Baked Chicken Flautas

I borrowed this amazing picture from Six Sisters Stuff - the source of this recipe.  This is an easy and delicious dinner idea that we've had a few times since I discovered it a few months back.  

Baked Chicken Flautas

• 4 cups cooked and shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great!)
• 1 cup salsa verde (the green salsa)
• 1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
• 1 1/2 cups colby jack shredded cheese, divided
• 12-14 flour tortillas (soft taco size)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a large baking sheet (15x10x1") with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, salsa, cream cheese, black beans, corn, and 1 cup shredded cheese.
4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and roll up, then place seam-side down on the prepared pan. Repeat this process until all the chicken mixture is used up. 
5. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of tortillas and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tortillas start to turn golden brown (the edges of the tortilla will turn golden first).
6. Remove from oven and serve with your favorite toppings (salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, etc).

Chili Pasta Bake

Came across this recipe from Mrs. Schwartz's Kitchen and had to give it a try.  Definitely a keeper and one I'll be making again before too long.  And it makes a lot which Ben appreciates as it means he has leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Chili Pasta Bake

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1/2 lb. cooked pasta (I did about 12 oz.)
15 oz. tomato sauce (I did 2 - 8 oz. cans.)
14 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies (I did one 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes and one 4 oz. can diced green chilies.)
1 can black beans or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
3 dashes of Cayenne powder (I only did 1 but there was practically no kick... so probably safe to do more next time.)
1/4 c. water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I did a mix of cheddar and monterey jack.)

sour cream, green onions and Fritos corn chips for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the ground beef with the onions.

While the ground beef is cooking, cook your pasta to firm al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

After the ground beef is cooked, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and green chiles, beans chili powder, cumin, cayenne and water. Give it a stir and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, stir in the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.

Pour the chili pasta mixture into a 9×13 pan. Flatten out with a spatula and sprinkle with cheese. Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese has fully melted.

Turkey and Brown Rice Taco Burritos

Another recipe I adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  These were delicious.  I used ground beef because that's what I had on hand and I also used quinoa instead of rice.

Turkey and Brown Rice Taco Burritos

• 1 pound ground turkey (can substitute ground beef)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 15-ounce can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked brown rice 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Chopped cilantro to taste
• Shredded cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 cups)
• 8 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas, white or whole wheat
• Taco toppings like tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, olives, lettuce, avocados

1. In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook the ground turkey, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is fully cooked. Drain any excess grease, if needed. 
2. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika and cumin and stir well to combine. Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken broth and beans. Simmer for 5-6 minutes. 
3. Stir in the rice, lime juice and cilantro until the mixture is evenly combined. Cook until the rice and other ingredients are hot and bubbling, 2-3 minutes. 
4. Fill each tortilla evenly with the hot meat and rice filling. Top with cheese and roll the tortilla up burrito style, tucking in the ends. 
5. Serve immediately (or keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve) smothered with any or all taco toppings.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I love the chicken tikka masala at Bombay House so when I came across this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe I had to give it a try.  Paired with fresh cilantro (and a little sour cream) it was delicious.  The recipe made so much sauce that we used the leftover to make pizzas a few days later - also good and unique!

Chicken Tikka Masala
  
Masala Marinade:

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Salt and freshly ground pepper 

Chicken:

• 2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3-4 chicken breasts)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup blanched whole almonds
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 16-ounce can tomato sauce
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne and turmeric. Season with salt and pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon each). Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat and refrigerate covered overnight.
2. In a small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground.
3. In a large enameled cast-iron dutch oven or a large pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garam masala, chili powder and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce and the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes. While the mixture begins to simmer, remove the chicken from the marinade and cut into bite-sized pieces. Throw the chicken into the pot of simmering tomato sauce. Continue simmering/cooking the chicken, partially covered, for an additional 10-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened just slightly. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Serve with lots of fresh cilantro over hot, steamed rice. *And if you're weird like us, or need to tone down the heat, add a dollop of sour cream!

Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole

A few weeks back I bagged the regular dinner schedule and we had almost an entire week of Mexican food.  I don't cook to please the kids - we all know that can be hard to do - but if Ben likes a meal I consider it a success and this was definitely a success.  The ingredient list is long but the casserole actually comes together quite quickly.  You could also easily omit the meat and it would still taste great.

Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole

• 14 corn tortillas cut into thirds
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 large poblano chile, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Arrange the cut tortillas in a single layer on two large, rimmed baking sheets. Bake the tortillas until slightly crisp, about 10-15 minutes.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper breaking the meat up into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the meat onto a plate and wipe the skillet clean (you may need to drain off excess grease from the meat depending on the fat content).
4. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil and stir in the onion, bell pepper, poblano, corn and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir the flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Line the bottom of the greased baking pan with 1/3 of the baked tortillas. Layer with 1/3 of the meat and then 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat that process again twice more ending with the cheeses.  (I was only able to get 2 layers.)
6. Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Spaghetti Pie

This recipe comes from one of my favorite sources: Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  She says this is her family's favorite meal.  I haven't had spaghetti pie since I was a kid but I decided to give this recipe a try the other night and I thought it was delicious.  I used regular spaghetti noodles because that's what I had on hand but I think the thin ones would be better. 

Spaghetti Pie

12 ounces thin spaghetti or vermicelli noodles
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 small white or yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (I used diced.)
16-ounces tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, divided

Lightly coat a deep 9 or 10-inch pie plate with cooking spray and set aside.  (If you don't have a really deep pie plate, use a square or rectangular pan - I used a 9X13.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until al dente according to package directions. While the noodles boil, heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef or turkey, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and continuing to break up the meat, until the meat is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain the excess grease, if any. Return the skillet to medium heat and stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil and oregano. Simmer the sauce over medium or medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

When the noodles are done cooking, drain and return to the pot. Immediately stir in the cream cheese and toss the noodles by lightly lifting them up and over with tongs until the cream cheese is mostly melted. Stir in the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Toss until the noodles are evenly coated. Stir in 2 cups of the red sauce. Keep the remainder of the red sauce warm on the stove.

Scrape the noodles into the prepared pie plate and using a flat spatula, press the noodles evenly into the dish so they are tightly pressed together and evenly flat across the top. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese across the top.

Bake the spaghetti pie for 20-22 minutes, until it is hot and bubbly and the cheese is golden on top. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with remaining red sauce.

Lentil and Rice Casserole

I don't make too many casseroles these days but I will definitely be making this one again.  My neighbor Lauren gave me this recipe and it was delicious!  We added sour cream, tortilla chips and cilantro but it also tastes great plain.  I think Lauren sometimes adds salsa, guacamole and olives, which I'm sure is great too!

Lentil and Rice Casserole

3 C. chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
3/4 C. lentils, cleaned and picked over
1/2 C. brown rice, uncooked
3/4 C. fresh onion
1/2 t. basil
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. thyme
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 C. cheese

1.  Combine all ingredients except cheese in a casserole dish.

2.  Cover and bake in preheated 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.

3.  At the last 20-30 minutes of baking, sprinkle cheese all over.