blackbird

Sunday, August 14, 2011

CheeChicky Bacon Enchiladas

OK, so I used to just assume everyone cooked the way I do but evidently they do not. I fancy myself somewhat creative and I guess that seeps over into my cooking as well. While I generally try to follow a recipe, most times the recipe just ends up as a rough outline and the finished product? Wellllll, let's just say sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but only a few times has it been totally inedible.

Many times I find myself looking through the cabinets trying to come up with something, mainly because I'm too lazy to go to the grocery store. I wish I could say I live in the middle of nowhere 50 miles to the nearest town, but no, it's like 5 minutes away, yes, I'm THAT lazy.

Today is no exception, I'm filled with laziness and I have to take a covered dish to a get together tonight. I scour the cabinets- peanut butter cookies? no eggs....... Zucchini-Banana cake? took that last week.......I opened the freezer, then I spied them......fresh off the Garcia enchilada delivery van.......homemade, hand-rolled cheese enchiladas....and Heavenly rays shown down around them. (I could almost swear I heard angels sing as well.) Shivawn and her family make the BEST enchiladas. Whenever she is taking orders I always order some for home as well as for my poor, poor college students. *WHAT?! no pre-made enchilada's? see note below for alternative.

So, I could just throw them in a big pyrex baking dish add a little more cheese and already the attendees at tonights soireƩ would think I'm some sort of culinary genius, but....... what if I doctored them up a bit? I could have taken some of Aaron's beefy ones that I haven't delivered yet but instead.....I took a package of cheese and onion and made an enchilada-ish casserole. First I layered the enchiladas in the bottom of a medium sized-13 x 9ish pyrex baking dish.







I had 3 chicken breasts we had cooked out on the grill and were left over so I cut them into small bits, added an chopped onion, a small jalepeno and a package of pre-cooked bacon. (Pre-cooked bacon --------ever so handy to keep at the ready!) and sauteƩd all that in what else? BUTTER!! added some pepper seasoning and Mrs. Dash Chipotle seasoning.


Cooked all of this until the onions were soft and fairly transparent. Then I mixed that concoction with a can of cream of chicken soup, a small can of green chiles, a generous 3/4 cup of picante sauce and about 8 ounces of sour cream.



Spread that over the top of the enchiladas and covered with - you guessed it - MORE CHEESE! My friend Bob likes to say you can never have enough cheese, and he's right. Mucho queso, por favor!** I popped that whole thing in the oven  for about 35 minutes at around 350.





Remove from oven and let sit, until set, (about 15 minutes) and by that time it is begging for you to taste it! Doesn't it look Yummilicious!  No shortage of cheese here. A dollop of sour cream or salsa and Muy Sabroso!**



*alternative to pre-made enchiladas - take some flour tortilla shells and a can of enchilada sauce, tear tortillas into1/4's dip in enchilada sauce and then soften in nonstick skillet, in greased baking dish alternately layer tortillas and shredded cheese about 3 layers. Then follow recipe above.

If you live in the Hutchinson, Kansas area and want to order some of the yummo enchiladas contact me and I'll hook you up with Shivawn.

**Mucho queso, por favor = Don't skimp on the cheese, pretty please
**Muy Sabroso = Very Tasty



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