Tex-Mex Enchiladas

I know what you're thinking. "Wow Jessica, we've never known you to have such a nice looking picture of your food on your blog." Confession: I got this picture straight off the Betty Crocker website...which is where I got this recipe. Although (of course) I have adapted it slightly. Their picture just looked so much nicer than mine. Anyway, try these...they are EASY and DELICIOUS!
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Tex-Mex Enchiladas
(recipe adapted from Betty Crocker)
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1 can Progresso Traditional chicken cheese enchilada soup
1 can (10 oz.) red enchilada sauce (I used mild)
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded mexican blend (or your favorite) cheese
6 large flour tortilla's (could use corn if you prefer)
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Mix soup and enchilada sauce in a bowl. In separate bowl, combine 1 cup soup mixture with chicken, corn, mexican blend cheese and 1/2 c. pepper jack cheese. Spray 9x13 pan with Pam. Spread a little soup mixture on the bottom of the pan. Place chicken mixture in tortillas and roll up. Place in pan. Pour remaining soup mixture over the top, and finish with remaining 1 1/2 c. pepper jack cheese. Bake on 350 for 25-30 minutes. If desired, garnish with salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, etc.
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Note: These turn out a tiny bit spicy due to the pepper jack cheese. However, I am a baby when it comes to spicy food, and I was okay with these. If you really don't like spicy foods at all, you could try less pepper jack and more mexican blend cheese. You don't want to get rid of the pepper jack though, because it adds great flavor! Enjoy!

THE BEST Chicken Tortilla Soup EVER

To be honest with you, I really am not a fan of chicken tortilla soup...until now. This recipe is a life changer :). In fact, I just shared it with a group of women at my church, and they all raved about it. Most of them have come to me and told me they've already made it for their families and they loved it as well! Not only is it absolutely delicious, but it is E-A-S-Y! I promise you won't be disappointed with this recipe!


Here is the soup with some cheese on top! Yum!!




Here is a ladel full of soup right out of the crock pot so you can see all the yumminess about it :).
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Chicken Tortilla Soup
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2 cans shredded chicken (could use cooked/chopped breasts)
10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
4 oz. can green chiles
2 c. water
2 c. frozen corn (or 1 can)
15 oz. can diced tomatoes (I use petite diced for smaller chunks)
3/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic
14 oz. can chicken broth
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed
1 tsp. chile powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 T. dried cilantro
1 bay leaf
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Put everything in your crock pot and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. You can also make it on the stove, just let it boil softly until the onions are tender and the flavors have combined. Remove bay leaf and serve with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, avocado, tortilla chips, etc.

Mexican Lasagna

This picture makes this dish look so-so...but it's one of the hubb's favorite!! I am horrible at taking decent pictures of food...oh well. You really need to try this one though, it is SOOOO good and, again, EASY! And I know some of the ingredients dont have exact measurements. Its just kind of a dump in kind of recipe that's really hard to mess up!
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Mexican Lasagna
(recipe adapted from Kraft)
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1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
frozen corn (I use somewhere between 1-2 cups depending on how much you like corn)
bottled (not fresh) salsa (I use Pace's but any bottled salsa/picante works!)
sour cream
shredded cheese
3 large flour tortillas (could use corn, I just prefer flour)
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Brown ground beef, onion and green pepper until meat is done. Add chili powder and cook 2 minutes. Add corn and salsa. Just dump some corn in and keep adding salsa until its all really moist (I'd guess about 2-3 cups of salsa). In an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan layer 1/4 of the meat mixture, sprinkle on some cheese, and add a tortilla. Add another 1/4 of the meat mixture, a little layer of sour cream, cheese, and tortilla. Then 1/4 of the meat, cheese, tortilla. Finish with the remain 1/4 meat. Cover with foil and bak 375 for 25 mintues (note: pan will be FULL but it's okay!). Remove from oven, sprinkle on cheese and bake another 5 minutes uncovered for cheese to melt.
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Note: When I layer on the tortilla, I usually trim it to be a square that will fit the pan and take the strips I cut off the round sides and layer them on with the tortilla. Hopefully that makes sense. If not, just layer on the tortilla :). Another note, my dad doesn't like sour cream, so I've left it out before with equally delicious results.

