Chicken Enchiladas

So, here is the thing about family.  Sometimes they completely blow.  I mean, usually they rock but once in awhile there is one rotten egg and her name is Maegon.  She is very close to my age, she is my niece, we are more like sisters but none the less, she blows.  She won't share her chicken enchilada recipe with me.  I mean she just straight up said, "NO".  Well, nobody puts baby in a corner people, NOBODY. 

My niece claims to make the best, "Oh EVERRRYOONNE loves them" kind of crap.  She goes on and on and I said to her I wanted to make them and maybe share them, she replied as I said before, "Nope, it is my secret recipe".  Oh seriously?!?  She obviously isn't into the joy of sharing like a REAL foodie is and frankly I think MY recipe, might give HER recipe a run for its money.  You won't give me yours, excellent, I will make my own.  GAH! 

Been a long time since I started a blog with a rant, and about family of all things.  See Maegon, see what you DO to me?

Make this, and if you are really amazing, you could do a cheese sauce instead of just cheese over the top.  I didn't want to risk sliminess so I went with regular cheese over my sour cream!

I hope you enjoy this, easy and fun recipe.  As for my niece, we will talk about what to do with HER...........later.   (for anyone who doesn't know, my niece and I are very close and this is a complete joke, she knows I love her more than my pink bow bag xoxo)

3 cups of chicken, shredded
8 ounce brick of cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sour cream (divided)
2-3 tbsps. of your favorite taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded cheddar jack (or cheese of your choice)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tap salt (optional)
10-12 soft flour tortillas

Combine all ingredients except flour tortillas in a large bowl and combine ingredients until all mixed.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Start filling your tortillas with filling.  Fill in a line across the middle and roll up and place in a 9x13 pan. Continue until all are in the pan.  Spread over 3/4 cup more of sour cream and top with 1 cup cheddar jack cheese or cheese of your choice.  Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and the cheese on top is melted.

This is a nice mild flavor, nothing to spicy or kicked up, although you could add hot sauce or red pepper flakes to any part of the mix!

Also feel free to top this with any sort of "sauce" you like, I just wanted plain ol' cheese!

Enjoy!

 

Beef Enchiladas (Taco Inn Style)

What can I say?  I love Taco Inn.  Unless you live in Lincoln, NE or the area, you have no idea what I am talking about, but you have to trust me on this one.  I live in Omaha, and make what we call "taco runs" every month or 2.  It is an hour to get these enchiladas but who cares?  My nieces who grew up in Lincoln, and I occasionally torture each other with photos if we are on a "taco run".  Do you have a place like that?  A place you love and so you occasionally indulge and when you do it is all fireworks and rainbows?!  Once in awhile Geo will say, "Let's go somewhere for lunch we haven't been in a long time".  When I have no response, just an empty stare he will sigh and say, "You want a taco run don't you"?  THIS is why I love this man. 

Now this recipe is just crazy easy.  I even considered not writing about it, but I decided my beloved Taco Inn deserved to be written about.  I think I hit these dead on.  Or as close as I can possibly get.  I have made them before with no onion.  You all know how I feel about onions.  BUT.  This can't be recreated properly without them.   I know everyone of you are at different cooking levels, is a "to easy" recipe such a bad thing?  I serve these with some rice and chips and call it good.  I mean after all, at Taco Inn, they come alone, but we all know a side of Meat Nachos is a must. 

So amigos, let us move into the important part of this recipe.  The MAKING.  Oh and let me tell you, without sounding to "Steel Magnolia's" on you...these freeze beautifully.  As I typed that, I said it with a southern accent in my head, just so ya know.  I love having things I can pop out of the freezer on a night when my kitchen vibes are weak!

For 12-15 Enchiladas you will need:
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 onion diced fine (do a little bit of extra if you want to top your enchiladas with raw diced onion)
2 cans of  RED enchilada sauce
6 inch corn tortillas
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brown hamburger and onion together. Mix the taco seasoning packet into 1 cup of water, then pour over the browned hamburger. 
Heat your corn tortillas in the oven or in the microwave, you need them very warm (almost hot) to make them pliable enough. 
On a cookie sheet, lay down a shell, cover half of it in your hamburger mixture and fold in half.  Repeat this until all of your hamburger is used.  Arrange on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan.  Cover with red enchilada sauce and cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  Remove and serve!

Your "why is it that it is STILL better to get it from Taco Inn"chefwannabe

Enchilada Casserole!

Finally!  I am so sorry it has been so long since you were served any new food!  It has been busy and as you know if you follow my fan page, I was at my parents all weekend.  What fun!  I got my behind back in the kitchen though and have a long time favorite to share.

I used to teach music at this little country school called Valleyside.  When I would get to work in the morning the school cook who was also a parent *LOVE YA LORRAINE* would already be there.  She had this rule that since there were less than 20 kids in the school that kind of, whoever got to work first got to pick what was for lunch.  I always picked Thanksgiving dinner.  One day when I walked in, she said, "I swear Smith, I am not making Thanksgiving dinner AGAIN" and then told me someone else had requested this recipe first.  I decided to keep an open mind, I mean who doesn't love Thanksgiving dinner once a week?

I eventually started making this for my family, ya know, when I got one.  Ha, like I went and purchased them.  Anyway, my son quickly deemed this his favorite meal.  I could tell by the way we would have to remind him to breath and slow down constantly when he ate it.  Or perhaps it was the half a pan that was gone before I even got to give myself any!  He came home from deployment last summer, and it was his first request!  

This casserole is amazing.  SO easy, but so good.  It pleases everyone and can be changed up by its toppings in so many ways!  Everyone can top it to meet their level of deliciousness!

Here is what you need to grab outta the freezer or at the store,
2 lbs ground beef
3 cans enchilada sauce OR my homemade enchilada sauce recipe HERE.
2 bags cheddar or Mexican mix cheese
10 sm-med soft shell flour tortillas
2 pkgs taco seasoning mix

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix raw hamburger and taco seasoning together and brown.  Drain hamburger.  Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and lay down 3 tortilla shells.  Two of them side by side and cut one in half and flip the straight sides to the outsides of the pan in the middle.  Or do it however you like!  If you do 3 layers you will end up with 2 shells for the very top which is fine!

Layer on ground beef, 3/4 of a can of enchilada sauce, cheese and then shells again.  Do this until your ingredients have run out.  End with 2 shells, the rest of the enchilada sauce and tons of cheese!  Like this.....

When you have completed all the steps, your enchilada casserole should look like this!!

Put in the oven for 25-30 minutes.  You are just melting cheese and letting everything heat through, so it is one bunch of gooey goodness!!

Here it is, finished.....

Here are some ways you could change this up.  

Add a layer of:

Rice

Refried Beans

Onions browned with hamburger

Toppings are the best part, so here is what I suggest and almost always serve as toppings!

Tomatoes

Salsa

Lettuce

Avocados or guacamole

Sour Cream

Jalapenos

This can be made in disposable pans and frozen for later use.  It can be made ahead and just reheated by the piece or the entire pan.  It truly pleases all, because it can be tailored by each person to their taste with the toppings!

Enjoy my friends!  

Your "spicy HOT" chefwannabe

Chris