Recipe #21: Simply Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

• Source:  food.com via Pinterest
• 1 lb chicken breast , diced
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Flour tortillas , softened
• 1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese or 1 1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese , divided
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies

Directions:

1. In frypan, cook chicken and onion together in oil over medium-high heat until chicken is just done.
2. Divide cooked chicken evenly between 8 tortillas; add 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese to each tortilla.
3. Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in 9x13" baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.
4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan; stir in flour to make a roux; stir and cook until bubbly; gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to boiling, stirring frequently.
5. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and green chiles; pour sauce evenly over enchiladas.
6. Top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese (baking dish may be double-wrapped and frozen at this point) and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce near edges of baking dish is bubbly.

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Still on the shredded chicken kick.  So I didn't need to cook the chicken in the pan, but I did throw it in there to warm it up and let it blend with the onions.   I also took the advice of some commenters and added some cumin. 

 

The roux was very easy to make, easier than others I've made in the past. 

 

I was a little worried it was going to be too soupy, but after it was baked, it was fine.

I topped mine with lettuce, salsa and more sour cream and cheese.  (You can never have enough of these two things I believe.) 

 

Another simple and tasty chicken dish.  I think the kids would have even enjoyed this (they were out of town with their grandparents when I made it). 

 

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Ratings
Special Ingredients Needed:   None 

Ease of Preparation:  Easy. 
Taste:    Good.  Add some cumin for a little more flavor to the chicken.

Overall:  8 out of 10 

Recipe #20: Chicken Crescent Roll Casserol

Source:  tastebook.com via Pinterest

•  (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or swiss cheese (or any cheese of choice)
• 1/2 cup 18% table cream (or use whipping cream)
• FILLING
• 4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
• 4 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped (can use green onions)
• 2 large cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped (or use about 2 cups, can use cooked turkey)
• 1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (or use 1/2 teaspoon white salt or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise or whipping cream
• 1-2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Set oven to 350°F.
• 2. Butter a casserole dish (any size to hold crescent rolls).
• 3. In a saucepan, mix half and half cream, 3/4 cup grated cheese (can use more cheese if desired) and undiluted chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired).
• 4. Heat just until the cheese melts (do not boil).
• 5. For the filling --- (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder (if using).
• 6. Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined.
• 7. Add in 2 tablespoons whipping cream or mayonnaise; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry).
• 8. Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste.
• 9. Unroll the crescent rolls.
• 10. Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end.
• 11. Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom of the dish.
• 12. Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole.
• 13. Drizzle the remaining sauce on top (you don’t have to use the full amount of cream sauce, just use as much as desired) and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese, or amount desired.
• 14. Bake for about 30 minutes.

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I still had some shredded chicken frozen from those rotissiere chickens and this was another recipe that I kept seeing.  I knew my husband wouldn't much care for it, so I made it a few days before he came home.

 

The filling was easy enough to make.  I saw some commenters say they used it as a chicken salad sandwich filling.

 

 

The crescents rolled up without an issue.  I used the regular sized crescent rolls - I saw some people had used the larger size.  I guess I didn't even know there was a large size crescent roll!

 

I baked it for the recommended time and it looked pretty good when it came out.

On my plate:

 

The kids really liked this.  My 12-year-old son ate the leftovers for 2 nights.  I thought it was a little bland, but it would be easy to flavor it up a bit with some herbs and spices that you and your family enjoy. 

 

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Ratings

Special Ingredients Needed:   None 

Ease of Preparation:  Easy. 

Taste:    Good.   

Overall 

Recipe #19: Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

Source:  Quick Dish by tablespoon via Pinterest

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, poached and diced
1 14.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbls. Herbs de Provence
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 cans Pillsbury Grands biscuits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, frozen veggies, cheese, herbs and spices.

Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin and place the Pillsbury biscuits into each cup, pressing into the bottom and up the sides.

 Evenly spoon the pot pie mixture into each biscuit cup. Slide into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Check at the 12 minute mark.

Let rest for about 3 minutes and dig in!
   
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This recipe intrigued me.  There are an awful lot of recipes these days for cooking food in muffin cups.  It seems like an interesting idea, but probably not one my husband would probably not one hundred percent embrace.

 

But since he is still gone, I figured why not?  Plus, I had 3 rotissiere chickens from the grocery store.  (I buy them when they are marked down and then take the meat off the bones and freeze it.  Perfect for those times you needed some cooked chicken for a recipe such as this.

