Pumpkin Crunch Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

16 oz. can of pure pumpkin (not the pie filling stuff, just pumpkin)

1 can of evaporated milk

1 c. sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

3 eggs

dash of salt

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 stick of butter or margarine

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1/4 c. brown sugar

Beat eggs well in medium mixing bowl. Add evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into a 9x13 pan. If it's glass or non-stick coated, do not grease. Pour dry cake mix into bowl and add melted butter. Mix until just combined.  Crumble cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle pecans and brown sugar over cake mix.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set. Cut into bars and serve. I think they taste better cooled or even cold from the fridge the next day.

Rosemary's Chicken & Dumplings

Being the Pinterest freak that I am, I've come across quite a few recipes for Chicken & Dumplings but none of them come close to what I grew up on. There are no veggies in this pot. In fact, my grandma never even served this with a side of veggies...unless you count cranberry sauce as a vegetable, but more on that later. This recipe isn't healthy but not much true Southern cooking is in my opinion. However, it is fast. The secret is using canned biscuits instead of making your own dumplings.

Before you tell me that's gross, think about it. A dumpling is basically biscuit dough anyways. This is just a short cut. Plus, you can find reduced fat biscuits out there and that helps with the whole healthy thing, right? Just make sure you're using regular biscuits.The flaky, buttery ones don't work.

Now, on to the cranberry sauce. My grandma always served this with a big ol scoop of jellied cranberry sauce from the can. Now, I'm a huge fan of the stuff at Thanksgiving but this is the only other thing I eat it with and it works. Trust me.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs. of bone-in chicken breast. If you can find skin-off that is preferred.
2 Knorr chicken caldo cubes. They're in the Hispanic food section. Or 4 regular chicken bouillon cubes.
2 cans of buttermilk biscuits (not buttery or flaky, but plain jane)
1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. half and half or milk
1 tablespoon of butter
salt and pepper, garlic powder
1 can of jellied cranberry sauce

Skin the chicken breast and remove as much of the excess fat as you can. Place them in a deep stock pot and cover with water, about 1 inch over the chicken. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the caldo cubes. Simmer the chicken about 30-40 minutes or until cooked through, depending on the size of the chicken.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the dumplings. Place the flour on a plate and dip each biscuit into the flour to coat lightly. Roll the biscuits out until they are about 1/4 inch thick and cut into 4-5 strips. You will have a sizable pile of biscuit strips when you're done.

Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool. Reserve about two cups of the chicken broth. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle (or sooner if you're me and can't wait), remove it from the bone and shred into bite sized pieces.

Bring the broth back up to a rolling boil and add the butter and half and half or milk. Alternate between adding handfuls of dumplings and chicken, stirring after each addition, until it's all in the pot. If you need more liquid, add in the reserved broth a little at a time.

Taste it and see if you need more salt. Add in 1 teaspoon of pepper and a few shakes of garlic powder. Stir and taste to see if you need more. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve in a bowl with a scoop of cranberry sauce. This stuff gets better with age so leftovers are a must. Enjoy!

Whatever you call it, that stuff is awesome.

"That Stuff"


I've seen several variations of this recipe on Pinterest lately and decided to try it myself. Apparently this stuff has no consistent name and is frequently just called Pink Stuff, Pink Fluff, or just plain 'ol Fluff. When I initially made it, I figured my dear hubby wouldn't be interested in it because it wasn't chocolate or a brownie or a cookie. Boy was I wrong. I think I only got a few spoonfuls out of that original batch. He said "What is this stuff? It's awesome." followed by "Can you make some more of that stuff?" Hence the name.

Here are a few variations on the "original" that I've concocted. Just use the basic ingredients to get the Basic Stuff, then experiment with whatever additions you like. I've used either sugar free, fat free, or light ingredients each time and have been happy with the results and I am anti-diet when it comes to desserts.The recipes below are for a large batch, you can half them for a smaller batch with the smaller container of Cool Whip, 1 yogurt, and the smallest box of pudding. I store this in the fridge so it's fluffy but I'm sure you could store it in the freezer for a more ice cream like consistency.

