Sour Cream Enchiladas

After a long, hard day at work, I had a big urge to cook something different, but nothing too time consuming.  I turned to one of my favorite online sources and found this recipe.  Can you believe I have never made enchiladas?  I thought this might be a good recipe to try because I LIVE for sour cream.  My husband doesn't share the love of sour cream like I do, but he even thought this was a pretty good recipe.  I will definitely have to make these again, even if it's dinner only for myself!

Source:  Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

12 whole Corn Tortillas
Canola Oil, For Frying
1 can (20 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
2 cups Sour Cream
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 cup Sliced/chopped Green Onions
½ teaspoons Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together sour cream, green onions 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Heat enchilada sauce in a separate skillet or saucepan.

Using tongs, fry tortillas one at a time, for only about five to ten seconds per side (don’t allow to crisp.) Remove from oil, then dunk tortilla in enchilada sauce. Lay tortilla on a plate, then spoon a good two or three tablespoons of the sour cream mixture in the middle. Roll tortilla, then place face down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sour cream mixture.

(If there’s any sour cream mixture left over, use it as a dip for tortilla chips!)

Cover the dish with the remaining cheese, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serve immediately. Place a dollop of sour cream on each serving, then sprinkle on sliced green onions.

Taco Pasta Casserole

Brrr!  This weekend's winter storm left me unwilling to leave the warmth of my house.  Weekends like this one are a good time to make comfort food.  Although my husband tolerates casseroles, he doesn't love them nearly as much as I do.  He was out of town this weekend, so I went casserole crazy!  This pasta casserole was delicious, and it led to even more delicious leftovers.  This recipe is a must-make for those cold winter nights!

Source:  Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dry penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb ground beef (80/20)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (homemade or packaged)
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup multi-colored bell pepper strips
1 cup salsa (your preference - mild, medium, hot)
salt & pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot, fill with water and let it come to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente - 10-15 minutes. Drain and place in a baking dish.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan, add the oil and saute onions until softened. Crumble in the ground beef and brown. Add the taco seasoning, tomatoes, and bell pepper strips. Saute until vegetables soften. Add salsa then add salt & pepper to taste.

In the baking dish with pasta, pour over the ground beef and vegetable mixture. Toss lightly to incorporate. Top the pasta with shredded cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and lightly browns.

Before serving, top with chopped fresh parsley for garnish. Serve hot and if desired, serve with guacamole and/or sour cream.

Green Bean Casserole

I know that green bean casserole is synonomous with Thanksgiving, but I usually don't eat it because I'm not a big fan of combining green beans with cream of chicken soup and french fried onions.  It's just not my thing.  Then I found this recipe on one of my favorite cooking sites, The Pioneer Woman.  The recipe was so much different than the original recipe that I knew I had to make it.  I first made this recipe for a dinner party a few weeks ago, and it was pretty successful so I made it again for Thanksgiving dinner.  I love this recipe because it's creamy and has a slight kick to it.  I usually can't eat green beans by themselves, but in this casserole, I can't stop eating them!

Source:  The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

2 pounds Fresh Green Beans, Ends Cut Off
4 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/4 Inch Pieces
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
2-½ cups Whole Milk
½ cups Half-and-half
1-½ teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
⅛ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 jar (4 Ounce) Sliced Pimentoes, Drained  (I omitted)
Extra Milk For Thinning If Necessary
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Directions:

Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.

Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow green beans to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans once they’re cool and set aside.

Add bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for two minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.

Add pimentos to pan, then add bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine. Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and panko crumbs are golden.

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

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I love having a little bit (sometimes a lot) of heat in my food.  This casserole was no exception and it was really fun to make as well!  This dish didn't photograph as well, so if the pictures aren't encouraing you to try this recipe, please ignore them!  Just think about the wonderful flavors that await!

Source:  Pink Parsley, adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied into halves (4 halves total)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1¾ cups chicken broth
5 cups tortilla chips, broken into large pieces
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Pat the chicken breast halves dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a 10-12 inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides (chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point.) Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining oil, shallot, garlic, chipotle, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken broth, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a simmer.

Stir in half of the tortilla chips. Nestle the chicken into the broth and cook over medium-low heat until cooked through (reading 160° F on an instant-read thermometer), about 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a cutting board and shred into bite-sized pieces when it is cool enough to handle.

Return the shredded chicken to the skillet with the tomatoes, ½ cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro. Stir in the other half of the tortilla chips until they are incorporated and moistened.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and place the pan under the broiler until the cheese is melted and browning, about 2-3 minutes. Top with remaining cilantro and serve, allowing the casserole to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie

I have been bringing a couple dinners to some close friends to help them with adjusting to life at home with their baby, who is also my great nephew.  He was born 3 1/2 months premature and recently came home from the hospital.  Both he and his parents have been so courageous during the time while he was in the hospital and I wanted to do whatever I could to help, even if it is just bringing dinners once in a while.  I wanted to bring them something that could easily be heated up, or frozen for another time.  I turned to my favorite source, Stephanie Cooks, and found a great casserole that was both easy to assemble and delicious.  Sorry for the shadows in the picture!  I had forgotten my camera and had to use my IPhone instead.

Source: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:

1 pound of chicken breasts, frozen or fresh
1 bag of mixed veggies  (I used carrots, corn, and greenbeans)
1 tube of 10 refrigerator biscuits
1 can of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of chicken broth
1 cup of chicken gravy
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375.

Place the chicken, cream of chicken soup, and chicken broth in the crock pot. Cook on low 5 hours or until the chicken is cooked, shred and set aside. Don't drain the chicken- you will use the gravy.

In a 9 inch pie dish combine the chicken and the gravy it is sitting in, the bag of frozen veggies, and the chicken gravy. Stir to evenly coat.

Open the biscuits and slice each biscuit into 4 pieces. Evenly distribute the biscuits over the chicken and veggie mix. Top with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden and the gravy is bubbling.

Cheddar-Bacon-Ranch Chicken & Rice Bake

Ultimately, this dish turned out well and tasted great, but with using my oven, it was a long and difficult road to get to that point. It took a lot longer to cook the chicken and rice than the directions said. After about 45 minutes, the chicken was practically still raw so I removed the alumimum foil, drizzled some of the liquid over the chicken so it wouldn't dry out, and let it cook for another 25 minutes. Once the chicken was cooked thoroughly, I had to take the chicken out for awhile and continue cooking the casserole because the rice was not cooked all the way. When I was finished and the casserole was done, I cooked it for at least 35 minutes longer than I thought I would. However, everyone's oven is different so I still recommend cooking the casserole following the directions below. But if it's not ready, at least you know you have some options!

Source: Vintage Victuals

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice (white or brown)

1 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can of water

1 can of milk

1 1-ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

4 medium-sized chicken breasts

2 cups cheddar cheese

6-8 slices of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the rice, the soup, the water, the milk, the ranch seasoning, and the diced peppers. Stir until well combined. Place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Cover the dish with tin foil and wrap tightly.

Bake for 45 minutes. In the meantime, lightly brown the bacon pieces over medium heat in a small frying pan. When you remove the chicken and rice from the oven, check the chicken to make sure it is cooked through (I like to use a meat thermometer for this). Then, sprinkle with the shredded cheese and the browned bacon pieces. Return to the oven for about 5-7 minutes so that the cheese melts and bubbles. Serve hot. Yield 4-6 servings