An Easy And Decent Chicken Enchilada Casserole

IMG_9512.JPG

Remember when we made that crockpot salsa chicken? That was a great night. It was so amazing that we ended up having a bunch of leftovers. As only the greatest of nights will produce.

Leftover salsa chicken has pretty endless possibilities.

As endless as the storyline for this post.

I was actually squabbling with my husband when I served this casserole. I cannot remember what the argument was about. I am sure it was not my fault. It always never is. I loved the casserole. His sole comment at dinner was, “It’s decent.”

My reply was not.

Before I posted this recipe, I made it again. I wanted to be sure it was good. It is. I like it. I really like it. It has a wonderful crunchy top. Good creamy flavor.

It is decent.

Ingredients:

2-3 cups leftover salsa chicken (recipe here) or diced rot. chicken
2 cups plus 1/2 cup (set aside) shredded monterey jack cheese
1 10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 4 oz. can of green chiles
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4-1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock (I have used water and it was fine)
9 corn tortillas
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup crumbled tortilla chips
2 Tbsp. Chopped cilantro
Pinch of paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour your vegetable oil in a small skillet and heat to hot enough to fry tortillas. With tongs, lay each tortilla in oil for about five seconds on each side. Keep tortilla flat. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

IMG_9517.JPG

In a skillet over medium heat, combine cream cheese, chiles, enchilada sauce, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder until well-combined. Add sour cream and mix until incorporated. Add chicken stock until it is a looser consistency. Turn off heat.

IMG_9518.JPG

In a 9 X 9 casserole dish, pour a little of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Lay four tortillas in the bottom of the pan until it is covered. Tear one tortilla and fit into remaining holes. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the tortilla. Layer half of the chicken on top of the sauce. Layer one cup of monterey jack cheese. Place four tortillas over the cheese. With the remaining pieces from the previously torn tortilla, fill in any gaps. Layer the remaining sauce over the tortilla. Layer the remaining chicken. Spread one cup of monterey jack cheese over top.

IMG_9513.JPG

Place casserole in the oven and bake for twenty five minutes.

IMG_9503.JPG

In a bowl combine tortilla chips, paprika and the remaining 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese.

IMG_9511.JPG

When casserole has baked for twenty five minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle tortilla chip cheese mixture over the top. Place back in oven for five minutes.

IMG_9508.JPG

Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top.

IMG_9507.JPG

IMG_9510.JPG

I served mine with Mexican rice.

To a grumbling husband.

It did not, miraculously, descend into his lap*.

I, and this dish, are of the decent sort, after all.

*Plus, I happen to really love the guy. I would hate to waste a serving of casserole ruin his lap. ; )

Holiday Spaghetti Wreaths

20131217-220105.jpg

It wouldn’t be Christmas without spaghetti. Wait. What?

Let me start over.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without me trying to make some kind of crazy fun dish that the kids can remember. This one beats tuna fish sandwiches dyed red and green…

But just by a bit. ; )

I wanted to do something special with my leftover spaghetti the other night. Well, as special as leftover spaghetti can be. With Christmas here, I had a fun idea. I wanted to make individual Christmas wreath ramekins filled with…spaghetti leftovers.

Frugal and fun?!

Happy day!

20131217-215548.jpg

Ingredients:

Leftover spaghetti (I would say this is 2 jars pasta sauce with 1/2 pound cooked ground meat, 1/2 package spaghetti noodles)
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup red wine
3 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 clove of minced garlic (I use 1 tablet from frozen packet)
1/2 block (4 Tbsp.) softened cream cheese
1/2 of a real mozarella cheese ball sliced into 1/2″ slices

Topping:

5 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. Bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. italian seasoning

Optional:

Anything green to use as filler on plate around your round ramekin. I used broccoli. It makes another pretty wreath.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

20131217-215638.jpg

In a small bowl, mix up your melted butter, bread crumbs and italian seasoning.

I sautéed my bell pepper in the olive oil for approximately seven minutes. Then I added the garlic and cooked the mixture for another minute. I added the wine and let that simmer for a minute.

20131217-215858.jpg

I mixed the cream cheese, leftover spaghetti sauce and noodles, and bell pepper mixture together. I plated the ingredients into individual round ramekins.

20131217-215825.jpg

20131217-220018.jpg

I placed a slice of mozzarella cheese on top. Then I placed the bread crumbs into a circle around the cheese.

20131217-222327.jpg

Place the ramekins onto a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted.

Turn oven to broil. Broil for approximately one minute until bread crumbs are golden brown. Be careful! You do not want your cheese to burn!

20131217-221835.jpg

Serve up on plates.

20131217-221129.jpg

You can also add an additional wreath of green vegetables of your choice around the ramekin for an extra wreath layer. And an extra opportunity to fill your kids tummies (or your own) with an extra vegetable.

I won’t tell if you don’t.

Enjoy!

Mashed Potato Soup

I recently had mashed potato soup at a local eatery and wanted to recreate it at home. I loved the restaurant’s tart cheesiness of its soup. Instead of asking for the recipe, I decided to guess it out at home. This is what I like to do for fun. Yep. Weird.

I think the only difference might be the mirepoix instead of just onions and the use of regular pepper instead of white pepper (if I had to guess… And I did). I used the mirepoix because I wanted to add some additional vegetables hidden for the kids. And I wanted a deeper depth of flavor.

When I announced my intentions of taking my mashed potatoes and making a soup with the leftovers, my husband and son were aghast. They were coveting those mashed potatoes in all their decadent leftover glory. I do make some mean mashed potatoes, if I do say so myself, and they are so incredibly easy. I do not buy into that whole ricer theory or grating. Just mix the darn things and be done with it. ; ).

