Pulled Pork Taquitos

I needed a vehicle for the Best Ever Queso.

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Crockpot Hatch White Chicken Chili

Crockpot Hatch White Chicken Chili

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
¾ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 cups chicken broth
3 to 4 roasted hatch chiles, chopped
1 package frozen corn
4 ounce cream cheese, softened
¼ cup half and half
sliced avocados
tortilla strips
shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Add chicken breasts to bottom of slow cooker, sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Top the chicken with the onion, garlic, broth, Hatch chiles and corn, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the chicken and cut into chunks. Return the chicken to the crockpot, add the cream cheese and half and half, stir, cover and cook on high for 20 minutes more. Serve with avocadoes, tortilla chips and cheese.

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Tomatillo Pork Enchiladas

Tomatillo Pork Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas
2 cups cooked pulled pork
2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
½ cup tomatillo salsa (or your favorite salsa verde)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 40 seconds. Mix the pork with 1 cup of the cheese. Place a couple spoon fulls of the pork mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place in the prepared pan.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so, whisking the whole time. Whisk in the broth and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth, heat for 5 minutes until thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and salsa. Pour the sauce over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes or so to brown the cheese. Serve.

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Instant Pot Steak Chimichangas

I love a good chimichanga, whether smothered in queso or dipped into guacamole, salsa and sour cream, it's all delicious.  I have never attempted making actual fried chimichangas at home.  I can get amazing chimichangas at one of the many amazing TexMex restaurants near our house, but I am totally happy baking up chicmichangas for dinner.  The Instant Pot makes shredded steak a breeze.  Miss F is a huge fan of anything that allows her to have guacamole, these chimichangas were a huge hit in our house.

Instant Pot Steak Chimichangas

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound flank steak, cut into cubes
¾ cup salsa

4 burrito (large) size tortillas
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Place the oil in the Instant Pot and turn to “sauté.” Brown the steak pieces on all sides, then stir in the salsa. Cover and lock the lid, selecting the “meat/stew” setting for 30 mintues. When the beef is finished cooking, allow to rest for 10 minutes before manually releasing the steam calce. Shred the beef with two forks.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet. Combine the shredded steak with the cheese. Lay out the tortillas and top each with ¼ of the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortillas burrito style, placing them seam side down on the cookie sheet. Spray the top of the Chimichangas with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Garnish with sour cream, tomato and guacamole.

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Crawfish Macaroni and Cheese

Miss F's big school project was "The Back 40 Museum" aka her Farm to Table project. Each kid selected a food and researched the process of farm to table. Of course Miss F selected her most favorite food: crawfish. She mad an incredible 3D model demonstrating the process of catching to table and filmed a crawfish commercial promoting her project. She also prepared a short speech to give when people visited her display at the museum. It was a spectacular project, but we had one issue. We had to make 40 "bites" of food that worked with her theme. She wanted to do boiled crawfish, but I think that wouldn't have gone over too well with the school. I don't think they had any interest in 40 2nd graders peeling crawfish tails. I suggested that we make crawfish mac n cheese, take it in a crockpot and serve it in little cups. I was worried that most of the kids wouldn't even want to try crawfish, but I was shocked to find that I was quite wrong. Many kids came back for second and third helpings...one girl had never had crawfish before and she absolutely loved it. Success!

Crawfish Macaroni and Cheese

4 tablespoons butter, divided
12 ounces crawfish tailmeat
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
¾ pound macaroni, prepared per package instructions.


Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the crawfish tails and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the tails from the pan. Add the remaining butter and reduce the heat to medium-low. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour. Cook the roux for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk. Bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, then simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese and Cajun seasoning until the cheese is melted. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the crawfish tails and macaroni. Serve.

