Cottage Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

These enchiladas are delicious. I probably make them every other week because we like them so much. Make them as spicy or as mild as you like. I usually use mild taco seasoning and medium enchilada sauce. I also use low fat cottage cheese and sour cream. They still taste great.

Ingedients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (boiled, shredded)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 can chopped green chili peppers (7 oz)
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• pinch of ground black pepper
• 12 tortillas (6 inch)
• 1 can enchilada sauce (10 0z)
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
  

Directions:

1. Meat Mixture: heat oil in skillet over medium/high heat. Add chicken, onion, green chili peppers. Saute until brown. Then add taco seasoning and prepare as packet instructions direct.

2. Cheese Mixture: in large bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F

4. Assemble: heat tortillas until warm. In each tortilla, spoon meat mixture, cheese mixture, and a bit of shredded cheese. Roll tortillas and place in lightly greased 9x13 inch casserole dish. Top with enchilada sauce and any remaining meat or cheese mixture.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Green Chicken Enchiladas

Shannon clued me into this recipe from Cook's Country {great magazine}. It is incredibly easy and very tasty, if you like cilantro

2 10 oz cans green enchilada sauce
1 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite size pieces (approx 3 cups)
2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Salt and Pepper
12 small corn tortillas

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 400 degrees. Use Pam on bottom of 9x13 baking dish

Puree enchilada sauce and 1 cup cilantro in a blender. Combine 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, chicken and 1 1/2 cup cheese in a large bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper

Wrap tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and microwave until pliable, 30 to 90 seconds. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and roll tightly. Arrange seam side down in baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray, then top with additional 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture and remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through, 15-2o minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and top with remaining sauce.

Fiesta Casserole

Ok, so I know casseroles are not included, but we may have to make an exception for this one. This recipe is in a new cookbook my dad gave Maren and I for Christmas. I made it a little different but let me start by giving you the recipe as the book says:

3 cups chicken broth
2 cups instant rice
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15.5 oz) can of black beans, rinsed
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 Tbsp tabasco
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups shredded cheese
6 oz Fritos, crushed to course crumbs
lime wedges for serving

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450. Combine broth, rice, corn, beans, salsa and tabasco. Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Then stir in chicken and sprinkle cheese evenly over the top, then sprinkle Fritos evenly over the top. Bake until edges are bubbling and crumbs are toasted, about 8 to 12 mintues longer. Serve with lime wedges.

Ok, so that is the original, let me give you Shannon's version. So, I really don't like rice with my Mexican food so I left out the rice and only added about a cup or so of the chicken broth for the beginning bake. I also am weak and therefore left out the tabasco but instead I added a Tbsp or so of chopped cilantro (which I love!!!). From there the rest of the bake is the same but we washed up a bunch of leafy greens to place our servings of the casserole on. I am telling you it was delicious and the Fritos crushed on top were awesome! Heads up though, this does not serve as well for left overs because the fritos aren't crunchy.

Pulled Pork (or Carnitas)

I saw that this was on sale for $0.99 a lb at Ralphs so I thought I would share a delicious and very versatile roast. Hurry and try this one while you can do it cheap~

1 pork butt or pork shoulder roast (it is better if it is boneless)

Season both sides generously with salt, pepper and paprika

Place in a turkey sized baking bag
(before you put in the baking bag, put 1 Tbs of flour in the bag and shake to prevent the bag from sticking)

Put 1/4 c. of water

Close the bag and slice 5 one inch slits in the top of the bag for venting.

Cook at 300 degrees for 5-6 hours (or until fork tender, should literally fall apart with the swipe of a fork)

This is great couple of different ways. As carnitas, serve with warm tortillas, black beans, cheese, guacamole to make into burritos. For another way to serve, add some BBQ sauce and place on hamburger buns. In fact, you will probably have left overs so do it as Mexican the first night then re heat for BBQ the second.