Chicken Enchilada Suiza Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Suiza Casserole

2 lbs chicken breast tenderloins
Water
Salt
Olive Oil
18 corn tortillas
4 tbsp butter
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
16-oz jar salsa verde (I like Target's Archer Farms brand)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 scant tbsp roasted cumin
1 heaping tbsp diced pickled jalapenos
3 cups shredded Cheddar
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend Cheese

Cook the chicken in a large pot with water to cover and salt, until done. Remove chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle, then shred or chop into bite-sized pieces. This can be done ahead of time.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large saucepan and cook the onion until translucent. Stir in the flour until bubbly. Whisk in the chicken broth and cook until it begins to thicken. Add the cream, salsa verde, chili powder, cumin and jalapenos. Stir in the chopped chicken and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Heat a tiny amount of olive oil in a skillet until hot. Fry each tortilla until each side until they begin to blister a little bit, turning once, and set aside.

Preheat oven ot 350^F. Spoon about 1 cup of chicken mixture over the bottom of a 9x13" pan and reserve another cup for the top. Lay 6 tortillas over the sauce and top with half of the remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with half the shredded cheddar. Repeat layers, ending with the last 6 tortillas. Top with the reserved sauce and sprinkle the shredded Mexican cheese over all. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes more or until the casserole is bubbly and light golden brown on top.

Serve immediately, garnished with dollops of sour cream, pico de gallo and/or chopped cilantro.

This was inspired by Emeril's "Mexican Enchilada Suiza Lasagna" (which I would have made if I'd had all the ingredients!)

I loved this! And John went back for seconds which is practically unheard of when it comes to Mexican flavored foods!

Coney Island Hot Dogs

Coney Island Hot Dogs

1 lb ground chuck
1/3 cup water
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup catsup
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup vinegar
1/8 cup yellow mustard
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Cooked Hot Dogs
Buns

Cook the ground chuck, salt & pepper and onions in a skillet with the 1/3 cup water until finely crumbled and browned. Once the water has evaporated and the meat is browned, add the remaining ingredients, reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes. Serve over hot dogs in buns.

I always assumed that a Coney Island Hot Dog was just another name for Chili Dog...until I found this recipe on allrecipes.com (Grandpa's Classic Coney Sauce). I think I like this better than Chili Dogs! It's very tasty and I'll definitely make it again...probably in the slow cooker since the original recipe calls for cooking it several hours.

Cumin Scented Pork Chops with Roasted Potatoes and Onions

3 Tbsp olive oil
4 pork chops
Garlic Salt & Pepper
Ground Roasted Cumin
3 Tbsp butter
1.5 lbs baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved or quartered to bite sized chunks
2 onions, quartered

Preheat the oven to 375^F. Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet over medium high heat. Season the pork chops with garlic salt, pepper and cumin and brown on both sides in the oil. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Add the butter to the skillet until melted. Stir in the potatoes and onions until coated with the butter mixture and season them with garlic salt, pepper & cumin if desired. Place the pork chops on top of the potatoes and place the skillet into the hot oven. Roast for 35-40minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

I love the smell and taste of cumin....these were delicious! I didn't have a recipe - just threw it together and I'm very pleased with the results!!

Salisbury Steak with Mustard Sauce

Salisbury Steak with Mustard Sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Hot Sauce
10-12 crushed Ritz crackers
1 tbsp dehydrated onion flakes
Garlic salt and Pepper to taste
1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups beef broth

In a small bowl combine the mushroom soup, mustard, worcestershire, and hot sauce. Blend well and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the ground beef, 1 heaping tablespoon of the mushroom soup mixture, the cracker crumbs, onion flakes, garlic salt and pepper until well mixed. Divide into 4 equal pieces and shape into oval patties.

In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil and brown the patties on both sides. Remove patties to a plate and keep warm. Stir in the beef broth, stirring to loosed the browned bits. Whisk in remaining mushroom soup mixture until well combined. Return the patties to the skillet, cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Thicken sauce if desired.

This is EXCELLENT! Don't remember where I found this recipe and it's been a couple years since the last time I made it.

