Cheese Enchiladas

Here is part 2 of Cinco de Mayo fast and easy recipes of what we had for dinner on May 5. These Cheese enchiladas are super easy and take very few ingredients, and super fast to make. They were a hit with my youngest daughter who loves anything to do with cheese, and my favorite flavor of enchiladas.

Cheese Enchiladas

8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 Tbsp sour cream
1/2 of a 3.5 oz can of green chiles
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can enchilada sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
garnish with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or whatever you like on your Mexican food

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Mix together 2 cups cheese, sour cream, and chiles. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Spoon filling into tortillas and lay seam side down in baking dish. Top with enchilada sauce. Top with 1 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Chicken Yakisoba

When my husband decided to cook dinner last week, he chose a wonderful recipe from AllRecipes.com. It is a tasty Chicken Yakisoba that tasted so good after driving all day with 2 kids in the car. We had just got home from vacation right around dinner time and he was sweet enough to be cooking me this great meal. I had been on vacation with my kids visiting my dad in Spokane WA and it was a long drive home since the kids were restless and tired from so many activities on their spring break from school. It was so nice to come home to a hot meal that I did not have to cook. I highly recommend this recipe and here is the link: Chicken Yakisoba if you do not want to print it from here.



Chicken Yakisoba

* 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 2 tablespoons chile paste
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1 onion, sliced lengthwise into eighths
* 1/2 medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped
* 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
* 8 ounces soba noodles, cooked and drained

1. In a large skillet combine sesame oil, canola oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir fry an additional 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 cup of the soy sauce and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Remove mixture from pan, set aside and keep warm.
2. In the emptied pan combine the onion, cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, cooked noodles and the chicken mixture to pan and mix to blend. Serve and enjoy!

Tips:
- The only 2 things Richard did different is he used some toasted sesame seeds on top, which were not called for in the recipe, but it added a nice nutty flavor to this yummy dish. He also added some diced green onions on top because he said he wanted to make it look pretty so I could photograph it.. how sweet is he? He is pretty awesome!

Trust me... this is a great recipe!! Give allrecipes.com some love while you're at it!!

Meatball Tater Tot Casserole

It is different! I thought my husband was crazy when he told me about this dish that my best friend makes and made while he was there visiting a few months ago (Deanna, let me know if I need to add anything else, just email me or on facebook, love ya hunny!). I thought to myself "what a strange combination of ingredients." But, he raved about it and told me what was in it so I concocted what I thought it would taste like with what he told me was in it, and it was very good. So, I am going to share it here. It is just a fast and easy idea for a dinner; serve it with some bread and salad and makes a great meal. I call this meal "the I do not feel like cooking" meal. It is just that easy!

Meatball Tater Tot Casserole
(a recreation of a friend's dish based on what hubby told me was in it)

Tater Tots (enough to cover the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish)
frozen meatballs (about 20)
1 can cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch casserole pan with cooking spray. Pour frozen tater tots into casserole dish (enough to cover the bottom with none on top of each other). Mix together the cream of mushroom or celery soup, sour cream, pepper, and garlic; add frozen meatballs and stir to coat meatballs. Pour this into the casserole dish on top of tater tots. Top with shredded cheese. Bake 40 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Tips:
- I used cream of celery soup because I am allergic to mushroooms and it was good even though the original recipe calls for cream of mushroom.
- I think it would be nice and colorful to garnish with chopped green onions after baking (I didn't think of it until after we ate the meal)
- My husband thought that next time we try it, to add some crumbled bacon.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese!! Especially when it is baked to perfection. Nothing out of the boxes for me, I want the real stuff!! My recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese incorporates the flavors and gooeyness of 3 different kinds of cheese and it is so thick and rich, your friends and family will be begging for more! I know my family loves it. I use the large macaroni noodles since it will get more of the actual cheese and sauce within the noodles making for cheesy good bites in every bite. Try some today!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

3 cups large elbow macaroni
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (2 cups for cheese sauce and 2 cups to mix in and on top)
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
In a saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour and pepper and cook until you get a thick pasty roue. Add the milk all at once. Stir until thickened and bubbly whisking to remove lumps of flour. Add 2 cups shredded cheese and stir until thick and bubbly. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Transfer to 13x9 inch baking dish, stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Top with remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Variations:

- For a little western flair, add 1/4 cup BBQ sauce to macaroni and cheese and use smoked cheddar for topping.
- One pan meal, you can add your favorite vegetables to macaroni and cheese, such as broccoli or peas and carrots.

Chicken Bacon Stuffing Casserole

This is just a quick fix for dinner when you are in a hurry and have limited ingredients on hand. The ingredients in this casserole are things everyone should have in their kitchen anyway on a regular basis. I always keep some Stove Top stuffing in the cupboard in an emergency for when I need a fast meal or when I really do not feel like cooking. It is that easy! Sort of reminds me of the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich at Subway (which is only my most favorite sub there).



