Sour Cream [ GREEK YOGURT] White Chicken Enchiladas

Makes 8 enchiladas

3/4 lb chicken breast, shredded
1 to 1 1/2 cups refried beans
1 heaping TBSP dried onion flakes, or 1 tsp onion powder
8 flour tortillas, softened (8 inches each)[ *I use LA BANDERITA [found at Walmart] Low Carb - they are soft and easy to work with right out of the package, plus 6 grams of Fiber EACH!]
2 cups sharp white Cheddar [ or whatever kind you like]
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP flour
2 cloves garlic, minced/crushed
2 cups chicken broth
1.5 cups sour cream [ or I **PREFER** to use non fat greek yogurt. It honestly tastes just like regular Sour Cream with no fat and considerably more Protein. WIN/WIN]
4 oz. chopped green chilies

Directions:

*if desired: Garnish with thin sliced green onion or chopped parsley.
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 I put the butter, 2 cups water, chicken bouillon enough for 2 cups of broth, onion powder [or dried flakes], and garlic powder, in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 3 minutes. Add flour, whisk till smooth. Add cheese, heat another 1 minute and 30 seconds. Whisk again. Add Greek yogurt. Whisk some more. There is your sauce.

Now I like to boil a whole 3 Lb lb bag of chicken breasts at a time [about 45 minutes to an hour from frozen state] and then separate them into roughy 1 LB portions in freezer baggies, and freeze those babies.

So I pull about 2 frozen cooked chicken breasts from the freezer in the morning. when thawed, shred those babies and put them back into their baggie and back into the fridge until ready to use.
 In small sauce pan I put the green chilies, 1 cup of refried beans, and 2 heaping TBSP of greek yogurt, and the shredded chicken. Stir together and heat on low to med-low while making the sauce.

I pour a bit of the sauce into the pan before I start adding Enchiladas, then add a bit [ 1/3 cup of sauce to the filling mix]. Roll those puppies up, cover with remaining sauce and bake at 400F for 25 minutes until bubbly and lightly browning on top.

Barbecue BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

Serves 4-6 [depending if you add more veggies]

• 8-10 tortillas [sundried tomato would be good too]
• 2 cups chicken, shredded
• 1 small vidalia onion [or white or yellow works too, vidalia are a tad sweeter]
• 1/2 medium yellow, green, or red bell pepper, diced small
• 2 whole green onions, chopped small
• *optional* 1 cup black beans, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup [give or take, depending how much you like] your favorite barbecue sauce
• sour cream to taste [ I like to put about 1/2 cup in a plastic zip sandwich baggie, and snip a tiny piece off of one corner, so I can squeeze drizzle lines of sour cream just where I want it]

                                                             

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Slice the onion, and green pepper, sprinkle with salt and add it to the pan to caramelize – about 10- 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl when finished.

1. To assemble quesadillas, add some cheddar cheese on the bottom. Top with layer of chicken, a drizzle of barbecue sauce, drizzle of sour cream, caramelized onions [and green peppers], sprinkle of chopped green onions [about 1 TB per Quesadilla], and bit more cheese on top.
2. Heat the same skillet you used for the onions on medium heat and spray it with cooking spray. Add quesadilla to the pan, letting cook on each side about 5 minutes, or until tortilla is crispy and cheese is melted.

 **I also like to add some corn, and diced tomato [1 heaping TBSP of EACH per quesadilla] to these to get a nice complete meal out of the deal**

Crispy Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Servings: 4-6

Chicken filling:

2 large skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves

2 cups water

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes

1 (7 ounce) can chopped green

chilies, divided [ I use about 2 TB]

1/2 cup diced onion [1 tsp onion powder]

3 large cloves garlic, minced [1 tsp garlic powder]

4 (8 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese [ I used sharp white cheddar]

sour cream

shredded lettuce

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Place the chicken breasts into a large saucepan. Pour in the water, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 35 minutes.
2.
Remove the chicken, shred, and return to the onion mixture.

3.

