Chicken Enchiladas

Have I mentioned that I am on a freezer meal kick right now? Well if not, I am. It has been a lot of fun making things and I have already started eating some of them! I knew I wanted to do chicken enchiladas. I have never made them to put in the freezer, but I thought they would work quite well. I realized that I had never actually made the traditional chicken enchiladas. I have made several different varieties of chicken enchiladas, some of which I am sure I will post on here eventually. Growing up my mom mostly made us cheese enchiladas (well at least that's all I remember). I always liked those enchiladas. I am sure there is absolutely nothing healthy about them and that is why I loved them. When I moved off to college I had a roommate that was very picky. She introduced us to a very simple, basic, non-mexican style enchilada. These were the two styles of enchiladas that I was used to. I have since started trying even more types of enchiladas and love them all! This recipe is one that I just threw together so I could put it in the freezer. I wasn't really sure how it was going to turn out. The other day we decided to eat some of the freezer enchiladas and I was very happy with the results!

Chicken Enchiladas

2 lbs shredded chicken
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 clove minced garlic
1 cup mozzarella (or cheddar) cheese
8 flour tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce

Combine shredded chicken and cream cheese. Mix until cream cheese is well combines with the chicken.  Mix in cumin, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. With a spoon or fork scoop out a small piece of chicken and taste it. If it isn't quite as flavorful as you would like ad a little more spices (I have a hard time using exact spice measurements) Mix in 1/2 cup mozzarella or cheddar cheese (whichever you prefer). Using one tortilla at a time place a couple tbs of chicken mixture along center of tortilla. Roll up tortilla around mixture. Place in a 9X13 pan or 2- 8X8 pans. Repeat with remaining tortillas until chicken mixture is gone. Drizzle enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated throughout.

Freezer directions: Prior to baking place pan in freezer and let freeze over night. You can then soak pan in warm water for a few minutes and remove frozen enchiladas from your 8X8 pan and slide it into a gallon size zip lock freezer bag. This frees up you pan and gives you more room in your freezer. Return bag to freezer until ready to use. On baking day remove frozen enchiladas from bag and place back in 8X8 pan. Place in cool oven and set temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Southwestern Style Chimichangas

Inspired by my other oven baked chimichanga recipe I have on this site I decided to play around with some different flavors. I love chimichangas, really I love flour tortillas. I can actually eat the tortillas without anything on them, that is if I am using the uncooked kind that you cook yourself. If you have never tried these I highly recommend them. The flavor and freshness add so much to anything that calls for them. Well these are a fun different, but still easy way to use my yummy flour tortillas and get a few other semi healthy things in with it. What is even more awesome than there yumminess is the fact that I can make a whole bunch at a time and freeze the extra ones and cook them up later. I really love anything I can freeze and use on days when I don't feel like cooking.

Southwestern Style Chimichangas

1 lb shredded chicken
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can corn
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Ranch dressing (optional)
10 uncooked tortillas


Combine barbecue sauce and chicken. Take one tortilla shell. Place a tablespoon of ranch on it. Top with chicken, black beans, corn and shredded cheese. Roll up tucking the corners in as you roll. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until the tortilla is golden brown. Top with cheese if desired.

Chocolate Dulce de leche flan

I was put in charge of making a Mexican dessert for a cinco de mayo party this week. I will be honest the only Mexican dessert I have ever made is tres leches cake. I do love this cake, but decided I should branch out a little. I did what I always do and started searching the internet and all of my favorite sites. As always I found a ton of great recipes that I want to make! This is the one that really stuck out and I just had to try it.

Chocolate-Dulce de Leche Flan

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (210g) dulce de leche

For the cake layer:

3/4 cup (150g) sugar
3/4 cup (110g) flour
1/3 cup (35g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (125ml) buttermilk or plain whole milk yogurt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the flan layer:

1 can (12 ounces, 340g) evaporated milk
1 can (14 ounces, 395g) sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt


1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC.) Lightly brush or spray an 8-inch (20cm) porcelain mold or cake pan (not a springform pan) with oil.


2. Smear the dulce de leche around the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Place the mold or cake pan in a larger roasting pan, which you’ll use as a double boiler for baking.


3. To make the cake layer, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.


4. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk or yogurt, vegetable oil, 1 egg, and vanilla.


5. Use a spatula to stir the wet ingredients into the larger bowl of dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Scrape the batter in the mold, over the dulce de leche.


6. Make the flan layer by blending together the evaporated and condensed milks, the 4 eggs, the vanilla, and salt, until smooth.


7. Over the back of a large spoon (like a big mixing spoon), pour the flan mixture over the cake layer, using the spoon to diffuse the custard as you pour.


8. Cover the mold or cake pan loosely with foil, fill the roasting pan with very hot water, so it reaches halfway up the side of the mold, and bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out relatively clean.


(Note: I found the flan took considerably longer to bake than 50 minutes; mine took practically an 1 1/2 hours. So being checking it at 50 minutes, but note that it may take longer.)


9. Once done, remove from the oven and carefully lift the custard out of the water bath wearing oven mitts, then let the flan cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate the flan until ready to serve.


To serve: Run a knife around the perimeter of the flan, then set a cake or dinner plate overturned on top of the mold or cake pan. Holding both the mold and the plate, flip the two simultaneously and shake gently, until you hear the flan release. Remove the mold. And remaining dulce de leche can be smeared back over the flan.


Storage: The flan can be kept for up to three days in the refrigerator.


Recipe source: David Lebovitz

Oven Baked Chimichangas

Dinners can some times be a challenge for me. I would much rather make some sort of sweet treat than something that is hearty and could suffice for a whole meal. I am constantly looking for new good dinner recipes that excite me. Let me tell you that this is one of those recipes. I found this on my friend's site and thought it looked good. I made it for my husband and I and we both loved it. It is a very simple recipe (which I love) but also has really good flavor, and is filling. I would like to call my taste in food kid friendly. Most kids are picky eaters when they are young, and it seems that I never grew out of that. My food favorites are typically semi basic, but still have to have really good flavor. These chimichangas are right up my alley, and hopefully your kid's as well. I hope you enjoy them.

Oven Baked Chimichangas

1 lb of leftover meat (chicken, roast beef, turkey)
10 uncooked flour tortillas
1 can re-fried beans
1 cup uncooked rice
2 TBSP oil
Shredded Cheese
Salsa
Sour cream

Cook rice according to directions substituting chicken stock or broth for water . In each tortilla put a 1-2 TBSP of each the rice, beans, meat and shredded cheese. Fold the sides of the tortillas in place on baking sheet. You can use toothpicks to hold them closed if needed. Brush lightly with oil. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Top with salsa and sour cream.

Click here to see the original recipe from my good friend Jodee