Texas Chili Enchiladas

So much for posting regularly on Wednesdays.  Sometimes life interferes with the best laid plans.  And sometimes I travel and don't plan ahead.

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, I was not often exposed to the wonders of Mexican food; although about once a month, we would go to church, then lunch at El Chico.  I suppose having 5 kids, our parents were wise in taking us to a place where we could easily fill up on chips and salsa, and warm corn tortillas with butter.  Aaah, the good days, but I digress.  My mother was (still is) an amazing cook, but some of my favorite meals were probably things she threw together on a busy day.  I remember having these enchiladas often as a child.  No honorable Mexican food lover would consider this dish Mexican food by any means, but they have a southwest flavor, are FAST and EASY, and very easy on the budget.

Texas Chili Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas

Grated cheddar cheese

2 cans chili with beans

1 small onion, chopped

In greased 9x13 pan, add just enough chili (2-3 Tbsp) to coat the bottom of the pan so the tortillas don’t stick.  Soften tortillas in microwave (or fry quickly in a small amount of oil if your arteries can handle it), and add 1 Tbsp onion and a generous amount of grated cheese.  Roll up and place in pan seam side down.  Repeat to fill pan.  (OR layer tortillas, chili, onion, cheese and continue layering until pan is full.)  Top with remaining chili.  Cover with foil and bake at 350* for 45 minutes, until hot.

For a creamier version, combine chili with a can of cream of chicken soup.

Cheers ~

Creamy Baked Chicken

I discovered this recipe in an old church cookbook when I was expecting my oldest (now 21). Well, not this recipe, because I adapted it and am sharing it as my own.  It's rich, creamy, and comfort food at its best.  It will warm up your family on a cold night and smells amazing as your crock pot slaves away throughout the day.

Creamy Baked Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (use whatever you like!)
1 can cream of anything soup (calls for cream of mushroom - ICK - I don't like mushroom anything, so I use cream of chicken)
¾ cup sour cream
1 medium chopped yellow or white onion
1 medium chopped bell pepper OR small can of chopped green chilies

Place chicken in a greased crock pot or deep baking dish and salt/pepper well. Mix soup and sour cream thoroughly. Add onions and peppers and spread over chicken, covering thoroughly. Cover with foil and bake at 300* for 90 minutes. If using crock pot, cook on low for 4 hours. Serve with rice or pasta and steamed vegetables.  If you make this with green chilies, you can serve over black or pinto beans.



*I lighten this recipe up by using lighter forms of sour cream and soup.  It's still so rich that you'll never miss those pesky extra calories!*

Cheers~

Work in progress...

I've been working on a project for quite some time now.  Too long, perhaps.

Here's the background:

I wanted daughters.  I really felt no need to have dirty, stinky little boys, so I specifically prayed for girls with each pregnancy, even being so bold as to ask God for identical twin girls my last time around.  God, with His infinite sense of humor, granted me my heart's desire. :)  I'm sure He also chuckled because I had not thought through hormones, PMS, and emotions that would run high when we had a household of teen girls.  But somehow those years have flown by too quickly.  Two of these girls are living on their own already.  Time escaped us all and there are still lessons I wanted them to learn!  Like...learning to cook!  Sure, they know some basics, but I fear they are not prepared to feed a household unless oriental noodles show up on the menu.  Often.  Because one daughter lives in another county, and another seems to think she is also moving to another county in the next year, my "project" of cooking lessons needed to evolve to fit our lives.  Hence, this blog.  It's my desire to share some easy, basic recipes that every college student, newlywed, or beginning cook can master.  You won't need fancy kitchen tools or crazy ingredients that you'll never use again.  I wouldn't do that to you!

So...feel free to jump on board and maybe you'll get a few dinner ideas to replace oriental noodles from time to time.  First recipe will be posted next week!

Cheers~
Cheryl