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!

 

Crispy Baked Breakfast Burritos

You know those breakfast burrito's you get at your fast food restaurant of choice, the one on the way to work or school, you try to pass it by, but it is to convenient and quick, the kids are hungry, you are starving.....yeah, THOSE.  Well here is your make ahead answer!

You can bet these are a hit at my house.  We used to make these by the dozens and pop them in the freezer for mornings just like those I described!  Pop them in the microwave and off ya go!  But now, we like to take them up a notch.  In my quest to fry less, I baked these and they came out fantastic.  My husband was skeptical about making a "crispy" version but, he happily informed me, this is one of his favorite things I have ever made.  I must be doing something right, eh?   Perhaps he is so UNused to getting breakfast, he was speaking from a place of disbelief?  

Well they really are great, and they are baked not fried, I know that some of you will be overjoyed with that.  I am sure you get chest pains when you see I have fried something!  I can't help it, some things must be fried, end of story!

Here is what you will need to get started.  This makes 8 good size burritos!

1 lb ground pork sausage
6 eggs
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa (your favorite kind and heat level)
8 flour tortillas
1/4 cup oil (your choice, I used peanut)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  In a skillet brown your sausage, cook until completely done and push to one side of your skillet.  In a bowl crack 6 eggs and whisk, add into the side of the skillet you cleared and cook until scrambled.  It makes no difference if they mix with the sausage, it just makes it easier to get them done faster.  Combine all of the eggs and sausage together, add in salsa and mix until completely combined. 

Turn off the heat and let it cool down a bit.  Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper and then brushing the parchment paper with oil, this will help the bottoms of the burrito's crisp up.  Now lay out your tortillas and divide the mixture between all 8.  Add cheese to the top of the mixture.  Roll like a traditional burrito and place seam side down on your prepared cookie sheet.  When all are rolled, brush the entire burrito with oil so it will crisp nicely in the oven! 

Bake for 13-15 minutes.  You can flip these halfway through or just leave them as is.  If you flip them they will be crispy on both side instead of soft on the top.  It is your choice.  I left mine and did not flip them. 

Serve with some fresh slices of avocado, side of salsa, or just plain!!

Your "tex mex breakfast lovin" chefwannabe