 

I mixed up the filling early in the afternoon and put it in the refrigerator.

 

 

I used a combination of cheddar and monterey jack cheese that I had already shredded earlier in the week for tacos.

When it was close to dinner time, I put the biscuits in the muffin pan.  It was pretty quick to press the biscuit dough into the pan - I had seen in the comments of this recipe that some people had had some issue with this, but I had no trouble at all.

Into the oven and 15 minutes later, dinner was ready!

 

The kids ate these like muffins.  They were a little leery of them at first, I think the name threw them off, but once they came out of the oven, both kids seemed interested.  I put some gravy I had over the top of mine and used a knife and fork.  They were pretty good.  

 

I'm not sure how these can be called cupcakes, since they are biscuits to me. 

 

I have a few still in the refrigerator.  I'm not sure how they'll heat back up, but I'll let you know! 

 

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Ratings

Special Ingredients Needed:   None 

Ease of Preparation:  Easy. 

Taste:    Good.   A little heavy maybe with the biscuits and the cream of chicken soup, but definitely filling.

Overall

Recipe #18: Slow Cooked Pulled Beef Sandwiches

Source:  makeaheadmealsforbusymoms.com

Ingredients
3 lbs. beef chuck roast
1 cup Bull’s-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce
1/2 cup Ketchup
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons spicy mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
 
Directions
1.  Turn the slow cooker on high heat.  Rinse the beef under cold water and place in the slow cooker.
2.  Combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl and pour over the beef.
3.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. 
4.  When the beef is done, place the beef on a plate and shred it with 2 forks.  Return the beef to the sauce and mix well.  Serve on a hamburger bun.
Makes 8 sandwiches

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Where do I start with this recipe?  Let's start with the big thing:  I did not make this in my slow cooker.  My slow cooker was slightly out of commission as I spent 3 days trying to get burnt honey out of it.  But I had this chuck roast and needed to get a dinner set for tonight.  So I did an Internet search on "converting slow cooker times to oven times", and wouldn't you know?  There is actually an eHow page that helps you figure out how long to cook something in the oven that's from a crockpot recipe. 

So I cooked this for 2-1/2 hours at 325 in a 9x13 pan covered tightly with foil.

After it cooked, I let it cool and shredded the meat and put all the meat and the sauce left in the pan in the refrigerator.  We had it for dinner tonight and it was very good.  I really like pulled pork and this was a decent alternative.  I served it on hamburger buns, and I of course added a slice of cheese, because why not?  

(I took the cheese off for the picture, so you could see how it actually looked.)

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Ratings
Special Ingredients Needed:   None 

Ease of Preparation:  Easy. 
Taste:    Very similar to pulled pork.  The sauce was excellent.  The flavor was very good the next day.

Overall:  9 out of 10 

Recipe #17: Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast Recipe

Source:  Six Sisters' Stuff via Pinterest

Ingredients:
1 (2-3 pound) boneless pork roast
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp dried basil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place roast in slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, oil and salt; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.

Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice roast; serve with gravy.

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So, my first foray back into new recipe land was not so great.  This recipe sounded great, but sometimes, you need to pay attention to the comments you find.  Several people commented on this recipe that they didn't care for the smell of the meal, and I have to say, I agree.  And that's a major turn-off for me.

The honey was burned onto the crock pot.  I followed the directions, but I suspect this is not a "set and go" crock pot recipe.  If I had been home and been able to keep a close eye on it, I think it would have been OK.  But because it was left all day, it just wasn't very appetizing looking when I got home.  Maybe this sauce would be better in an oven, where you can baste the pork and cook it for less time.  I may actually try it, now that I say that.

We pitched it and had pizza instead. 

They can't all be winners, right?

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Ratings
Special Ingredients Needed:   None 

Ease of Preparation:  Easy. 
Taste:    We actually never tasted this.

Overall:  1 out of 10  (because I don't feel I can honestly give this a 0 since we didn't try it.)

Where Am I?

I'm still around and I haven't abandoned this project already.  Honest!

My husband is traveling this month and the truth is, the kids and I tend to eat out fairly often while he's gone.  So I haven't tried any new recipes since he's been gone, though I am hoping to try some of these cookie recipes I've got stashed away.  :)

Hang in there!  I'll be back - I promise!