Chicken Bacon Stuffing Casserole

2 chicken breasts, diced
1 box chicken flavored stuffing mix
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup cooked bacon, diced fine (about 3-4 slices)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
Ranch dressing, warmed up (if desired)

Cook the chicken breasts and dice. Cook stuffing according to package directions. Combine the sour cream, chicken soup, garlic, black pepper, and salt; mix with stuffing. Add chicken. Mix well. Spray 13x9x2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour stuffing/chicken mix into the pan, top with cheese, then top with bacon. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Notes:
- Add broccoli to the dish for a complete meal in one pan.
- I use regular Kraft ranch dressing warmed just until the chill is off of it to drizzle on my casserole serving.

Italian Spinach Lasagna

Here is a recipe that I made up myself based on what types of things I like in my lasagna and this is what I came up with. (most of the made up part is the sauce, the filling is similar to basic lasagna filling that you find in most lasagnas, but it is the sauce that makes this dish unique) I fixed it last night and it was a hit with everyone, they loved it. Just mop up any sauce with some nice crusty french bread or sourdough bread, put a salad on the side (we eat alot of salad, couldn't you tell, we have it most every night which is why the scarce vegetable dish recipes on this blog, but I have some coming soon) and you have yourself a great meal that the whole family will love. So, here you go, enjoy the recipe and if you like it, let me know by leaving me a comment!




Italian Spinach Lasagna

Sauce:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage (either hot or spicy whichever you prefer, I use mild since I have a 3 yr old that doesn't like spicy)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 - 28 oz can of tomato sauce (or whatever is close to it, I think that large can is 28 oz)
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
1 - 2.25 oz can sliced olives
4 Roma tomatoes (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
2 cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Filling:
1 - 15 oz tub ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Other Ingredients:
8 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
2 cups washed baby spinach leaves
2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

1. Put olive oil in a skillet; cook sausage and onion until sausage is done.
2. Put sausage and onion in crock pot; add other sauce ingredients and turn crock pot on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours to cook sauce and incorporate flavors.
3. While sauce is cooking, mix together ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, egg, and parsley in a bowl. Chill until ready to use.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Wash spinach leaves and set aside.
6. Cook noodles until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain.
7. Spray 8x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
8. Start with 4 noodles for bottom layer, then add the sauce, then spinach, then 1/4 cup parmesan sprinkled over spinach, then ricotta mixture, then 1 cup mozzarella cheese; repeat until ingredients are gone. You can get 2 layers of each item in the pan.
9. Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
10. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
11. Enjoy with garlic bread and some salad if desired.

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

This is a recipe that was made up by my Aunt Linda before she passed on. We used to have this most of the time when we would have family reunions at her house. It is so rich and yummy that it will become a favorite at your house too, and it is so easy to make. However, if you are looking for a low-fat recipe, this is NOT it. It combines cream of chicken soup with sour cream and then it is topped liberally with cheddar cheese and served over spaghetti. The main meat in the dish is boneless skinless chicken breasts. Enjoy, here is the recipe. The title to this recipe is what Linda named it, but the family calls it Aunt Linda's Favorite Chicken because until she died, she was the only person that ever made it. It was her signature dish.



Creamy Chicken and Noodles (Or as the family calls it... Aunt Linda's Favorite Chicken)

1 stick of butter, melted in the oven in baking dish
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour mixed with salt and pepper to taste
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cooked spaghetti

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the 8x13 baking dish in the oven with the stick of butter and let the butter melt as the oven heats up. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and place in baking dish with the butter. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and bake another 30 minutes. While the chicken is baking the second 30 minutes, mix together the cream of chicken soup and sour cream. After chicken is done baking, top with soup/sour cream mixture, return to oven and bake 15 minutes. Shred cheddar cheese, and then top the dish off with the cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve over hot spaghetti.

The soup mixture, butter, and cheese combine together while baking to make a yummy sauce for the pasta, enjoy it! That is the good stuff! Serve with a nice crusty french bread to soak up the sauce and a green salad makes this a meal guaranteed to fill everyone up!

Fajita Skillet

Here is a good recipe that my family really liked. When I made this (sorry no pictures, it was before my blog was born; but when I make it again, I will photograph it and add the picture) anyway, when I made this I had 30 minutes to get a meal on the table before having to eat and take my oldest daughter to Tae Kwon Do; or else everyone would have been awfully hungry and grouchy if I would have had to make them wait.