Homemade BBQ Chicken

I found this recipe online, and it has become a favorite..especially since I always have the ingredients on hand. I experimented once and added onions to the sauce (as in the picture). It was good, but totally optional. To be honest, I usually make it without the onions, but it's good either way. My favorite thing to do is make this chicken with baked potatoes and use the extra sauce in the pan to drizzle on my potato! Yummy!! (This recipes doubles/triples/etc. well, I double it when making about 3 lbs. chicken.)
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Homemade BBQ Chicken
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2-3 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2 c. ketchup
1 T. mustard
1 T. worchestershire sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. water
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Place chicken strips in a 9x13. Combine all sauce ingredients in a pan, and bring to simmer. Pour over chicken making sure all chicken has been coated in sauce. Bake on 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Banana Bread

Banana bread is a comfort food. And there are maybe half a million recipes out there for it. I can't say I've tried all of them, because I stopped at this one. It is the best banana bread I've ever tried. But you can certainly make it and decide for yourself. It's so flavorful and moist and definitely a keeper!
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Banana Bread (makes 3 loaves)
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2 c. sugar
1 stick butter
4 eggs
3 c. mashed ripe bananas (I just use 8 med-lg bananas)
1/2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
6 T. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
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Blend sugar and butter. Mix in eggs. Add in bananas, sour cream, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt. Pour evenly in to 3 greased loaf pans. Bake 350 for 1 hour.

Better Than __insert favorite thing here__ Cake

I know this cake goes by all sorts of names, and regardless of what it is called, its just down right delicious. And easy. And did I mention delicious.
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Better Than _____ Cake!
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1 box German Chocolate cake mix and any ingredients called for on box
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar ice cream topping carmel
1 container cool whip
1 package toffee bits or heath bar bits
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Bake cake according to directions on box. While cake is warm (not hot!) poke holes all over with a butter knife. I actually kind of just make slash marks all over it. Pour sweetened condensed milk and carmel all over cake. I babysit it for a while making sure it soaks in evenly. Once cool, sprinkle half the bag of toffee bits on the cake. Then frost with cool whip and sprinkle the other half of the bag of bits on top. IF you have leftovers, make sure you keep them in the fridge!

Homemade Hot Pockets

These are so easy, yummy, and kid-(husband) friendly! Defrost some Rhodes Rolls (normal size, not the jumbo kind). They don't really need to rise, just be defrosted all the way through. Take two and squish them together and flatten them out in your hand. I usually fill mine with shredded cheese and diced sandwich ham. We have also tried pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. It is also really good to add veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc.) to these. (Cook the veggies a little first in a skillet.) Then just fold the dough around and pinch the bottom together. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet (spread apart, they grow!). Brush with a little melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake 20-22 minutes on 350. This is a great recipe because everyone can make them with what they like in them (bar style), you can experiment with different ingredients, and they reheat well the next day as leftovers! Enjoy!!

Tator Tot Casserole

This is one of those meals I'd call comfort food. I got it from my mother-in-law. It's easy and delicious. I made some the other night, and scooped some out to take a picture of, then changed my mind. It isn't the most photogenic food I've ever seen but it sure is yummy!
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Tator Tot Casserole
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1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 bag (2 lbs.) frozen tator tots
3 cans cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper, to taste
shredded cheese
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Cook beef with onion. Add soup and salt/pepper and mix. Spray 9x13, and layer tots on bottom. Cover with beef/soup mixture. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake on 350 for 1 hour.

Crescent Chicken

Some people call these chicken pillows or bundles. We've always just called them crescent chicken. When I was younger, I always asked for these for my birthday meal...and they're still a favorite although a little labor intensive!
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Crescent Chicken
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3-4 chicken breasts (boiled with a little dried onion, cut in bite size pieces once cooked, reserve 1 c. broth)
2 pkg. crescent rolls
1/4 c. butter
1/2 onion, diced fine
2 stalks celery, diced fine
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. milk
pepper to taste
additional milk for dipping
bread crumbs (I used Italian Style or Pepperidge Farm)
2 cans cream of chicken soup + 1 c. broth for gravy
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Saute butter, onion and celery until veggies soften. Add cream cheese, milk, pepper, and chicken. Combine well. Lay out and seperate crescent rolls (triangle shaped). Fold pointy end down towards one corner of the base so it makes more of a square shape and flatten out. Fill crescent rolls with chicken mixture. Tuck and seal corners underneath. Roll in additional milk, then crumbs. Lay on greased cookie sheet. Bake 350, 20-30 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Serve with gravy (2 cans cream of chicken soup + 1 c. broth, heated and mixed well). DELICIOUS!!!
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This makes 16 rolls. If you don't need that many, you can freeze half the chicken mixture, and only use one package of rolls. Then another night you can thaw the mixture and use a new package of crescent rolls for a fast dinner!!

