Chicken Enchilada Soup

This recipe has been in my "to make" folder for years now.  I got it from a former co-worker, who brought it for lunch one day.  I didn't need to taste it to know that I needed a copy of the recipe. Fast forward about five years, and it turns out I was right.  I'm only kicking myself about not having made it sooner.

While this soup doesn't make for a very beautiful photograph, the taste is enough to put vanity aside! :)

Original recipe calls for DOUBLE these quantities...which would be enough for you to eat for at least a week.  Also, don't be intimidated by the number of ingredients.  The final product is worth it!

1 TBSP canola oil

1/2 c chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves)

1 (4oz) can diced green chiles

4 1/2 c water

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tsp beef bullion (I used 2 cubes)

2 tsp chicken bullion (same)

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 TBSP A-1 sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

12 corn tortillas

3 c cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 tsp paprika

Saute onion and garlic in oil.  Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas, cheese, and paprika).  Bring to a light boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 min.

Cut tortillas into 1/2 inch pieces, and grate cheese.

After the 20 min of simmering, add tortillas, cheese, and paprika.

Simmer uncovered 10 minutes.

Comments from the cook:  I had a 7oz can of green chiles, and used the entire can.  Next time I'll probably opt for a few less, but it's certainly a way to amp up the flavor.  I also just used 2 cups of grated cheese instead of 3.  The flavor of the soup is so good that the cheese isn't the main attraction, and I think I'll add even less next time.

Reheats really well the next day (with a bit of extra water added).

Originally shared by John Wadley, former co-worker at Provo Craft.

Chile Verde Burritos

I went to a Relief Society mid-week activity on easy freezer meals, and this is one of the recipes that was shared by the teacher. I knew it sounded like something we'd like, even though it forced me to make amends with my Crockpot. It has quickly become one of our favorites, and I think you'll like it too!

1 TBSP oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced

6 boneless pork loin chops

7 oz. can diced green chiles

16 oz. jar salsa verde

19 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

juice of one lime

salt and pepper, to taste

flour tortillas

Chop onion and bell pepper. Saute in oil (and add garlic) until vegetables are softened.

Add pork, then sauted onion and bell pepper to Crockpot. Continue to add green chiles, salsa verde, enchilada sauce, all spices and lime juice to mixture. Stir together.

Cook on high for 5-6 hours if pork is frozen and 4-5 hours if meat is defrosted.

After pork is thoroughly cooked, shred. Put back into the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.

Comments from the cook: This recipe makes a LARGE amount, so I have always preferred to half everything. Doing so makes for about 5 burritos at our house, which is enough for us (plus leftovers). You can always make the full recipe and freeze the rest, according to our freezer meals teacher...

I have a very hot Crockpot, so I cooked this recipe for about 2 hours on high, then switched it to low for the remaining 3-4 hours. I also used a pork roast, which worked fine (except for my FATAL error of buying it bone-in...and having to remove the bone myself. Remember how I hate touching meat? Gag, barf, die.)

In order to amp this up even more, we ate our burritos enchilada style. We put the meat and sauce into tortillas, added a little bit of mozzarella cheese to the insides, rolled them up, covered them in sauce, topped them with more cheese and baked them at 400° or so for about 10 or 15 minutes...just to melt the cheese.

Originally shared by JoAnna Moss, freezer meal extraordinaire. :)

California Burritos

2 lbs Carne Asada (recipe below)
4-6 small potatoes
Homemade Pico de Gallo
sour cream
shredded cheese
6-8 uncooked tortillas
canola or olive oil

Carne Asada:

2 lbs steak, cut into small pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 TBSP white vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil

Cut steak into small pieces. Combine all other ingredients in large bowl, and add steak. Allow to marinate overnight.

Fry in skillet over medium-high heat until browned.

Potatoes:

Cut potatoes into 1/2" cubes. Add 2 TBSP canola or olive oil to pan and cook in skillet over medium-high heat until some edges are slightly browned. Add 1/2 cup warm water and cover until potatoes are cooked thoroughly. Flavor with salt to taste.

Pico de Gallo:

Prepare Pico the night before and allow to sit overnight.

Assemble:
Cook tortillas. Add sour cream to bottom of tortilla. Add Carne Asada and potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with Pico de Gallo.

Serve with Mexican rice or tortilla chips.

Comments from the cook: This recipe is our Cinco de Mayo tradition! When Brian served his mission in San Diego, he discovered the miracle that is the California burrito. Nothing fancy...just lots of steak, cheese, and potatoes. After we were married, he found a local place (called Beto's then) and managed to eat one almost every time I went out of town.

They quickly became one of his favorite indulgences, and it only seemed appropriate that we try to make them ourselves. We've enjoyed them with friends for the last 3 Cinco de Mayos and plan to eat them for many years to come!

Beef Enchiladas

8 flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
1/2 lb ground beef, browned (ours were low on meat, so double if you'd like)
1 large can enchilada sauce (I used Las Palmas, mild)
1 packet McCormick enchilada flavoring
1 cup cheddar cheese

Warm enchilada sauce in medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add McCormick packet to enchilada sauce and stir well. Follow directions on McCormick packet (cook 10 minutes).

Spread about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan.

Next, assemble!

Start with tortilla. Add a heaping tablespoon of refried beans to the shell and spread across length of shell.

Add ground beef. Add about one ladle full of enchilada sauce to tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese, then close. (I do this by lifting up both edges of the tortilla, bringing them together, then folding the two halves to the right and tucking them underneath as you place the finished enchiladas in the pan...so that the edge is at the bottom of the pan. But you can do whatever is easiest for you!)

Use remaining sauce to cover enchiladas, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes. Cover with foil if tops start to brown more quickly than you like.

Makes 8 enchiladas.

Comments from the cook: So, what's with the sauce, you ask? We usually just use tomato sauce and the McCormick seasoning...but decided to take it up a notch this time! You may even want to add a bit of water to thin it out too.

We use/ration the uncooked tortillas (available in UT at Costco) that we bought at Christmas...and they are excellent!

Serve with lettuce, sour cream, and any remaining refried beans.

A CookieSheets&CakePans original!

Fruit Salsa

1-2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries (I did at least twice, almost three times this)
1 15oz can of pears
1 15oz can of peaches
2 small cans of mandarin oranges
1 15 oz can of crushed pineapple
4 kiwis
1 package sugar-free strawberry gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
12 tortillas (we prefer the uncooked kind from Costco or Walmart)
cooking spray
cinnamon and sugar mixture

Dice all fruit and combine. (We blended most of the strawberries into a puree, and diced a cup or so just to add texture.) OR Option #2 - When we're not worried as much about what it looks like, we use our Cuisinart food chopper and just chop everything that way...

Bring water to a boil and combine with gelatin.

Pour gelatin mixture into fruit. Refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).


If tortillas come uncooked, place them on a griddle just long enough to cook them all the way through.

Cut tortillas into 6 slices with a pizza cutter. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Cook at 350° for 5-6 minutes, just until golden along the edges.


Makes 8+ cups of salsa.

Comments from the cook: This salsa would be a great garnish to an otherwise average dessert too! Ideas have been tossed around about serving it over cheesecake or even with frozen yogurt...

My mom took it up one notch and baked pie crust (with cinnamon sugar) instead of tortillas for the "chips". Cooked dough doesn't hold together as well, but the result was INCREDIBLE.

Originally shared by my mother-in-law, Debby Mathias