Remove Chicken from liquid with slotted spoon [don't worry if a little juice comes along for the ride]. Roll up about 2/3 cup portions in tortilla and spray with cooking spray, or lightly brush with oil [canola/vegetable/ or EVOO]. Place on foil-lined baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with non stick spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes--until golden in color.

4.
Remove pan from oven and immediately sprinkle [read: LOAD] with cheese while hot. [ replace back in oven if you want to help melt the cheese more quickly.] Then top with sour cream just prior to serving.

** Or** 

I made a white cheese sauce [see below] and served the chimis on a bed of shredded lettuce, covered in the sauce, with refried beans [also with a bit of the sauce], and mexican rice as sides. Soooooo GOOD!

WHITE CHEESE SAUCE:

1 cup milk

1 TB butter

1 TB flour 

1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar

1/2 grated or shredded Parmesan

1. In microwave safe bowl or 32oz. glass measuring cup stir milk and flour until smooth then add butter and heat for 2 minutes in microwave.

2. Stir well, then add 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar [or whatever cheese you prefer]

 plus 1/2 cup grated or freshly shredded parmesan.

3. Stir well [again] and heat for 1 or 2 more minutes.

4. Stir until smooth [again] when thoroughly heated. Pour over goodies.

Nana Hank's Mexican Lasagna

My wonderful mother in law made this fantastic lasagna for my birthday dinner last weekend, and I loved it so much I am making it again for my family tonight.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 TB chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup onion, chopped [or 1 tsp powder, or 1 TB dried, minced]
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed, or fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, [yep, the green ones!]- the multi-grain ones are good too!
• 3 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar
• 3 or 4 scallions, finely chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add turkey and season with chili powder, cumin, and onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Spray 9 X11, or whatever similar sized baking dish you have, with cooking spray. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with scallions and serve.

This Cook's Notes: ok, I added about 1/2 cup worth of the white part of the scallion, thinly sliced, to the meat mixture [in addition to the onion powder listed above] and saved the dark green parts for on top.

I also added 1 large tomato, diced, just because I wanted to!

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Yields 6 flautas
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes

Baked flautas stuffed with seasoned, shredded chicken, spinach, and cheese are crispy, but don’t have the greasiness of fried versions.

This is what mine looked like using whole grain tortillas and generous amounts of Monterey Jack cheese. YUM!!

Ingredients
2 large boneless, skinless Chicken breasts [boiled and shredded]
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 cup refried beans *optional*
3 cups Baby Spinach, chopped [I used frozen, thawed, about 2.5 cups before thawing]
1 TB dried onion flakes, of half of small onion diced small
6  10 inch tortillas shells [ I used burrito sized whole grain]
2 cups grated Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese

Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 450*F.
2. Put the chicken breasts in a deep sided saute pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. Mix together the chicken, seasonings, and refried beans [if using].
3. Pour out all but 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the spinach and TB dried onion flakes, and cook over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. [I did all this in a microwave safe bowl for about 2 minutes]
 4.  Add spinach to chicken mixture.
5. Spoon  (about 1/2 cup) chicken, spinach mixture one edge of tortilla. Cover with about 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Roll the tortilla up, leaving ends open,  and place seam-side down on a well sprayed, aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
6. Spray  the flautas with cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden and crispy crispy.

Serve with sour cream and/or salsa

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

My ACTUAL Mexican Chicken Lasagna with only single layer of tortillas for layers

1/2 pound shredded chicken
1 cup black beans
1 cup refried beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 [14 oz] can petit diced tomato, drained [half saved for top layer]
1 cup corn
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups mexican blend cheese cheese
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
12-15 (6 inch) corn tortillas, halved [for more defined layers I'm now using Whole Grain tortillas]
1 TB onion flakes, or small onion , diced
1 TB Chili Powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

Directions

1. In a medium sauce pan, boil chicken 45 minutes [if frozen]. Remove and cool, then shred.
2. In large skillet: stir in beans, corn, half of diced tomato, salsa,  seasonings; bring to a boil. Toss in the shredded chicken. Mix well and simmer 10 minutes
3. Spread thin layer of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 9X11 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Place double layer of tortillas over the sauce, break in halves if necessary. Spoon half of the meat/bean mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese 
4. Pour thin coating of enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining meat/bean mixture over double- tortillas and cover with one final layer of corn tortillas, rest of enchilada sauce, other half of diced tomatoes, then coating of cheese. 
5. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes in the 350 degree oven. 
6. Remove foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until cheese melts. 
7. Serve with sour cream, *plus optional diced tomatoes, black olives, and/or shredded lettuce*

For prettier layers, only combine tomatoes, salsa, spices, tomato sauce. Then layer chicken , black beans, and corn separately, about 1/2 cup of each per layer, sprinkle with cheese. 

