Chicken Enchiladas Blancas

I thought these enchilidas were Soooooo yummy. They are my favorite enchilada recipe that I have tried so far! I did forget to add the beans, though. I was bummed, but Stephen was happy because he doesn't like beans! Weirdo! I am pretty sure I used more cheese than it called for too, but I didn't measure.

Chicken Enchiladas Blancas
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C sour cream
1/2 C green salsa
1 onion, diced (or 1/2 of one, grated)
1 T. butter
1 can diced green chilies
2 C shredded monterey-jack cheese
1 can white pinto beans, rinsed and drained
10 flour torillas

Saute onion in butter til clear, add garlic and chilies and saute for 2 minutes. Mix in remaining ingredients, except for tortillas and reserving 1 cup of cheese. Place about 1/3 cup filling in each tortilla and roll up. Place in sprayed 9 by 13 pan. Use any remaining sauce to top enchiladas. Top with cheese and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes til hot and bubbly. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and guacamole.

Cupcakes and more Cupcakes!

I have been going nuts with the cupcakes lately. I am determined to perfect the art of the cupcake. I have never been a big fan of box cake mixes so I have been trying to find different recipes that taste better than your average cupcake. I made these Candy Corn Cupcakes from Our Best Bites for Halloween.


I thought they tasted okay. Stephen and Kensley really liked them and I thought they turned out pretty cute. These Paula Deen Red Velvet cupcakes I made last week tasted way better. I substituted the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil for a stick of softened butter. The recipe also calls for one teaspoon of cocoa powder and that didn't seem quite sufficient so I added 3 heaping teaspoons of cocoa. They turned out amazing! Oh, I also cut the cream cheese frosting recipe in half after reading all the comments that it made way too much frosting and they were right. Half was plenty!

Colorburst Cupcakes!

I got this cupcake recipe from Our Best Bites. They were very time consuming but the end product was so fun.




I used this frosting recipe . It just occurred to me that I made the cupcakes backwards. I didn't even notice until just now! They would have been much cuter with the red on top, but oh well. They were still fun :o)

Tater-topped Casserole

I got this recipe out of a Kraft foods magazine. It isn't really anything special, but I like it because everyone in the family will eat it.

tater-topped casserole
6 servings

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb (1/2 of 32-oz pkg) frozen bite-size seasoned potato nuggets

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Brown meat with onions in skillet, stirring occasionally, drain. Spoon into 8-inch square baking dish.
Mix soup and milk; pour over meat mixture. Top with layers of mixed vegetables, cheese and potatoes.
Bake 45 min. or until potatoes are golden brown and caserole is heated through.


This picture was taken before baking while potatoes are still frozen. I forgot to take a picture after baking and before eating. :o)

Pizza Muffins

Yet another yummy recipe from my "Fabulous Freezer Meals" book. The freezer is slowly starting to fill up. :o)

Pizza Muffins
Yield: 20 muffins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup diced pepperoni (I found a bag of Pepperoni Minis and didn't have to chop them)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 green onions, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper muffin liners. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, bakind soda, salt, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and sugar. Mix in green onions, pepperoni and 1 cup cheese.

In a smaller bowl beat the egg, then whisk in buttermilk. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin cups until half full. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese on top of muffins.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the muffin comes out clean.

To make jumbo pizza muffins, use a jumbo muffin tin (sprayed with cooking spray) and increase the cooking time by a few minutes. Watch closely to make sure muffins don't overcook and dry out. Insert a toothpick to check doneness.

Cool muffins, individually wrap in plastic, and freeze in a large zip-top bag. Place one or two muffins in a lunchbox and they will defrost and be ready to eat by lunch time.

Wholesome Oat Muffins

This recipe comes from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. I bought the cookbook years ago and this is the only recipe that I still make. I find the muffins delicious and especially good with a smoothie on the side. :o) I made a batch of them today and froze them for later use.

Wholesome Oat Muffins
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour or whole grain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup brown sugar substitute (I am not into substitutes and use regular brown sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper baking cups.
In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the oats and the buttermilk. Let soak for 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and walnuts.
In a large bowl, stir together the oil, egg, brown sugar substitute, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the oat mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full (I don't use muffin cups, just put them directly in the pan). Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons oats over the muffins. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove to the rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins at 180 calories each!

Butternut Squash Mac-n-Cheese

We recently joined a Dinner Co-op with 3 other families from Church. Basically, I make all of them dinner on Wednesday and bring it to their home for them. Three other nights of the week I am getting dinner brought to my house from the other families. This is my first week and it is so fun having dinner just show up at the doorstep! For my first meal I made this mac-n-cheese along with a green salad and snickers salad. I got this recipe from a Rachael Ray cookbook and I love it because it adds a little umph to the meal that your kids don't see coming.

Boo's Butternut Squash Mac-n-Cheese

Coarse Salt
1 pound macaroni with ridges, such as tubettini or mini penne rigate
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, plus a few sprigs for garnish
1/2 medium onion
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 10-ounce box frozen cooked butternut squash, defrosted
1 cup cream or half-and-half
2 cups (8 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water, then add the pasta and cook al dente, or with a bite to it.