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Cheesy Chicken Corn Chowder

When I saw this recipe on Tide and Thyme, I knew I wanted to make it. Even though I have a ton of chicken chowder recipes, this one looked very special.  Unfortunately, the weather in Houston hasn't been very chowder friendly.  We had basically a three day winter and that has been it.  This is a great weeknight meal, it comes together quickly.  Don't make my mistake though, I served it without stirring in the cream.  It was sitting on the counter, pre-measured and all, and it just slipped my mind.  After a taste, I instantly realized my mistake, luckily, it was easily correctable.  I try to get everything organized for busy weeknights, but even when I try my hardest, there can often be mistakes.

Cheesy Chicken Corn Chowder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
½ onion, peeled and diced
1/3 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 white potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (12 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup cream
2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onions, sauté for 2 minutes to soften. Sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly, until a light roux is formed. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring to incorporate. Bring the mixture to a boil, add the corn and chicken. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and shred with two forks, return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the cream and cheese, simmer for 5 minutes more. Serve.

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Twice Baked Potatoes

Miss F hates potatoes. HATES. I don't get her aversion at all, she doesn't even like French fries, how crazy is that? So one night while she was spending the night at my parents, I decided to make twice baked potatoes for C and I. I had never made them before and I was quite nervous about keeping the skins in tact, but it turns out, it was quite easy. So easy in fact, that I am going to make them for an upcoming dinner party. I can do all the prep work in advance, then just warm them for the dinner party. I like to be as hands off as possible for dinner parties, I like to spend time with my guests (and my wine!), not spend time in the kitchen.  These potatoes are very decadent, so half a potato per person is plenty.

Twice Baked Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes
¼ cup butter
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork, prick a few holes into the top of each potato. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 1 hour, until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a sharp knife, cut each potato in half lengthways. Scoop out the insides of each potato making sure to keep the skins in tact. Place the skins on a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, smash the scooped out potatoes with the butter, sour cream, ¼ cup of the cheddar cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Spoon the potato mixture into the prepared potato skins. Top each with 1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

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Enchiladas Suizas

I was instantly intrigued by the Enchiladas Suizas recipe from Recipes for Laughter.  I have always seen crema Mexicana in the dairy section of my grocer and I have always wanted to try it.  I ended up heavily adapting the original recipe, but I made sure to use the crema Mexicana and it didn't disappoint at all.  These enchiladas are deliciously rich.  I have included two alternate ways to cook the chicken, either in the crockpot or in the Instant Pot.  Either method works perfectly well, whichever is most convenient for you is the best choice.  Just be sure to choose to use crema Mexicana.

Enchiladas Suizas

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa verde

12 white corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
¾ cup crema Mexicana
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 can green enchilada sauce

Instant Pot instructions:
Add the chicken and salsa to the Instant Pot. Set to “Poultry” for 10 minutes if using fresh chicken or for 30 minutes if using frozen chicken breasts. When the pressure has released, shred the chicken with two forks and return it to the cooking liquid.

Crockpot instructions:
Add the chicken and salsa to the crockpot, cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks and return to the cooking liquid.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 40 seconds. Mix the chicken with 1 cup of the cheese. Place a couple spoon fulls of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place in the prepared pan. Spread a tablespoon full of crema Mexicana on top of each rolled tortilla.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so, whisking the whole time. Whisk in the broth and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth, heat for 5 minutes until thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce. Pour the sauce over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes or so to brown the cheese. Serve.

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Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili

I knew I wanted to have white chicken chili on Halloween before we went out trick or treating. I wanted something creamier than my usual and could be made in the crockpot. The only wrench in the plans was the 80+ degree weather Halloween night!  We all had large servings and there was plenty left over for lunches and lunchboxes for the remainder of the week.  Miss F was a huge fan and I think she had it for lunch nearly every day of the week.  This recipe is adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen.

Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
14.5 ounce can chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup salsa verde
2 cups frozen corn
2 15.5 ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained
½ cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado
tortilla chips, for serving

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Add the sauce to the crockpot. Add the chicken breasts to the crockpot, sprinkle with the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the salsa, corn and beans. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred with two forks, return the shredded chicken into the crockpot, stir in the sour cream. Serve with cheddar cheese, diced avocado and tortilla chips.

