Sunday, July 18, 2010

Bar-b-Que Pulled Pork Sandwiches




I know there are a lot of BBQ pork recipes out there but this one is my tried and true that I run to every time. I use McCormick's BBQ Pulled Pork Slow Cooker seasoning packet. All you need is ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar...which most of us already all have in our pantries. Mix up the ingredients, add to slow cooker with your pork roast and cook!! It's as easy at that...just throw everything in the crock-pot in the morning and have delicious pulled pork sandwiches later on for dinner! McCormick has several different Slow Cooker seasoning packs like these. Has anyone ever tried any of the other ones? They all look wonderful. This was a great ending to a wonderful day at the pool! Definitely a super easy dinner!!! Enjoy!






Tuesday, July 13, 2010

New Quiche Recipe...

I got this wonderful recipe from myrecipes, which is from Southern Living - and let me tell you this has "Southern" written all over it!!!!!! The crust is the best part which will remind you of a classic Southern cheese wafer! This is perfect for brunch, or for dinner with soup and salad!

Chicken-Pecan Quiche

1 cup flour
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup minced onion
3 drops of hot sauce
1/4 cup pecan halves

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Add oil; stir well. Firmly press mixture in bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes. Cool completely. Combine sour cream and next 3 ingredients; stir with a wire whisk until smooth. Stir in chicken, 1/2 cup cheese, onion, and hot sauce. Pour chicken mixture over prepared crust. Arrange pecan halves over chicken mixture. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Summer Snackin' with the Kids...

Okay, this photo was taken way back during the spring, but who says you can't use a bunny plate in the summertime?! And this cute little cookie is good year round!!! It's also very easy so the kids can help out, if you can get them inside. I love to make fruit dip for our strawberries and decided that it would be a good combination with sugar cookies. This kid snack was a BIG hit - even with the adults!!!

Strawberry Shortcut Cookies

Fruit Dip
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (7oz) jar marshmallow creme

Using an electric mixer, blend cream cheese and marshmallow creme until mixed thoroughly. Store leftover dip in refrigerator.

Sugar Cookies - make according to directions or your favorite recipe.
Strawberries - Rinse, hull, and slice strawberries.

Once cookies have cooled, layer them with the fruit dip and top them off with your strawberries!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The BEST summer dessert!

I found this recipe a few years ago on Allrecipes and have been in love with it ever since! This is one of my all time favorite desserts. The crunchy,sweet & salty layer of the pretzel bottom pairs up perfectly with the strawberry-cheesecake layer! Definitely add this to your summer time desserts. It will not be a disappointment!


Strawberry Pretzel Bliss




Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
  • 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the pretzels, 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries, and stir until thawed...you may want the jello to thicken up a little in the fridge before pouring it over the next layer that way the layers won't bleed together. Pour jello mixture over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.
ENJOY!!

Tara

Thursday, June 24, 2010

"Jamaican" ME CRAZY!!




I don't know about you guys but we are big chicken eaters around here and I'm ALWAYS trying to find new recipes for it. And let me tell ya this one from myrecipes.com is a keeper!! I wasn't too sure about the allspice, but all the flavors in this was absolutely wonderful. The chopped jalapeno gave it that little extra "POW". Thumbs up all around my table tonight for this one!


Jamaican-Spiced Chicken Thighs

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 chicken thighs)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper ( I didn't add this...we don't like spicy around here.)
  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; add chicken, tossing to coat (**I marinated my chicken overnight). Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes. Turn chicken over; cook 6 minutes or until done. FYI...I ended up grilling my chicken out on the grill...to me everything tastes better from the grill!! ;o)

ENJOY!


Tara

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Chocolate Chip Bunko Bars!

This post is dedicated to my neighbor, Kristen. She made this for bunko a few years ago and we called it "Kristen's BIG chocolate chip cookie". But, it's only big in the pan until you cut it into bars! So, I had to rename it! ;o) Anyway, it's super yummy and makes a lot! Kristen recently added a new addition to her little family so these were the perfect treat to send over to her house...that way my big mouth won't have any excuse to gobble them all up!!!

Welcome to the world little Julie Grace!!







Chocolate Chip Bunko Bars

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks of butter ( I used "I can't believe it's not butter"), at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups milk chocolate chips

Mix first three ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside. Beat the butter and sugars together with a mixer. Add vanilla and add the eggs, one at a time. Slowly add the flour mixture next. And last but not least...add the heavenly, milk chocolate chips. Spread the batter in a greased 9 X 13 pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

ENJOY!! ;o)

Tara

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

My 40th Birthday Bash...