While the pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and grate the onion directly into the pot with a hand-held grater or Microplane. Cook the grated onion for a minute or 2, then add the flour and cook together for a minute or 2 more. Whisk in the stock, then add the butternut squash and cook until warmed through and smooth. Stir in the cream and bring the sauce to a bubble. Stir in the cheeses in a figure-eight motion and season the completed sauce with salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Drain the cooked pasta well and combine with the sauce. Serve alongside chicken sammies or all on its own with a green salad. Garnish with thyme leaves.

5 Servings

Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Another fun recipe from my "Fabulous Freezer Meals" book:

Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

1 devil's food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
24 Rolos candies, unwrapped

Thoroughly combine ingredients with a wooden spoon. Then place 2 tablespoons cookie dough in your hand and flatten it. Place a Rolo in the center and wrap the cookie dough around it to form a ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar and serve warm.

To Freeze
Place cookie-dough balls (with Rolo wrapped inside) on a cookie sheet for 1 hour. Then put frozen dough balls in a large zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

To Serve
Remove frozen cookie-dough balls from freezer and place on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Then bake at 350 degrees F for 7 to 10 minutes and serve. Baked cookies may be frozen for up to 3 months.

Snickers Salad

Yes, you read that right! SNICKERS SALAD! Fabulous stuff. I bought a book on how to make some freezer meals to stock my newly acquired deep freeze (I have wanted one for years for this purpose!) Here is the recipe:

Snickers Salad
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

4 Snickers candy bars (2.07 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch chunks (I cut them up into small pieces so more Snickers in each bite)
5 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 small container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 drops foold coloring, your choice (I skipped this step as it seemed unnecessary)

Unwrap and slice Snickers candy bars into 1/2-inch chunks. Peel and chop the apples. Mix together candy bars and apple chunks in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together food coloring and whipped topping. Add to apples and candy bar chunks and stir until all pieces are completely covered with whipped topping. Pour into a large zip-top bag, label, and freeze until ready to serve.

To Serve
Remove the salad from the freezer 1 to 2 hours before you are ready to serve it. Set it in a large bowl and let it defrost on the counter. Serve the salad cold as a side dish.

That is the recipe straight from the book, but here is what I did differently. I didn't follow the measurements exactly, mainly because I wanted it to make more. I bought a six-pack of Snickers bars and chopped them all up into small pieces and then chopped and peeled 4 green apples. I had 5 apples, but it seemed to be a lot of apples so I am guessing mine were large apples and not the medium sized the recipe calls for. Then I added the whip cream and it didn't seem enough so I ended up using an entire 16 ounce carton of whipped cream instead of the 8 ounces. I didn't use the food coloring at all. Then I got two quart-sized freezer bags and filled them to what I thought would be enough for my small family for one meal each and then served what was left-over for dinner tonight. Before eating it, I added a sliced banana, I didn't put bananas in the freezer bags. So there you have it, dessert and fruit salad in one scrumptious side dish! I googled the recipe and found several variations and one calls for marshmallow cream! I might try that next time.

**Update** While this salad is delicious, it wasn't any good after thawing it as a freezer meal. The whip cream got all weird and only Stephen would eat it.

Homemade Bread and Jam

I made some strawberry freezer jam since strawberries are so cheap right now and it turned out really yummy. I decided I needed some yummy homemade white bread to fully enjoy the experience and I got this recipe thanks to my sister-in-law, Robin. It comes from a Barefoot Contessa cookbook that she has. It turned out really yummy and I had bread and jam for days!

Honey White Bread

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm whole milk (110 degrees) (I didn't have whole milk and used 2%)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
2 extra-large egg yolks (I didn't have extra-large eggs so I used 3 large egg yolks)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Place warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Add yeast and sugar; stir and allow them to dissolve for 5 minutes.

Add the milk, butter, and honey. Mix on medium speed until blended. Add the egg yolks, 3 cups of flour and the salt. Mix on low speed for about 5 minutes. With the mixer still on low speed, add 2 more cups of flour. Raise the speed to medium and slowly add just enough of the remaining flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the bowl. Knead on medium speed for about 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for a minute, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with butter, put the dough in the bowl, then turn it over so the top is lightly buttered. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and allow to rise for 1 hour, until doubled in volume.

Grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans with butter. Divide the dough in half, roll each half into a loaf shape and place each in a prepared pan. Cover again with the damp towel and allow to rise again for an hour, until doubled in volume.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. When the dough is ready, brush the tops with egg white and bake for 40-45 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped. Turn them out of the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Greek Yogurt

I recently discovered Greek yogurt and like to have it for breakfast with berries and granola. I find it kind of expensive, but I found this brand at Sam's Club and it was slightly cheaper than at the grocery store (still a little expensive). It has 130 calories and 13 grams of protein! It is a pretty good size portion, too. I am having it for breakfast this morning with blackberries and raspberries and a sprinkle of granola cereal. I am feeling oh so healthy and hope I can carry that on throughout the day. I like it, but it isn't as sweet as regular yogurt, probably a good thing. I went on their website and they are saying that you can substitute the yogurt for heavy cream in cooking. I am anxious to try that out and see if it is any good.

