Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

Sorry it has been so long since my last post, I have been super busy with baby showers, births(my first grandson!), family get-togethers and other such time consuming events! I have been taking pictures here and there so I finally sat down today and posted all of them as you can see from all the posts below dated today :)

I found this recipe in a Kraft Foods Magazine and only made a couple of small changes. I love the creamy chicken filling and using the soft flour tortillas. I apologize for the crappy picture but I could not find a place with the proper lighting. This picture was also taken the next day after heating them up in the microwave.

FIESTA CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cooked large chicken breasts; , shredded
3 cups thick 'n chunky salsa, divided
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
12 -14 flour tortillas

PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

Heat large skillet spayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 min. Add chicken, 1/2 cup of the salsa, cream cheese, cilantro and taco seasoning; mix well. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese; mix well.

SPOON about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, in 13 x 9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with remaining 2 1/2 cup salsa and remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.

BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

Almond Green Beans

This is a super easy side dish but has loads of flavor. If you are anything like me and need a little something extra to eat your veggies then this is one option. It is best to use fesh or frozen green beans as the canned just would not taste the same.

ALMOND GREEN BEANS
Fresh or frozen Green Beans (about 4 cups worth or whatever amount you need)
1 - 2 tbl of butter or margarine
1/4 cup of slivered almonds.
French's French Fried Onions

In a large skillet place frozen or fresh green beans. If they are fresh then be sure to wash first and snip the ends off. Cover with water and cook on med heat until cooked the way you want them.

Drain the green beans and remove from skillet. With the burner still set to med, add the butter and almonds. Saute until a light golden brown.

Add the green beans back in and stir until well coated with the butter and almonds. Cook until heated through.

Serve with some of the french fried onions sprinkled on top.

Creamy Delicious Macaroni and Cheese

There is nothing really fancy or unique about this mac and cheese but it has always been a family favorite and tastes SO much better than the box stuff. It's creamy and delicious and the perfect comfort food.

As a rule I prefer to use White American cheese as it seems to be the creamiest but you can of course substitute any cheese you like ie: Yellow American, Cheddar or a mixture of both. I usually get a block (1 to 2 lbs) of it at the deli counter in my grocery store and then just shred it myself at home. At the moment Wal-Mart has their White and Yellow American cheeses on sale for 2$ a pound so this is a good time to stock up if you live near a super Wal-Mart. I also add about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes because I like a little kick to it but this is completely optional. The cracked pepper gives it a bit of a bite so the red pepper flakes are not necessary unless you really like kick.

For the pasta I prefer the large elbow macaroni but I have used other shapes in a pinch.

CREAMY MACARONI AND CHEESE
4 Cups uncooked large elbow macaroni
4 Tbl. butter or margarine
4 slightly rounded Tbl of flour
4 Cups shredded White American Cheese (approx)
4 Cups of Warm Skim milk
1 1/2 teas. of Brown Deli Mustard
1 teas red pepper flakes (optional)
Cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400

Cook pasta according to package leaving it slightly al dente. Drain and place in a greased casserole dish.

In a large sauce pan melt your butter over medium high heat. When melted add the flour and whisk for about 2 minutes. Add the warm milk and whisk constantly until well blended. Keep the heat near high and whisk continuously until the milk starts to thicken and bubble. Add your pepper and mustard and Red Pepper flakes (if desired) and continue to whisk. When the mixture is pretty thick, remove from heat and add the shredded cheese. Keep whisking until the cheese is melted and nice and creamy.

Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta in the casserole dish using a spoon to make sure the pasta is well coated and evenly blended. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. The top should be slightly brown and the sides bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top if desired.

Salisbury Steaks

I have been making this recipe since I was young. I think I found it in an old Betty Crocker cookbook. It's very easy but so tasty!

SALISBURY STEAKS
1lb lean ground beef
2 slices of white bread, cubed
1 small onion coarsly chopped
1 can of Golden Mushroom soup
1/4 cup oatmeal (uncooked)
Cracked pepper
Garlic powder

In a large mixing bowl add all the ingredients except the soup. Mix well with your hands until everything is combined. Open the can of soup and add about 1/4 of a cup to the meat mixture. Save the remaining soup aside for now.

Shape the meat mixture into 4 to 5 oval shaped patties about 1 in. thick and place in a greased shallow baking dish.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.

While it is baking take the remaining soup and add about 1/4 of a cup of water to it and mix well. After the patties are done baking remove from oven and spoon the soup mixture over each patty and bake an additional 15 min.

Ultimate Coffee Cake

I saw this great coffee cake being made on the Paula Deen show and thought this would be a perfect cake to make for a Sunday morning. It is SUPER easy and looked delicious, I just didn't know it would end up looking like something off the I Love Lucy Show. RULE #1 stick to the recipe!

This is the perfect dish to make when you have company over. You make it the night before and it only takes seconds to make plus it sits overnight so in the morning all you have to do is stick it in the oven and 30 minutes later you have the most delicious tasting coffee cake that your guests will think you slaved over!

The first time I made this I thought gee 18 of those balls of dough just doesn't look like enough so I tossed in about 3 or 4 more. BIG MISTAKE. This is what I found when I got up in the morning.


So after everyone was done laughing at my dough monster in the oven I managed to stuff most of the hanging dough balls back into the pan and baked it. What I ended up with is this which isn't bad considering what I started with.

When I placed a plate on top and flipped it over the pan pulled away easily and I was left with this gooey, sticky, absolutely delicious pull apart coffee cake. Just remember to stick to the 16 - 18 dough balls and you will be fine! Another thing to remember is that by unbaked dinner rolls she means the frozen dough balls you find in your freezer section at the grocery store like these http://www.rhodesbread.com/products/view/800 . These come in round balls of dough that have to rise and then bake just like homemade rolls.

ULTIMATE COFFEE CAKE
16-18 each unbaked frozen dinner rolls
1 3 oz pkg Butterscotch pudding - non instant
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans chopped
1 stick butter, melted

The night before you serve this, place the frozen rolls in a well greased Bundt pan.

Sprinkle the dry pudding mix evenly over the rolls.

Sprinkle the brown sugar over the pudding mix then the chopped pecans. Pour the melted butter over all of it. Take a piece of plastic wrap and spray it with cooking spray or wipe a thin layer of oil over one side and then place the oiled side down over the Bundt pan. Don't wrap it tight but make sure it covers the whole top.

Then just let it sit on your stove or counter over night and when you get up it will have risen over the top. I placed mine inside the oven overnight (oven turned off of course).

Then just heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes and place a plate on top and flip it over. It should come right out onto the plate.