pastas, but this one did not require boiling the noodles first, a MAJOR bonus for me!

The rolls were super easy!  I went to the store and purchased a 12 count frozen white roll dough...see easy!  Then I greased my cast iron pan with olive oil and placed the rolls in the pan...then you wait 3-5 hours...

I did change the manicotti recipe a bit...I threw all of the stuffing ingredients in the mixer instead of doing it by hand.  Saved me time, and energy.  The blog where I found this says to use a pastry piping bag (which I don't have but now want) or a gallon ziplock bag with a corner cut off.  The hole I originally cut in the bag was not big enough to squeeze the super thick mixture through, and I probably put too much in at once (like the whole batch).  So I re-cut the bag, and then the hole was too big...so I stuffed each shell by hand...with my fingers...fun, time consuming and messy!  Next time I'm going to make sure I have a pastry piping bag...now time to throw them in the oven for 50 minutes!!!  Time to take a break until it's time to start the sausage and rolls.

I love garlic, it's become an addiction for me lately.  There are also health benefits to eating garlic.  I mixed butter with the juice from my jarred minced garlic...YUM!!!  Then brushed that on top of the rolls BEFORE baking (just follow the package directions for baking temp and time).  After they are done and nice and brown, brush them (or soak) them in garlic butter again!  Serve in the cast iron pan, it keeps them nice and warm!

Enjoy a wonderful dinner!

Two pot pasta meal.

What started out as quick pasta night quickly turned into me rushing to the store for more Mushrooms, as the ones in the fridge were slimy. :(

Oh well, glad I have my mushrooms!  I also get to use my new pan (again) to make more of a pasta casserole!  I kinda made this recipe up as I went.

1 sweet onion chopped
1 lb hamburger
8oz sliced mushrooms
1 box pasta (your choice)
8oz ricotta cheese
16oz shredded pizza cheese or mozzarella cheese
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
Italian seasoning (to taste)
1 tsp minced garlic

In a large pan (that is oven save) brown your hamburger, onion, mushrooms and garlic.  Also start your pasta water to boil.  And cook pasta as directed.

Drain the juices off the hamburger mixture.  Add to the pasta with the sauce (about half the jar), ricotta cheese and half the shredded cheese, stir to combine.  I found it was easier to mix all of this in my pasta pot then transfer back to the large oven safe pan, a lot less messy this way.  

Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top; I also used some Parmesan cheese.

Pop in the oven at 350° for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and dish is well heated thru.

 

Serve and Enjoy!

Gumbo – a stew or thick soup, usually made with chicken or seafood, greens and okra or sometimes a filé as a thickener.

In recent years I started craving Gumbo, because it just sounded good.  My solution was to purchase a box mix and add the potatoes and meat.  A friend from the Bayeux figured out what I was doing and scolded me, then gave me an authentic recipe, which I have tweaked of course!   And today I decided to make this recipe, and share it with everyone! Click here  for the printable recipe.  All told this takes almost 4 hours to create.  But is well worth it!

As I always say with any recipe, read it, then gather everything you need.  For this particular recipe I pre-chop the vegetables and sausage because once you start the roux you are stuck at the pot stirring constantly.  So seriously, get your phone, drink etc. because once you start you are stuck for at least half an hour…or get a sous chef to help you.

I use one and half medium sweet white onion, or one large onion, the large part of a celery bunch (leaves and all) and three bell peppers: one each green, red, orange. Get them all chopped and set aside.

 

 

 Then get out the smoked sausage, cut it into rounds, then halve each round.  Notice that I used a different cutting board and knife for the meat.

Making a roux is tedious to say the least.  You cannot rush it, seriously, and do not leave it to cook!  It has to be stirred constantly!   If you have a large whisk, this is when you  need it!  After the roux is sufficiently brown add the veggies including the garlic.  It will hiss and steam for a second or two.  Stir for  4-5 minutes.

Add the sausage and seasonings, instead of regular salt I used Extra Bold Smoked Sea Salt from the Spice Agent.  I really do love these guys!!!

I knew yesterday that I was going to make gumbo today, so I bought the raw chicken and boiled it so I had chicken stock for this, and the cooked chicken…I ended up with around 8 cups of stock, and used it all.

After bringing to a boil, then simmering for an hour it’s time to add the chicken (seasoned with Tony Chachere’s More Spice) Then another two hours of simmering.

The last ingredients are Gumbo Filé, shrimp (if you are using), green onions and parsley.  Before adding skim all the fat off the top that you can, this takes a bit, don’t be upset if you don’t get it all.  You will get more than a cup, so all the oil you started with at the beginning with the roux, plus more from the sausage etc will come back out, making this very good for you!  Remove from the heat and let it sit about 7 minutes (so the shrimp can cook) and while this is happening make the rice for serving.

ENJOY!

I'm in a nutty mood

What a fun and hectic holiday it was!  Much too hectic for me to take pictures or blog...sorry bout that! 

Today I find myself craving nuts. Almonds specifically, and thanks to my Neighbor (2lbs of natural almonds) I can do something about it!  I'm not big on sweet nuts, maybe when I was younger...I digress.  Finding a recipe that was savory vs sweet was a bit of a trial, but I think I found one.  True to how I cook, I altered the recipe to include my favorite spices from The Spice Agent.  If you go and visit them, and buy, make sure you tell them I sent you!

Crisp Spiced Almonds

    1 large egg white

    3/4 teaspoons extra bold smoked salt

    3/8 cup sugar

    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

    1/2 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika

    1/2 tablespoon smoked hot paprika

    3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper

    4 cups Natural Almonds

    3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 330F.

2.       Beat white with salt until foamy and gradually beat in sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, paprika and cayenne.

3.       Stir in nuts and butter, combining well, and spread in a large, shallow roasting pan.

4.       Bake in middle of oven, stirring every 10 minutes, until crisp and golden, about 30-40 minutes.

5.       Spread on foil (or a silicone mat) and cool.

6.       Break up nut clusters. Eat, and enjoy!

May be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

I know what you're getting for Christmas

Only two more days!  I’m not quite sure how to feel about that.  I’m moving along quite nicely, the brownies from last night taste delicious!  The sugar cookies rolled out  

and baked quickly, and apparently a little too quickly.  As I had the same problem with them as I did the brownies…that I did not discover until the last batch with my round chunk of leftover dough came out…totally raw in the middle…ugh, so they are all getting another two minutes in the oven…please oh please…success!   Puffy, fluffy, and cooked sugar cookies!!!

I also mixed up Lambert’s Rolls.  I’ve made these and put the recipe in an earlier post.

The next item on my list, and I need to check it twice, is Pecan Pie.  An actual request by my boyfriend!  This is a rare instance.  He usually just says, “Whatever” cause he’s not picky.  But he asked for a pecan pie…I’ve never made one before.  Not a problem, I’m Batman.

At least I hope it tastes as good as it looks...