Recipe Monday - Easy Enchiladas

My family is a big fan of Mexican food. I learned a lot of recipes from my step mother's family when I was growing up. Eating some of them takes me back to those days. This one I found a long time ago on my own and have modified it to fit my own wants and needs.

1 pkg corn tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 onion
1 16 oz Pkg shredded cheddar or mexican cheese
salt and pepper

Chop onion and brown it in a large skillet with the ground beef. Season beef mixture with some salt and pepper. You can also add whatever other seasonings you like to your beef mixture. Sometimes I like to add a little garlic powder. In a sauce pan combine enchilada sauce and mushroom soup and put on medium low heat. Stir occassionally. Add a couple of tablespoons of the sauce to the beef mixture and stir. Reserve the rest for later.

In a small frying pan heat on medium heat enough oil to cover the tortillas (about 1/4 inch). Once it is heated, put tortillas in oil one at a time making sure they are completely covered and cook for just a few seconds (until they start to bubble). Remove them from the oil onto a paper towel to drain and cool. I usually do 2-3 at a time and then fill them. I like to always have a couple cooling while I am filling. It is just easier on my fingers. :)

Put a couple of tablespoons into the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 baking pan. Place a tortillas into the baking pan and spoon some of the beef mixture onto it. Roll it tightly. Repeat until pan is full. I can usually get 9-11 enchiladas in there. If you have leftover beef mixture just pour it into the sauce. I prefer to put the cheese on the enchiladas and then pour the sauce over that. You can do it either way really. You can add as much or as little cheese as you like. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven.

These are super simple and so yummy. The cream of mushroom soup adds a really nice flavor to them.

Enjoy!

Recipe Monday - Beef Casserole

Growing up my mom would always make tuna casserole. I am only really a so so fan of tuna so this is my take on this recipe using beef. I have made this same one using a rotisserie chicken as well and it is yummy.

1 lb lean ground beef or ground tukey
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans milk
12 oz macaroni noodles
American cheese
Salt, Pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Brown the meat in a pan. Bring water to a boil and add macaroni. Cook until it is almost done. I usually look at the directions and subtract 2 minutes from the time they recommend. You do this because you are going to bake it and the macaroni will cook further. Do not forget to add salt to your pasta water once it comes to a boil. This will season the pasta while it is cooking.

While all this is happening mix in a bowl the soup, milk, salt, pepper and garlic powder (not garlic salt). I take american cheese and tear it into pieces and add to the soup mixture. You can really use any cheese you want for this. Drain any fat off the meat and then add it to the soup mixture. Once macaroni is ready drain the water and add it to the soup mixture as well. Mix this all together. I take a 9x13 glass pan and spray it with a little cooking spray. Pour the mixture into this pan. Top with a bit more cheese. Cover with tinfoil and bake on 350 for 30 minutes.

Lately I have been using the low fat mushroom soup and adding veggies to this one. Then I serve it with a salad on the side. I am also a huge fan of the Ronzoni Smart Pasta. Lots of fiber and calcium with a great taste.

Enjoy!

Recipe Monday - Carne Guisada

Yes, I know today is Sunday and I usually post my recipe on Monday. This recipe is being featured over at Mommytalk today so I am a day early with this. I am feeling some pressure here though because I have to follow crazy yummy doughnuts and some incredible baked mac n' cheese.

This one is a favorite in my house though so I thought it was a good time to share it. My step mother is Hispanic so I learned a lot of wonderful stuff from her family. I actually used to make homemade tortillas to eat with this and they would send it over the top. That recipe is for another day though. Carne Guisada is also know as a Mexican or TexMex Stew. We usually turn it into tacos which is where the homemade flour tortillas came in.

So, here goes:

2-3 lbs Stew Meat
1 Bell Pepper Chopped
1 Onion Chopped
1 Can Chopped or Crushed Tomatoes Drained
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp Flour
2 - 2 1/2 Cups Beef Broth

Add oil to a large stock pot and heat. Add stew meat and brown on medium high heat. Add Cumin, Salt, Pepper, garlic and flour. Stir frequently and cook for about 2 minutes just to cook the flour some but do not let it burn. Add broth and bring to a boil. You want to make sure the liquid covers the meat by at least an inch. Cover, Reduce heat and simmer. Cook for 1 hour stirring occassionally. Then add the Tomato, Onion and Bell Pepper. I always wait to add the these veggies so they do not disintegrate during the long cooking process. Cover again and simmer for another 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and literally falling apart. If you want to spice it up just a bit then seed and chop a jalapeno and add it to the pot.

I love to make this whenever I make a roast. I usually buy a big roast and cook it for dinner one night. Then I take the leftover roast meat and add all the ingredients above. In this instance I will sautee the onions and peppers and then add the meat and remaining ingredients. I cook it for about 30-45 minutes in order for all the ingredients to kind of come together. We love it because it takes a leftover meal and creates a completely different flavor. It does not even seem like we are eating leftovers.

