Salsa Verde Enchiladas

These green chicken enchiladas with salsa verde, chicken, sour cream, cheese and cilantro are simple to make. 
*I went to look for this recipe and couldn't find it and almost panicked. How could I not have posted this? I've made it 100 times. Thankfully it was stuck in my drafts from September 5, 2020. Here I am almost 5 years later adding it (by request of Austin) to our meal plan. (Note, Austin actually has requested the taquito version of this where you put the filling in a tortilla and crisp it in the oven. We will have it for dinner and then he will pack it for his coop lunch.)



Easy Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Source: Inspired Taste



Ingredients:
1 teaspoon oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups (16 ounces) salsa verde
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped, plus more for serving
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
8 flour tortillas


Directions: 
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat then cook garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the salsa verde and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from the heat then stir in the sour cream and cilantro. Taste for seasoning, adjusting with salt, pepper or more sour cream if the sauce it too spicy. Set aside about 1 cup of the sauce for assembling the enchiladas.

Stir the shredded chicken and half of the cheese into the sauce that has not been set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish and spread a little reserved sauce on the bottom. Add about 1/3 cup of the chicken filling to the middle of each tortilla and roll into a cylinder. Repeat, lining up tortillas, seam-side down, tightly in the dish. Spread the reserved sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted. Serve with cilantro on top.

Note: I usually double this recipe and either freeze the extra sauce for an easy fast meal or assemble flauta/taquitos and freeze those for an extra freezer meal. 

Mississippi Pot Roast

 Another TikTok inspired meal. This one was sent to me by Melissa. Quote: "I’m eating this on rolls for lunch today and it’s sooooooo good." After a brief conversation: "On Hawaiian rolls is unreal 🤣🤤I never think of pepperoncinis as spicy but they for sure have a kick." I vowed to add it to our families meal rotation. I couldn't copy the exact recipe because I'm too stubborn to sign up for TikTok and I didn't want to handwrite the recipe, but I found a Mississippi Pot Roast recipe that is super similar. 

Mississippi Pot Roast

Source: Lindsey Arnold (yay dancing with the stars) via Melissa Walker Lewis

3–4 lb. beef rump roast (Both rump roast and chuck roast work perfectly. **See Note)
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet aus jus gravy mix
8–10 pepperoncini peppers (with 1/4 cup juice from jar)
1/4 cup butter, cut into 4 or 5 square pats


Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
Place the roast in your slow cooker.
Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and aus jus mix over the top of the roast.
Add pepperoncini peppers on top of and around the roast.
Cut the butter into slices and arrange on top of the roast.
Add 1/4 cup pickle juice from pepperoncini jar to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the roast is fork tender. Internal temperature should be about 160° when you remove it to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. In most slow cookers, my guess is this will be achieved by the 6 hour mark. If you’re cooking rump roast with the intention of slicing it, this may be the time you want to take it out and rest it. If your plan is to break the roast (rump or chuck) into larger chunks and pieces or to shred it, the full 8 hours will be more to your liking.

Serve over Mashed Potatoes, on Rolls, or over Noodles. 




Notes

I find that the cut of roast I choose has more to do with how I plan to use the beef. When I want larger pieces or even slices of roast beef, I prefer a rump roast. This is the one I usually serve over mashed potatoes and my typical go-to.

However, if my plan is to shred the beef, then I choose a chuck roast. It just tends to fall apart on its own in the slow cooker. This lends itself well to French dip sandwiches or even over homemade noodles for a beef and noodles type of dish.

Both roasts work equally well. Both are tender and delicious. And, in our area, they are similarly priced.

Homemade Nacho Soup

 We are on the hunt for the best "homemade Nacho Soup" recipe, because Campbells discontinued the key ingredient to our favorite recipe. Here are our top contenders: 

https://www.thecookierookie.com/mexican-cheesy-chicken-chowder/

https://ohsweetbasil.com/cheesy-southwestern-chicken-tortilla-soup-recipe/

https://www.thereciperebel.com/creamy-nacho-potato-soup/

https://insidebrucrewlife.com/nacho-potato-chowder/

https://southernbite.com/chicken-corn-chowder/

Cheesy Chicken Fajita Burritos

Social Media made me make these. I've been influenced and I'm glad. 