Basic Stuff

1 Large container of Cool Whip, thawed.
2 6-8oz containers of vanilla yogurt (not Greek!!)
1 Large box of instant pudding in the flavor of your choice

Mix these ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl. I use one bowl to mix and store the stuff for easy clean up. It will take a few minutes to get the pudding powder mixed into the Cool Whip.

Cherry, Pineapple and Coconut Stuff
Basic Stuff made with Cheesecake, Vanilla, or White Chocolate pudding mix.
1 bag frozen cherries, thawed
1 small can of crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1/2-1C of shredded coconut, to taste

Mix fruit and coconut into Basic Stuff. Enjoy!

German Black Forest Stuff
Basic Stuff made with chocolate pudding mix.
1 bag of frozen cherries, thawed
1/2 C coconut
1/2 C chopped pecans

Mix fruit into Basic Stuff. Enjoy! Although I didn't think of it at the store, you could use chocolate yogurt here too.

Chocolate-covered Strawberry Stuff
Basic Stuff made with chocolate pudding mix
1 bag of frozen strawberries, thawed; or 2 C. fresh, sliced strawberries
1/2 C. mini chocolate chips

Mix fruit and chocolate chips into Basic Stuff. Enjoy!

Sunrise Stuff
Basic Stuff made with vanilla pudding mix.
1 small can of crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1 can of mandarin oranges in juice, drained
1/2- 1C of shredded coconut
1/2 C chopped pecans or macadamia nuts

Mix fruit, coconut, and nuts into Basic Stuff. Enjoy!

Is that the Red or the White?

Red Sauce Enchiladas

So these are a close second in my house when enchiladas are on the menu; the first choice being the Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. They are a ton easier to prepare and require far fewer ingredients. The flavor is amazing and you can control the spice easier than with the green chilies. The white corn tortillas are a must, yellow is just too tough and heavy. I use monterrey jack in the middle but have used cheddar in a pinch. A certain big box store around here only carries cheddar and mozzarella. Now, I am from Texas and, according to a few of my co-workers, cook more Mexican than they do, but I have no patience for rolled enchiladas. These are done in what you might call a layered casserole style but are in no way less Mexican for it. Plus, I think it makes it easier to cut and serve a crowd.

18 count package white corn tortillas.
8-10 cups of shredded monterrey jack cheese (or whatever cheese blend you like)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1 10oz. can of tomato paste
6 tablespoons of chili powder (any kind will do, no need to buy the expensive brands)
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
2-3 cups of water, depending on the desired thickness
*optional 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or 2 chopped chipotle peppers packed in adobo sauce (if you like it spicy)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. This will get messy so have plenty of room to stir. When the butter is melted, add the flour to make a roux and stir until the flour is incorporated.  Let it get a golden brown but not all the way to a dark roux stage.  Add in the tomato paste and stir to incorporate. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt and stir. Add in the cayenne or chopped chipotles, if using. Stirring is difficult at this point but it's important the tomato paste and spices do not burn.

Add the water, starting with 2 cups, a little at a time. I find a whisk makes this part easier (and messier). Once the paste, water, and spices are fully mixed, turn the heat to medium high and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the spices as necessary. If it's still a little thick, add in the 3rd cup of water and whisk again. You want it to be like a thick spaghetti sauce not tomato soup.

Meanwhile, cut the tortillas into 1/4th and get your cheese ready.  Reserve at least 1 cup of cheese for the top of the enchiladas. I usually pile at least 2 cups on top, but we really like our melted cheese around here. 

When the sauce has simmered, turn off the heat and move the pot to where you plan to assemble the enchiladas. I don't recommend assembling near the stove because you will have burnt cheese stuck to your burners for weeks afterwards.

Ladle 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole/lasagna pan.Top with a layer of tortillas 1/4ths, slightly overlapping them to cover the sauce. Next, a layer of shredded cheese. Continue layering sauce, tortillas, and cheese until you run out of one of them or hit the top of the pan. Top with the reserved cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden around the edges. Let it cool on the counter for about 5 minutes before cutting so the cheese can solidify a little. Serve with Mexican rice and Enjoy!

