Chicken Enchalada Casserole

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs chicken (you can do breasts,  leg quarters, or even a whole chicken. whatever you prefer)
2 Tbs fresh cilantro  (I really love the pre chopped stuff in the tube at HEB)
Flour or Corn tortillas
1 can black beans
2 cans green chilli enchalada sauce
1 can diced green chili's
1 C sour cream
1 C Mexican blend shredded cheese
1 C Monterey Jack shredded cheese

Directions:
Bring large pot of water to rolling boil. Add chicken, and cook until done, about 20 minutes. If you feel so inclined you can reserve the broth to make soup tomorrow.
Set chicken aside to cool. Shred when cool enough to handle.

Mix shredded chicken with green chili's and fresh cilantro. (you can used dried, but fresh is so so much better!)

In a 9 x 13 pan pour about half of one can of enchalada sauce in the bottom. Layer tortillas, making sure they overlap. Layer the follow ingredients like a lasagna:
chicken
black beans
cheeses
cover with tortillas smothered in sour cream and repeat the layering. End with sour cream tortillas. Pour remaining enchalada sauce over entire pan, making sure that no dry tortillas remain or else they will get dried out and yucky durring baking. Cover with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbley and all cheese is melted!

Post by Ashlee T.

tomato paste salsa (which I call Pacesetter Salsa)‏

Not very original name, but it is good and it seems like it comes from Texas, not New York City!!!

makes 7 - 9 pints

3 quarts peeled, cored, chopped slicing tomatoes

3 cups chopped onions

6 jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely chopped

4 long green chilies, seeded, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2   12 oz cans tomato paste

2 c bottled lemon or lime juice

1 T salt

1 T sugar

1 T ground cumin (optional)

2 T oregano leaves (optional)

1 t black pepper

combine all ingredients in a large non-reactive pot on the stove. Let simmer while stirring until ingredient bubble

Prepare your pint jars for canning.  Fill to within 1/2 inch of top.  fit lid and ring on jars

Process with water bath for 15 minutes.  If you do not want to process this, give away to many of your friends!  they will enjoy it.

With water bath, you don't need all the special pots.  You just need boiling water and a lid on the pot for the specific time.  A large cooking pot will do fine. You may get to fit six or seven pint jars in it.

Post by Susan P.

BREAD-IN-A-JAR FOR GIFT GIVING

This recipe is easy to do, but the instructions must be followed exactly. The nicest thing about giving "bread in a jar" is that those who receive it can keep it until they get over the holiday "food blahs" and then open it to truly enjoy its goodness. This bread can safely be baked in wide-mouth canning jars and when sealed immediately upon removing from the oven, it will keep on the shelf for up to one year. Be sure to take the jars out of the oven one at a time, sealing each as you take it out. When the jars have cooled enough to handle them, tighten the tops. As the jars cool, you will hear that little pinging sound as the heat seals the lids. This recipe for the jar variety also includes variations of other kinds of breads in jars.

PUMPKIN BREAD:

2/3 c. shortening
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cloves
2/3 c. water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/3 c. flour
2/3 c. nuts

Cream shortening and sugar, beat in eggs, pumpkin and water. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour mixture into greased wide-mouth jars filling 1/2 full. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. When done, remove one jar at a time, wipe sealing edge with paper towel or cloth and screw cap on tightly. The heat will vacuum seal the jar and the bread will keep for up to one year. Makes 8 pints.

VARIATIONS:

Substitute for pumpkin one of the following:

2 c. shredded apples or carrots
1 3/4 c. applesauce plus 1/4 c. pineapple
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 bag whole ground fresh cranberries
2 c. shredded zucchini
2 c. mashed bananas
1 3/4 c. applesauce plus 1/4 c. raisins
2 c. fresh peaches

 

Post by Susan P.

 

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