Pioneer Woman's Chicken Enchiladas

We made a special treat last week and it was a feast.  Mr. J and I always struggle with tortillas. I like flour. He likes corn.  When you buy corn tortillas, at least for us, you get a ton. They end up getting stale and we have to throw them out.  Wasting food really bothers me.  Even more, I just don't care for the taste.  So occasionally I get them as a treat for Mr. J but most of the time we end up with flour.

Well the other day I was watching Pioneer Woman on the Food Network.  This NEVER happens.  Our Saturday mornings are busy. It is rare I watch any TV let alone a show I actually want to watch.  So I was all excited to see that Pioneer Woman was on and I could plop down on the couch and watch the remaining portion.  She was making these chicken enchiladas.  

My go to enchiladas involve ground turkey and  black beans, flour tortillas. Ree's were chicken and corn tortillas.  I wasn't 100% sold on the corn tortillas for all the reasons stated above but I thought the enchiladas looked so delicious.  I figured I would just go for it and we made a massive dish of chicken enchiladas.

I am glad we did because they tasted just as delicious as they looked on TV.  Love it when that happens. We still have a lot of corn tortillas. Mr. J better get on that soon because I think Miss O picked up my distaste for corn tortillas. She wasn't a fan of the enchiladas.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Enchiladas

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake entree chicken Cinco de Mayo Mexican

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Ingredients (serves 6)

• 10 to 12 corn tortillas
• 6 Tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• Three 15-ounce cans enchilada sauce (prefer red)
• 3 cups grated Cheddar Jack cheese, plus more if needed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

One at a time, hold the tortillas over the stove top burner (heated to medium heat) to brown slightly, about 30 seconds per side. Set the warmed tortillas aside.

In a bowl, mix together the taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with the spice mix.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken on both sides until done in the middle and the juices run clear, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate to cool, then shred finely with a fork.

Throw the onions into the same skillet, stir them around and cook until deep golden brown and caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes; set them aside on a plate.

Pour the enchilada sauce into the skillet and reduce the heat to low, allowing it to warm through.

To assemble the enchiladas: Pour 2 cups of the sauce into a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish and leave the rest in the skillet. Dip a tortilla into the sauce in the skillet, then lay it on a baking sheet or plate. Sprinkle some cheese down the middle, followed by some chicken and finally, some of the caramelized onions. Roll it up tightly, then place it seam-side down in the casserole dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinkle on the rest of the cheese. 

Bake until hot and bubbly, 30 minutes. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the enchiladas topped with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of diced tomatoes, a sprinkling of cilantro and a wedge of lime.

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12 Cinco de Mayo Inspired Recipes

Cinco de Mayo is coming up. I have no Hispanic heritage.   And I hear that even in Mexico this isn't a big holiday. Something, to a certain extent, Americans made up. We love Mexican food with all sorts of spice and probably eat some variation at least once a week. It should be no surprise then that come Cinco de Mayo we are ready to go big.  

Below are some of our favorite dishes.  We will be picking some kind of combination for next week.  On top of that the office is having a Cinco de Mayo potluck.  I will be doubling up on my festivities.  What are your plans for Cinco de Mayo?

Tator Tot Nachos
Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Acorn Squas, Black Bean and Spinach Quesadilla
Mexican Corn Soup
Taco Salad

Shredded Chicken Taquitos
Corn Risotto Stuffed Peppers
Five Layer Mexican Black Bean Dip

Southwest Chicken Pasta Skillet

Chili's Copycat Salsa 

Acorn Squash, Black Bean and Spinach Quesadilla #secretrecipeclub

Since I started back at work in June I have been working from home on Wednesdays. I am pretty against merging the lines between work and home. I have always tried to keep work, at least the act of doing work, at the office. However, I have come to realize there are some benefits from having a home office. Mainly I don't shower on Wednesdays. Is that too much information?  The extra time from not having to get ready in the morning and drive to work is amazing. Mr. J takes Miss O to daycare and I have a solid 20 minutes to do laundry, wash dishes, brush my teeth. I am still rushing but for whatever reason it is not stressful.