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Instant Pot Enchiladas Verdes

I am not a huge fan of enchiladas made with a red sauce, but enchiladas with a creamy green sauce? A total obsession.  In researching my new Instant Pot, I saw all the ways you could make shredded chicken.  When I read that you could make deliciously tender chicken with only a can of enchilada sauce, I was intrigued.    I used my favorite sour cream green enchilada recipe and adapted it for the Instant Pot.  It made things incredibly easy and the chicken was amazing.  Way better than my usual go to of poaching the chicken and shredding it.  This recipe is quite generous with the sauce, so be very careful when pouring over the enchiladas.

Instant Pot Enchiladas Verdes

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can green enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
½ cup tomatillo salsa (or your favorite salsa verde)

Add the chicken and enchilada sauce to the Instant Pot. Set to “Poultry” for 10 minutes if using fresh chicken or for 30 minutes if using frozen chicken breasts. When the pressure has released, shred the chicken with two forks and return it to the cooking liquid.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 40 seconds. Mix the chicken with 1 cup of the cheese. Place a couple spoon fulls of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place in the prepared pan.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so, whisking the whole time. Whisk in the broth and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth, heat for 5 minutes until thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and salsa. Pour the sauce over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes or so to brown the cheese. Serve.

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Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

Miss F spent five blissful days at "Camp Grammy and Grandad", which meant that we could have salad as an entrée without any whining. Or so I thought.  As soon as I plated the salad, C asked what we were having as an entrée...um, salad?  This salad is summer on a plate.   Fresh corn, avocado, tomatoes, bell pepper...all sweet and delicious.  I appeased C with the crushed tortilla chips and cheese, I could have lived without both.  The salad recipe is my own, but the chicken cooking technique comes from The Kitchn.  It is so incredibly easy and cooks chicken perfectly every time.

Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

1 avocado
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon butter
2 ears of corn, shucked and kernels cut from the ear
Juice from ½ lime

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, seeded and chopped
½ cup shredded Colby jack cheese
½ cup crushed tortilla chips

Place the avocado, vinegar, water, sugar and salt into a food processor. Process until smooth. Stream in the oil and process until emulsified; set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the chicken with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish. Cover the chicken with a sheet of parchment paper, tucking it around the chicken. Bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes or so. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. When cool, cut into bite sized pieces.

Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and lime juice, sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until corn is tender.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, corn, lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, avocado, cheese and tortilla chip pieces. Pour over half of the avocado dressing and toss well to coat, adding more dressing as necessary. Divide among 4 plates and serve.

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Shredded Beef Torta

One of the first things I ever ordered at my favorite late night college hangout (aka La Tapatia) was a torta. Pechuga de Pollo torta with NO beans. Emphasis on the "NO." I am no fan of beans and even after 20 years of living in Texas, I still cannot stomach them.  I also learned that if I omitted the Pechuga part of the order, I would get a not as delicious shredded chicken instead of a chicken breast.  I love making bolillos and having tortas at home.  I usually have chicken or pulled pork, but I was in the mood for a shredded beef torta.  And Kroger had roasts on sale for under $2 a pound.  And the shredded beef torta was born.  And it is delicious.  Messy, but delicious.

Shredded Beef Tortas
Makes 6 tortas

1 recipe southwest shredded beef
6 Bolillos from this recipe or purchased
12 leaves of green lettuce
2 avocados, sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 recipe best ever queso or queso of your choosing

Prepare the southwest shredded beef in the crockpot. Slice the bolillos lengthwise and then cross wise. Lay a lettuce leaf on the bottom of each bottom half of the bolillo. Top each with avocado and tomato slices, then add a generous helping of the shredded beef. Top the beef with a spoonful of queso. Serve.