Over top layer of tortillas spread rest of sauce, hearty layer of cheese, and a light sprinkling of black beans, black olives, and corn. Tent the foil over the top to keep if from pulling off all the cheesy goodness.

1. 
   

Old School Enchiritos like the kind Taco Bell *Used* to make back in the 1980s

Taco Bell reintroduced these a few years ago, but what they are today is a pale, pale, imitation of what the used to be. 

THIS is the recipe for the Old School original, the way I remember it.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef or turkey [93% fat free]
1.5 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika

1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup water
1 can refried beans
10 small flour tortillas (fajita size)
1cup, finely diced onion [1 small onion, diced]
2 (10 ounce) cans enchilada sauce *I like mine SAUCY, You could get away with just using 1 can*
2 [ or 3- I LOVE me some cheese!] cups shredded cheddar cheese
small can sliced black olives, drained

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the meat with the water in a skillet over medium-hi heat. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula, and break up the meat thoroughly as it cooks.

Heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until browned. The finished product should be very smooth with no large chunks of beef remaining. Add seasonings to the meat and combine well. [just like you do when making tacos]
Spray a large casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray.

• Spoon about 3 tablespoons of refried beans down the center of each tortilla.
• Spoon 3 tablespoons of meat on top of the beans, followed by a couple teaspoons of finely diced fresh onion.
• Fold the two sides of the tortilla over the beans and meat and carefully place in the casserole dish.
• Pour all of the red sauce over the top of the enchiritos, then sprinkle  the shredded cheddar cheese over the top, and finally the sliced black olives.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit  for 30 minutes]. 

*Garnish with sour cream if desired. *

Ooey Gooey White Chicken Enchiladas

[no red sauce or tomatoes] 

White Chicken Enchiladas
*WARNING* In my book there is no such thing as too much cheese 

~INGREDIENTS~

~Sauce~
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
 3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt

~Filling~
1/2 can refried beans 
1 tablespoon margarine
 1 onion, chopped
 1/2 tsp garlic powder [or 3 cloves minces garlic]

 1 tablespoon chili powder
 2 medium sized cooked chicken breast , chopped or shredded
 1  4 oz. can chopped green chile peppers, drained
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese 

5 or 6 (10 inch) Large flour tortillas

 ~DIRECTIONS~ 

 1 Put chicken in medium saucepan and boil breasts for 15-20 minutes if thawed 0r 25 minutes if frozen. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 In a small sauce pan mix broth, flour, milk, salt. Whisk together until flour is completely incorporated. Then add cheese and sour cream; stir together and warm on medium low until cheese is melted.
 3 Melt margarine in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, chile peppers, chili powder,  and garlic, saute until tender. Stir in the chicken, refried beans, 1 cup cheese, and 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce. Cook and stir until heated through.
 4 Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, and place, seam-side-down, in the baking dish.
5. Pour remaining cheese sauce on top.
6. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes, **just warming it all through since most of it is already heated prior to putting together** until bubbly and lightly browned.

Chicken Fajita Seasoning

Once again, I had my taste buds all set for something and come cook time realized I was missing some key ingredient. In this case it was chicken fajitas and I'd forgotten to buy the seasoning packet.

Here I was, mouth all adrool, and no seasoning. So I went to the always trusty in a pinch www.allrecipes.com, and found a couple of recipes that had ingredients that sounded right. I mixed and matched my own combination and the resulting seasoning mix was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!

Thought I would share it with you.