Another reason working from home as been nice is my lunch time. I can go see Miss O at day care and have a hot lunch. When I am at the office I have to race to see Miss O and then end up stuffing my face in front of the computer. It may or may not be hot. And the hotness is not dependent on whether the said food should be hot. Most of the time I just don't have the time to wait for it to microwave. 

This month for the Secret Recipe Club I had Our Good Life by Terri.  We have been eating a lot of butternut squash lately after a surprise delivery of Fall garden treats from the In-Laws. I love butternut squash plain and simple but am always looking for ways to jazz it up from Mr. J. When I saw this quesadilla recipe I knew we would both love it.  Plus it was super easy to throw together during one of my stay at home lunches.

Although I went savory and healthy Terri had a ton of other recipes, mainly sweets that I want to check out as well: Caramel Cashew Cookies, Pull Apart Pizza, and Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate M&Ms

Acorn Squash, Black Bean and Spinach Quesadilla

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Keywords: saute entree vegetarian black beans spinach squash Mexican fall

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 c small dice cooked acorn squash
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 t cumin, ground
• 1/4 t cayenne
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 bunch spinach, destemmed and chopped
• 4 medium flour tortillas
• 6 oz monterey jack cheese
• lime wedges
• your favorite salsa

Instructions

Line a cookie sheet with nonstick foil. Preheat oven to broil. Heat the olive oil and garlic in skillet over medium heat. Add spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add the beans and 3 T water until hot, then add chopped spinach. Cook for about one minute, or until spinach wilts.

Place the tortillas on the cookie sheet. Place 1/4 c acorn squash, 1/4 of the bean mixture, and cheese. Fold over the tortilla to cover the filling. 

Broil until the top is golden brown, about two minutes. Serve with salsa and lime wedge.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Tater Tot Nachos #secretrecipeclub

I have a winning dinner for you today. And it is a quickie too. Tater Tot Nachos with sweet potato tater tots. I am still excited about this dish. I can hardly stand it. I got this recipe from I am a Honey Bee, my blog for the June posting of The Secret Recipe Club.

For those of you who don't know The Secret Recipe Club is a group of bloggers that get together once a month for a special reveal day posting to share a creation from a secretly assigned member of the group.  It is a great way to learn about new blogs and find tasty new recipes.

Nicole just got married and has a cutie little girl. It was fun looking at their adventures in Boston. Many of the places they explore are places that Mr. J and I have visited as well. Seeing them with their little bean out and about makes me dream about when Miss O is older and all of the things we will explore.

I started this month dead set on making breakfast burritos. And if you like waffles, this is the blog for you. So many waffles dishes. I drooled and drooled over many of those postings. However, our weekend mornings were always too complicated for blogging recipes. Babies can do that to you. Thus the burritos were put on hold, probably for a breakfast for dinner meal, and out came these Ultimate Tatchos.

I am a huge fan of nachos, especially when there is guacamole involved. I could probably eat them most days. I got super excited when I saw Nicole make some with tater tots. I only switched up the traditional tater tots with sweet potato tater tots. I heart sweet potatoes. This made for a wonderful dinner, quick and easy on a week night and super delicious. 

And the guacamole. I used this recipe from Nicole. 

Thanks for the yummy dinner and I cannot wait to try out the burritos. 

Tater Tot Nachos

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: bake Mexican

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Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 pound of tater tots
• 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and reheated
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup guacamole
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• sliced pickled jalapenos

Instructions

Cook the tater tots according to the directions on the packaging. 

In an oven safe serving dish, layer half of the tater tots, beans, and cheese. Place under the broiler for a minute or so in order to melt the cheese.

Add the rest of the tater tots and top off with the remaining beans and cheese.

Again, place under the broiler for a minute or so in order to melt the cheese.

Top off with the salsa, sour cream, guacamole, jalapenos, and tomatoes.

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An InLinkz Link-up

Cinco de Mayo Round Up

Somehow April has ended and we are on to May.  The days are flying by.  I actually wore shorts both days this weekend. Did we skip spring and jump right to summer?  Let's hope not. I want the next month to last as long as possible.  I am going to cherish each day to the fullest.  First up is celebrating Cinco de Mayo.  

