Chicken Enchiladas

I have been looking for a good recipe for chicken enchiladas and I got one by combining two different recipes. With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, this is a perfect Mexican meal at home.

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2-3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1-1/2 cup sour cream, divided
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth/stock

In a large bowl, stir together chicken, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream, and green chiles. Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas, sprinkle with shredded cheese, roll up, and place seam-side down in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium-low heat, stir in flour to make a roux; stir and cook until bubbly; gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in 1-cup sour cream. Pour sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.

I served these with cilantro lime rice.

Crockpot Chicken Soft Tacos

This is so simple! We use it as a filling for soft tacos with a little cheese sprinkled on top. You could also use it for enchiladas.

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup medium or hot salsa
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream

Spray your Crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add in chicken. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Add sour cream during the last 30 minutes and stir. Shred chicken, serve as you please and ENJOY!

Chicken Soft Tacos

Shocking, I know. A Mexican-inspired dish... from me! Seriously, what is my problem? I can't get enough. Anyway... my boss gave me a bunch of fresh jalapenos from her garden. I picked a bunch of fresh cilantro from mine. What to do, what to do...? I took a look in my cabinet and threw this together tonight. It was pretty good!

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, diced (I left half the seeds in for some heat)

juice of 1/2 a lime

flour tortillas

olive oil

salt & pepper

Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt & pepper and sear on both sides. Lower heat, add tomatoes, garlic and jalapeno. Cover. Simmer for about 15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken; shred and chop. Add back to the tomatoes, squeeze lime over. Serve in warm tortillas. Top with lettuce, cheese, cilantro, black beans, sour cream and whatever else you like!

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Amending this to include a few more ingredients... makes a good one even better! This is closer to the Pioneer Woman's salsa. I leave out the garlic that she includes.

**

This salsa tastes just like what you would find in a restaurant. I like it because it tastes completely fresh, but uses canned tomatoes. So you can make it all year round! My friend Kerry shared this recipe with me years ago and I've made it regularly ever since.


-1 (28 oz) can whole, peeled tomatoes, undrained
-2 (10 oz) cans Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, drained
-1/4 small white onion
-1 cup fresh cilantro
-1 jalapeno (keep the seeds in for heat)
-1/4 tsp sugar
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp cumin
-juice of one lime

Throw all ingredients in your food processor and let 'er rip. I like my salsa pretty smooth, but you could leave it a little chunkier if that's how you roll. ENJOY!

Mary's Guacamole

"I never liked avocados, until someone told me how fattenening they were." - Paula Deen

I spent 34 years turning my nose up at guacamole. I thought it looked gross, tasted gross and had a gross texture. What I realize now is that I was eating the WRONG guacamole. My friend Mary made this for a girls' night one time, and just to be polite, because she's my friend and all, I tried it. Then I ate the rest of the bowl!!! She was kind enough to share her recipe. I've had it for dinner twice this week. Enjoy... I DO! And thank goodness I've come to my senses about guacamole.

For every 1 avocado you use, add:

-juice of 1/2 lime

-sprinkling of kosher salt

-fresh cracked pepper to taste

-1 clove garlic

Because I am obsessed, I add:

-1 tbsp or so fresh chopped cilantro

-1/2 cup or so fresh chopped grape tomatoes

I use a potato masher to mash the top four ingredients together, then gently stir in the cilantro and grape tomatoes.

Soft Taco Casserole

I must say that next to Maryland seafood, Mexican grub is my favorite. Give me some chips & salsa, a messy burrito and a margarita to wash it all down and I'm a happy lady. I make Mexican food every year on Cinco de Mayo and tried this recipe the other night. It is pretty basic and to be honest, I wasn't expecting it to be very good. But, Rob and I agreed, it's a keeper! Even Ellie kept asking for "ah-bite?"

I used all lower-fat ingredients and it turned out perfect.

-1 pound ground beef

-6 flour tortillas (medium sized - I used Mission low-carb)

-1 medium onion, chopped

-2 cups salsa

-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

-1 cup sour cream

-2 cups taco-flavored cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown ground beef with the onion, drain. Mix together with black beans, taco seasoning and salsa. Stir in sour cream. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan with cooking spray. Line with 3 tortillas. Top with half of the beef mixture and half the cheese. Repeat. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve as is, or top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, hot sauce and extra sour cream.

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

A few years ago, my friend Abby brought this into the Governor's office with tortilla chips and I've been making it every spring/summer since. Hallie makes a similar version and serves it as a side dish. It is also great on top of grilled chicken or fish. Really, you could put whatever vegetables you like in it. It's a lot of chopping, but very worth it in the end. This salsa is also always better the second day.

-1 can of yellow corn, drained (I guess you could use frozen)

-1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

-1 red pepper, diced fine

-1 orange pepper, diced fine

-2 or 3 jalapenos, diced fine (leave the seeds if you want some heat)

-1 small red onion, diced fine

-1 pkg cherry tomatoes, cut in quarters or halves

-1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

-juice of 1 or 2 limes

-salt and pepper to taste

Dice everything and combine in a large bowl. Chill and serve. This feeds and army! I have also started zesting the limes and adding that as well. YUM!

8 Layer Mexican Dip

This was my friend JoAnn's signature dish. She took it everywhere. JoAnn was the daughter of my Aunt Sally (my parents' dear friend) and she died a few years ago after a battle with breast cancer. She was 29 years old.

