Green Chile Artichoke Chicken Wraps

Are you sick and tired of wrap recipes?! Sorry - they are too delicious! I keep making them!


Ingredients:

3 large chicken breasts cook and cubed
1 large 7oz can whole green chiles (or diced)
1 14 oz can of quartered artichoke hearts (be SURE to not get marinated ones)
Bag of Don Pancho whole wheat low carb tortillas (or your preferred wrap - next time Ill use the smart and delicious spinach wraps)
6 oz (3/4 brick) greek yogurt cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
just a dash of cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything and roll up into 8 wraps. Heres a trick Ive been using - I store my wraps in the tortilla bag in my freezer! Just pull one out and defrost for a minute in the microwave, then toast in your oven til heated through and crispy (about 4 minutes)

Light chicken taco salad

not my photo

This is a beal family special. Strange at first... And then terribly addicting! Even my kids will eat lettuce thanks to this recipe! A great way to sneak in a ton of veggies!

1/2
 head of lettuce chopped small
1/2 head cauliflower chopped small
2 diced tomatoes
2 carrots chopped small
1 large avocado diced
2 green onions sliced
I can olives sliced
1 can kidney beans
1 cup part skim mozzarella shredded cheese
2 chicken breasts
1 packet taco seasoning
Nacho Doritos
Light Ranch dressing

Cook and shred chicken. Add taco seasoning with 3/4 cups water and simmer briefly.
Combine chicken and all salad ingredients. Toss until well combined. Serve with crushed Doritos and light ranch dressing. Enjoy!

* feel free to sub ground beef or turkey or leave meat out completely!

Healthy Pan Seared Tilapia with Avocado

Photo from here

Another healthy dinner that was a winner!

4-6 Tilapia Filets
1T Paprika
1T Garlic powder
1T Oregano
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 Avocado peeled and sliced
* Sriracha sauce is optional

Rinse and pat dry fish filets.
Combine spices in a bowl
Spray frying pan with cooking spray
Sprinkle fish with spice mix
Fry in pan on each side for about 2-3 minutes, spraying with cooking spray as needed to prevent sticking. Edges will be brown and crispy, inside turns from translucent to white.

Top tilapia with sliced salted avocado on top, with a side of rice, and sriracha sauce to dip in.
Could also be served on a bed of spinach!

Lean Turkey Chili

Gabe is trying to shed some poundage so I have been cooking light. This recipe is super easy and tailored to Gabes picky chili standards. It takes a whopping 15 minutes to make and has basically NO fat and is very filling.

Ingredients:
1 pound of very lean ground turkey
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 small can chicken broth (can use vegetable or beef also)
1 large can of diced tomatos
1 can kidney beans
1/2 cup water
1T oregano
4 T chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1T hot sauce ( I used buffalo sauce)

Method:
Brown and crumble Turkey. Season with Salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a soup pot toss in 1/2 cup water, onion, garlic, tomatoes, hot sauce, and spices. Cook on high for 15 minutes or so, until very thick and onions and garlic are very soft. Dump in Chicken stock. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth. Salt to taste. Dump in cooked turkey and kidney beans.

Heat on warm in crockpot until ready to serve.
*Can top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and crumbled tortilla chips.

** You can easily make this vegetarian by eliminating the turkey and adding in carrots, celery, and even spinach before pureeing. Then put in a combination of black, kidney, and pinto beans and a can of corn before serving.

Chicken ranch tacos

Photo from Here

                                               
I usually always have these ingredients In my pantry on hand. And I like these tacos. Because they are healthy, not spicy, and my kids and people who don't really like Mexican food always eat them.

Ingredients :
Chicken
Ranch dressing packet
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese

Salsa:
1 can corn
1 can black beans
2 Roma tomatoes
1/4 diced yellow onion or 3 green onions
Cilantro
Lime

Bake and shred chicken. While hot sprinkle 1/2 the ranch packet on the chicken. Stir until chicken is coated and absorbs the powder.

Combine the second half of the ranch packet with 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup buttermilk. Shake in a jar and put in fridge.

To make salsa :
Combine corn, beans, onion, tomato , and chopped cilantro in a bowl. Juice 1 lime into the mix and stir.

To assemble:
Heat tortilla
Add chicken, cheese, lettuce, and salsa. Drizzle with a tablespoon or more of ranch dressing.
Enjoy!

Summer squash pancakes with goat cheese dressing

Over at Rachel Cooks they have an impressive variety of sweet and savory pancake recipes! I coudnt resist posting this one - its on my to try list now!

