November 10, 2011: Cornbread Stuffing and Chicken Bake Recipe

Here’s a quick and easy weeknight meal perfect for serving the family. It’s hearty and the juicy, tender chicken is sure to please even your finicky eaters. And because you can often find the ingredients for this dish on sale, it’s very economical, too.

Cornbread Stuffing and Chicken Bake

1 package cornbread stuffing mix (such as Stovetop)

1 T. butter

1 2/3 cup hot water

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Garlic salt and black pepper

1 can corn, drained

1 can cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together stuffing mix, butter and hot water with a fork; set aside.

Grease a casserole dish. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in the bottom. Sprinkle with garlic salt and black pepper. Combine soup and corn. Spread over the top of the chicken breasts. Top with stuffing.

Bake for 45 or until juices from chicken breasts run clear.

Serves 4

September 11, 2011: Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

It’s hard to believe that 10 years have gone by since the tragic events of 9/11. Do you remember where you were that day the twin towers in New York City burned? I had just started working for the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa hotel less than a month before and as I walked in to work, I noticed everyone’s somber countenances and the fact that all the TVs in the lobby were turned on to the news. My coworkers and I sat and watched the coverage for some time; our boss never asked us to get back to work. It was unbelievable – I remember thinking the images were surreal, like something from a movie.

I give thanks to all those brave men and women who were tasked with rescuing victims and then cleaning up the mess afterward. Did you know it took over half a year to find some of the victims?

Well… let’s move on to today’s recipe. I’ve got yet another version of enchiladas to share with you. I hope this doesn’t offend anybody, but this is the “gringo” version which uses a can of cream of chicken soup rather than a sauce made from scratch. This is the type of casserole my husband really enjoys because he doesn’t like the hotter, more authentic version.

Beef enchilada casserole served with a salad of arugula, cherry tomatoes, avocados and green onions.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

1 pound ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup onion (white or yellow), minced

1 T. dehydrated or fresh, chopped cilantro

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 small can mild, diced green chiles (or substitute 2 T. minced fresh jalapenos)

1/3 cup sour cream

¼ cup milk

1 t. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

9 corn (or corn/flour) tortillas

Nonstick cooking spray (such as Pam)

1 ½ cups shredded cheese (such as Colby Jack)

Brown the ground beef in skillet over medium heat. Drain most of the grease. Add in the garlic, onion and cilantro and cook a few more minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

Add remaining ingredients, through salt and pepper, to make the sauce.

Spray a 9” square baking pan with Pam. Place three tortillas in the bottom of the pan (you may have to cut one tortilla in half to make them fit across the bottom of the pan). Spread one third of the sauce mixture on top, followed by one third of the shredded cheese. Repeat twice more.

Cover pan with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 – 40 minutes, until bubbly hot. Remove foil and cook five more minutes, until cheese is completely melted and a bit browned.

Serves 3 - 4

May 13, 2011: Chicken Pot Pies Recipe

Are you wondering what to do with that leftover chicken in your fridge and you’re tired of chicken salad sandwiches? How about making quick and easy individual chicken pot pies for dinner?

The other day at my women’s Bible study meeting, our hostess, Phyllis, was giving away several old cooking magazine she no longer wanted. Being the foodie that I am, I jumped at the chance to take them home. As I was thumbing through a Southern cooking issue from last Thanksgiving, I found several recipes for pot pies. Although I usually think of this dish as a comfort food for cooler weather, I had some leftover chicken and it sounded good right now (besides, it’s been staying rather cool here and doesn’t feel at all like spring).

I took a conglomeration of those pot pie recipes and turned them into this one, simple dish that was perfect for using up all the leftovers in my fridge. Don’t feel compelled to use the same vegetables I did; nearly anything you’ve got on hand will work nicely.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

4 T. butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup half and half
¼ cup chicken stock (if necessary to thin sauce)
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup cooked cauliflower florets
2 red potatoes, cooked, peeled, and chopped
2 cups chicken, shredded
1 sheet puff pastry

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 4 individual baking dishes, including the rims. Take the puff pastry sheet from the freezer and thaw at room temperature while preparing the pot pie filling.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the chopped onion and cook for a couple minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the soup, half and half, and chicken stock and heat through. Add remaining ingredients, up until puff pastry, and stir until combined. Divide mixture between the four prepared dishes.

The dough on these was a little too thick - next time I will roll it out thinner so it completely covers the top of the bowls.

Place the puff pastry sheets onto a floured surface and cut into fourths. Lightly roll out the sheets so they fit your baking dishes (the thinner the better it will cook) and place over the top of the chicken filling in each dish. Press down lightly so it covers the filling. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is cooked through.