Apple Pie

John's been whimpering for an Apple Pie for a couple of months now, so I figured, being it's Father's Day, I'd make him one. He's currently hovering in the kitchen, sniffing the air like an old Bloodhound and drooling. (OK, he's not REALLY drooling...but this pie does smell awesome baking!)

Pies are not my forte, but this recipe has so many thousands of rave reviews on allrecipes.com I had to give it a try. Thankfully I didn't have to make the crust from scratch...I used the Pillsbury refrigerated ones instead.

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced and tossed with 2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour. Add water, white sugar,brown sugar, and spices and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pie pan. Pour all but about 1/4 cup of the sugar syrup over the apples and stir until they are well coated. Mound the apples in the pie crust. Cover with the second crust and cut a few slits in the top. Gently pour the remaining sugar syrup over the crust and spread around the top.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Please note that I made some changes in this recipe. The original calls for a lattice top (I Don't Do Lattice!) and no spices at all. I can't see the point in an apple pie without any cinnamon so I added that and some cloves and nutmeg just for the heck of it. The original also says to use Granny Smith apples, which I didn't have, so I added some lemon juice to my plain old whatever-kind-of-apples-these-are as they seemed a little sweet to me. I probably ate at least half of one of those 8 apples while I was cutting them up, so there's less in my pie than called for. And, last but not least, I was supposed to pour ALL of the sugar syrup over the top of the lattice covered pie, but that sounded like a mess waiting to happen!

This was good, but not as great as all the reviews led me to believe it would be.

German Pancake

German Pancake

5 tbsp butter
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 425^F.

Melt the butter in 9x13" baking pan while you mix the batter. Combine eggs, salt, flour, milk, sugar and vanilla and whisk until blended. Pour into the hot pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the mixture is puffed up and golden brown. Serve immediately with syrup (or lemon juice and powdered sugar).

I liked the Dutch Babies a wee bit better than this recipe, but only because it looks more rustic in the iron skillet! There's not much difference in the taste and I like these a lot.

Butter Roast Chicken

Butter Roast Chicken

1 (2 to 3 pound) broiler/fryer chicken cut up
5 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Place chicken in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in.x 2-in. baking pan. Combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 1-1/2 hours or until juices run clear, basting occasionally.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Tender, juicy and flavorful! Excellent chicken.

Two-Sauce Lasagna Bowls

Two-Sauce Lasagna Bowls

Salt
1 pound Campanelle pasta (or Rotini - my Publix didn't have Campanelle!)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta (or bacon - Publix didn't have pancetta either!)2 slices, chopped
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground sirloin
1/2 large carrot,finely chopped
1 small to medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, 2 chopped or grated, 1 peeled
1/2 teaspoon allspice, a couple of pinches
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp fennel seed
Small can tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
Nutmeg, to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus some to pass at table
A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Heat large pot of water to a boil, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.

While pasta water comes to a boil, heat olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, add bacon and render 2 to 3 minutes then add meat and break up as it browns. When the meat has begun to caramelize and develops a nice brown color, 4 to 5minutes, add carrot, onion, 2 cloves of garlic, allspice, salt and pepper, oregano, basil and fennel seed. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more to soften onions and carrots bits then stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in wine and cook out 1 minute then stir in stock and reduce heat to simmer.

While red sauce cooks, cut remaining whole clove of garlic and rub the inside of a medium sauce pot with it. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together a minute or so then whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, reduce heat then season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, thicken 8 to 10 minutes.

Toss pasta with white sauce and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Serve pasta in individual bowls and top with a ladle of meat sauce in the middle of the bowl for mixing in. Garnish with parsley.

This was quite tasty, but next time I make it I'm going to have to spice it up a bit more. Maybe some hot Italian sausage instead of the ground pork, for instance. This has potential! Adapted from Rachael Ray's Food Network show.

Get Yo' Man Chicken

Get Yo' Man Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cut-up chicken (breast, thigh, leg & wing)
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon-pepper
Hot buttered rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken, meat-side down first, and turning once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate to reserve.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add onion to the pan and saute until tender, roughly 3 minutes. Add the stock and wine and stir, scrapping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the dried herbs and lemon pepper. Add the chicken thighs back in. Cover and cook on medium low for 40 minutes.