Tara and my sweet, sweet Hubby have been in cahoots for about 6 weeks now!!! It all started with girlfriends showing up on my doorstep that I haven't seen in forever!!! We all went to dinner and more girlfriends showed up. We then had an amazing "Melinda cake" and they showered me with lots of sweet, wonderful gifts. We then headed off to the resort for tons of fun and then lots of pampering the next day!!! I can't remember when I've felt that special!?! Thanks Tara for all your time, effort, and love that went into planning such an amazing birthday weekend!!! It's one I'll never forget!!!

And since we're all about food - here I am about to dig in to Cafe Adobe's Signature dish... The Avocado Adobe which is a half of an avocado, stuffed with cheese and my meat choice was grilled steak, and then it is lightly battered, fried and topped with ranchero sauce. It is served with pico, rice, and beans! I can't wait to go back and have this again!!!



The next day we ate at Tommy Bahama's and we had The Saba Steak Salad!!! Which is marinated, char-grilled tenderloin medallions, grilled potatoes, roma tomatoes, shiitake chips, garlic aioli & tamarind vinaigrette and it was the BEST salad I've ever had in my life!!! No one makes a better steak than my Hubby but this meat just melted in your mouth!!! OMGoodness!

I wish you all could have been there with us!!! Good food, good times, and great friends - does it get any better?

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Lordy, Lordy Look Who's 40!!!!


Get ready for one of these!!! and that's all I'm saying!! ;o)



I just wanted to post a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my bestie today!!! Kathy, I love you with all my heart and can't wait to celebrate with you this weekend!! Happy 40th to my Bestest Friend in the whole wide world!! Hope you have an awesome day!
TARA

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Calling All Taco Lovers!!!

I must say that we really love tacos in our house, so we are always looking for a new way of eating them. If you're the same, here's a couple for you to try...
Deep-Dish Taco Pizza
1 lb. hamburger meat
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (15 oz.) can Rotel, drained
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 (10 oz.) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar
Salsa (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°. Cook beef and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, and return beef mixture to pan. Stir in rotel and taco seasoning; cook over medium-high heat 1 minute or until thoroughly heated; set aside. Unroll pizza crust dough. Press into bottom and halfway up sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon beef mixture over pizza crust dough. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Top with cheese, and bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts and edges of crust are browned. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm. Top with salsa and sour cream, if desired.



Taco Cups for the Kiddos!
This is not really a recipe - I just put normal taco meat in Tostito Scoops Chips and top with Sharp Cheddar and put until the broiler until the cheese melts. This was so easy for the kids to pick up and eat! A big hit for sure!!!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Perfect Dessert for a Mexican-themed meal!

Here's a favorite dessert of ours that I'm posting especially for my CBS ladies!!! I've seen this in the blog-world for a long time, but liked the allrecipes version better! I tried to simplify it though. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie

2 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. mexican vanilla extract
2 (8oz.) pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Unroll one can of crescent roll dough, and press it into the bottom of your dish until there are no seems. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough, lightly pressing seems together. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon, and set aside. Melt your butter in the microwave. Pour the butter over the top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle your cinnamon and sugar mixture over the butter layer. Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares.

* Then store leftovers in fridge and eat the next day cold! It keeps a crunchy crust - we love eating it this way even better!!!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Triple "S" Salad

My husband and I were joking about this post so I'm dedicating this to him! We just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary this past weekend! Wow, it seems like it's been WAY longer than that! (Ha Ha Ha) But, it's been so worth it...3 children later and loving every minute of it!

As, I was posting this recipe my husband was peeking over my shoulder and helping me out on what to name it. We decided it's the Triple "S" salad! Steven's Strawberry & Spinach Salad!! He's absolutely in LOVE with it...almost as much as he loves me!!! I had made it for bunko a couple weeks ago and it was a big hit with the girls as well! I found it on All-recipes and tweaked it just a little to our liking. We also like to put some grilled chicken on top of it too, but believe me it's wonderful all by its little lonesome! Enjoy!!!



Steven's Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon finely, chopped onion
  • 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese

Directions

  1. In a blender, blend together the sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. After it's all blended, add the sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Cover, and chill for one hour.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, walnuts, red onion, and feta. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. ENJOY!!
Tara

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Crockpot Mondays...

