Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

 1lb boneless skinless chicken meat, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1t minced garlic
2T olive oil
8oz cream cheese, cut into chunks and softened
Milk, to thin sauce
2t chili powder
1t cumin
1 cup salsa
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup cream
 In a large frying pan cook chicken, onion, and garlic in olive oil.  When the chicken meat is fully cooked and the onions are soft add the cream cheese and stir around a bit to melt and mix up with the chicken and onions.  Add a little milk to make a sauce that is about the consistency of gravy.  Add chili powder, cumin and salsa.  You can taste and add a little salt and pepper to your liking.

Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.  Lay half of the corn tortillas in the pan.  Spread half of the chicken enchilada sauce over the tortillas.  Sprinkle half the cheese over the sauce.  Repeat layers. Pour cream over the top.

Bake at 375 for 30 to 45 minutes, until enchiladas are golden brown on the top.  Serve with Spanish rice and refried beans and a big green salad.

Spanish Rice x 2

These are my two favorite spanish rice recipes..since i love both i  decided to share both one is a healthier version ..

2 cups brown rice
2 to 3 T olive oil
4 cups plus 2T water
1 heaping T of tomato paste (you can save the rest of the can and use it another recipe)
2T chili powder
2t cumin
2t salt

In a large stock pot heat olive oil and brown rice. Stir and cook the rice until it starts to brown slightly. Add water, tomato paste and seasonings and stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat slowly over the first 5 minutes and then put the lid on (this helps to prevent your pot from boiling over when you put the lid on ). Turn the burner on low and let it cook for another 55 minutes.

Spanish Rice2

2 Tbsp Oil

2 Tbsp Dried Onions

1 4oz can Diced Green Chiles (optional)

2 28 oz cans Diced Tomatoes—do not drain (or 1 quart

 home-canned tomatoes)

1 cup Rice

4 tsp Chicken Bullion powder

1 tsp Taco Seasoning

3 cups Water (less if using 2 quarts canned tomatoes)

In a sauce pan combine oil and rice. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until rice begins to brown. Add tomatoes, chiles, water, onions, chicken bullion and taco seasoning. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering over low heat until all liquid is absorbed. 

Serving suggestions:

Flour tortillas

Corn 

Black olives

Sour cream

If you have cooked ground beef in your freezer, you can add some defrosted meat when you add tomatoes. You can also add canned beef or canned chicken. Spanish Rice is a fantastic burrito filler with cooked pinto or black beans. It also makes a great meal with just beans and some sour cream.

Southwest Stew

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb boneless pork cut up into cubes
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
1/2 cup beef broth
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans

Brown your pork cubes in olive oil along with the garlic and onion. Put this in your crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.  Serve this with tortilla chips and garnish the stew with a dollop of sour cream.

 You can  sub beef or chicken for the pork

Santa Fe Chicken

1 tbsp butter in fry pan.
Add one chopped large onion.
Saute till tender.
Add 1-1/4 c. chicken broth to pan with one cup of salsa.
Bring it to a boil.
Add 1 c. long grain rice.
Add 4 boneless chicken breasts and 1/8 tsp. garlic powder.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. (I used the already cooked chopped chicken breasts and added it later since it is already cooked).
Simmer for 10 minutes then turn over the chicken breasts, and cook another 10-15 min.
(At this point, add in cooked breast meat if you are taking that route)
Add a cup of pinto and black beans (1/2 c. of each).
Stir it up, turn off the heat. Add green onions, cilantro and 3/4 c. of cheddar cheese. Let rest for 5 minutes. ENJOY!
  You can do this in the crockpot

• 24 oz. (1 1/2 lbs) chicken breast
• 14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies *Or a jar of salsa 
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 oz frozen corn (*We use canned.)
• 14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
• 3 onions
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
• salt to taste
  
  

Directions:

1. Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, onions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt in the crock pot.
   1. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.
   2. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.
   3. A half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred.
   4. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.
   5. Adjust salt and seasoning. 
   6. Serve over rice with cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.

My Favorite and Easy Enchilada Sauce

8 oz. tomato sauce
3 more cans of water (use the tomato sauce can for your measurement)
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. taco seasonings

Mix all of these in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes and it is ready.

Making Enchiladas:
I make enchiladas by filling my whole wheat tortillas with some type of filling. I will use beans, rice, cheese, chicken, and hamburger, usually seasoned with taco seasonings. I find it a good use for leftover beans or rice. The measurements are not really that important. I just mix my filling in a bowl and then fill each tortilla down the center, roll them up and put them in my baking pan (I do 2-9x13 pans usually). Then pour the enchilada sauce over everything, making them a little soupy so that they don’t dry out while cooking. I also top with cheese (sometimes I don’t put cheese inside the tortillas, just on top) and then bake at 375 for about 30 to 40 minutes or until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips or corn bread and a salad. My kids like to top this sour cream and extra salsa

Mongolian Beef

2 lbs round steak, cut into small pieces
2 T soy sauce
2 T cornstarch
4 carrots, peeled and sliced very think
1 bunch green onions, cut into 2” lengths
6 large mushrooms, sliced very thin
¼ cup olive oil, divided

Sauce
¼ c soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
1 t sugar
2 t red pepper flakes (this makes this dish quite spicy.. so reduce if you don’t like your food real spicy)
1 t salt
pepper, a few shakes
1 ½ cups water

In a medium size bowl combine meat, 2 T soy sauce and 2 T cornstarch and let sit for a few minutes.

In a small bowl combine sauce ingredients.

Heat a large frying pan and add half the olive oil.  Add meat and cook until meat is no longer pink.  Remove from pan and put in a bowl.  Add rest of oil to frying pan and add carrots.  Cook until the carrots are just tender and add onions and mushrooms.  Stir fry these until the veggies are soft.  Add the meat and heat.  When everything is hot add sauce ingredients and cook and stir until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Serve over brown rice..