Summer Squash Pancakes:
8 ounces shredded summer squash (zucchini & yellow squash)
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 large egg – beaten
3-4 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Vegetable oil

Using a food processor shred your squash. Add squash to a large bowl and add shallots, egg, flour baking powder and spices.

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat and drop batter into oil (about tablespoons) and fry until crispy on both sides.

Top with goat cheese dressing and serve with salad and hot capicola.

Makes about 10 small pancakes.

*Note: If you notice the batter start to get runny just add a little more flour. The longer the batter sits the more water the squash will give off.
Source: Nutmeg Nanny

Creamy Goat Cheese Dressing:
2 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
3 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

In a blender combine all ingredients and blend until creamy.

Amy's Enchiladas (sweet chili lime)

                                                                    (image from cookie+kate)

6T honey
5T lime
1T chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pound cooked shredded chicken (3 small breasts)
8-1 flour tortillas
1 pound jack cheese
16 oz green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (you can sub sour cream if you want)

Mix honey, lime, and spices together and pour over shredded chicken.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight

Dump 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan

Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and shredded cheese (saving about 1 cup of cheese for the top)

Mix cream with remaining enchilada sauce and dump over pan of rolled enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese.
At this point you can FREEZE the pan...or bake at 350 for 30 minutes uncovered until brown and crispy.
To cook frozen meal - DO NOT UNTHAW. Bake at 350 covered for 1 hour, and uncovered for another 30 minutes.

* Gluten-free adaptation: Use corn tortillas and typically the green enchilada sauce contains modified food starch, so substitute with a green jar of salsa verde.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

In honor of St. Patricks day (and thanks to a very random cabbage craving...) I made stuffed cabbage rolls for dinner tonight. Ive seen a few recipes floating around out there so I kind of made up my own based on what I had on hand.


Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 diced green pepper
1 onion
1 head of green cabbage
1 1/2 cups grated mozzerella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 eggs
2T butter + 2T olive oil
1 jar red sauce (spaghetti, marinara, etc.)

Method:
Wash cabbage and peel off outer leaves if wilted. Carefully pull apart leaves, trying to keep them as whole as possible. Save the smaller inside leaves and set aside. Boil cabbage leaves in a large stock pot (immersed in water) until they turn BRIGHT green or the white parts turn translucent - roughly 5 minutes. Drain hot water off and fill pot up with cold. Let sit in cold water until you are ready to stuff them.

Heat up 2T of butter + 2T olive oil in a deep frying pan. Chop up all the bits of cabbage that didnt get boiled, and saute them along with your diced onion and green pepper until all everything is nice and soft. Dump into a large bowl and set aside.

In same frying pan, brown 1 lb of hamburger. Once cooked through, drain and dump into vegi bowl. Let it cool until no longer steaming. Then stir in cheeses and eggs (reserve about 1/2 cup of mozzarella for the top). Generously salt this mixture.

Dump half your red sauce to coat the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Drain your cabbage and just spoon your meat mixture into the center of each leaf. Roll up as well as you can, tucking in ends and loose bits as you go. Place seam side down in your pan.

Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle reserved cheese on top.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes! 

Chicken tikka masala

our annual pilgrimage to Bombay house took place last night, and it did not disappoint! in fact I woke up this morning and polished off all the leftovers. I'm such an addict when it comes to this dish so I hope you will try it! Sooo easy to make, naturally gluten free, and fancy enough for date night or company!

In a large tupperware combine:
3 cubed chicken breasts
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (I never have any so I make it without)
4 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Place in fridge covered for at least 2 hours or even overnight. Once it has marinated just put the chicken in a glass baking dish at 350 for about 35 to 45 minutes.

While chicken is baking, heat a large deep skillet to make the sauce:

1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala (McCormick makes this, find it at the grocery store)
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Sauté garlic and jalapeño in butter for a minute. Add in all the spices, tomato sauce, and cream. Stirring occasionally, cook until sauce thickens about 20 minutes.
Add in chicken and top with fresh cilantro. Serve over jasmine rice with a side of naan bread!

Pumpkin + Goat Cheese Lasagna

(Image: foodies.blogs.gadsdentimes.com)

Sometimes you just have a craving for something strange. This dish was the perfect solution to one such night late in October. I blame all the pumpkins lit up with their angry toothless mocking faces. So I baked one into a lasagna. Take that pumpkins.




