Thursday 28 September 2017

Beef Enchiladas

If you're new - welcome!  Thank you for visiting my little corner of the internet.

If you're a regular visitor to this blog, then you know all about my love for Tex-Mex and Mexican food. 

Now - stay with me because this recipe is a little.....  long.  But beyond worth it.

Gather up all the makings and lay 'em out.  Take their picture if it pleases you.    


You're going to make your OWN enchilada seasoning.  None of this "store bought" business.  I believe we've discussed this before.  However - there are some instances where I use it - so I hold no judgement. 

But in this case - it makes all the difference.  So do it.


Then, you're going to sear and cook the beef steak on both sides.  Make sure you season with salt too.


Once the beef is browned, remove it and toss in the onions and cook them until they are golden and browned.


Then add in the seasoning you made.  Stir it around and get the onions all coated in the seasoning mix.


Next, you're going to add the tomato sauce and water.  Bring to a boil.


Return the beef to the pot, make sure you add in any of the juices that have seeped off the beef.


Simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours until the steak shreds easily.  Pour the liquid through a strainer and remove the solids to a separate bowl and shred the beef.  Do not dispose of the liquid!


Add the jalapenos to the beef.


Add the cilantro.


And half the shredded cheese and stir everything together.


Pour some of the reserved liquid into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.|


Microwave the tortillas wrapped in damp paper towel to soften them.  Spread 1/3 cup of beef in the soft tortilla, roll up, and place seam side down in the baking dish.


And continue until all the beef is gone.

Like so.


And cover with the remaining sauce.


And sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Bake.


These enchiladas were SO good that we could barely wait to break into them.


I topped them with lettuce and sour cream.  The heat in the enchiladas was just so that this was an important topping!  It truly just jacked up the flavor points.


I loved that these felt and tasted like authentic Mexican food!  They weren't heavy at all and were totally filling.  Normally, I made a red Mexican Rice when I do Tex-Mex, but for these, I wanted something lighter and fresher, so I chose a cilantro lime rice.  And it was perfect.

I would have also been happy to add refried beans to the plate too.

They also make incredible leftovers.  Because I think the flavor melds even more.

Michelle, from the Brown Eyed Baker, notes that this can be made ahead of time - so if you want to plan it for company, but want to save your energy to focus on your friends, you totally can.

Michelle's note says to cook the beef as described and then separate the liquid and the beef and store them separately for up to 2 days.  I would totally do this!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!!


Friday 22 September 2017

Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

Finally!  A new post! 

It's been a while since I posted as literally every single piece of technology I owned died at about the same time.  I only wish I was kidding.  So I had to kind of pick and choose about what I needed first.

The last thing I was able to replace was my desktop PC.

And at literally the exact same time - we arrived at one of my favorite times of the year - for cooking.  We've talked about this before, but literally the MOMENT we have one cold Fall day - which happened this week, all I can think about is lasagna and garlic bread, roast and mashed potatoes, and every casserole that is rich and stick-to-your-ribs.  Comfort food.  Building up that fat layer like a bear hibernating for winter.

Except for not really like a bear.

I thought that with the hustle and bustle of returning to school and the chill in the air (and snow in some places), we should do a SUPER easy crockpot chicken dish. 

I've come across this recipe a number of times and a number of ways... 

In the oven with cheese, in the crockpot, on and on.  I've actually tried the oven method, but found that the stuffing came out dry.  However - that recipe used white wine and I thought it was a wonderful addition. 

You're going to need 4 chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and Stove Top (I used the cornbread one, but you can use whatever your heart desires).  And water.  Or possibly sub in the white wine here - I haven't tried it that way yet.


Start filling the crockpot.  First with the chicken.


And cover with the stuffing - not prepared.


Then, combine the water (or white wine!),


add the cream of chicken soup,


then the sour cream.


Whisk until well combined and pour over the stuffing mix in the crockpot. 


Cover and cook on low for four hours.


Serve with roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, garlic bread, salad, or whatever floats your boat.

This recipe is perfect for a busy day when your time is short.  It's exactly the kind of thing that you need on a cool, blustery Fall day.  The chicken and stuffing together is like having the easiest Sunday chicken roast you can whip up!

You could also change up the type of soup (but I wouldn't stray too far from the 'cream of' types) to change the flavours.

I think it took me 15 minutes to throw everything into the slow cooker and that was it!

Enjoy!