Mexican Chicken Casserole

We got quite the surprise in our garden this year. The plan was to buy 4 bell pepper plants, as we eat quite a few bell peppers every week. Apparently someone at the nursery had a little fun because when the plants finally started producing peppers a couple of weeks ago, we found ourselves with a crop of banana peppers. Good thing we like Mexican food!

This is my "more complicated" Mexican recipe that I promised. In reality, the dish is not that hard to make, but it does have several steps. Some of which would be easy enough to make ahead of time if you did not want to make it all at once. 

The recipe comes from Amber at Chocolate Broccoli, and she indicates this is a recipe she has been making for quite some time. It is basically a Mexican-themed lasanga filled with vegetables. She makes her own roasted salsa for the sauce which is amazing. I made very few modifications to the recipe - mostly using my banana peppers rather than the poblanos. 

Despite the steps, I promise it is delicious. It made a wonderful dinner and lunch for several days afterwards. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Mexican Chicken Casserole
Slightly Adapted from Chocolate Broccoli

Ingredients:
For the salsa:
8 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and quartered
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp. lime juice (1 lime)
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

For the casserole:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup diced zucchini
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 large banana peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cups shredded cooked chicken 
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 (10oz) can green chile enchilada sauce
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into quarters
1 cup (4oz) shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 cup (4oz) crumbled Cojita cheese

Preheat broiler. To prepare salsa, combine the first 4 ingredients on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 20 minutes or until charred, stirring once. Remove from oven; cool slightly. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.

Decrease oven to 350 degrees. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the pan with cooking spray. Add 1 cup onion, corn, zucchini, banana peppers, and bell peppers. Saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Add chicken and other ingredients through the enchilada sauce. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Just cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with the salsa. Arrange half the tortillas over the salsa, tearing if needed to cover the entire dish. Spoon 2 cups of the chicken mixture evenly over the tortillas. Top with half the remaining salsa. Sprinkle with half of each of the cheeses. Repeat layers, starting with the remaining tortillas and ending with the remaining cheeses. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Mexican Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Cheesy. Enchilada. Casserole. Not the terms that you would typically think of in a January meal. Surprise, this recipe is actually based from Cooking Light, although I found this adaption on Iowa Girl Eats this past summer. Not sure it would actually classify as "health food," but when a Mexican craving strikes, this could certainly fulfill the requirements without doing too much damage to your diet. Good news in our book as Mexican is one of our favorite types of cuisines.

This recipe starts by cooking chicken breasts on the stove top in a mixture of chicken broth and green chiles. The cooked chicken is shredded and set aside as the chile mixture turns into your cheesy enchilada sauce. On a side note, did you know that you can shred a cooked chicken breast in your stand mixer? It works here or if you've boiled them on the stovetop. Just place the hot breast into the mixer with the paddle attachment and go. Perfect if you're like me and always end up burning yourself while trying to shred the hot chicken :)

Our verdict: cheesy, lighter, and delicious! Looking through the ingredients, the dish is really a deconstructed enchilada layered lasagna-style into a baking dish, so if you have that soft spot in your heart for enchiladas, these should float your boat. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Mexican Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats (originally adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 
2 (4.5oz) cans chopped green chiles, divided
1-1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup skim evaporated milk
1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce
2oz. 1/3-less fat cream cheese
1 cup (4oz) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup (2oz) 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
9 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1-2 oz tortilla chips, crushed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

Heat the chicken broth and one can of the green chiles in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When boiling, add the chicken breasts and cook for 7-8 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken, shred, and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid and set aside. 

Re-heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and second can of green chiles. Saute until the onions are soft, then add the evaporated milk, enchilada sauce, cream cheese, Monterey jack cheese, and reserved cooking liquid. Stir until sauce is combined, then add in the shredded chicken. Stir well, and remove from heat.

Lay 3 corn tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish, tearing them when necessary to cover the entire bottom of the dish. Top with 2 cups of the chicken mixture. Repeat the layers 2 more times, ending with the chicken layer on top. Top with the crushed tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese on the top is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Pie

I seem to have quite the streak of main dishes going here. Don't worry. I've still been doing my fair share of baking :-)

The ingredients in this recipe remind of of a mix between spaghetti and lasagna. The noodles are cooked on the stove and then mixed with a little butter, Parmesan cheese, and an egg to form a "crust" on the bottom of the pie. This is actually the second time we've tried to make a spaghetti pie. The first time (with a different recipe) the spaghetti-crust didn't hold together at all. It ended up more like a baked spaghetti dish. I'm not quite sure what was different this time around because the idea of this recipe was the same, but it worked out a lot better for us.

One thing that I did like about the other recipe was the use of turkey sausage rather than ground beef. The sausage just gives the dish a little more flavor, and I would swap it in for the ground beef next time. Overall, we really enjoyed this spin on spaghetti, and it's definitely something we will make again.

(Printable Recipe)

Spaghetti Pie
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients: 
6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti 
2 Tbsp. butter 
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 lb. lean ground beef (or 1 lb. ground turkey sausage)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped bell pepper, any color
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp. white sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Stir in margarine, Parmesan cheese, and eggs while spaghetti is hot. Press spaghetti mixture into a greased 10-inch pie plate to form a crust.