Mr. J and I love Mexican food. Thus this is a day we love to do up with a great big spicy feast. I am still dreaming up what we want to make this year. Before we finalize the menu here is a look back at some of our favorite Mexican dishes. 

Carne Asada Pizza

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Mexican Corn Soup
Taco Salad

Shredded Chicken Taquitos
Corn Risotto Stuffed Peppers
Five Layer Mexican Black Bean Dip

Southwest Chicken Pasta Skillet

Chili's Copycat Salsa 

How are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo? 

Carne Asada Pizza

Right now I am all about Italian and Mexican cuisine. Mainly, pizza and meatballs or Chipotle. I could pretty much eat only those things for a month and be happy. Because Chipotle is not too convenient to my house on a regular basis I have been finding ways to recreate something similar at home.  Hello guacamole!

Remember when I mentioned on the beef barbacoa post about using the leftovers as a pizza time.  Well this is not that pizza. But it did give me the inspiration to use that beef on pizza. This recipe is extremely similar in flavors but a bit more involved. It probably wouldn't be the best option on a busy weeknight. 

This pizza is full of Mexican flavors and heat.  Packed full of peppers, corn and onions and made even more hearty with flank steak.  I think it might be the steak topping but for me this is a man's man pizza. I am not a man though and I thought it was pretty dang good as well. So good in fact I wanted to make it again the next time it was pizza night. 

So here is the recipe that combined both the Italian and Mexican I cannot get enough of lately.  In my mind this was the perfect meal. 

Carne Asada Pizza

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: bake pizza

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Ingredients (1 pizza)

• 12 ounces refrigerated fresh pizza dough
• 2 small poblano peppers
• 8 ounces flank steak, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
• 1/2 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from 1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 1 ounce part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 ounce cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 ounce queso fresco, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 cup chopped seeded tomato
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1/2 cup roasted corn
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Instructions

Remove dough from refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler to high.

Arrange poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 8 minutes or until charred on all sides, turning occasionally. Wrap peppers in foil; close tightly. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and seed peppers; discard skin, membrane, and seeds. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips.

Sprinkle steak with cumin, chipotle powder, and salt. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until well marked. Let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice steak across the grain.

Add onion rings to pan; grill 4 minutes on each side or until well marked. Place in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Combine marinara and adobo sauce.

Turn oven down to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle cornmeal on pizza stone/ pan.  Roll dough to fit pizza pan.

Spread sauce mixture over dough. Arrange poblanos, corn and onion slices over pizza; top with steak. Sprinkle with queso fresco. Return stone to oven; bake pizza 9 minutes or until crust is done.

Top with cilantro sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.

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Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

Beef barbacoa is Mexican BBQ at its finest. The slow cooked beef in a spicy Adobo sauce can be used for tacos, burritos, nachos and as a pizza topping.

Today's recipe is super simple to put together and is super versatile in terms of what meals it can be used in to make dinner.  This week has been really hectic and stressful. Our house decided to have some major catastrophes over the holiday weekend. Thus everyday this week has been trying to figure things out and get repairs done. We are making progress but have a major hurtle still with our well water. Fingers crossed that this isn't going to cost us major $$$$. 

So back to the super easy recipe. First off it is a slow cooker recipe and well that should tell you a lot.  In the most basic steps you put the meat in the slow cooker, mix the sauce ingredients in a blend for about a minute, pour the sauce over the beef, turn on the slow cooker and wait for dinner to be done.  That's all.

I had to get the chilies in adobo sauce as an extra ingredient but everything else we had already in the pantry. 

The best part about this recipe is that it could be used for about a million different dishes. OK so maybe that is a bit of a exaggeration but it can certainly be used for a lot.  We had nachos the first night.  Pizza the next night.  And I used some for a burrito bowl for lunch. 

This recipe is a keeper for us for those busy weeks as well as those not so busy weeks just because it is that good.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 6-8 hours

Keywords: slow-cooker entree Mexican

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Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3-4 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 3-4 lb. beef chuck roast

Instructions

Trim any excess fat off the roast and place it in a slow cooker with the beef stock.

