LIGHTER CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

(from Cooks Illustrated)

 

 

LIGHTER CHICKEN 

ENCHILADAS

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, chopped fine

½ teaspoon vegetable oil

Salt

3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons sugar

2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce

1 cup water

1-pound boneless, skinless    chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), trimmed of excess fat

Ground black pepper

8 ounces 50 percent light cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups)

1 can (4 ounces) pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped

½ cup minced fresh cilantro

12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas

Vegetable cooking spray

1 lime, cut into wedges (for serving)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

 

Make sure that the cooked chicken is finely shredded, or the edges of large pieces will tear through the tortillas. Serve these enchiladas with lime wedges, low fat sour cream, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, and hot sauce.

 

INSTRUCTIONS  

 

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the onion, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium- low heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

 

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside to cool. Strain the sauce through a medium-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on the onions to extract as much liquid as possible. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

 

 Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces. Toss together the shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup of the cheddar, the jalapenos, and cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Stack the tortillas on a microwave safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40 to 60 seconds.   Spread the warm tortillas out over a clean work surface.

 

Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each tortilla around the filling and lay them seam- side down in a 13 by 9- inch baking dish.

 

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with vegetable oil spray. Pour 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the enchiladas to coat them thoroughly.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar down the center of the enchiladas. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20 to 25 minutes.

 

Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese browns, about 5 minutes longer. Serve, passing the remaining 1 cup sauce and the lime wedges separately.

Instapot Chicken Enchiladas

Instapot Chicken Enchiladas from Charlotte Cobb

• 5 Chicken breasts, frozen 

• 20 Corn tortillas

• 2 Jars of Siete Green Enchilada Sauce (Whole Foods)

• 1 Can Rotel, Mexican style lime and cilantro flavor

• Mexican Shredded Cheese

• 1 Cup of chicken stock/broth

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Season Chicken breasts with your favorite seasoning (We use salt, pepper, onion power and garlic powder). Add Chicken and your chicken stock to the instapot. Set instapot to pressure cook for 20 minutes. 

3. Once chicken is done in 20 minutes, remove chicken and discard stock. Shred the chicken into a large bowl, and mix rotel, and half a jar of the green enchilada sauce. Mix thoroughly. 

4. In a 9x13 baking pan, take a handful of the chicken mixture and roll it into your corn tortillas, making a taco/enchilada. Repeat this step until your baking pan is full. 

5. Once the bottom of the pan is full of the rolled tortillas, cover them with more tortillas so that all the enchiladas are covered with one, flat layer of tortillas. About 4 tortillas.

6. Cover this tortilla layer with the remaining green enchilada sauce and cover with a layer of shredded cheese. 

7. Bake in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and everything is hot. 

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 box Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden Yellow Cake Mix
1 small box Instant Jello Chocolate Pudding
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup Avacado oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 8 oz. container sour cream
6 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325
Grease and flour Bundt pan
Mix everything (except chocolate chips)
Stir in chocolate chips
Pour in pan and bake 40-45 minutes

Tips:

Test the cake with a toothpick. Only a few moist crumbs should stick to the toothpick.

Let the cake cool completely. Put a plate on top of the pan and flip the cake over. Once completely cooled, sprinkle powered sugar on top.

Thanks to Charlotte Cobb for the recipe!

Crawfish Fettuccine

 Crawfish Fettuccine

2 lbs crawfish tails                

                   1 lb jalapeño velveeta cheese (only use half)

1 onion                                         2 Tbsp flour
1 green bell pepper.                   1 cup half &half
3 cloves garlic chopped             Fresh grated Parmesan cheese
3 stalks celery                             Egg noodles                                                
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper
2 Tbsp cream sherry 
Chopped parsley for garnishing

Saute chopped vegetables in butter for 15 minutes covered.  Add flour and cook for 10 minutes.  Add crawfish and cook 15 minutes.  Add half and half slowly and half of the jalapeño velveeta cubed.  Cook until cheese is melted and add the seasonings and cook on low for about 15 minutes.  

Boil egg noodles, drain, rinse.  Add to crawfish mixture and grated Parmesan cheese to your taste/preference.   Put into casserole pan sprayed with Pam.  Sprinkle chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese.  Bake @ 350 uncovered 20-30 minutes.  

Baked Potato Soup

Baked Potato Soup - a cold weather favorite!

Six large potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
 Six cups milk
1 bunch green onions chopped
1/2 package bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 cups grated cheese
1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Bake the potatoes, cool and cut into cubes. Melt butter and add flour. Add 1 cup of milk to the flour and butter mixture. Whisk well.  In a large pot over medium heat, add the rest of the milk. As the milk warms, add the milk and flour mixture, then add the potatoes, green onions and bacon. Heat to almost a simmer and then reduce heat to low. Add cheese and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and serve when cheese has melted. Serves 10!

When I made this last I used  5 cups of 2% milk, 4 potatoes and four strips of thick bacon, cooked and crumbled. For the friends I made it for I left out the green onions. The ingredients for the recipe can be adjusted as needed for the amount you want to make and the ingredients you want to include. The soup was delicious!

Original recipe from the Austin American-Statesman.

Diane’s Baked Lasagna

Diane’s Baked Lasagna

-1lb. Ground beef

- 1 Onion and garlic chopped

- 1  15 oz. can tomato sauce

- 1  6 oz. can tomato paste

-     Salt and pepper

-      Basil and oregano

-  1/2  16 oz. package lasagna noodles

-   1 egg (beaten)

-   1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

-  1  8 oz.  package sliced mozzarella cheese

-     1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven 375 degrees

-Brown ground beef, onion and garlic

-Add tomato sauce, paste, salt, pepper, basil and oregano

-Simmer 1 hour

-Cook noodles boiling salt water until tender then drain

-Combine egg, cottage cheese, 1tsp. salt (mixed well)

-Arrange alternate layers in greased pan

-Repeat layers

-Bake covered for 30 minutes then uncovered the

 last 10 minutes.

- let stand for 10-15 minutes then ENJOY

Sugar Free Bundt Cake - with thanks to my niece Jennifer!

The recipe is one from my niece Jennifer but I use a sugar free mix and stevia. It's very good!!

I use Pillsbury Sugar Free cake mix. If you do not have to go sugar free use Duncan Hines Butter Golden Cake Mix. 

8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar (stevia for us)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla 
4 eggs
Spray pan with Pam 
Bake at 350 for 50 minutes







 I saw this bundt cake pan on Pioneer Woman and had to have one!