Smothered Steak and Oven Rice

This is another one of my Southern Grandma's classics.  It's like Chicken Fried Steak with the gravy attached.  The oven rice is the perfect complement to this dish and it takes care of itself in the oven like the steak cooks.  My grandma always cooked rice in the oven in an enamelware pan she received as a wedding gift in the late 1940s.  I inherited the pan about 10 years ago and have used it to make this rice ever since. Choose whatever veggie you like to accompany this and you're set for a real southern feast.



Smothered Steak   (serves 3-4)

6-8 pieces of round or cube steak, tenderized, about 1 1/2 pounds.
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1/2 cup, plus 2 tables spoons of all purpose flour, divided
2 cups of warm water
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper.  Place the 1/2 cup of flour into a shallow bowl, large enough to dunk the steak pieces in. Season the flour with salt, pepper and garlic powder (about a 1/2 teaspoon each).  Dredge each piece of steak into the seasoned flour and shake off the excess.  Allow the steak to sit for 5 minutes while you heat the vegetable oil on high in a heavy skillet with a lid.

Fry the steak until just browned , about 3-4 minutes per side. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through.  Remove the steak to a clean plate.  Pour off some of the drippings, if necessary, so that about 2 tablespoons remain.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the 2 tablespoons of flour to the drippings.  Stir until the flour is cooked down to a light roux, about 1 minute.  Slowly add in the 2 cups of hot water and stir to prevent lumps.  Add a little more salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Place the steak pieces back in the pan in a single layer. 

Cover and simmer on medium to medium low for 30 minutes (this is where you want to put the rice in the oven), flipping the steak over half way through and stirring occasionally to keep it from separating.  Watch the heat, you want the sauce to bubble and get thick but you don't want it to burn.  Add more water and stir if it gets too thick. Serve with Oven Rice and a little move gravy on top.

Oven Rice  (Serves 4)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

1 cup of long grain white rice (not instant)
1 can of Campbell's Beef Consume' soup
1 can of Campbell's French Onion soup (you can drain out some/all of the onions if you don't like them)
1/2 stick of butter, plus a little extra to butter your pan
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Butter the bottoms and sides of an oven safe dish with a tight fitting lid. Add the rice, soups, and butter and stir to combine.  Place the lid on the pan and bake for 30 minutes.  Check to make sure the rice is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.  If not, put it back in the over for another 10 minutes.  If the rice is still hard but the liquid is gone, add 1/2 cup of water before you put it back in. 

Remove from the oven and stir to combine the bits of onion.  Enjoy!

Tons of Veggies Shepard's Pie

So I've fallen off the blogging train for a while...work and vacations getting in the way.  Here is a recipe that I've adapted from one of Food Network Star Sunny Anderson's recipes.  I use ground turkey instead of beef and modify the veggies for whatever I have around the house plus the required squash and zucchini (per the dear hubby). I've also taken out some of the effort by using instant mashed potatoes, but if you're not pressed for time, go ahead and make your own. We happen to prefer instant, weird I know. 

Shepard's Pie

1 lb. ground turkey 85% lean or better.
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp of brown sugar
Garlic powder

2 medium or large zuchinnis
2 medium or large yellow squash
2 cups shredded carrots
1 medium onion
1 package of sliced mushrooms
Any other leftover veggies you have on hand.  Corn is great, brussel sprouts too.

2 pouches of instant mashed potatoes, any flavor, plus the milk, water and butter necessary to prepare them according to package directions.

Olive oil
Paprika
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat, add the turkey and break it up with a spoon.  While the turkey is browning, chop the zuchinni and squash julienne style or small, thin rounds.  The looks aren't as important and the similar size so they all cook at the same rate.  Keep an eye on the turkey and make sure to stir and flip it often.  Overcooked and dry is easy to obtain with ground turkey.

Once the turkey is cooked thoroughly, reduce the heat to medium and add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and S&P to taste.  Stir all ingredients together and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour meat mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.  No need to grease it first. 