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Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup

Miss F is a huge fan of the Food Network. Her favorite shows are Cake Wars and Chopped Junior.  She also really enjoys watching Pioneer Woman, most of her recipes are right up Miss F's alley.  When she saw this recipe for Mexican Chicken Soup on a recent episode, she insisted we put it on the menu for the following week.  She thought it would be much like her favorite soup, Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup, or as she calls it, "Crocky."  This soup was a huge hit!  She devoured a couple of bowls and then ate all the leftovers for lunches.  I keep chipotles in the freezer, then I can just take one or two out as needed.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless whole chicken breasts
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
One 28-ounce can whole or diced tomatoes, with juice
3 ½ cups chicken broth
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
One 10-ounce can Rotel
4 ounces tomato paste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo (you may add 2 to 3 if you like)
½ lime, juiced
1 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Place the chicken in a crockpot. Sprinkle with chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, Rotel, tomato paste, onion, bell peppers and chipotles to the crockpot and stir well to combine. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8 hours. Stir in the lime juice. Serve, topped with cheese.

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Hula Chicken Sandwiches

By far my favorite use for the crockpot is to make shredded meat. It is so easy to throw everything in the crockpot in the morning and come home to perfectly tender meat by day's end.  These Hula Chicken Sandwiches were a great spin on my usual Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches.  I served them on my most favorite brioche buns along side sweet potato waffle fries, which are the only sweet potato fry that Miss F will touch.  It's nearly the same with regular fries, she doesn't love them, but she will inhale waffle fries.  This recipe was inspired by Betty Crocker.

Hula Chicken Sandwiches

½ cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 cup crushed or diced pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 sandwich rolls
4 slices of Provolone cheese

In a two cup measure, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and Sriracha. Pour the mixture into a crockpot and add the pineapple. Place the chicken breasts on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken and shred, return to the crockpot and increase the heat to high. Cook, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is thickened; if the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pineapple juice. Toast the split sandwich rolls under the broiler for 1 minute. Serve the shredded chicken on the toasted bun topped with a slice of cheese.

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Cheesy Refried Bean Casserole

I honestly did not eat one bite of this dish. Miss F saw it on Pioneer Woman and had to make it...and make it she did! She was thrilled to have refried beans at home, they are a big treat for her when we go out for TexMex. I usually heat up a can of black beans when we have TexMex at home because they are the least offensive bean in my mind.  She did nearly everything to make this recipe, mainly because just the thought of refried beans makes me a little queasy.  She and C adored this casserole, it was a huge hit!  Miss F has a new side dish to add to her repertoire.  And I will continue to let her make it.

Cheesy Refried Bean Casserole

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoons chili powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapenos, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Two 16-ounce cans refried beans
2 ½ cups grated cheddar Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9x9 glass baking dish. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onion, cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, garlic, jalapenos, salt and pepper, cook for a minute more. Add the beans to the skillet and stir well to combine. Cook for 3 minutes more. Transfer half of the beans into the prepared pan and top with half of the cheese. Transfer the remaining beans to the pan and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

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Baked Chipotle Ranch Chicken Taquitos

Miss F loves pretty much anything when it is rolled up in a tortilla with cheese. She likes quesadillas, but she adores it so much more when I make the same ingredients into taquitos. She can usually devour three or four of these in one sitting. If only there were an easy way to pack them in her lunch box. Anyone know of any long and skinny containers that keep things warm?  I got the usual whining from C about my use of chipotles, he abstained from the dip because it was "too smoky."  His loss.  This is an incredibly easy meal and would also be a great addition to your Super Bowl Party menu.  As for me, I will be enjoying the Super Bowl while on the ski slopes of Aspen.  No party planning this year!  Thanks to The Brewer and the Baker for the recipe.

Baked Chipotle Ranch Chicken Taquitos

¾ cup mayo
¾ cup sour cream
2-3 canned chipotle peppers with 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 small bunch of chives
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup buttermilk

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teapsoon cumin
½ medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese
2 dozen 6-inch corn or flour tortillas (or ~4 dozen 5-inch tortillas)

Make the chipotle ranch by adding the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotles, lime juice, chives, garlic, salt and pepper to a blender. Puree until smooth, then stir in the buttermilk. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment or a Silpat. Stir together the cream cheese, dressing, chili powder, cumin, onion and garlic, then stir in the chicken and cheese. Spoon a couple tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of each tortilla. Roll the tortillas up tightly and place seam side down on the prepared baking sheets. Spray with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes until starting to brown. Serve with remaining chipotle ranch.

