Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas

I found this recipe on Everyday Food, and Marci had also posted an adaptation on her blog, so I decided to stray from our usual Perfect Enchiladas and try this...and I was glad I did! I used elements from both versions to make mine. I love chipotle flavor and was already planning on doing my favorite Mexican Chicken Lime Soup this week, so this was a great way to get more use out of the chipotles I was going to buy anyway. The only thing I worry about with chipotles is that they can be too overwhelming, but this sauce used just the right amount where the flavor comes through without too much heat. I'm already trying to think of more ways I can use this sauce!


Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
8-10 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add flour and cook, whisking occasionally, 1 minute. Add broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, chipotle and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, stir in 1/4 cup cilantro and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

2. Make filling: In a nonstick skillet, add onion, garlic, and beef; season with salt, pepper, and some cumin (optional). Cook, stirring, until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 450°. Spoon 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside. Make enchiladas: Heat tortillas about 30-45 seconds in the microwave to soften. Fill each with a heaping 1/4 cup beef mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese; tightly roll up.

4. Arrange enchiladas, seam side down, in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve garnished with additional cilantro.

Turkey and Roasted Red Pepper Panini - No Recipe Needed

I've never been a sandwich person, so I blame my recent interest in them on this pregnancy. The flavors of this one all work really well together, and the ciabatta is the perfect bread to use because it gets nice and crispy once cooked. And, you can definitely change it up according to what you have on hand!

Here's the basics:

Ciabatta roll (I got individual sized ones from the bakery section)

Wholly Guacamole (or mix some fresh avocado with a little mayo)

Sliced turkey breast

Roasted red peppers

Baby spinach

Pepperjack cheese

Cut the ciabatta roll in half and spread both sides with guacamole. Top one side with turkey, red peppers strips, spinach and cheese, then top with the other side of the roll. I don't have a panini maker, so I put a little olive oil on the outside of the roll and then cooked in a pan, weighing it down with some heavy pans, a few minutes on each side until the cheese melts and the bread crisps. Enjoy!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

I didn't take a picture of this one, but trust me when I say you need to make this! Its definitely going to be added in to our regular rotation. Easy to put together and its simply delicious...even my almost 2 year-old willingly cleaned her plate.

I wanted leftovers, so I sort-of doubled the corn bread mixture but left everything else the same and I actually think it turned out perfect that way. I posted my version here, but you can see the original recipe from Cooking Light here.

Ingredients

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
2/3 cup fat-free milk
2 large eggs
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
2 (8.5-ounce) boxes corn muffin mix
1 (7-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (I cooked a breast, then shredded it and simmered it a while in some water with taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin)
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into pieces; top each serving with sour cream.