Enjoy!

Stumble It!

Recipe Monday - Turkey Meatball Subs

My hubby and I love to have sandwich night and this last week we wanted to try something different. We have a game night and making sandwiches just seems easier than making a big meal. This week he came up with the idea for Turkey Meatball Subs. I sat back and wrote down the recipe and waited with my mouth watering. This one is definitely a keeper.

Here is what you need:

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb turkey italian sausage
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp oregano
1 egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 jar spaghetti/marinara sauce
1 package 2% Low Fat Mozzarella cheese

In a large bowl mix all ingredients except sauce and cheese. Roll meat mixture into 2 inch round balls. Add a little olive oil to a heated skillet and brown meatballs. Put them in a baking dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. Heat sauce in a separate pan. Once meatballs are ready put a few of them inside any type of bread you wish. We used a soft yummy hoagie roll. Then you just top with some cheese.

The one in the picture seems huge but it was my hubby's serving. I actually took a couple of the meatballs and sliced them and put them in my roll. It made it so much easier to eat but was so very yummy. This will make 12 or more meatballs depending on the size you do. I put the remaining ones in the freezer for another day. Also, if you do not like jar sauce you can easily take some tomato sauce and some chopped tomatoes with italian seasoning and just heat.

Enjoy!

Stumble It!

Recipe Monday - Chicken Salad

I have been craving some chicken salad and this week I experimented with a recipe. It turned out very yummy. I had the little one help me put it all together and she loved it and ate it all like a champ. Here is the recipe I came up with:

1 Rotisserie Chicken
2 Stalks Celery chopped
1/2 Onion (I used red)
1/2 Bell Pepper (I used red)
2-3 Tbsp Mayo (I used light)

I took all the chicken off the bone. I chopped it into chunks and put it in a medium size bowl and added the celery. I took the onion and bell pepper and put them into my magic bullet food processor and turned them into a puree. I added the puree and the mayo to the bowl and mixed it all together. I added it a little at a time until I had the desired flavor and consistency. I am not a fan of chunks of peppers and onions but I love the flavor. This worked out perfectly for me and I still had the crunch from the celery. If you wanted to jazz things up just a bit more you could add some chopped apples to the mix. It may not sound like it but they add a really great flavor.

Enjoy!

Stumble It!

Recipe Monday - Hoppin John

This one is definitely a new favorite in my house. I made it for new years day and it went over much better than I even expected. My husband loved it so much he begged me to make it again. So, this week I made it again and the success was even bigger. Typically I think it is more of a new years recipe because of the black eyed peas but honestly it would be good any time in the winter when it is cold and you need a warm up. Here it is:

1 package andouille sausage
1 Bell Pepper
1 Medium Onion
3-4 Stalks of Celery
1 Large Clove Garlic
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Beer
2-3 Cups Chicken Stock
1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Thyme
2 15oz Cans Black Eyed Peas
Salt and Pepper
Cooked rice

Heat a large Dutch Oven pan on medium high with about 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil. Add bell pepper, onion and celery and cook until onion is translucent. Add sausage and cook a couple of minutes or until browned. Add garlic and stir frequently to keep the garlic from burning. Add beer and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Make sure you have enough liquid to adequately cover the ingredients. If you need more feel free to add either more beer or stock. Add cajun seasoning, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. You can adjust the cajun seasoning depending on how spicy you would like it. Last drain the black eyed peas and add them to the pot. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about and hour to hour and a half stirring occassionally. Serve it over cooked rice and enjoy. The second time we made it we added a couple of shakes of Tobasco to our bowls for a bit more heat.

Enjoy!


Stumble It!

New Recipe Monday - Wilted Salad

I decided this year I was going to try a new recipe each week. I am going to look for healthier ones or even ways to make my old favorites a bit healthier. I figured it would be awesome to share them along the way. So, every Monday I will share a recipe from the week with you guys.

This week I made a wilted salad. I used a romained lettuce so it was not as wilted as it would be using something else. The recipe I made is as follows:

1 bunch Romaine Lettuce chopped
1/2 Red Onion sliced thin
5-6 slices of Bacon
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Sugar

Add chopped romaine, onion, vinegar and sugar to a large bowl and mix. Chop bacon into small pieces and cook completely. Spoon cooked bacon over the salad using some of the drippings. Mix well and enjoy. Feel free to adjust the vinegar and sugar to taste. I start with what I have here and sometimes need to add a little more along the way.

I actually took this dish and made it with turkey bacon. I added a little olive oil to the pan to help with the drippings needed. You could also subsitute the sugar for splenda.

Enjoy!