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the pan on medium high heat and add the mushrooms and onions.  Cook the mushrooms and onions, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are brown.  Add salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind that you will do this at each level of the pie so don't over salt.  Add the mushrooms and onions to the casserole on top of the meat.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and add in the zuchinni, squash, carrots, and another other veggies you are using.  Saute, stirring frequently, until the veggies are tender but not soggy.  They may brown a little on the edges and that's fine. 

This step takes the longest so use the time to prepare the mashed potatoes according to package directions.  If they are a little stiff, add some extra milk.  They need to be loose in order to spread over the entire casserole. 

Once the veggies are done, layer them over the mushroom and onions in the casserole.  Dollop the mashed potatoes over the veggie layer and spread out with the back of the spoon. It should result in an inch deep layer, if not a little more.  Sprinkle a little paprika and the cheese over the mashed potatoes.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Let the casserole stand for at least 10 minutes after baking as it will be a little watery at first.  Enjoy!

This is How I Sausage Roll

Ah the Sausage Roll, great being of legend and lore.  First discovered during a trip to visit an old college friend and later perfected at numerous law school binge drinking events.  This little bit of heaven will, in the words of one fellow legal scholar, will "stop your heart" with its goodness. 

Now in my later years I have managed to make this concoction a bit healthier by using reduced fat ingredients. Now, before you scoff my absurdity and return to checking your Facebook page, keep an open mind.  I am no fan of less than full fat when it comes to dairy or pork, but this recipe does alright. I've never used fat free cream cheese due to concerns about the higher water content making things soggy, but if you're game, I say give it a whirl. Jimmy Dean makes a reduced fat mild sausage that is just as tasty as the original. I've only found it at WalMart and Tom Thumb.

Sausage Roll

1 lb of ground pork sausage;  regular, reduced fat, hot, or mild, your choice
8 oz. pack of cream cheese; regular or 1/3 less fat
1 roll of crescent rolls; regular or reduced fat
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350, or the recommened temp on the crescent roll package.

Brown the sausage in a skillet, making sure to crumble into small pieces as it cooks.  Drain on a paper towel if you're disgusted by the grease (I almost never do this).  Return the sausage to the skillet, reduce heat to low, and add the cream cheese.  Stir together until the cream cheese is thoroughly blended with the sausage.  Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit while you prepare the crescent rolls.

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray in the area where you will place the rolls.  Avoid spraying the entire pan because that stuff is hard to remove once baked on.  Roll out the crescent rolls in one sheet.  Push the perforated edges together so that it is a seamless sheet of dough. 


Spread the sausage and cream cheese mixture along the middle of the dough sheet.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper.

  Wrap the dough around the filling and form into a log. Bake according to the crescent roll package directions.  You may need to add a few minutes if it is not golden brown.  Don't let it go too long or the bottom will burn. 

Allow it to cool for five minute if you can and then slice into 2 inch portions and get your cardiologist on speed dial. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan and a Side of Pasta

So this one is very much a hybrid recipe.  I've taken techniques and ingredients from several recipes and make this one my own.  The from scratch sauce is awesome, but in a hurry a good old bottle of Ragu (or your favorite store-bought sauce) will do just fine.  I like to add a little more garlic, oregano, and some sugar to the bottled stuff.  The breadcrumb mixture is what really makes this dish, I think.  The panko crumbs give it a crunch without being extra breaded and heavily fried.  They do make Italian seasoned panko but it's hard to find. If you can't find it, just add some oregano, basil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to plain panko.  You can usually find it on the baking/bread crumb aisle or in the Japanese aisle. If you can find the thin cut chicken breasts, they make things so much easier. I hate touching raw chicken so not having to cut or pound it down is awesome.  If not, just place the regular breasts between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound to 1/2 in thickness with a meat mallet or heavy pan. Fair Warning: Your house will smell like fried chicken for at least three days after this, but it is oh-so-good!

