Chicken Enchilada Casserole

source: Pinch of Yum

Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10-12 (this photo is only half of the recipe, I cooked the other half in another dish)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 19 ounces (about 2 ½ cups) red enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)
• 6-8 small flour tortillas
• 1 can refried beans 

Directions: 

1. Cook and shred chicken. I did this the morning before putting this together by boiling a large pot of water and cooking the chicken breasts about 30 minutes. Then shred with two forks. 

2. Preheat over to 375. Place a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a square glass baking dish. Place 2 tortillas int he bottom of the dish, overlapping to cover entire surface. Layer 1/3 cup beans, 1 cup chicken, 1/2 cup cheese, 3/4 cup enchilada sauce and 2 tortillas. Repeat once to make a total of 2 layers. 

3. Cover the top with remaining enchilada sauce and 1 cup cheese. Cover baking dish with well oiled aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes. 

4. Remove foil and bake uncovered for additional 5 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown and sauce is bubbling. 

5. Allow to rest at least 15 minutes before cutting. Otherwise it'll be a soupy mess!

Verdict: 

This was good, but a little spicy. I guess it was the sauce I used, although it was mild. The next time I make it i'll try another brand. The beans were really good though and helped cut a little of the spice. This was pretty time consuming and I made it on a day I had off from work. Probably a little too time consuming for a weeknight meal. 

Cheeseburger Macaroni

Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean hamburger meat
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies (or petite diced tomatoes)
• 2 cups beef broth (or water)
• 1 cup elbow macaroni
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Brown and drain hamburger meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef broth and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 minutes until macaroni is tender.

Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes until light brown in color. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture and stir to combine.

Verdict:

This was SOOO spicy! I have no idea why it was so spicy, i used mild Rotel and original taco seasoning. Even I could barely eat it. But other than being spicy it was really good. I'm going to try to make it again using regular diced tomatoes and mild taco seasoning because I think it could be really good. The kids didn't touch it, cute plates and all. But I think they'd like it, if it weren't so spicy.

I'll update when I make it again.