Mashed potato tip: After you add your cut potatoes to your pot of cold water: Bring them to a boil and then set your timer for twenty three minutes. Not twenty two. Not twenty four. Twenty three. Timing is key. Then immediately drain them. Return them to the pot and cook them for an additional minute, while stirring, to get all of the extra water out. I feel very strongly about this. Who knew?

For this recipe I followed my mashed potato recipe, but I used 6 large baking potatoes. I doubled the butter and added 1/2 cup of sour cream, and a pinch more salt.

20131118-212845.jpg

I set aside approximately 1 and 1/2 cups of cooked potatoes in a bowl before I made my mashed potatoes (I refrigerated them), because I knew I wanted yummy chunks of potatoes in my soup the next day.

Ingredients:

Approximately 2 cups leftover Mashed potatoes
1 cup mirepoix (I get mine at Trader Joe’s)
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
5 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups cooked potato chunks set aside
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Garnish

I make a pound of bacon and serve the whole crispy slab with it

Other options

chives
Sour cream

20131118-212811.jpg

I add my bacon to the oven (recipe here) before any of the following steps, so it is cooking at the same time the soup is.

20131118-212734.jpg

20131118-212914.jpg

20131118-213105.jpg

Melt butter on low heat. Add mirepoix. Sprinkle a little salt on this so it sweats out. Cook on medium low heat for 8 minutes until vegetables are tender and onions are clear.

20131118-213141.jpg

Add flour. Stir continuously for two minutes.

Add chicken stock. Simmer for five minutes.

20131118-213219.jpg

Blend with stick blender until all of the vegetables are pureed.

20131118-213250.jpg

Add mashed potatoes

Whisk. This took me about three minutes.

Add cream.

Stir. One minute.

Add cheese

Stir. Two minutes.

Add reserved potato chunks and stir.

20131118-213320.jpg

Heat up until hot.

Turn off stovetop.

20131119-065007.jpg

Serve in individual bowls. Garnish with bacon, sour cream, and chives (if desired). Please be careful! This soup is so hot! I burned the roof of my mouth…badly. Patience has never been my virtue.

After my family ate their dinner, both my husband and son both declared this an excellent use of the leftover potatoes. They are all ready asking me to make it again. It was scrumptious. If I do say so myself. And I do. : )

So do my thighs.

Waste Not, Want Yes: Tacos and Taco Casserole

20130930-115706.jpg

Okay. Who doesn’t have tacos in their regular menu rotation? It is a staple, right?

I like my tacos finely ground. I also like to make a casserole with the leftover meat the next day. The casserole recipe is from my lovely friend Bridgette! Thank you Bridgette! You’re the best.

Tacos

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs. ground meat (I prefer 93/7 ground beef)
White corn tortillas (I buy the 30 count package and make home made tortilla chips with the rest.)
3 cups shredded cheese (I like the Mexican four cheese. It is approximately 1 cup for tacos and 2 cups for casserole, but feel free to use less.)
Taco seasoning (I use around 1/2 more than they recommend. So, for this batch, 1 and 1/2 packets of taco seasoning. I just buy the large jar at Costco and measure it out.)
Water according to taco packet directions
10 oz. green enchilada sauce
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Garlic powder
Pinch salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Optional Extras:

Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Sour cream
Chopped Cilantro

Optional Sides:

Salad
Mexican rice
Refried beans

20130930-114613.jpg

Heat vegetable oil in a small skillet on medium heat. Cook corn tortillas until slightly crispy. Fold over after thirty seconds in hot oil. Let simmer in oil on each side until lightly crisp.

Remove tortilla to paper towel lined plate. Repeat until you have enough taco shells that you need. Make a layer with paper towels every four-five tortillas. For my family of 4, I fry up 9. Turn off heat.

Cover tortillas with paper towel. Set aside.

20130930-115001.jpg

In a large skillet, brown meat over medium high heat. Add Worcestershire sauce, pinch of salt and garlic powder at this time.

20130930-114705.jpg

Mix taco seasoning and water.

20130930-115115.jpg

20130930-115232.jpg

Break meat up with spatula until crumbly and brown. Turn heat to low. Add taco seasoning/water mixture. Use a potato masher to get meat more finely crumbled. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes repeating with the potato masher as needed.

20130930-203618.jpg

Turn off heat. Serve meat in taco shells with cheese and optional toppings. And serve with optional sides. I served these with rice and salad.

Now, save the rest of your taco meat for the next day in the refrigerator. You could also prepare the following recipe the same night and just refrigerate the whole casserole until the next day. I vary what I do based on how tired I am.

Taco Casserole

This is my sweet friend Bridgette’s recipe:

The next day,

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you have a convection oven, 325 degrees.

20130930-115356.jpg

Take a small casserole dish and pour a small amount of enchilada sauce into the bottom. I prefer green.

20130930-115429.jpg

Layer tortillas on top of the sauce. I just tear mine to fit into the pan.

20130930-115458.jpg

20130930-115526.jpg

Layer half of your leftover taco meat on top of the tortillas. Pour 1/3 of your enchilada sauce on top. Top with 1/3 of your cheese.

Repeat with the next layer, starting with tortillas.

20130930-115622.jpg

For the final layer. Start with tortillas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top. Pour remaining cheese on top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake covered for 25 minutes. Uncover. Bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese on top is completely melted and the edges of the casserole are bubbling.

Remove from oven. Turn off oven.

20130930-120319.jpg

This is how I served it up. Thank you Bridgette for this recipe! I love it!

Enjoy!