Thai Pork and Vegetable Curry

This is a winner. Super easy...and tasty. I found red curry paste at Dick's Market (Walmart doesn't have it!)
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Thai Pork and Vegetable Curry
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
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1 lb. pork tenderloin or lean boneless pork, thinly sliced into bite size pieces
2 T. cooking oil (I used olive oil)
8 oz. (about 2 c.) fresh green beans, sliced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 red pepper, cut into thin bite-size pieces
2 green onions, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 14-oz. can reduced-fat unsweetened coconut milk (NOT cream of coconut!)
4 tsp. bottled red curry paste
2 tsp. sugar
2 T. lime juice
orzo pasta (looks kind of like rice but it's pasta!)
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Pour 1 T. oil into large skillet. Add pork, cook until no longer pink. (P.S. Totally worth using the tenderloin! It's so tender and delicious!) Remove from skillet. Add 1 T. oil to skillet, add green beans, cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add red pepper and green onion. Cook about 2 minutes more, or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add coconut milk, curry paste, and sugar. Stir until combined. Stir in cooked pork and lime juice. Heat through. Serve over hot, cooked orzo! So delicious!!

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

The best chocolate chip cookie recipe. Ever.

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Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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2 sticks butter

1/4 c. sugar

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 T. cream (or milk)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

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Brown the butter in a sauce pan. (If you've never done this before, basically put it in a pan, let it boil and watch it the whole time. Stir occasionally. It'll start to foam and rise, and that's when it has browned, so remove it from the heat. It should be carmel colored and have little brown bits in the bottom.) Pour browned butter into mixer (make sure you get all those brown bits... that is the flavor), add sugars and mix well. Add egg, yolk, cream, and vanilla. Mix. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix in chocolate chips. Bake 375, 10-15 min. until tops are golden brown. Yields: not enough cookies, double it!

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Here are some tips I learned when making these cookies. First, I double the recipe for sure and cut out a half stick of butter, and it's still plenty of butter - so no worries! Also, I found it needs a little more flour than this recipe calls for, so I add more slowly until its thicker like cookie dough should be (it also thickens as it cools so be careful!) Last, before you add the chocolate chips, cool the dough completely. I usually pop my Bosch bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Otherwise the chocolate chips start melting into the dough.

Fajita's!!!

So this is still in the pan...but hopefully you can imagine how tasty they are from this horrible picture :). And I'm just going to warn you now...this is the cheater (and much easier) version of fajita's...but they're so delicious!!
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Fajita's
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3 large chicken breasts (or steak)
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 onion
1 packet fajita seasoning (I used Lawry's but any kind is good)
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Cut chicken, peppers and onions into strips. Put a little olive in pan and cook chicken for about 2 minutes. Add peppers and onions. Cook, stirring often, until crisp tender. Sprinkle fajita seasoning on and add about 1/4 c. water. Continue cooking until the veggies are done as much as you like. Just make sure the chicken is done. And that's it! Serve wrapped in tortillas with cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, or whatever you want! They're delicious! Enjoy!!

Meatloaf and Baked Potatoes!!

I have a few recipes I consider "staples" and this is one of them. When I have nothing else to make for dinner, this is one of my go-to's! It is really easy to keep the ingredients on hand, and it's the most delicious meatloaf ever. I'm also going to tell you the secret to delicious, moist baked potatoes. Read on my friends!!
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Meatloaf
(recipe adapted from Lipton)
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2 lbs ground beef
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup (powder)
1 slice bread (I usually use the end which helps it not go to waste!)
2 eggs
3/4 c. water
1/3 c. ketchup
(plus more ketchup and brown sugar for topping)
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Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients (except topping) in a bowl until well combined. Pat mixture into loaf pan. Combine about 2-3 T. ketchup and 2 T. brown sugar and spread over top of meatloaf. Bake uncovered 1 hour on 350.
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Perfect Baked Potatoes
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Now in my picture, Aaron used the potato ricer (really cool kitchen gadget, if you don't have one, they have them at Bed, Bath and Beyond for under $10) and then smothered his potato with cheese and ranch. However, here is the secret to perfect potatoes!
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If I'm in a hurry, I will start by scrubbing, poking, then microwaving them. If they are large (Costco potatoes) I usually do 5 minutes, flip them, and do another 5 minutes. If they are smaller, I usually do about 3 minutes on each side, then bake. Or you can just skip microwaving them if you have more time, it just helps get them started and bake a little faster. Anyway, here is the secret. As you're wrapping them in tinfoil before you bake them, add a tablespoon or so of water into the foil with the potato. You don't need to measure, just dump some in there! Then bake as usual! They come out moist and delicious every time!! :)