Remove chicken from liquid and serve on hot buttered rice. Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Adapted from Food TV's "Downhome With The Neely's". This was OK but that's about all I can say for it.

Brownies with Caramel Kahlua Frosting

Brownies with Caramel Kahula Frosting

1 pkg Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Decadence Brownie mix
2 eggs
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp Kahlua
1 cup sifted confectioners's sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Prepare brownie mix as directed on package using eggs, water, and oil. Bake for 35 minutes at 350^ F. in an 8x8" square pan. Remove from oven and cool in pan.

Melt the butter, light and dark brown sugars and the cream over medium high heat until sugar dissolve. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and Kahlua will well combined. Beat in confectioners' sugar and cinnamon until smooth and spreadable. Immediately from the brownies.

Cut into squares to serve.

My recipe. I LOVED the frosting...but this particular flavor Brownie mix was a little too much for it. I have to find something else to frost with this though! Like, maybe, some Spicy Cupcakes!

Pork Chunks and Onion Gravy

Pork Chunks and Onion Gravy

1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
Garlic Salt & Pepper
1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
1 packet Brown gravy mix
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups water

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the pork chunks, seasoned with garlic salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown a bit. Stir in the gravy mix, wine and water and stir to scrape the browned bits loose from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until pork is completely cooked and tender. Serve with rice.

My recipe...quick, easy and delicious! John loves it.

Slow Cooker Chicken Creole

Slow Cooker Chicken Creole

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, to taste
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp minced roasted garlic
1 red onion, diced
1 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno
15-oz can stewed tomatoes

Season chicken liberally with creole seasoning and place in crock pot. Top with remaining ingredients and cook on high for 5-6 hours. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Adapted from allrecipes.com.

Good and easy.

Bacon Swiss Salad

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced roasted garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pkg mixed salad greens
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup Fresh Gourmet Crispy Onions (french fried onions)

Combine the frist 5 ingredients in a salad cruet, shake until well combined and refrigerate until ready to serve. Combine the greens, tomato, bacon, swiss and crispy onions. Shake the dressing and serve with the salad. Adapted from allrecipe.com's "That Good Salad".

OK...the dressing was some of the NASTIEST stuff I've ever tried on a salad. Thankfully, I tried it before I ruined my salad with it. I was going to use bottled dressing, but John said he could "fix it". He added apple cider vinegar, honey and some Blackberry Brandy which definitely improved the flavor.

The actual salad was very good, but I'll use another dressing next time. I really loved those Crispy Onions in it!

Marinated Strip Steaks

Marinated Strip Steaks

2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 3/4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp dried basil
3/4 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 dash Tabasco sauce
2 New York Strip steaks, about 1-inch thick

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well mixed. Pour over steaks in a ziploc bag, seal and refrigerate for 4-8 hours. Grill steaks until of desired doneness and serve hot. Adapted from allrecipe.com's "Best Steak Marinade in Existence".

When will I stop ruining a perfectly good steak with marinades? I didn't like this AT ALL. And the steaks were beautiful. If I'd only grilled them with a little salt and pepper dinner would have been perfect....but NO! I fell for another raved about recipe and ruined my steaks! Blech.

Wagonwheel Skillet

Wagonwheel Skillet

1.5 lb ground chuck
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp onion flakes
2 1/2 tbsp Mexene chili powder
1 heaping tsp Chipotle chili powder
2 tsp roasted ground cumin
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15-oz can tomato sauce
8-oz thick & chunky taco sauce
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
16 oz hot, cooked wagonwheel pasta

Crumble the ground chuck in a large skillet with the garlic salt, pepper, water and onion flakes until the meat is nearly cooked through. Stir in the chili powders and cumin and continue to cook until done. Add the black beans, tomato sauce, taco sauce and corn and simmer while you cook the pasta. Drain pasta and stir into skillet. Serve hot.

This is also very good topped with shredded Mexican blend cheese and crushed corn chips and baked in a casserole dish until the cheese melts. Serve with a dab of sour cream.

My recipe...been making it for years and years.