Crisco: Chicken Enchiladas in Red Sauce

Back when my family first moved to Texas, we had to learn about Tex-Mex.  See, we came from the East Coast, and the only exposure we had to things like tacos and enchiladas was the local Taco Bell.  So in flipping through a cooking magazine one day, we happened to come across a Crisco ad with a recipe for enchiladas.  Looked simple enough, so we plunged right in.  Now, these are certainly not authentic anything, but they are 1) delicious, 2) easy to make, and 3) good for leftovers.  I still make them when the family gets together since I know everything will enjoy it and happily munch away.

Note: I have doubled the enchilada sauce recipe because, well, I like things saucy.

Chicken Enchiladas in Red Sauce
Adapted from Crisco

Enchilada Sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
½ cup thinly sliced green onion
¾ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup sour cream
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
Canola oil, as needed
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 (6-inch) yellow corn tortillas

Spray a 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the Enchilada Sauce.

In a medium bowl, mix chicken, green onions, ½ cup Cheddar cheese, ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, chiles, and cilantro. Stir in ½ cup Enchilada Sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat ½ inch of oil in a pan. Fry the tortillas, one at a time, until soft (10 seconds per side). Drain on paper towels. Spread a small amount of the Enchilada Sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture in each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down, side by side, in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over, top with remaining cheeses, and bake until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with extra sour cream, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro.

Makes 6 servings

Enchilada Sauce
4 tablespoons canola oil
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups chicken broth
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder

Heat oil in a large saucepan; stir in flour and chili powder; cook for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Makes 6 cups

CDKitchen: Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow it was decided that for Mother's Day, children should cook their mother breakfast and serve it to her in bed.  No matter the age or cooking ability of the children.  Hopefully with Dad's help.  Normally we all get together and plot out some sort of breakfast for Mom, and as we got older and a little more skilled, the breakfasts got a little more interesting.  But since the entire family was in different places for Mother's Day morning, we opted not to make breakfast this year.  Instead we did dinner.

My sister made herb-crusted pork tenderloin (ie. took an herbed pork tenderloin out of a package and roasted it) and sweet potato casserole with a brown sugar pecan butter topping.  We added steamed fresh broccoli and some wheat yeast rolls.  Why is it that when holidays like this roll around, I'm never very motivated to make something amazing?  Something to ponder.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

From CDKitchen

3 large sweet potatoes

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup packed light brown sugar

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Peel and slice sweet potatoes into ¼-inch slices. Boil in water until soft, drain and mash. Beat with electric beaters, stopping every so often to remove any strings that may collect on beaters. Add butter and sugar to warm potatoes and continue mixing. Add milk and vanilla extract. Mix well and put in a 8x12-inch buttered casserole dish.

Mix the topping ingredients together and crumble over top of casserole. Bake 30 minutes at 350°F. Freezes well before or after cooking.

Makes 8 to 10 servings