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Southern Cheddar Biscuits

This recipe from A Southern Soul has been lurking in my Pinterest for quite awhile.  I love a good biscuit and even more than a good biscuit, I love a good cheesy biscuit.  They don't even need butter!  I have been using my pastry cutter more and more lately, it's just easier sometimes to work things by hand.  These biscuits are worth the extra effort, they came out just perfectly and were enjoyed by all.  Miss F slathered hers in butter, but I was completely okay with eating them plain.

Southern Cheddar Biscuits

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
¼ cup butter
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
¾ cups buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using two forks or a pastry cutter until it forms into pea size balls. Stir in the cheddar cheese and buttermilk. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, kneading for a minute or so. Roll out the dough to a ½ inch thickness. Cut the biscuits with a round biscuit cutter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

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Creamy White Chicken Chili

I despise chili, unfortunately, the rest of my family adores it. White chicken chili is about the closest thing I will eat to actual chili.  Chili is one of the foods that I hated as a kid and still hate today.  Most foods that I didn't enjoy as a kid, I grew to like as my tastes matured.  Chili does not fit that bill.  Miss F was so happy to have chili for dinner, though she would prefer chili from a can (double gross) for dinner any day.  Thanks to Taste of Home Cooking for the fantastic and family pleasing recipe.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
2 cans (15 ½ ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 ½ ounces) chicken broth
1 can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Grated cheddar cheese, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and onion, sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. Add the beans, broth, chiles, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and heavy cream, serve topped with cheddar cheese.

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Green Chile Chicken Quesadillas

I became obsessed with quesadillas in college. We would always go to La Tapatia in the middle of the night to eat, since it was open until 3 am.  Tapatia has gotten a lot fancier since my college days.  I had to learn to order (pechuga de pollo quesadilla) in order to not get shredded chicken in my quesadillas. I much prefer bite sized pieces of chicken breast in my quesadilla instead of shredded chicken.  Miss F inhaled these quesadillas...she was "starving!"  I was shocked that she didn't comment on the green chiles in them.  And my family devoured the entire platter!

Green Chile Chicken Quesadillas

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1 can diced green chiles (4.5 ounces)
12 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese


Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and toss with the cumin and salt. Sauté the chicken and chiles for 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and chiles from the pan, wipe down the pan. Place one tortilla in the pan over medium heat and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of the cheese. Place 1/6 of the chicken and chiles over top, then top with another two tablespoons of cheese. Place a second tortilla on top and cook for 2 minutes. Flip over and cook for 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining cheese, chicken and tortillas. Cut into quarters and serve with sour cream, salsa and guacamole.

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Tomatillo Chicken Enchiladas

I have been obsessed with tomatillo salsa lately. I always seem to have a jar lurking in our fridge. I took my usual white chicken enchilada recipe and adapted it to include the leftover tomatillo salsa I had. If I hadn't, I would have eaten my weight in chips and salsa. These enchiladas are super simple and come out perfectly. Miss F and I are huge fans, C isn't as enthusiastic.  I can admit fully that I polished off the entire pan for lunch the next day.  I just heated them up straight in the pan and ate them all.  Oink oink.

Tomatillo Chicken Enchiladas

12 corn tortillas
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
½ cup tomatillo salsa (or your favorite salsa verde)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 40 seconds. Mix the chicken with 1 cup of the cheese. Place a couple spoon fulls of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up and place in the prepared pan.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so, whisking the whole time. Whisk in the broth and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth, heat for 5 minutes until thick and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream and salsa. Pour the sauce over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes or so to brown the cheese. Serve.

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