A Simpler White Chicken Enchilada Recipe

This is nothing like the PW one I posted which I absolutely adore and is a bit more work than this recipe, but seeing how simple this one was I just had to give it a try. I thought it was ok but my hubby and neighbors said it was great so I'm sure ya'll will like it too.

Ingredients:

 

10 soft taco shells (I used corn tortillas not flour I think flour for enchilada are awful and makes them like paste but thats just me)

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

This is another recipe that I found on Pinterest that we really enjoyed. I will let you know that we didn't make the sauce to pour over the chicken and that I used chicken tenders/strips instead of breasts and that they were wonderful. We had these with steamed veggies next time I may make the boys french fries as well (baked of course).

  

Chicken:

• 4 large chicken breasts
• 2 sleeves Ritz crackers
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 t pepper
• 1/2 C milk
• 3 C cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 t dried parsley

Sauce:

• 1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
• 2 T sour cream
• 2 T butter

Directions:
1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.

2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers. (I didn't do this because ritz crackers crush up so easily and I didn't want to make yet another dish to clean LOL)

3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.

4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Some of it will fall off when you add it to the cracker crumbs, don't worry about it. Press the cheesy chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in. By the time you are coating the last piece of chicken, the dish you are using for the crumbs will be full of cheese. Don't let it get you down. Once the cheese melts in the oven it will adhere nicely to the crumbs and the crackers.

5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.

6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.

7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

Bourbon Street Chicken

So lately I've been obsessed with Pinterest. Now if you have a Pinterest account you totally understand where I'm coming from, but if you don't you need to get an account now and see the awesomeness that is Pinterest! But anywho we've been trying a ton of recipes of Pinterest and have found a bunch of yummy ones. I've post a few already but this recipe is one of our favorites and will be one of our go to recipes in the future. As my child gets older though I will have to double it. We had it over steamed rice with a side of steamed brocoli it was so yummy! It was actually pretty spicy with just the crushed red peppers :) My hubby had never had Bourbon Street Chicken before I made it poor guy where has he been living?!?!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts; cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil; (1-2)
• 1 garlic clove; crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch; (if thick sauce desired)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Remove chicken.
Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until well blended and disolved.
Add chicken and bring to a hard boil. Recduce and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.
Serve over hot rice.

Guiness Stout Brownies

My hubby is a fan of all things beer and when I came across these brownies of course we had to try them! I made them for a Christmas potluck we went to last year and they turned out pretty good. They are a super dark, chocolatey, dense brownie and are almost fudge like but how could they not be with three different kinds of chocolate in them!! The guys liked them but I'm still on the fence. I think I need to make them one more time to make my mind up :)

Guinness Stout Brownies
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 bottles Guinness Extra stout beer
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil, or regular foil, lightly greased.
- Pour both bottles of beer into a medium saucepan, and simmer on medium heat until it's reduced down to 1 1/4 cups. If you keep a glass measuring cup nearby, you can check the progress when you think you're close. It should take about 15 minutes. Leave the beer on the side to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt until evenly combined.
- Melt butter, bittersweet chocolate and white chips in a double-boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat. (You can also do this in the microwave, heating it on high and stirring every 30 seconds).
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.
- Beat reserved flour mixture into melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in the reduced beer mixture and the vanilla. The batter will seem a bit thin, but it will be perfect. Pour into the prepared baking pan and drop semisweet chocolate chips evenly on top of batter.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes on center rack in the oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. (The original recipe cites a longer time, but I found that mine were ready sooner. It might just be my oven so leave it in a few extra minutes if you think it needs it).
- Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar if you want before serving

Barbacoa Beef

I have found yet another recipe blog (Skinny Taste) that I LOVE but unlike the PW this one is healthy. No butter or heavy cream here but still very flavorful and definitely a change when you feel like you need to be healthy. This recipe is amazing. I followed it word for word but I didn't cook in a pressure cooker I cooked it in my dutch oven in the oven :) The hubby is in LOVE with this meat and could eat it everyday. It does make a lot after its shredded but we loved it and gobbled it up quick! The first night we made burritos out of it and wrapped it in flour tortillas with lettuce and tomato. The second night we made it into bowls and made a bed of rice, with the meat, black beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese and salsa and it was so good!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs beef eye of round or bottom round roast, all fat trimmed
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 lime, juice
• 2-4 chiptoles in adobo sauce (to taste)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• salt and pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 cup water

Directions:

Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, oregano, chiptoles, cloves in a blender.

Trim all fat off meat, cut into 4 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper and brown on high heat in 1 tsp oil. Add liquefied spices, water, bay leaves and simmer on low two hours in a pressure cooker. (If you are making this in a regular pot, you will have to double the cooking time to at least 4 hours or more, covered on low flame and add more water from time to time to make sure it doesn't dry out.)

Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred it with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later (discard the bay leaf). Return the shredded meat to the pot, adjust salt and cumin (you may need to add more) to taste and add some of the reserved liquid back. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to let the flavors penetrate.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Oh ya'll know my love of all things Pioneer Woman (well almost all things) and she did not disappoint with this recipe. It makes a lot if you're a small family like ours. I think we had it for lunch and dinner twice and ended up throwing a little out, so be warned unless ya'll are some big eaters! I followed the recipe exactly as written. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
• 1 pound Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1/2 whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1/2 cup White Wine
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

Mexican Stuff Shells

Yup I had to try these and yup they were pretty darn yummy and will make their appearance in our menu rotation every now and then :) I found these at The Way to His Heart....
I make my own taco seasoning and if you do too use that instead of the packaged stuff :)

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely. While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed. Top with any condiments you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.