Chicken Parmesan

Enough thin sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 1-2 pieces per person. (at least 2-3lbs)
3/4 c flour
3 eggs
1 box of Panko Japanese Bread Crumbs, Italian Seasoned or season you own as mentioned above to taste.
1/2 regular bread crumbs like the kind by Progresso.
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese, fresh or the kind in the green bottle
16 oz. block of mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/2 in. thick slices. 
Olive oil for frying the chicken

The Side of Pasta
16 oz. box of your favorite short cut pasta.  I like farfalle or mini penne.
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce or this home made version below:

2 large cans of Cento Whole San Marzano Tomatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 cloves of fresh garlic, finely chopped or grated with a microplane
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil, Oregano, and Salt and Pepper. Add more to taste.
1 tablespoon of sugar

Preheat broiler to high.

Saute onion in olive oil in a medium sauce pan until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute on medium/low heat.  Do not let it brown, burnt garlic is gross!

Empty the tomatoes and their juice into the pan and squish with your fingers or a wooden spoon into small pieces.  Add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar.  Stir and bring to a simmer. If the sauce is too thick, add water, a 1/4 cup at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally while chicken cooks.

Mix the bread crumbs, panko, and Parmesan cheese together in a shallow bowl/pan.  Wisk the eggs together in a separate pan and place the flour in a third pan.  Dredge the chicken in the flour, eggs, and then the bread crumb mixture and place on a plate to rest for at least 5 minutes.  Heat the olive oil, at least 1/2 inch deep, on medium high in a large frying pan.  When it just begins to smoke add the coated chicken.  Don't crowd the pan and work in batches if you need to.  Cook chicken until golden brown on each side, about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken.Transfer cooked chicken to a baking sheet topped with a wire cooling rack.

Place two pieces of the sliced mozzarella on each piece of chicken. Broil until cheese is melted and brown on the edges, about 5 minutes.  But check often if you're not familiar with how fast your oven broils. 

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.  You may want to time this so that the pasta is done just before the chicken comes out the oven. Pasta usually takes 7-9 minutes to cook and the chicken will probably broil that long, if not a little less, depending on your oven. 

Serve chicken with a little sauce on top and a side of pasta and sauce.  I like to make a little garlic toast to go along and a salad.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

This is one of my favorite hybrid recipes, the best of the past and the present.  It's based on a recipe from my Grandma Smith but with a few additions from me.  I increased the salt to 1 teaspoon to balance out the sweet of the bananas and chocolate chips.  The brown sugar on top makes a nice crunch and is a different kind of sweet than the chocolate.  The chocolate chips were at Paul's insistence, and I must say, I like them. Sparingly. Too many and it overpowers the banana flavor-- which is the whole purpose of this bread, right? I like to use pecans rather than the traditional walnuts.  Mainly because I hate walnuts.  But you can use whatever you'd like.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread 

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
2 eggs
3-4 ripe bananas, depending on size
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/2-3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and smash the bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Melt the butter and add it to the bananas.  Add the white sugar, 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla and mix.  Add flour and stir until mostly combined.  Add pecans and chocolate chips, stir until thoroughly combined. Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray.  Divide batter between the pans and top each with a half of the remaining brown sugar. 

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown. 

A Word About "To Taste"

I am no professional chef, although I dream about being one.  I'm a lawyer.  And as such, this is my legal disclaimer about "to taste" appearing in my recipes:

I learned to cook sitting on my grandma's kitchen counter with my feet in the sink starting at around age 5. Grandma was the best cook I've never known.  If you asked for a recipe she would most likely give you the "abridged" version.  Partly to protect her sovereignty over the dish and partly because she didn't have one written down to give you.  Most of what she cooked was passed down from friends and family and modified to suit her tastes. When I got old enough to write she would let me take notes while she cooked.  A lot of those early recipes have the words "to taste" written in them and that is how I have learned to cook over the years. 

To me, "to taste" means to add just shy of what you think it needs and then taste it.  Add some more, and taste again.  If you cook enough you know what you like and what you don't.  Unfortunately, if you're not a regular cook or you're a Type A personality, my recipes might frustrate you.  In which case, start with a teaspoon, or a half teaspoon if you're really a novice, and work up from there.  Take your own notes and perfect your version of the dish for next time.  The stronger the flavor a spice lends, the smaller increments you should take.

