Meal Deal One: Mexican Night!

So here is a really good recipe for chicken enchiladas. We served it with salad with some "special" mexican ranch. And an unusual mexican dessert. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas W/Homemade Sauce

• 1 lb chicken breast  , diced
• 1 medium  onion , chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups grated 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

Cook Chicken and onion together in oil over medium-high heat until chicken is just done. Divide cooked chicken evenly between 8 tortillas; add 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese to each tortilla.

In frypan, cook chicken and onion together in oil over medium-high heat until chicken is just done. Divide cooked chicken evenly between 8 tortillas and ad 1 1/2 TBS cheese to each tortilla. Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in 9x13 baking dish, lighly sprayed. Melt butter in saucepan; stir in flour to make roux; stir and cook until bubbly; gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to boiling, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and green chiles; pour sauce evenly over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. (If making ahead you can double wrap and freeze at this point) Bake @ 400 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce near edges is bubbly.

Sopapillas

2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup warm water
Oil for frying
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

1. In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and shortening. Stir in water; mix until dough is smooth. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
3. Roll out on floured board until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch squares. Heat oil in deep-fryer or large dutch oven to 375 degrees F . Place dough into the hot oil, 2 at a time, and cook until golden brown on both sides, approximately 3 minutes.
4. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of each sopapilla with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
5. Serve warm. If desired, break open and top with cool whip :)

Halle's Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

 This is my cousin, Halle's, pasta salad. I love a good pasta salad... So this is one that i have made and enjoyed... I used weird macaroni noodles that I don't recommend, so probably use your favorite noodle like bowtie or rotini. Hope you like it!

 

 Halle's Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

1 16 oz. box Rotini (or other noodles) cooked according to package directions, drain and cool

2 lb. bacon, cooked, drained, cooled- then crumbled

2-3 c. grated cheddar cheese

4-6 grilled skinless chicken breast cut into cubes

Mayonnaise 

1/2 c. Ranch Dressing

salt

pepper

season salt

In a large mixing bowl combine pasta, cooled crumbled bacon, grilled chicken (cooled completely) and grated cheese. Mix well. Add desired amount of mayonnaise, ranch and seasonings. Taste and add more seasonings as needed.  Stir all ingredients together. Serve.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Yesterday I was watching Rachael Ray and it was "The Biggest Cooking Demo." She made this Honey Mustard Chicken. I had my friend over and so we made this for dinner. We added extra sauce and it was really good. It's an easy meal that we just served with rolls. If you are serving more than 4 people I would suggest making a double batch.

Honey Mustard Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 or 2  peeled carrots (big carrots not baby)

2-3 c. celery (or any root vegetable)

1 onion

1 1/2 c. chicken stock

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c. Dijon mustard

1/3 c. honey

Preheat a large frying pan on med/high heat. Once preheated pour in just enough olive oil to cover bottom of pan. Cook the chicken on med/high heat. Once the chicken is cooked remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan you cooked the chicken in, add the vegetables and chicken stock. Let the vegetables soften. Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard, honey, and chicken.

 * I made some extra honey-mustard and spread it on the chicken.*

Let simmer for about 5 minutes and serve.