Layer One - 1 lb. cooked ground beef
Layer Two - 1 can warmed refried beans
Layer Three - 1 jar salsa
Layer Four - 1 bag shredded taco cheese
Layer Five - 1 tub sour cream
Layer Six - shredded lettuce (about 1/2 head)
Layer Seven - 1 jar green olives (chopped)
Layer Eight - 1 small can dice tomatoes

Assemble in a large trifle or a large glass dish. Serve with nacho chips.

Black Bean Burritos

I wasn't sure how this recipe would turn out, but I tried it anyway and it was absolutely delish! We served Mo's lime grilled shrimp on the side and a big salad with Hallie's Mexican salad dressing. Really yummy meal and healthy, too! Enjoy.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 small onion, diced

1/4 cup frozen corn

3 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 - 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

whole wheat tortillas

Preheat oven to 350. Wrap tortillas in foil and heat until just warm.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes for about two minutes. Add black beans and cook for about 5 minutes. Add corn, salt and cream cheese. Stir together until combined and cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve in warm tortillas.

Shana's Taco Dip

I came up with this recipe a few years ago. It is a family favorite. I haven't made it for a while, but I made it on Christmas Eve and my family really enjoyed it!

1/2 lb. ground beef
8 oz. salsa
1/2 block of cream cheese, softened
4 oz. taco sauce
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese

Cook ground beef and stir in salsa. Spread cream cheese onto the bottom of a 1-quart casserole dish. Pour beef and salsa mixture on cream cheese layer. Pour taco sauce over ground beef and salsa mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until cream cheese is bubbly. Let cool about 15 minutes and then add lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Looking to feed a large crowd? For a 13x9 baking dish, use the following quantities:

1 lb. ground beef
1 block cream cheese, softened
16 oz. salsa
8 oz. taco sauce

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Tortilla Soup

I made this soup for the first time tonight, but it won't be the last. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law came over for dinner, and we practically finished the pot between the four of us. It was really filling and very yummy. There are a lot of ingredients but it's all in one pot, so it's super easy. I found this recipe while browsing recipe blogs similar to ours. I did modify it somewhat to our tastes. YUM!

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1 cup coarsely crushed lime flavor tortilla chips

3 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

1 can diced tomatos with jalapenos

2 cups cooked chicken breast, cut into chunks (I used rotisserie)

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

1/3 cup half and half

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp dried oregano

zest of one lime

juice of one lime

fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic and jalapeno and saute until soft. Add crushed tortilla chips and cook until the edges start to brown.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, spices and hot sauce and bring to a soft boil. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to your liking. (I left a lot of chunks and am glad I did - just a tip.)

Add chicken and corn bring back to a rolling simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn down the heat and add half & half. Then slowly stir in cheese until it melts. Add lime zest and juice, and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

I served this with a choice of toppings: chopped tomatoes, sour cream, more shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and additional crushed lime tortilla chips. My sister-in-law made an amazing salad which I will get the recipe for and post. Only an icy margarita would have made the meal better. :o)

Jalapeno Jack Corn Muffins

I love corn bread and I love messing with it. Sometimes I add black olives, black beans, jalapenos, cheese... whatever. This recipe is one of my favorites. I'm making another big batch of Shana's Turkey Chili this weekend, and these will be a perfect side.

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup buttermilk (I usually use sour cream instead)

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 12 one-inch cubes

Heat oven to 425. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups or spray tin. In medium bowl, combine milk, buttermilk, butter, and egg; blend well.

In large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Push dry ingredients to sides of bowl to form well in center.

Add milk mixture; stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups. Press cheese cube into center of each.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

White Chicken Chili

My friend, Beth, shared this recipe with me. This would be perfect on a cold, snowy night. Enjoy!

2-3 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried oregano
½ TBSP jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans northern beans
1 lb cooked chicken, diced
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups white cheese, shredded
½ cup salsa

Saute first seven ingredients in olive oil for five minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add diced chicken, salsa and half of the cheese. Simmer until heated through.

When serving, sprinkle with remaining cheese and sour cream. Great with tortilla chips!

Turkey Chili

I had been in search of a good chili recipe for quite some time. I asked Grandma Helen for her recipe and referred me to my Aunt Cindy. Grandma loves Cindy's chili. So, I called my aunt to get her recipe. Turns out she came across the Consumer Reports recipe years ago and that is what she has used all these years. She has it memorized. In fact, she gave it to me over the phone while walking on the beach in North Carolina. I modified it a bit for our tastes. Rather than green pepper, I use red, and because Matt and I aren't big fans of onions, I omit them. I just made this chili tonight and our family loved it. I hope you do, too!

1 lb. ground turkey
1 clove minced garlic
1 medium red pepper
4 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP cider vinegar
¼ tsp. all spice
¼ tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
½ cup water
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
16 oz. can chili beans
¼ cup frozen corn

Cook turkey, garlic and red pepper in a soup pot over medium high heat, stirring frequently to break up meat. Cook until meat has last its pink color. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer the chili for 45 minutes, stirring frequently.

I serve the chili with toppings...sour cream, cheddar cheese, diced onions and chopped black olives (Matt's favorites).