The only caveat I would have for that method is with salt.  I'm not a salt fan and a little goes a long way in my book.  Dear Hubby, on the other hand, can never have enough.  If I ask him if something needs anything, he always says salt.  Salt is one thing you can't take back or cover up with another spice without altering the dish or completely ruining it.  If your salt proclivities match mine, add the salt last and work in shakes and dashes rather than actual teaspoon measurements.  Be sure to stir well and taste in between.

Another suggestion, make sure the shaker lids on your spices are on tight.  I've had many an "Oh Sh!t" moment because I forgot to snap/screw the lid back on something and a shake became a dump. 

Since we are on the subject of disclaimers, here's another one.  Not all of these recipes are originally mine. I, like my Grandma, have taken dishes from other places and modified them for my likes.  Some are from other published sources like Foodnetwork.com and others are from my family.  But I figure that by the time I've worked on a dish enough to post it here, I've made it my own and no reference to their original source is required.  But that's just my culinary position, not necessarily a legal one.

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas, otherwise known as The Enchiladers

Mexican food is probably my second favorite genre to cook from, the first being Southern.  I'm making these tonight so I thought I'd post it here as well.

These enchiladas have passed the "Mexican Approved" test of both my Hispanic co-workers and Paul's.  The amount of cheese in them in probably illegal in most counties north of San Antonio, but I don't care.  You can use cheddar if you want, but I think Monterrey Jack and/or Chihuahua lend a better flavor against the bite of the green chili sauce.  The sauce is another one of my "if you knew what was in it, you might not like it" concoctions. It started with a mental check down of "what's green and goes in Mexican food?"  as for the tomatillos in a can, they are an awesome time saver. I csn only find them at Tom Thumb in thr Mexican aisle, next to the green chilies and enchilada sauces. Salsa verde in a can would work well in a pinch or if you can't find fresh tomatillos to boil.

This dish can get hot, depending on the chilies you end up with.  If you're not into that, I would use less jalapenos and make sure you get the seeds and the ribs out of the poblanos and jalapenos.  You might want to omit the green chilies as well.  I don't find them spicy, but then again, I like spicy.

It's a little time consuming so I would make this a weekend meal the first time you attempt it.  Over the years I've manged to wrangle it down to an hour and a half prep/baking time, which in my world is still acceptable for a weeknight. These Enchiladas are not rolled, but instead assembled in a layered casserole format.  It reheats beautifully and only gets better as it ages!

I always serve this dish with Spanish Rice which I learned to make from a white chick from Kentucky, my step-mom Marcie.  I will post that recipe later.  And maybe even my White Girl Proof Tamales which should never be attempted alone-- tamales are a group activity. I learned this the hard way.

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

1-1.5 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (more if you really want alot of chicken)
3 large poblano peppers
1-2 jalapenos, depending on how hot you like it. Seeds removed if you don't like heat.
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 sm. can of diced green chilies.
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves peeled.
2 cans of canned tomatillos or about 10 small fresh ones boiled.
Cumin to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste.
1 box of low sodium, fat free chicken broth
At least 4 cups of shredded cheese.  I probably use closer to 7-8 cups when we are not watching what we eat.  Monterrey Jack is preferred.  Chihuahua is expensive, I like to use about a cup for the top and use another kind of cheese for the inside.
12-15 white corn tortillas, cut into quarters. 
Optional: Sour cream. **This helps kill the heat if it ends up spicier than you'd like**

Turn your broiler on high and broil the poblanos and japalenos while you prep the other sauce ingredients.  Keep an eye on them and turn several times so they blacken evenly.

Chop the onion into quarters and cut the cilantro off at just above the plastic tie keeping the bunch together.  You just want to use the leafy parts, throw away the stems (and the tie).  Peel the garlic cloves and cut them in half.  Place all these into a food processor with the regular chopping blade attached.  You can use a blender, but you'll probably need to work in smaller batches to avoid a jam.  Add the green chilies and tomatillos, drained.