In a blender, combine vinegar, onion, lime juice, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt, cloves, allspice and desired number of chilies and puree until smooth. Pour the sauce over the meat.

Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or high heat for 6 hours.

Shred the meat in the juices and serve warm.

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Cinco de Mayo Round Up

Mexican is one of our favorite cuisines. So it comes as no surprise that we are happy to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a large Mexican feast.  

Here are some of our all time best Mexican recipes:

Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Mexican Corn Soup
Taco Salad

Shredded Chicken Taquitos
Corn Risotto Stuffed Peppers
Five Layer Mexican Black Bean Dip

 

Southwest Chicken Pasta Skillet

Chili's Copycat Salsa 

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo tomorrow? 

Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

A hearty Mexican style lasagna packed full of roasted veggies.

Mr. J and I always love a good Mexican meal. The spicier the better. And guacamole, boy do we love guacamole.  Let's just say any Cinco de Mayo celebrations are right up our alley.

Tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls and nachos. We make them all on a regular basis. To switch things up a bit I decided to take the flavors and ingredients of all of the things we love and make a lasagna.

This lasagna bake is packed full of veggies and a can of refried beans making it super hearty and filling. It easily serves eight large portion. We have been eating it all week long. I portioned out containers the first night and they have been the easiest lunches each day.

I used red and yellow peppers but you could easily use green and orange. And really a pre-cut frozen package would work great too if time was tight. And I know Trader Joe's has a frozen roasted corn package. Easy peasy.


So get kick your Cinco de Mayo festivities off with this dinner.

Healthy Mexican Vegetable Lasagna

by Emily Morris, adapted from Pinch of Yum

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: bake entree vegetarian Cinco de Mayo Mexican

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Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 2 red bell , chopped
• 2 yellow bell peppers, chopped
• 2 jalapeno, sliced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1½ Tablespoon taco seasoning
• salt to taste
• 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded
• 15 small corn tortillas
• 1 can refried beans
• 2 can red enchilada sauce
• cilantro, guacamole, or sour cream for topping

Instructions

Heat a large nonstick skillet with oil over high heat. Add the onion and peppers, sprinkle with taco seasoning. Allow the peppers to roast and brown on the outside before gently stirring. Repeat one more time, waiting for the veggies to roast a bit before removing from heat. Set aside.

Repeat the process with the corn, removing from the heat when browned and roasted on the outside. Sprinkle the veggies with a little bit of salt and toss to coat.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the tortillas into thin strips. Put the refried beans in a bowl and mix with 2-3 Tbsp of water to make them easier to spread.

To assemble the lasagna spread a little bit of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place half of the tortilla strips on top of the sauce. Layer all of the refried beans, half of the veggies, half of the sauce, half of the cheese on top of the tortilla strips. Cover with the other half of the tortilla strips, and the remaining veggies, sauce, and cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Remove foil and cook a few more minutes to brown the cheese a bit.

Serve with guacamole, fresh cilantro, sour cream, or salsa.

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Homemade Taco Seasoning

Making your own seasonings is so easy. You can control what goes in (less salt) and the flavorings. This taco seasoning has just the right amount of heat.

For a while we had so many spices that just sat and accumulated dust. If you know me, you know that wasting food and taking up space are too of my biggest pet peeves. Now I try to only have the most used on hand. Any additional spices I need I buy from bulk containers, only what I need. I also buy combinations to make blends.  


The blends are more cost effective and you can control what goes into the blend. Not only can you shift the flavors to match your preferences but you can limit the salt. Spice blends from the store tend to have so much salt. 


To kick off a few recipes for Cinco de Mayo, I thought I would share my taco seasoning blend. This recipe is very versatile and works great for tacos or enchilada seasoning. You can also add it to popcorn. 

Taco Seasoning

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Keywords: Mexican

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Ingredients (2 batches)

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Mix together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

To use:

For every one pound of meat use about 2 tablespoons.

Cook your meat (Ground beef, chicken, or turkey) in a saute pan until just done and browned. Drain off any remaining fat. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over meat and add 1/3 cup of water. Simmer until water is adsorbed.

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