In a skillet, cook the beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Drain any fat and stir in the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and oregano. Heat through. 

Spread the cottage cheese over the spaghetti crust then pour in the beef and tomato mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover with mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 minutes longer, until the cheese melts.

Servings: 6 per original recipe

Quick Cheeseburger Pie

Here in Nebraska, we have not seen the sun in like a month. Between snowstorms, fog, and freezing rain, this winter has been harsh. We found this recipe on Allrecipes.com on one of those dreary nights when we were hungry for something different. It turned out so well, that I think it will be made all year round from now on!

As its name eludes, it is very quick and easy to make. It is even quicker and easier when you use a frozen pie crust instead of making your own like the recipe calls for. It tastes great as is, but I envision that this recipe is another one where you can put your own touch on it by substituting in some of your favorite fillings and flavors. So, if you live in an area like Nebraska and are looking for a tasty recipe to warm you up tonight, try this new take on a quick and easy pie!

(Printable Recipe)

Quick Cheeseburger Pie
Adapted from: allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
2 cups shredded swiss cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

To make filling, crumble ground beef into a large skillet and saute over medium hear for 1 minute. Add onion and garlic. Continue to saute until onion is browned, about 10 minutes. Drain grease from mixture.

Sprinkle beef mixture with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup flour. Stir in pickle liquid, milk, pickles, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into pastry shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Baked Penne

Well... my camera has gone missing. I used it last week before work to take some pictures of my Christmas cookies in natural light, and the next morning we couldn't find it. It should be in this apartment somewhere, but I've ran out of places to look. Unfortunately, I need those cookie picture for a baking group. Rats... looks like I'll have to make them again :-)

Anyway, all of that was a lead in to the fact that we got a new camera. I had been wanting one anyway as my old one often took fuzzy pictures of my recipes, so we just jumped in and did it. I haven't gotten to use it yet for any food pictures, but I'm excited to try it out!

I found this baked ziti recipe on blogchef.  My experience with baked pasta does not go much beyond lasagna, so I thought this would be nice for a change.

In this case, the change definitely was good. Both the hubby and I really enjoyed this dish. It also helps that it is pretty easy. My only complaint is that my husband bought spaghetti sauce with mushrooms :-( 

My only change was the type of pasta. I used penne pasta instead of ziti because I wanted to use whole wheat pasta. As far as I'm concerned, the shape of the pasta is trivial, but I know that it matters to some. Different strokes for different folks... If you're looking for a good, easy recipe, try this out!

(Printable Recipe)

Baked Whole Wheat Penne

Adapted from blogchef.net

Ingredients:

1 lb. 93% lean ground beef

1 c. onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) jar meatless spaghetti sauce (or homemade)

1 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. oregano

1 (16oz) pkg. whole-wheat penne, cooked and drained

2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 c. grated Parmesean cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, add ground beef, onions, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until the beef is browned. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, broth, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir 1 cup of sauce into the cooked penne noodles. Spoon 1/2 of the pasta mixture into a 13x9" baking dish. Sprinkle with 1-1/2 c. mozzarella cheese and 1/2 c. Parmesean cheese. Top with 2 cups of sauce. Add remaining pasta mixture and top with the remaining sauce.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesean cheeses. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

We have a great white sauce chicken enchilada recipe that we really like and make fairly regularly around here. Recently, my husband requested a "red sauce" enchilada recipe for something different. I looked through a few recipes with beef, and finally settled on this "lasagna-type" chicken enchilada recipe that I found here at allrecipes.com.

The flavor of this dish was really good - especially the seasoning on the chicken! My only complaint is that ours didn't turn out very thick. We did use a dish that is probably closer to 15x10 than 11x7, so I'm guessing that was a large part of the issue. Other than that, we followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out well!

(Printable Recipe)

Layered Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole - from allreicpes.com

2 c. diced chicken breast meat

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4.5 oz) can diced green chilies, drained

1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 (8oz) container low-fat sour cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet oven medium heat, and spray with vegetable cooking spray. Saute chicken with cumin and coriander until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the cilantro, black beans, and green chilies.

Spread half the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 11x7-inch pan. Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese and top with another layer of tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas. Cover dish with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Taco Casserole

It never ceases to amaze me how the most simple recipes can turn out to be so good. I found this recipe a couple weeks ago at Taste and Tell, and my husband immediately declared that we were making it for dinner that week. I seem to be saying this about every recipe that I post, but this stuff was good!

It does make a full 9x13 pan of casserole. Great for a famliy or in our case for leftovers ;-) With this recipe, I can assure you that neither of us minded too much!

Taco Casserole
1 (16 oz) can taco sauce
1 (12 oz) can buttermilk biscuits
4-6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
4-6 oz. shredded mozarella cheese
1 can sliced olives, drained
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 c. red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c. green bell pepper, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms sliced (omitted)
1/2 medium onion, chopped (we added this)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread taco sauce evenly over the bottom. Separate dough into 10 biscuits; cut each into 4 pieces. Place biscuit pieces in taco sauce in the pan and turn to coat. Sprinkle biscuits with half the cheese and the olives. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

In a large skillet, combine beef, onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, cumin, and chili powder. Cook until ground beef is cooked through. Sprinkle the ground beef mixture over the biscuit mixture. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes until cheese is melted.