Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

I saw this recipe on Facebook, you know one of those ones that people keep sharing the picture but you don't really know if it is going to taste as good as it looks.  Well, this is one of those recipes. 


Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

10 soft taco size flour tortillas
2-3 cups cooked shredded chicken
2-3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 4oz can diced green chilies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.  Mix the chicken and half the cheese together. (I used 3 cups each of cheese and chicken)  Fill tortillas with mixture, fold ends in, roll up and place seam side in pan.

Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan.  Add the flour, cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  Turn heat down to low and add the sour cream and chilies.  Whisk until sour cream lumps are gone. (If you use low fat sour cream, it may seem like it separates a little...this is fine, it will taste fine).  Do not let this come to a boil...you don't want curdled sour cream.  :)

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 22-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and set somewhere heat proof.  Move the oven rack to the second highest slot.  Turn your oven to broil HI.  Put pan back in for 3 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

NOTE:  You cannot broil stoneware, and I am pretty sure you shouldn't broil glass either.  If you choose to do either of those, do them at your own risk!  :)  I used a metal pan to be safe.


My whole family loved these!  I served them with refried beans and rice and it was better than a Mexican restaurant.  The only other things I wished I had were chips and salsa and a margarita!  Next time! 

Enjoy!

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Many years ago, I visited my friend Tricia L. at her home and we spent an afternoon looking through cookbooks. I took some of her recipes home with me, and this became one of our favorites! It is very quick and easy, and most of the ingredients, are things you probably already have in your pantry (note: don’t keep chicken breast in the pantry).

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken – I am not sure of it’s origin, but as far as I am concerned, it comes from Tricia L.

4 Chicken Breasts

¼ tsp. black peppers
¾ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. parsley

2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. Lime juice


1. Use hammer on chicken covered with Saran Wrap to thin out and make even.
2. In a small bowl, mix first list of dry ingredients. Sprinkle ½ on one side of chicken.
3. Heat butter & oil in skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in skillet seasoned side down. Sprinkle other 1/2 of seasonings on top side of chicken. Sauté chicken until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes on each side. During last 2 minutes, sprinkle with 2 tsp. garlic powder & lime juice.


I can’t begin to tell you how yummy this is. You just have to try it! I like to serve it over Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice. It’s fairly simple to make, and you can have all the spices mixed up and your chicken pounded flat in advance! I use bottled lime juice because it’s easier, and it is still great!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I hadn't made this soup in a really long time, and was thinking about it recently, so I decided to make it again. This was posted on my old blog as well, so it's possible you have seen it before. My friend Megan O. shared this recipe a while back. It is very easy and perfect for a cold, winter evening!  Sorry, no picture!  :(

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 - 6 oz. box Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup sliced carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 - 8 oz. package mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups water
2 tbsp sherry or dry red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon)
32 oz. box low sodium chicken broth
1 - 12 oz. can evaporated milk
2 large cans chicken OR 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

Prepare rice according to directions on box. You do not need to use the butter or oil. Set rice aside.
Heat oil in large pot over med/high heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic and mushrooms (if using). Cook until veggies are soft, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle flour and thyme onto veggies. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
Add water, sherry or wine, broth and evaporated milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until soup thickens slightly. Stir occasionally.
Stir in cooked rice and chicken. Cook for 10 more minutes or until heated through.


This soup has a lot of flavor thanks to the thyme!! I left out the mushrooms since I knew my kids would complain. Faith still complained because she doesn't like rice. Oh well. The rest of us loved it!

I wanted to make this soup ahead of time, but couldn't just dump it all in the slow cooker, so I had another idea. I was lucky to receive a new slow cooker for my birthday this past fall, and it has a cast iron insert that I can use on the stove. So, I used this pot to make the soup, then just put the lid on and put it into the slow cooker on warm. It was in there for about 4 hours and it was fine! Much better than making it later!!

Either way you make it, it is well worth it!!

Turkey/Chicken Pot Pie

I froze some of the leftover Thanksgiving turkey so I could make this Pot Pie. I have made it before with chicken and its very yummy and pretty easy. I have no idea where I got this recipe! It could have been from a friend, a magazine, a website or somewhere else. 

Chicken/Turkey Pot Pie

Crust
1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened at room temp for 15 minutes

Filling
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Set oven to 425 degrees. Place one of the pie crusts into a 9 inch pie dish.
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook and stir until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper and stir well. Add broth and milk and cook until sauce is thickened and bubbly.
Mix in the chicken and the veggies and remove from heat. Carefully pour or spoon the mixture into the pie dish line with one of the crusts. Place the remaining crust on top and crimp the edge to seal. Cut a few slits in the top of the crust..
Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown. Cover the crust edge with foil during the last 15 - 20 minutes of bake time. Let stand 15-20 minutes before serving.


This recipe is pretty easy and self explanatory. I will tell you that my biggest pet peeve with pot pie is transferring it neatly to a plate. Ours was just big jumbled blob of crust and saucy mixture on our plates. It tasted good, just didn't look pretty. The original recipe said let it sit for only 5 minutes, and I let it sit for 20....maybe 30 would be better!?!

We all enjoyed this! Good ol' comfort food!