This is a very easy recipe and very yummy! I got it from www.ricearoni.com where they have a fabulous dinner wizard that I use when I need something in a pinch and fast. It is just another source of quick food when my mind is having cooker's block (is there such a thing? Maybe it is something like writer's block...) ok here is the recipe with some serving tips at the bottom. Enjoy! (the comments in parentheses are my comments about this recipe)

Fajita Skillet

1 package (6.9 oz) RICE-A-RONI Chicken Flavor
2 Tbsp margarine, butter, or spread with no trans fat
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast strips
1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (I used a half of EACH red and green pepper)
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3/4 cup any favorite flavor salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or a mix of shredded cheddar and monterey jack, or Mexican cheese blend preshredded
Sour Cream (optional)

1. In a large skillet, combine the rice-vermicelli mix and 2 Tbsp margarine. Saute over medium heat until vermicelli is golden brown, stirring frequently.
2. Slowly stir in 2 1/2 cups water and special seasonings; bring to boil. (Basically following the package directions for the rice-a-roni)
3. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chicken, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Return to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add salsa; cook and stir until blended through. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with sour cream, if desired. (and who wouldn't desire sour cream? I don't know but we sure desire it)

Ok, my serving tips is this:
1. Use tortillas to make actual fajitas and scoop it into the tortillas, yummy that way.
2. Use extra salsa, cheese, sour cream, olives, guacamole and make nachos with it (this is what we did for leftovers for later while snacking and watching a movie)
3. Spoon it into hard shells or tostada shells for something extra yummy and then put the extra toppings on it for dinner.

Whatever you decide to do with this recipe, it is very versatile and the leftovers will not go to waste. It is just as good re-heated as it was when it was fresh cooked. So go on and enjoy this recipe, because I really like it. And what is nicer than tastes good and easy to prepare? I don't know... cheesecake maybe... that is another post entirely.. and coming the closer we get to holidays...mmmmmm mmmmm good!

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

It's what we are having for dinner tonight! Last night I fixed pot roast (yeah with my soda in it LOL) and tonight with the leftovers we are having Shredded Beef Enchiladas. It is a great way to reuse leftover roast so it doesnt sit in the fridge until you have to throw it away. Here is how you do it:

With your leftover roast, shred it (it should just fall apart into string like pieces if its cooked just right and my soda helps it to just fall apart). This recipe is a great time saver since you just mix and bake. You can dice up the onion, olives, and tomato the night before or while the oven is heating up.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas (the recipe)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2-4 cups leftover shredded pot roast (however much you have left)
1 can enchilada sauce (1/4 cup for the beef and rest for the top and bottom of the dish; I buy the largest can since I like my enchiladas saucy)
1/4 cup diced olives
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tomato (diced) (reserve some for the top)
1 can green chilies (reserve some for the top)
1/4 cup diced onion (reserve some for the top)
6-10 corn tortillas

Topping ideas
sour cream, guacamole, salsa

In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded beef, 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, olives, tomato, onion, green chilies, and 1/2 cup cheese. Mix well.

Spray a large casserole dish (8x13 rectangle works best) with cooking spray. Pour half the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom. Fill the corn tortillas with the beef mixture and roll. Place the rolled tortillas in the dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining beef mixture and tortillas. Top with remaining enchilada sauce, then 1 1/2 cups of cheese, then olives, tomatoes, green chilies; Bake for 30 minutes.

Makes a great meal served with a green salad. Serves approximately 6-10 servings.
*See below for baking directions after freezing meals*

If you didn't want this for dinner the next night, you can also buy some freezable compartment meal trays or foil meal trays and freeze these meals and cook them when you want them. A good meal is 2 enchiladas with some salad or vegetable of choice. This is a good option if one of the family members works some nights or evenings and the other family members can take them out and bake them themselves. This works especially good if you have a take-out happy hubby who never knows what to fix (like mine LOL). Making and freezing meals ahead of time saves money from going out to eat and you get more nutritious food than you would going out.

If you are going to make this meal for freezing for later, then bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. DO NOT bake before freezing. Put them together in the trays and then freeze. Good idea if you have a chest freezer on hand.



This is what it looks like before going into the oven.






This is what it looks like just out of the oven 30 minutes later. Doesn't that look yummy? The cheese is just melted and browned and the flavors mesh together perfectly and the flavor is out of this world!

Mexican Mac and Cheese

Everyone loves macaroni and cheese. Especially when it is homemade. But, when you make homemade macaroni and cheese there is so much left over since most recipes make tons for an army. So I have made up a new meal out of that left over mac and cheese and my family loves it. I have created Mexican Mac and Cheese. To do this, I just take my left over mac and cheese and add some things to it. Here is the recipe:

Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

Leftover macaroni and cheese
1 lb of hamburger (made into taco meat with any taco seasoning packet)
1 can of Rotel mild tomatoes with green chiles or 1/2 cup any flavor salsa
1/4 cup diced olives
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips (broken into small pieces)
sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa for toppings (optional)

First, cook the hamburger and drain the fat; make into taco meat according to package directions on taco seasonings. Shred your cheese. Crush your tortilla chips (any favorite chip will work). In a mixing bowl, take the macaroni and cheese and mix it with the taco meat, olives, rotel tomatoes or salsa and mix it good. Spray large baking dish with cooking spray and then place crushed tortilla chips on the bottom, then spoon in the macaroni mixture, top with cheese and a few of the olives and tomatoes if desired. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Top with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa if desired.

I usually serve this with a salad on the side and/or extra chips and salsa on the side. Now you have a brand new meal with what you had last night and its not like having the same old thing... again... Its something new!!