Cheesy Chicken Fajita Burrito

Source: Stealth Health Life

THE SHEET PAN MEAL PREP SERIES Episode 1

Per Burrito (Makes 12) 445 Calories 42g Protein 35g Carbs 16g Fat

——

Fajita Veggies: 6 bell peppers, diced
2 onions, diced
15g (1 Tbsp) coarse salt

Fajita Chicken: 1360g (48oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
40g (2 Tbsp) tomato paste
30g (2 Tbsp) chili paste (harissa or adobo sauce)
3 packets taco seasoning
20g (1 ½ Tbsp) neutral oil
Optional: oregano and chili powder, to taste

Burrito Fillings: 280g (10oz) pico de gallo 150g (⅔ cup) 0% Greek yogurt 120g (1 cup) reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
80g (⅔ cup) reduced-fat cheddar cheese
 Optional Topping 80g (⅔ cup) reduced-fat mozzarella (for melting on top)
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Assembly: 12 @eatcounter burrito-sized protein tortillas (or burrito sized tortillas of choice)

Instructions 1.) Preheat oven to 425°F. On a large sheet pan, toss diced bell peppers and onions with coarse salt. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until soft and moisture has mostly evaporated.

2.) Remove pan from oven. Add diced chicken thighs directly on top of the roasted veggies. Add tomato paste, chili paste, taco seasoning, oil, and optional spices. Mix everything together directly on the pan until well combined.

3.) Return pan to oven and roast for another 18-20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. For extra browning, switch oven to broil for 2-3 minutes at the end.

4.) Remove from oven and immediately add pico de gallo, shredded mozzarella, cheddar, and Greek yogurt. Stir everything together on the pan until the cheese is melted and mixture is fully combined.

5.) Sprinkle additional mozzarella over the top and return to oven for 2-3 minutes to melt. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

6.) Use a spatula to divide the mixture on the pan into 12 evenly sized sections - these will be your burrito portions.

7.) Place one portion of filling in each burrito-sized tortilla and roll tightly. Wrap in foil or parchment and freeze for later.

To reheat, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 3-4 mins, air fry or pan fry after if you want a crispy tortilla.

Veggie Cellentani

 I wanted to make a version of Daniel Tiger's "Veggie Spaghetti" with a different pasta noodle. I have this recipe from 2020: Veggie Spaghetti. However, I wanted to try this new recipe to see if it would fit my criteria a little better. I decided to go with Cellentani Noodles because that's the best that Walmart had, but I'm super tempted to go to Trader Joes and see what they have for me there. 

Veggie Cellentani
Source: Inspired Taste



12 ounces (340g) spaghetti or pasta of choice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (140g) chopped onion
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium yellow squash, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (baby bella)
3 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
One (12oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 1 cup
2 tsp soy sauce
5 cups (226g) spinach leaves
Handful of fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese 

Directions:

Make Vegetable Pasta Sauce

1.Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet with sides over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

2.Add the zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch of salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but still with some crunch, 5 to 8 minutes.

3.Stir in the tomato paste and cook another minute.

4Add the roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the liquid has thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. As the sauce cooks, use a spoon to break the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces for a chunky sauce.

Make Veggie Pasta

1.While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil then cook pasta according to package directions.

2.Take the sauce off of the heat, and then stir in the spinach and basil. Taste then adjust with additional salt if needed.

3.Toss in the cooked pasta, and then leave for a minute so that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce and the spinach wilts. Toss again, and then serve with parmesan or nutritional yeast sprinkled on top.



Tips
Storing: Leftover veggie spaghetti lasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also make the sauce and store it in the refrigerator for 4 days before tossing it with the pasta. Freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and tossing with freshly cooked pasta.