PUMPKIN AND GOAT CHEESE LASAGNA

1 pound dried lasagna noodles

Goat Cheese Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese, freshly grated Parmesan cheese or mascarpone
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Filling:
29-ounce can pumpkin purée
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh creamy goat cheese
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Topping:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

First, prepare the lasagna noodles: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and fill a large mixing bowl with ice and water. Boil the noodles until al dente, tender but still very chewy, about eight minutes. Drain them and immediately transfer to the bowl of ice water. Lightly oil a baking sheet with some olive oil. Drain the noodles from the ice water, and arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet, not overlapping. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, start the Goat Cheese Bechamel Sauce: In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Continuously stirring with a wire whisk, sprinkle in the flour; continue cooking, constantly stirring, for five minutes. Briskly whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Stir in the goat cheese, salt and pinch of nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer and continue cooking, frequently stirring, until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

To make the Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, thyme, sage, nutmeg, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, mascarpone, 1/4 cup Parmesan, brown sugar, goat cheese, salt and pepper. Stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

For the lasagna assembly: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat the inside of a 13-by-9-by-3-inch lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread a third of the pumpkin mixture on the bottom of the pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, placed lengthwise side by side. Spread another third of the filling over the noodles, and top with 3/4 cup of bechamel. Top with another layer of pasta, the remaining filling and another 3/4 cup of bechamel. Cover with a final layer of noodles, and all the remaining bechamel. Evenly sprinkle with the 1/2 cup each of breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray, and place it sprayed side down over the lasagna pan, folding the edges over. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake until the topping is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, and let the lasagna settle for 10 minutes. With a sharp knife, cut it into rectangles or squares. Use a spatula to transfer them from the pan to serving plates.

Serves 10 as an appetizer, six as a main course.

Penne Rustica

This is one of those divine dishes that you simply MUST try. It looks involved. And complicated. (and well, it kind of IS) And BELIEVE me when I say that it is BAD for you. Very very deliciously bad. 

And so you gain five pounds. worse things have happened.

Penne Rustica





Gratinata Sauce:
2 teaspoon Butter
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 cup marsala wine
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream


Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown but do not burn the garlic.
Add marsala wine and then reduce by one-third. Add remaining ingredients and reduce by half of original volume.
Set aside.


Penne Rustica:
1 oz. pancetta or bacon
18 shrimp peeled and deveined
12 oz. grilled chicken breast, sliced
4 1/2 cups of granita sauce
3 lbs. cooked Penne Pasta
3 teaspoons pimentos, minced
6 oz. butter
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
1 pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary


Saute pancetta until it begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pick but still translucent, you do not want to overcook the shrimp or else it will be rubbery. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add granita sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and simmer until the sauce thickens.
In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.


* I NEVER BAKE MINE. Who can stand to wait an extra 10 minutes????

Martha's onto something...

*I recently tried out this Martha Stewart Living recipe, mostly due to the fact that it was gluten free and it called for leeks, which I had never cooked with before. It was a pretty good hit with the fam, but I would add more spice if it were me. The end result was a bit bland, despite the cayenne.

Baked Leek, Potato and Parmesan Frittata
Active Time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Water
4 leeks (about 1 pound) white and pale-green parts only, rinsed well and sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Coarse salt
8 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 Cup part-skim ricotta cheese, drained
1/3 Cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. Brush a 9-inch square baking dish with oil. Bring water to a simmer in a medium skillet over high heat. Add leeks, garlic and potatoes, season with 1/2 tsp salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until potatoes are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

2. Whisk together eggs, whites, 1/2 tsp salt, and the cayenne. Fold in potato mixture and ricotta. Mix in 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into dish, and sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake until edges are set, about 12 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and bake until set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into 8 squares.

"Russian" Manicotti

Whip this recipe up for your Babushka next time you want to impress her with your cooking skills! And dont worry - the Vodka is already in the sauce and guaranteed to only make you drunk with delight! * Dont let the steps scare you off - its an easy dish to prepare although it looks involved at a glance!

Ingredients:

1 box of manicotti shells

1 jar of Bertolli Vodka sauce

1 16 oz container of cottage cheese ( I use small curd low fat)

2 cups of frozen spinach

2 cloves of garlic (2T of pre-chopped jar garlic)

2T butter

2 cups of grated mozzerella cheese (divided)

2 eggs

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with paprika, basil, salt, pepper, and any other italian spices you like. Drizzle with olive oil, cover dish with foil, and Bake in the oven at 350 until it is incredibly soft and falling apart ( frozen breasts usually take about 2 hours). Remove from oven and let sit in juices covered for at least 15 minutes. Then shred in dish and set aside to cool ( I never drain off the oil/juice - it keeps things moist and soft)

Cook Manicotti noodles according to directions - but drain them while noodles are still slightly uncooked. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO COOK IN THE OVEN! Set aside resting noodles in strainer.