Mondays have become my "crockpot cooking" days! This is the day that I call all my CBS ladies and now my daughter is back into tumbling. So, needless to say, I have no time for cooking in the evenings on this day of the week! I got this great recipe over at Jadi's Favorite Recipes - thanks Jadi for making my life easier!!! I'd love to hear from y'all if you have any crockpot favs - I need all the help I can get!!! :O)

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans
1 (11 oz) can of corn
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can of green chilies
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 envelope of hidden valley ranch dressing mix
garnishes of choice

Cook and drain the ground beef. Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Do not drain cans. Stir it all together and cook on high for a couple of hours or on low for 4-5 hours. Garnish soup with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips. You can also use avocados, chopped green onions, and cilantro if you desire.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Cold front coming...

Even though our cold front tomorrow will only bring our "high" temp down to 70 degrees - you might still consider this recipe. We had it awhile back when it was really cold and it really hit the spot. It is a combination of several white chili recipes I found. It was wonderful!!!
Creamy White Chili

3 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies (or jalapenos if you prefer)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. Monterrey Jack Cheese
Garnishes: sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and fried tortilla strips

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese, sour cream and cream. Add your garnishes at this time. Serve immediately. Makes about 6 servings.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

He is Risen!!!

This would be a great side dish to your Easter Dinner today! I found it over at Back to the Cutting Board. Thanks, Emily for a great recipe - it was perfect paired with our ham awhile back!!!

Scalloped Pineapple

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted (I didn't use a full cup)
1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
3 eggs, beaten
4 cups finely torn, and packed down, white bread
2-3 tbsp. milk (I skipped this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add crushed pineapple and mix well. Fold in the beaten eggs. Fold in bread and stir with wooden spoon until it’s all incorporated. Pour in greased 13×9 dish. Spread milk over the top to moisten. Bake about an 1 hour, until the edges start to get crispy and the top is a lightly browned. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

All I can say is OMGoodness!!!!




This was soooo delish...as I'm wiping the drool from my chin! You must run to the store, buy all the ingredients and make this ASAP! I snagged this recipe from Carrie over at her blog and it was a HUGE hit at my house! Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe Carrie!!! LOVED IT!

As you all know by now, I'm not quite the photographer as Kathy and her hubby are! Me and my little Nikon do the best we can. So the pics really don't do this justice!



I had to post a picture of the chicken too since you really couldn't see it underneath all that awesome goodness!!!


Chicken Gyros

Chicken Souvlaki Ingredients
1 pound chicken breast (cut into chunks)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Salad) Ingredients
1 1/3 (6 ounce) containers Greek yogurt
1 cucumber (peeled, seeded, and shredded, squeezed and drained)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1/2 tablespoon chopped dill
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste

Gyros Ingredients
4 large pita bread rounds
1 head of lettuce (cut into 1/4 inch slices)
1 red onion (thinly sliced), (I sauteed mine in a little olive oil on the stove)
1 tomato (halved and sliced)

Chicken Souvlaki Directions
Combine all ingredients, skewer the meat, and let meat marinate for 30 minutes to overnight.

Cook on the grill or under a broiler for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Tzatziki (Greek Cucumber Salad) Directions
Stir together yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

Gyros Directions
To assemble gyros just warm the pitas. Top with Chicken Souvlaki, Tzatziki, diced tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced onions! Then chow down!! YUMMO!!



Let me know if you give it a try!!
Enjoy!

Tara

Monday, March 29, 2010

Kathy's menu - week 34

Sorry I've been MIA lately! I've been cooking and taking photos, I'm just a little behind on the posting. I have a lot of winter meals coming - hopefully before summer gets here!!!! ;) lol... I'm trying lots of new recipes this week - probably from some of your blogs actually. I'll keep you posted!!!



Monday - Easy Chili Verde Steak Burritos, Beans, and Spanish Rice

Tuesday - Country Casserole, French Bread

Wednesday - Church: Scrounge Night

Thursday - Beef Taco Bake

Friday - Fish Fry, French fries, Hush puppies, Fried Okra, Ranch style beans

Saturday - Jalapeno Cheese Soup

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Two Newbies

My daughter and I were watching Food Network last week and started watching Sandra's Money Saving Meals. We both watched her make these two meals with our mouths watering and decided to try them. I thought they both were pretty awesome but my daughter on the other hand found out that she's not quite the spinach lover YET! I'll change that sooner or later, cause Mommy LOVES her spinach! However she absolutely LOVED the hash with poached egg. My baby girl is definitely an egg lover. Anything with eggs and she's all over that! Anyway, hope you all enjoy these and let me know if you give them a try!




