In The Kitchen: SPICY QUESO CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

I would just like to begin this by saying I am NOT in any way shape or form being endorsed by Old El Paso.. I think I just really like their products or something.  I never realized how much I purchase their products until I took this picture lololol.

Anyways on to the Ingredients!

Ingredient List:

2 Cups Cooked Shredded Chicken
6 Tortillas (I use corn)
1 Cup Shredded Mexican Cheese
1 Medium Onion
2 Large Tomatoes
2 Stalks Green Onion
8 oz. Salsa
5 oz. Queso Sauce
Taco Seasoning
Hot Sauce (To Taste)
Sour Cream (Optional)

Dice your onions.

Pre-Heat oven to 350 Degree's F.

Dice your tomatoes.

Add some oil to your pan.

Saute your diced onions.

Portion out about a 1/6 of your diced tomatoes. 

While your onions are sauteing you can chop your green onions.  

Leave your reserved tomatoes & green onions to the side.

Add in your tomatoes.

Add in your cooked & shredded chicken.

Mix in 1/2 of the Taco Seasoning.

Now for your hot sauce.  I like things SPICY.  But not everyone likes it as spicy as me.  So I would recommend taste testing as you go along.  Start with a couple of splashes and build up for more flavor.  I use about 1/4 cup and I was sweatin' when I was eating lol.

While your filling is cooking together you can start on your sauce.

Combine your salsa (if you're using the exact same products above it's about half a jar the Salsa.)

And mix in your Queso sauce (roughly 1/3 of the Queso jar) and stir together.

Microwave your Tortillas in the Microwave about 30 sec.  They are more pliable this way if you use them cold they tend to crack a lot easier.

Add a ladle full of sauce to the bottom of your pan.

Fill each tortilla with your Chicken, Onion & Tomato filling.

Place seam side down.

And repeat until you have all of your enchiladas in a row!

Cover w/ the rest of the remaining sauce.

Sprinkle your cheese on top.

Into the oven for 20 min. 

Top w/ the reserve chopped tomatoes & green onions from earlier and you're done!  

Add a dollop of Sour Cream if you please!

Btw's this recipe works great w/ Steak too :)!

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In The Kitchen: SPICY CHICKEN & BROCCOLI "PIZZA"

I did a variation of this a few months back with my Chicken & Artichoke Tart I decided to change it up with a white sauce & broccoli this time!

Dinner in under 30 mins :)

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
2 Puff Pastry Sheets (1 Box)
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/4 Alfredo Sauce
2 Cups Broccoli (You can use less but you know my obsession with this amazing veggie!)
1/4 cup Banana Peppers
1 Cups Cooked Chicken
1/4 Mozzarella
Salt & Pepper to taste

Pre-Heat oven to 400 Degrees F.

Spray your aluminum pan with cooking oil and defrost your puff pastry on top for 30 to 45 min and then pinch together so it forms one large piece.

Add your minced garlic.

Spread evenly on the puff pastry dough.

Pop the puff pastry in the oven for 5-10 min just long enough for the dough to firm up and it "roasts" the garlic into the dough.

While your dough is baking take your diced chicken and season with salt & pepper

I like to add a splash of the Banana Pepper "juice" because I think the tartness of the Banana Peppers is a nice contrast to the creamy richness of the Alfredo Sauce.  Add the juice and then shred your chicken and stir everything together.

By then your dough should be done and you can take it out of the oven.

Now it's time to construct your "pizza" spread your Alfredo Sauce evenly on the bottom and layer with the Broccoli.

Then your chicken

Banana Peppers

And finally your Mozzarella.  

I like to leave about a inch of space around the rim for the "crust"

Pop it in the oven for another 15-20 mins.

Bake until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown!

I let it set for a good 5-10 min before cutting in otherwise the ingredients tend to slide off if you try to pick it up right away lol.  After it's been sitting for a bit it tends to firm up :)

Pair with a nice salad and you're good to go!

BTW this is also REALLY good w/ some sliced steak it's like a Philly Cheesesteak pizza :p

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In The Kitchen: SMASHED POTATOES

I'm a "sides" kind of girl. 

Secretly I prefer the "side" items to the actual "star" of a meal. 

Sometimes I'll even order like 4 different sides and eat it as an entree. HAHA. weird right?

This side dish is amazing paired w/ ANYTHING!  BBQ Chicken, Rib-eye, Salmon - you name it!

 The Hubs really dislikes potatoes.  I mean VERY STRONGLY dislikes potatoes. He'll usually take like 2 bites and then stop eating any type of potato dish that's put in front of him.

In fact that only time I've EVER seen him finish his potatoes was during our dining experience at Joel Robuchon (which BTW's is a 3 Michelin star restaurant.  And Robuchon's potatoes are so infamous that Anthony Bourdain once questioned Robuchon about just how much butter is actually in his potatoes.

The secret?  Supposedly it's a 2:1 ratio.. 1 pound of butter for 2 pounds of potatoes ie it's RICH.)

This recipe however is (a little) healthier I would like to think and the Hubs gobbles them up - he ate 3, yes THREE in one sitting!!

And it's sooo simple.  

Ingredients:

1 to 2 potatoes (per person depending on the size you use.)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan

Wash your potatoes and then put them in a pot and boil them until they become tender.

Pour half of your olive oil into your pan and spread the olive oil so it coats the bottom of your pan. 

(I always lined mine with aluminum saves on clean up time)

Pre-Heat oven to 400 Degrees F.

Take your tender potatoes and place them on top of your pre-oiled pan.

Use a potato masher (or a cup whatever you have on hand) and press down.

And continue until you've "smashed" all of the potatoes.  However don't press down too hard because if you do the potato will fall apart.  You want the potato to still be relatively in one piece.

Use the remaining olive oil and drizzle over the top of the potatoes.

Sprinkle liberally with salt. 

Sprinkle liberally with ground pepper.

Sprinkle your Parmesan on top of each potato.

Into the oven for 30 min on the top rack so that the potato & Parmesan will brown nicely.

(I also had a rack of BBQ ribs going on in the oven at the same time. lol)

And that's it!

Pair with whatever "main" you feel like!! :)

Tonight we felt like baby back ribs lol!

Btw's this exact recipe is AMAZING on any vegetable.

Just take out the "smashed" part but the boil, olive oil, season, Parmesan & bake translates well to any vegetable you can think of.. Broccoli, Zucchini, Carrots - Go wild hehehe!

Enjoy!

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OOTD: Breton Stripes & Polka Dots

Trench: F21, Top: LOFT, Skirt: J. CREW, Belt: ANN TAYLOR, Bracelets: HERMES,
Shoes: MIU MIU, Handbag: CHANEL

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