Easy Chicken Enchilada Bake

Although this recipe uses chicken, I'll bet leftover turkey could be substituted for the chicken, if you are looking for ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers.  I would like to wish all of my American followers a blessed and happy Thanksgiving.  I am thankful that you enjoy visiting my site and trying my recipes.


Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into cubes)
4 c. crushed Doritos
1 c. chicken broth
14½ oz. can cream of chicken soup
14½ oz. can cream of mushroom soup
14½ oz. can whole corn, drained
2 3.8oz. cans sliced black olives
1 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
¼ t. garlic powder
½ t. Tabasco sauce
½ c. chopped onion
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. crumbled queso fresco

 
Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and sauté in a large skillet with 1 t. oil.  Sauté until chicken pieces are cooked.

 

 

 

Remove chicken from pan and, in the same pan, add chopped onions and peppers.  Sauté until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Add one can drained corn and sauté for 3-4 minutes.  Add soups, broth, and spices.  Stir and combine until heated.

 

 

 
Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick coating.  Place Doritos into a ziploc storage bag, and crush into medium-sized pieces.  Add half of the crushed Doritos to the baking dish.  Add half of this chicken/soup mixture, sprinkle with 1 can of black olives, 1 cup cheddar cheese, and half cup of the queso fresco.  Repeat layers.  Bake in a 350º oven for 25-45 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly on top.

This can be served with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Crab Quiche with Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon, Red Onion and Mandarin Oranges

Quiche ingredients

9 inch pie shell (partially baked and still warm)
4 green onions
5 large eggs
1½ c. half and half
1 t. fresh thyme, minced
½ t. black pepper
¼ t. salt
2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
3 T. dry sherry
2-6oz. cans white crab meat, drained
1 t. dry mustard

 

 

 Blind-bake a homemade single-crust or pre-made pie shell, at 375º for 10 minutes.  Roll crust, refrigerate for one hour, remove and prick crust with fork, place foil in crust, fill with dry beans - this will keep the crust from shrinking in plate.  Remove from oven, remove foil and beans, and return to oven for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove crust from oven.

 

 

In a bowl, mix eggs, half and half, thyme, black pepper, salt and mustard.  Mix to combine.

 

In pie shell, add grated Swiss cheese, crab meat, green onions, and egg/milk mixture.  Reduce oven to 350º and place quiche into oven.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

In this demonstration, we will serve with a wilted spinach salad.


Spinach salad ingredients

2-5oz. bags baby spinach
10 slices bacon, chopped
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
¼ c. red onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. sugar
½ t. salt
½ t. black pepper
6 T. cider vinegar
11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
2 c. sliced button mushrooms

Rinse and thoroughly dry spinach, mushrooms, and drained oranges and place in a large bowl.

 

Fry bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined bowl and pour off all but 4 T. bacon fat.  Add extra-virgin olive oil to bacon fat in skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering.  Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until onion and garlic are soft, about 3 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in vinegar and then pour immediately over the spinach and toss to wilt.

Stuffed Pork Roll with Apricots and Pistachios and Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary

This may seem a bit fussy, but honestly friends, it is so worth it.  It was absolutely luscious.  It is impressive for a dinner party with its unusual combination of flavors and crunchy topping.

Ingredients:

4 lbs. boneless pork top loin roast
½ c. chopped apricots
½ c. chopped pistachios
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
¼ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
¼ c. apricot brandy
¼ c. apricot preserves

Crunchy Topping:
2 T. margarine or butter, melted
½ c. coarsely-crushed cracker crumbs (Town House was used for this demonstration)
4 T. chopped pistachios
¼ t. garlic powder

Roasted Red Potatoes:
1 lb. red new potatoes, washed
2 T. fresh rosemary, minced
¼ c. virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

 

Cut pork roast into a large rectangle that can be filled and rolled.  Cut lengthwise about ½ inch from the top of the pork to within ½ inch from the opposite edge.  Open flat and repeat with other side of pork, cutting from the inside edge to the outer edge.  Open completely to form a rectangle.

 

Using scissors or a knife, chop ½ c. dried apricots into small pieces.  Chop ½ c. pistachios into small pieces.  Sprinkle salt and pepper and chopped garlic over pork within one inch of the edge.  Add chopped apricots and pistachios.

Beginning with short side, tightly roll up the pork and secure with wooden picks or tie with string.

Pierce pork roast all over with a metal skewer.  Brush entire surface with half of the apricot brandy.  Let stand 15 minutes and brush again with the remaining brandy.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

 

Heat margarine or butter in 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat until melted.  Stir in crushed cracker crumbs, 4 T. chopped pistachios and ¼ t. garlic powder.  Cook for one minute, then let cool.

Heat oven to 350º.  Place pork (fat side up) on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.  Roast uncovered for 1½ hours.

 

Remove pork from oven and brush apricot preserves over the pork.  Sprinkle with crunchy topping. 

 Roast for an additional 30-60 minutes longer, until internal temperature reaches 160º.  Remove from oven and cover with foil.  Allow to stand 8-10 minutes before slicing.

 

Wash potatoes and dry with towel.  Slice in half and place in a shallow baking dish (a pie plate was used in this demonstration).  Mince 2 T. fresh rosemary and place on potatoes.  Cover with ¼ c. olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.  Toss to combine.  Cover with foil and place into a 375º oven for approximately 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft.  Remove foil for the last five minutes of baking, to slightly brown them.