FARMHOUSE HASH WITH POT-POACHED EGGS

* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
* 1 carrot, diced
* 2 stalks celery, diced
* 2 large red potatoes, small diced
* 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* Salt and pepper
* 1 teaspoon white vinegar
* 4 eggs

Directions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, sausage, paprika, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste. Saute stirring frequently, until the potatoes and carrots are tender, and the sausage is cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer over low heat and add the vinegar. Crack an egg into a small bowl and carefully slide it into the simmering water. Quickly repeat with remaining eggs. Using a slotted spoon, carefully corral the white of each egg around its yolk. Poach the eggs until the whites are firm, or to the desired degree of doneness, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Divide the hash among 4 serving plates and top the hash with a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.




SPINACH AND POTATO FRITTATA

* 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 russet potato, thinly sliced
* 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
* 1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and water squeezed out
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put a baking sheet into the oven to preheat.

In a large bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the canola oil with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the sliced potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and add the potato slices, making sure they are all in a single layer. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes.

In a skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and spinach and saute for another 2 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and remaining salt and pepper. Mix in the cheese and the onion and spinach mixture and set aside.

Spray an oven-proof skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. Remove the potatoes from the oven and add them to the skillet. Pour in the egg mixture and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the eggs have set, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, directly from the skillet.
***FYI- I read a couple reviews where they added some cooked, crumbled bacon which I did as well and it was very yummy!

ENJOY!!! <3 Tara

Monday, February 22, 2010

More snow in H-town!!!

Wouldn't this soup be perfect for the cold weather headed back our way?! This recipe comes from Pine Cove's Crier Creek Cookbook. We went there this past October for a CBS retreat!!! We girls had so much fun and the food there was wonderful. This was my first time having lentils, can you believe it?!?! lol... I'm so sad I waited so long. You definitely need to give this recipe a try!

Lentil Soup with Knockwurst

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. knockwurst or kielbasa, sliced in 1/4" thick
2 med. sized carrots, peeled & chopped
1 lg. yellow onion, chopped
1 med. sized stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (I'm sure I used more)
1/4 cup minced parsley (I omitted this)
8 oz. dried lentils (1 1/4 cup) sorted and rinsed
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel (I used mild)
1 whole bay leaf
2 cans beef stock
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat for one minute. Add knockwurst and brown lightly, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Drain on paper toweling, remove all but 1 Tbs. for fat from pan. In the same pan, saute the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and parsley over medium-low heat until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes, bay leaf, stock, water, knockwurst, salt, pepper, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover anc cook for 40 minutes or until lentils are tender. Discard bay leaf. Serves 4-6.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Enchilada and Pasta?! What?!?!

Have you ever heard of this craziness? Well, if not - you have to give it a try! I never would have thought of this combination, but it was wonderful. Thanks Melanie for an awesome recipe!!!
Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (10-oz) cans green chili enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2/3 cup red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 can large black olives, cut in half (I omitted this)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
16-20 oz. penne pasta (Depending on how "saucy" you want the pasta)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onion is translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper and cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the cooked chicken, green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don't boil!). Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, diced tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

Monday, February 1, 2010

My absolute favorite Go-To-Meal!!!

We first saw Chilaquiles (Chee-lah-KEE-less) on Simply Recipes forever ago, and knew we had to make some. If you hate the mess of rolling up your enchiladas, you are gonna love this recipe!

Chilaquiles - our way

Corn Oil
24 Corn Tortillas, quarter into wedges
Salt
1 lg. and 1 sm. cans of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce, Red and Mild
Garnishes:
Cheddar Cheese
Cotija Cheese or Queso Fresco
Crema Mexicana (or just use regular Sour Cream)
Cilantro, chopped
Red Onion, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Avacado, chopped

In a dutch oven, add a good inch or so of corn oil and heat to medium high. When oil is quite hot, add the tortillas, fry until golden brown. Remove tortillas to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil. Sprinkle a little salt on the tortillas. If not eating right away, you can put the tortillas on a cookie sheet in the oven at 175 degrees. Pour your oil off, and wipe your pan clean of any browned bits of tortillas. Add your enchilada sauce to your pan at medium heat, and cook for several minutes. Add your fried tortilla quarters to the sauce. Gently turn over the pieces of tortilla until they are all well coated. Cook for a few minutes more and keep turning over until the tortillas become soft. Remove from heat, and now it's time to add the garnishes of your choice! Serves:4

* I made this for Bunko (12 ladies), and did 60 corn tortillas, and 4 large and 1 small cans of enchilada sauce.