Once the poblanos and jalapenos are brownish on about 75% or more of their skins, remove from the oven and placed in a ziplock bag to steam the skins off.  Turn your oven to Bake at 350 degrees.

Wait about 10 minutes and then I tackle skin removal.  They are still hot as hell, but using a spoon to scrape off the skin helps.  Remove the seeds as well and the stems.  Place the flesh of the chilies into the food processor.

Add about a cup of chicken broth and pulse until things get going.  Process on high until the sauce is a uniform consistency and there are no giant cilantro stems/chunks of garlic.  Add more broth if things get thick.

Transfer the sauce to a medium pot, add enough additional broth to make a loose sauce.  Almost like a runny salsa.  It needs to be thick enough to keep the tastes together, but you want enough sauce to go around. I use about half of the box of broth.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, or more if you like the flavor; salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer on low while you prep and cook the chicken.  Make sure to stir often as it has a tendency to burn on the bottom. Not fatal, but a real B*tch to clean up.  

Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cumin to taste. Your method of cooking the chicken can vary based on availability and time.  I use my stove-top grill pan.  A frying pan on the stove or the George Forman works too.  Cook the chicken until done.  Chop into bite sized pieces when cool enough to touch.

In a 9x13 casserole (or whatever you typically use for large casseroles), ladle 1 cup of the sauce and spread it out.

Top with enough tortilla quarters to cover the bottom in a single layer.  Next, top with a handful of cheese (about 1 cup), 1/3 of your chicken, and another cup of sauce.  Repeat these layers until you're out of sauce, tortillas, and chicken.  I usually get about 3 layers in my Fiestaware casserole dish.  If you need a few more tortillas, use them.  Top with the remaining cheese.  I like a good inch of cheese on the top,--see above comment about illegal cheese-- but feel free to use less.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the cheese is melty and a little brown on the edges.  It will be a little runny when you first take it out, so let it cool for 10 minutes, if you can. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and the Spanish Rice.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

"You know what sounds good?"

This is how many of my food conversations start with my husband.  One of us, usually him, gets a hankerin' for something and I set about trying to find a way to make it, and make it better.  Last week it was chicken salad.  We've been trying to eat healthier so I wanted to make a creamy salad that wasn't mayonnaise based.  Greek yogurt is tangy like mayo but without all the fat.  It also will keep its composure over time and not turn watery., thus not leading to a wasted tub of disgusting goo.  Then I debated canned chicken over fresh.  Fresh won out, canned has an after taste I don't enjoy.  Roasting and deboning an entire chicken was a lot of work.  A grocery store rotisserie bird could be substituted without issue, they just happened to be out the day I went to the store. The rest of the ingredients, as with most of my creations, just came to me as I was putting it together.  At first I wanted celery, but hubby vetoed that.  Water Chestnuts gave the same crunch, but without the harsh taste of celery. I got my way with a little celery salt. The black olives were a nod to a particularly good chicken salad I had after a late night law school party. The finished product is great either cold or room temp, as a sandwich or atop a spring mix salad with tomato and avocado slices.  No extra dressing required.

1 4-5lb. whole chicken, either fresh or rotisserie; deboned and diced into bite-sized pieces.
1/2 c. plain Greek style yogurt. (I used fat free.) 
1/4 c or less mayo. I know I said no mayo, but I just had to have a little.  Add to taste preference.
1 can small black olives, rough chopped so you have some whole and some pieces
1/4 c white onion, diced small
1 can of sliced water chestnuts, diced small
1/2 tsp of celery salt.  This is the key to the whole thing, I think.Add more if you like the flavor a little stronger.
Salt and pepper to taste.  Taste it first.  The celery salt added enough salt for me, hubby needed more.
Dash of garlic powder.

If you like spicy stuff, a little sriracha chili sauce would be good here as well.

If using a fresh chicken, I recommend following the roasting instructions HERE..  Debone and chop the chicken, as well as the veggies.  Mix all the ingredients together. While it can be eaten right away, an overnight chill in the fridge really allows the flavors to combine.  The first batch lasted about a week and held up fairly well, just needed a little stir before serving.  Enjoy!