~Ingredients~ 

2 tsp Cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion Powder

1 Tb cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp chicken boullion granuals

2/3 cup water

1 Tb veg or canola oil

1/4 cup lime juice

I marinated my chicken in the lime juice and then added it into the pan when I cooked it as well.

This recipe is equal to one regular packet of seasoning from the store

Mexican Chicken Taco Soup

~Ingredients~
    * 1/2 cup minced onion
    * 3 cloves garlic, minced (1tsp garlic powder)
    * 1 Tablespoon chili powder
    * 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
    * 1 teaspoon oregano
    * 3 or 4 cups water [ I used 4 and it was a bit "soupier" than I tend to care for]
    * 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
    * 1 cup salsa- [I used most of a jar of Newman's Salsa - so, more like 12 oz.]
    * 3 breasts, [abt 1 lb] even frozen is fine, or 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
    * 3 chicken bouillon cubes
    * 1 (14 ounce) can black beans(kidney, pinto, or red are fine too), rinsed, drained
    * 1 small can of corn, drained
      
 ~Toppings~
    * Corn tortilla chips
    * Shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend [ I used Sharp Cheddar-2 cups added INTO the soup pot just before serving]
    * Sour cream —I use non-far Greek Yogurt for more protein)

~Directions~
   Put everything **except cheese and sour cream** in large sauce pan.   Bring to boil, then cover and simmer on low for 40-45 minutes. Remove chicken, shred or cube, put back in. Add 2 cups cheese, stir until well blended and immediately serve with additional sour cream and corn chips as desired.
**Do NOT add cheese until just before ready to eat**

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

This is my recipe tweaked from a combination of  3 others.

2/3 Cup cream cheese

1/3 Cup medium salsa

1Tbsp fresh lime juice [ I didn't have any, and used lemon--tasty!!!]

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

2 Tbsp sliced green onions [ including white part]

2 C shredded cooked chicken

1.5 C grated cheddar cheese

8” low carb flour tortillas

cooking spray

1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly [or generously, like I did] coat with cooking spray.
2. Heat filling in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds so everything is soft and easy to stir together.  Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
3. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking [with flour ones I found this step unnecessary]. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
4. Place 1/3 cup of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.
5. Roll it up as tight as you can.
6. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. 
7. Spray the tops lightly [ or, a lot, like I did]with cooking spray.
8. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

When I say easy, I'm not kidding:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 or 3 shredded chicken breasts
• 3/4 can refried beans
• 1/2 to 1 whole can black beans, drained
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded cheese: Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack blend, whatever 

*optional* 1 cup corn kernels


~Cover rolled Enchiladas with~
1 can enchilada sauce
1 small can sliced, drained, black olives
1 or 2 additional cups of shredded cheese

~Mix together first 6 ingredients--roll em up in burrito shells, place side by side in greased casserole pan. Cover with can of enchilada sauce and 1 or 2 more cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack/Colby blend, and optional black olive slices. Cover with Foil, heat for 45 minutes on 375 degrees.

**You can make these as hand held burritos by simply adding 1/2 of the can of enchilada sauce, black olives and 2 total cups of cheese to the chicken mixture and heating all together on stove until heated through and melty.

Original White Chicken Enchiladas

[no red sauce or tomatoes] 

White Chicken Enchiladas

~INGREDIENTS~

~Sauce~

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

 3/4 cup sour cream

~Filling~

1/2 can refried beans 

1 tablespoon margarine

 1 onion, chopped

 1/2 tsp garlic powder

 1 tablespoon chili powder

 2 medium sized cooked chicken breast , chopped or shredded

 1  4 oz. can chopped green chile peppers, drained

6 (10 inch) flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese

 ~DIRECTIONS~ 

 Put chicken in medium sauce pan and boil breasts for 15-20 minutes if thawed 0r 25 minutes if frozen. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a small bowl mix soup and sour cream; set aside

Melt margarine in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion, chile peppers, chili powder,  and garlic, saute until tender. 

Stir in the chicken, refried beans, and 1/4 cup of the cheese sauce. Cook and stir until heated through.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, and place, seam-side-down, in the baking dish.

Pour remaining  sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese

Bake , uncovered, 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.