Spicy chicken enchiladas

We have our first snow day of the year today, which has made accomplishing work and home tasks a little tricky. On the other hand, I have had a tea party with my boys, played in the snow with them and watched them slurp down freshly juiced kale-spinach-apple juice (shhh, I tell them it's green because of the apple peel). It has been a totally unproductive, pajama-wearing, wonderful day! I'm wishing I wouldn't have polished off my recent batch of spicy enchiladas last night because they would be a great addition to this day. I'm going to sneak in a quick blog post and get back to playing "castle" in the living room!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat.

Add to the skillet:

1/2 large yellow or white onion, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onions are soft and the peppers and garlic are fragrant.

Add to the skillet:

10-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

Meat from 1 Rotisserie chicken, shredded

Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until mixture is creamy.

Divide the mixture between 8 large (burrito size) flour tortillas.

Wrap up the tortillas and place next to each other in the prepared baking dish. 

Pour a 10-ounce can of enchilada sauce over the top, followed by 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped flat-leaf chopped parsley.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. 

Serve with sour cream or salsa. OR, you can do like Dan and I do and pour hot taco sauce over the top. Isn't that stuff good? 

Printable recipe: Spicy chicken enchiladas

Chicken bacon artichoke dip

I love the couple of weeks leading up to the Superbowl because I have an excuse to make yummy, gooey dips with the intent of sharing them with you! Dan and I have a weakness for dips, which makes the Superbowl a fun event for us every year. Someone told me once that there is actually FOOTBALL being played that day?! Ha! Nice try.

I was inspired to make this recipe after seeing this on Allrecipes. I just about squealed when I saw all of these delicious ingredients swimming together in my baking dish. When it came out of the oven, Dan and I both pounced. Mmmm, it was everything I expected and more.

Preaheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a medium-sized baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine:

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

14-oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup milk

3-oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Mix well and transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm with chips or crackers.

More Superbowl options to come!

Printable recipe: Chicken bacon artichoke dip

White chicken lasagna rolls

I lied. I told you my next post would be about something that went along with my unhealthy holiday trend. That didn't happen! It's next, though, I promise. In the meantime, I present to you a variation of one of my favorite lasagna recipes. This is a fun alternative to typical lasagna. Lasagna turned inside out, if you will!

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas! My boys and I have had a lovely week so far. Lots of presents and love. Sassiness, too, but mostly love.  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook 12 lasagna noodles 3 minutes short of the package instructions. Drain and rinse. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine:

2 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded

13.75-oz. can artichokes, drained and chopped

3-oz. package cream cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix well.

Set the cooked lasagna noodles on a flat surface and divide the cheese mixture among them, spreading evenly across the surace of the noodles.

Tightly roll up the noodles and place them seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and chopped parsley.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese mixture is heated through.

Enjoy, friends! Merry Christmas to you all!

Printable recipe: White chicken lasagna rolls

Chicken rice soup

Good ol' Daylight Savings. This is the week every year when I become depressed driving home from work in complete darkness, and also when I am awakened very early in the mornings by my already-early-rising boy, Elijah. Sunday morning he was ready to start the day at 3:30! "Mom! Is it time to get up?" I sternly said, "Absolutely not. Go back to sleep. It is the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT." Then he said, "Mom? You are my sweet girl and my best friend." Those are some sweet words, but Mommy needs her sleep, dangit.

This means winter is near. (I sighed as I wrote that.) I'm not ready. Winter can be rough on my mood and on my bones. There are good things about winter, however: Baking, not having to shave my legs every day, building snowmen with my boys, having Dan at home and...crockpot cooking! I love my crockpot. Actually, I desperately need a new one, but I love cooking in crockpots. Especially soups like this one that make my house smell like heaven.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add to the skillet:

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, thinly sliced

8 oz. baby carrots, thinly sliced

8-oz. package sliced mushrooms

3 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Cook, stirring, for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the contents of the skillet to a large crock pot. 

Add:

Meat from 1 Rotisserie chicken

(I have rice shown here, but I don't suggest adding it until later..)

64 oz. chicken broth

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook on Low heat for 6 hours. At the four-hour mark, add 1 cup of uncooked rice. If you add the rice too soon, it becomes mushy, I discovered the hard way.

Serve warm with a crusty bread. What a perfect Fall soup! 

Printable recipe: Chicken rice soup

Spicy white turkey chili

My day has involved: riding down the Lazy River with my water-loving oldest boy on a giant blue inner tube, comforting my youngest boy because of his aversion to waterparks and anything relating to a single drop of water, saying goodbye to my bestest pal and her children after a fun weekend together, packing for a week-long trip that begins on Tuesday, preparing for a long day of work tomorrow and dealing with a very-overly-tired-and-waterparked-out boy and his challenging behavior. Now the boys are in bed as I sit waiting for Dan to arrive home from work so we can watch the premiere of Walking Dead! I am beyond excited!

In the meantime, I will share this delightful white chili recipe with all of you! It is such a perfect time to throw chili ingredients into your crock pot to make your home smell wonderful and your tummies happy. I hope you enjoy this one!

Place 2 pounds of ground turkey in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until browned. Drain the grease and transfer to a large crock pot, along with:

2 cans cannellini beans, undrained

1 can butter beans, undrained

Add to the skillet:

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

Cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add:

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 to 4 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

Cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Add:

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix well and remove from heat.

Add to the crock pot:

2 cans corn, drained

32 oz. chicken broth

Add the onion-pepper-spice mixture to the crock pot.

Mix well. Cook on Low for 6 hours.

Serve warm, topped with shredded mozzarella.

The zombies are here! Must go watch!

Printable recipe: Spicy white turkey chili