Crepes! Yummmm!

For our Mother's Day after church breakfast we had yummy crepes with Nutella spread all over them and cut up strawberries and bananas. So good! I can't take credit for the idea since we recently had this at a Relief Society activity for the dessert. I used this crepe recipe: Basic Crepes
If you have never had Nutella, you should try it. You won't be sorry. You can find it next to the peanut butter, usually on the top shelf next to the organic kind that you have to stir. It is a chocolatey blend of hazlenuts and yummy goodness.

Biscuits and Gravy

Our family has a new tradition to eat breakfast foods right after church. So far we have done it three times. :o) I found this recipe for biscuits and gravy and they turned out really good. The biscuit recipe is from America's Test Kitchen.


Cream Biscuits

2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups cream and stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Trasnfer the dough to the countertop, leaving all dry, floury bits behind in the bowl. In 1 T. increments, add up to 1/4 C. cream to the dry bits in the bowl, mixing until moistened. Add these moistened bits to the rest of the dough and knead by hand just until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pat into a flat, 3/4 inch tall circle, and using a round drinking glass, cut out 8-10 biscuits and place on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.


Sausage Gravy

1 pound ground pork sausage
3 T. flour
3 C. milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spatula. Set sausage aside, leaving the drippings in the skillet (add a T. of butter if sausage didn't render enough fat). Reduce heat to medium, add flour to the drippings, and stir constantly until mixture just turns golden brown. Gradually whisk milk into skillet. When the mixture is smooth, thickened, and begins to bubble, return the sausage to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.


These were so delicious, but probably not very healthy. :o( Next Sunday, we attempt crepes!

Yummiest Carrots Ever!

These carrots are so yummy and so easy. I dump a bag of baby carrots in a cake pan or casserole dish. Sprinkle one packet of onion soup mix over the top and a few big handfulls of brown sugar (I never measure, just use what looks right) and then cut up a stick of butter over the top.

Cover with tinfoil and put in the oven for about an hour. I usually put it at 350 degrees or if I am cooking something else at the same time, just put it at whatever the other recipe calls for. Cook until tender and serve hot!

Messy Giuseppes

I got this recipe off the Rachael Ray Show a couple years ago and it is by far one of my favorites and I have made it several times. Regular old sloppy joes will never be the same after you have tried this recipe. So yummy!

Messy Giuseppes
Sloppy Joe's Italian Cousin!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound ground, 90 percent lean sirloin
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium portobello mushroom cap, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon (eyeball it) allspice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 cup (a couple of glugs) red wine
3/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup (a generous handful) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
5-8 fresh basil leaves, about 1/4 cup, chopped
1/4 cup (a small handful) grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese
4 individual ciabatta rolls or any kind of crusty hoagie rolls
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation
Preheat the broiler to high.
For the meat sauce, heat a deep skillet or a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of EVOO, twice around the pan. Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Add green pepper, onion, 3/4 of the garlic, mushrooms, allspice, red pepper flakes and a little salt and pepper to the beef and cook for about 5-8 minutes.

Add the wine and cook another minute then add the beef stock, Worcestershie and tomatoes. Bring the mixture up to a bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Finish it by stirring in a handful of chopped parsley.

While the meat is simmering, combine the remaining garlic with the soft butter, basil, parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Split the rolls in half lengthwise without cutting all the way through and separating the halves. Press open the rolls by flattening them out a little bit. Slather the insides with the butter and place 2 slices of the mozzarella on each roll. Toast until golden brown under the broiler, about 2-3 minutes.

Top one side of the cheesy garlic rolls with a heap of meat and get prepared to get sloppy with Messy Giuseppe!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

I have made this recipe twice now and it has been a big hit. Stephen especially loves it and it is a new favorite. Even Kensley ate her plate. This can even be frozen for later and I look forward to using it as a freezer recipe someday when I have freezer space!

Honey Lime Enchiladas
from SistersCafe

1.5 lbs cooked, shredded pork or chicken

Sauce:
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. lime juice
1 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed:
mozzarella cheese, shredded
cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes. (I added a can of black beans drained and rinsed to my chicken mixture).

Lightly spray pans with non-stick spray. Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Williams Sonoma Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe was a big hit and I made it twice in the same week because I had enough ingredients on hand to make it again. We didn't even have any leftovers.

W-S Chicken Pot Pie
1 cup sliced peeled carrots
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
2 T unsalted butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half-n-half
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 9-inch pie dough round

Preheat oven to 400. Boil carrots for 5 minutes, boil corn for one minute. Drain and set aside. In large frying pan with lid, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook, uncovered, for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned on all sides. Sprinkle in flour and stir well. Stir in the stock, half and half, and parsley, and bring to a simmer. Cover, redue heat to low, and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Stir in veggies, including peas. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9 inch pie dish. Brush some egg yolk in a border around edge of pie dough. Place dough, egg side down, over the filling and press to rim of dish. Brush surfac lightly with remaining egg yolk. Cut a few slits in center of the top with the tip of a knife. Place pie dish on a baking sheet to catch spills. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.