In saucepan combine butter and garlic until butter melts and garlic browns. Add spinach and enough water to cover. Cook over med/hi until spinach is completely defrosted and cooked. Just a few minutes will do. Make sure you season well with salt and pepper. Drain and squeeze excess water out of spinach. Dump spinach into large mixing bowl. 

Add Entire carton of cottage cheese to spinach. 

Add shredded chicken 

...........> Make sure spinach and chicken arent HOT before proceeding with next steps!

Add 1 cup mozerella cheese to mixture

Add 2 eggs and incorporate well

Get your 9x13 baking dish ready by spooning enough vodka sauce to cover the bottom of it.

Take mixture and spoon it into a gallon sized ziploc bag. Snip the end about 1/2 inch to make a 'pastry bag' of sorts.

Take manicotti noodles and squeeze filling into one end until the noodle is stuffed with the mixture. Lay in pan on top of vodka sauce. When all your noodles are filled and laying in the dish, dump the remaining Vodka sauce over everything so all the noodles are covered. Then sprinkle with remaining cup of grated mozzerella cheese. 

Cover with Foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes - or until sauce is bubbling throughout the dish. You can also insert a fork or knife into a manicotti to see if it looks runny inside. Remember all we are cooking is the egg in the mixture. 

Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to crust up the cheese a bit. 

Remove dish from oven and let sit for 5-20 minutes before serving. 

Serve with Garlic bread slices

ENJOY!!!

*** after you stuff your shells you will have about 2 cups of stuffing mixture left over. See our Recipe Rewind for ALFREDO LASAGNA BAKE on how to use your leftovers later in the week!!! ***

Homemade Hot Pockets

Oh the canned goodness of prepared biscuit dough. Seriously, it may be the perfect food to begin any number of fantastic dinner combinations....thank you Pillsbury! Here is a classic recipe that can be tweaked for any sort of 'fridge clean out' night you may be having. Tonight for us was one such night, and I am always amazed at how good these turn out every time!

Shopping List - Feeds 4
This version is called Chicken In A Biscuit:

1. 1 can of refrigerated biscuit dough
2. 1 lg can of chicken (by the tuna) or 1 cup cooked and shredded chicken 
3. 1 rib of celery diced small
4. 2-3 small green onions sliced
5. 3 T Mayo
6. 4 oz cream cheese
7. *bacon is optional
8. Can of Cream of Chicken soup
9. 4 T Sour cream

Preheat oven to 375

In bowl mix chicken, onions, celery, mayo, *bacon, and cream cheese together. Salt and pepper to taste.

On a cutting board pop open dough and roll out circles until flat

Place 2-3 T of chicken mix on top of one biscuit round

Top with another biscuit round and pinch sides together to form a pocket

Place 4 pockets on greased cookie sheet

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden Brown

In saucepan combine cream of chicken soup and sour cream, heat through.

When pockets come out of oven, spoon sauce on top and SERVE! 

Variations for this recipe include:

Cordon bleau pockets - stuff with ham, swiss cheese, diced chicken, cream cheese, and onions

Mexican pockets - sub diced green chiles for the celery, add 2T salsa to cream cheese, hold the bacon!

Farmhouse Pockets - (great for breakfast!) - combine scrambled egg, cooked potatos or hashbrowns, bacon or ham, green onions, peppers,  & shredded cheddar cheese.

All American Pockets - stuff with hamburger, bbq sauce, onions, and cheddar cheese

Poor man pockets - stuff with Tuna, mayo, onion, and cheese

Drunken Sailors

So.... another pregnancy craving drove me to try this recipe. If you are feeling a little scandalous I urge you to give it a try! And of course it involves the deep fryer, so you know I recommend it! I call it Drunken Sailors....but really if you must know they are Fish tacos battered in beer.

Shopping List:


3 Fish filets (I recommend tilapia, but Halibut is probably great if you are a high roller!)
Small corn tortillas - 2-3 per person
Bag of shredded cabbage


Oil for frying


Batter:
1 - 1 1/2 cups of Beer  I used Budweiser because I couldnt tell you a thing about beer, and I couldnt bring myself to go buy it, so my bff Amy did the dirty work for me! Thats the sign of a true friend - willing to embrace the appearance of evil for you!
1 cup of flour
3T corn starch
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste - be generous


White Sauce:
1 T minced capers
1 minced jalepeno
1T Cumin
1/2 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (go easy if  you dont want heartburn!)
4 oz plain yoghurt
4 oz mayo

1. Get out yer deep fryer, fill with oil, and start heating it up!
2. Whip together the white sauce ingredients and set aside. Dont skip the capers or jalepeno - it seems minimal but the sauce was DIVINE and wouldnt be great without them. 
3. Next, cut your fish into strips. Gently coat in some flour.
4. Whip up the beer batter ( mix together dry ingredients, then add wet)
5. Dredge floured fish strips in batter until well coated. 
6. Drop in deep fryer or skillet. Fry until golden brown.
7. Place fish in corn tortilla, top with shredded cabbage, and DROWN it in white sauce!
8. Enjoy your drunken sailors!

The Old Standby -

I thought I would do a post for something really easy~ Mashed Potatoes & Gravy. I actually really like making gravy (and eating it too). This batch was so good that I made today after church I thought I'd put it in print.



I had cooked a roast a few days ago and had some left so that is the basis for this Gravy.

In a skillet put in:

1-2 cups cut up roast (or any leftover meat)
1 small onion chopped
1 can sliced mushrooms
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper.

Simmer over med heat until onions and the meat brown (its okay if you burn it a little - it just adds to the flavor.) If you need more moisture add in 1 tbls water.

Turn off the heat and stir in 3 tbls flour until all the meat & stuff is coated. Stir in 1 can of chicken broth and mix well. Add in 1-2 cups of potato water (from your cooked potatoes) stirring in a little at a time until it thickens to your desired thickness.

Pour over your creamy mashed potatoes. Hint: instead of milk in your potatoes add in some chicken broth - and some butter of course.

Potato Casserole

I never cook with a recipe but here goes. You can down-size it since we made an extra large one as you can see! You really can't mess this one up. You can use frozen hash browns if you are in a hurry; green onions; etc. Everyone is sure to love it! make lots and freeze some.

1 large turkey roasting aluminum foil pan (who wants to wash dishes?)
Place foil pan on a sturdy cookie sheet

cook 10 large potatoes (wash and leave the skins on; cut in 3rds and boil for approx 25 mins - until almost done). drain & let cool a bit and remove the skins. Dump into pan and cut up with a knife until you have the desired size.


chop one large white onion and put in sauce pan on the stove with 2 sticks butter. Add some salt & pepper. Cook over med heat for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and add 1 1/2 cans Cream of Chicken soup and 4-5 cups sour cream to mixture.


Pour mixture over potatoes and turn over with a large spoon until it is mixed throughout the potatoes. If you need more moisture you can add some milk to it.


Top with 5 - 6 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Spread evenly over top.


Wrap 2 large sheets of tin foil (2 1/2 ' sheets) on both sides of the pan to catch any overflow of cheese :) leaving the center of the pan uncovered.


Bake at 350 for 1 hour then add cornflakes (1 reg size box of cornflakes + 1 stick of melted butter) to the top. I take the cornflake bag unopened and smash it with my hands until they are all broken into smaller pieces then I cut open 1/2 of the top of the bag and pour in the melted butter. Holding the top where you cut the bag gently shake until all the flakes are coated with butter. Dump on the casserole (no need to take out of the over - just pull out the rack and dump on the cornflakes and use a long-handled utensil to spread them around. Bake an adittional 30 minutes or until bubbly. Cool a bit & Enjoy!

Perfect Southwest Casserole

I had a roommate in College from New Mexico. Her name was Ana Min and even though she was tall, leggy, blonde, and could whip up divine meals - we got along top notch. So to show my love for her I stole this recipe and passed it off as my own. I know you will love it as much as I do:


Preheat oven to 350'
Set aside
3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
Small bag of white or yellow corn tortillas torn into pieces (about 4 each)
1-2 lbs Shredded Cheese


In saucepan melt:
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of mushroom
1 small container sour cream
1 large can diced green chiles


In 9x13 pan layer like a lasagna. Start by spooning sauce to cover bottom of pan. Next cover sauce with torn tortillas. Toss on some shredded chicken over tortillas. Drop spoonfuls of sauce over chicken (cover well). Top with shredded cheese. Then layer with more tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese. Repeat layers until your pan is full. Top with cheese, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes. Let sit 20 minutes, then serve!