Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!! (just a side note. I've never celebrated Cinco de Mayo before. I'm not even totally sure what it's supposed to be celebrating othen than the Fifth of May. I just always take it as a good opportunity to enjoy me some ooey gooey Mexican food!)

There is nothing better than a big 'ol creamy enchilada covered in cheese and still piping hot from the oven! Got your mouth watering yet (or are your arteries clogging just thinking about it)? I'm kind of picky when it comes to my Mexican fare, I like it spicy, but not too spicy, and I like it creamy, cheesey, ooey and gooey! So when I found this recipe over at Real Mom Kitchen, I was intrigued by the title. Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas huh? It sounded pleasantly different. Then when I read the ingredients and saw that it was a creamy, cheesy, ooey and gooey enchilada recipe I didn't even hesitate about putting this on my "must try ASAP" list!

This recipe did not disappoint! It had the perfect amount of spiciness, which surprised me, considering that there is an entire tablespoon of chili powder in here! I even contemplated cutting that amount in half, but the sour cream mixture really toned the spice down I think. It also had the perfect amount of creamy and ooey gooey...except next time I may add more cheese. Because we all know there is never too much of ooey gooey cheese when it comes to a recipe like this!

Ingredients...

...6 T. honey

...5 T. lime juice ime)

...1 T. chili powder

...1/2 tsp. garlic powder

...1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded

...8-10 flour tortillas

...1 lb shredded cheese

...16 oz. green enchilada sauce

...1 c. sour cream

Directions....

In a medium sized bowl, stir honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder and all but 1 cup of the shredded cheese into chicken until it is well coated. Let marinate for a half hour or longer. Meanwhile, prepare a 9x13 pan by greasing the sides and bottom and then pouring 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Once chicken has marinated, spoon some into a tortilla, wrap up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat until all 8-10 tortillas are filled. To the remaining chicken mixture, add sour cream and enchilada sauce and stir until smooth and well combined. Pour mixture over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients...

...Thinly sliced ham, chopped

...1/4 onion, chopped

...1/4 green pepper, chopped

...1/4 c. salsa

...1/4 - 1/2 c. shredded cheese

...4 eggs

...Tortilla Shells

Directions...

In a skillet over medium heat, saute ham, onion and green pepper until tender. Add eggs and stir continuously until a scrambled egg form takes place. Be sure to cook until eggs are fully done. Stir in salsa and shredded cheese and cook until everything is heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve in warm tortillas shells.

Santa Fe Skillet

I love skillet dinners! They are just so easy to whip up, which makes them great for a busy night when cooking isn't your top priority...but giving your family a home cooked meal is. This recipe, which I found over at Put a Lyd on It!, (and changed quite a bit), reminded me a lot of that taco flavored Hamburger Helper. We don't eat much Hamburger Helper in this house. Only about two boxes per year, which I keep on hand for those reaallllllyyy stretched nights when I don't even have time to think. But anyways, it reminded me of that. But tastier. And homecooked.

At first I was worried that we were just going to have a fancified goulash on our hands, which worried me, because we all know about my love for goulash (eh hem). I was pleasantly surprised that this turned out nothing like better tasting than goulash. It had a great Mexican flavor to it while still being family friendly with the noodles and ground beef. I give this recipe two thumbs up...and so did hubs!

Ingredients...

...1 lb. ground meat

...1 package (6 or so oz.) pasta

...1 c. salsa

...1 T. chili powder

...1 packet taco seasoning

...1/2 tsp. salt

...1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

...2 tomatoes, diced

...1 c. shredded cheese

...1/2 c. sour cream

Directions...

Cook pasta in a large pot until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown meat until no longer pink. Add cooked pasta, taco seasoning packet, chili powder, salt and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese. Simmer for 5 minutes longer and serve.

Enchilada Stacks

I recently inherited many of my grandmothers cookbooks. All of the books were ones put together by local organizations, so they are chock full of good down home cooking and recipes from the wonderful women (and men!) of my grandmothers' and parents' generation.

One cookbook in particular has been a favorite of mine to peruse and use recipes from. It was published in 1995 by the ladies of our small town (population: 300. Maybe. You think I'm joking!) I know just about every woman whose name is listed under a recipe...which is understandable considering the population count. Not only that, but a lot of these recipes I remember my mom and grandma making from this very cookbook while I was growing up.

So it's easy to understand why I couldn't wait to get going making recipes from this cookbook...recipes that we ate growing up and that I forgot about. This recipe is no exception. My mom made this recipe for supper often, and it was a favorite among my sisters and I. I wasn't disappointed with it this time around either...it's so delicious!

Ingredients...

...Tortilla Shells (you will need 3-4 per stack)

...1 lb. ground meat

...1/2 c. onions, chopped

...1 pkg. taco seasoning

...sour cream

...salsa

...shredded cheese

...peppers (I used green)

Directions...

Brown ground beef with onions and taco seasoning. In a greased circle cake pan lay one tortilla down, and top with ground beef mixture, shredded cheese and peppers. Add another tortilla and repeat previous step. Add a third tortilla and top with remaining ground beef, sour cream and salsa. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Black Bean Medley

This is a simple skillet dish that makes a great meal on it's own, or as a filling in tortilla shells! If you are anything like me, you love to make taco's, but need a way to stretch out that taco meat for your family...this is an option. Instead of making up taco meat, make up a mixture like this and everyone will love it! It's a little runnier than taco meat, but it's got great flavor and really packs a nutritional punch! This is a must try...I'm sure that you'll love it!

But if you don't, please don't send me hate mail :)

Ingredients...

...1 can black beans (if you cook your own beans like I do, it's 1 1/3 cups of those)

...1 cup green pepper, chopped

...1 cup onion, chopped

...1 1/2 cups corn

...1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

...1/4 tsp. garlic powder

...1 T. olive oil

...2 T. cider vinegar

...1/4 tsp. salt

...1/4 tsp. pepper

...1 pkg. taco seasoning

Directions...

In olive oil, saute peppers and onions until tender. Add corn, tomatoes and beans to the skillet and then add garlic powder, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and taco seasoning and stir until all ingredients are well coated. Bring mixture to a boil and continue boiling for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice or on a tortilla shell. Add shredded cheese if desired.

Bacon Quesadillas

New Years Eve is in just a few short days...are you ready? Whatever your plans are...going out, staying in, hosting a party, attending a party...here is your solution. This tasty and different quesadilla would be a great tummy filler before heading out on the town for the night...or a great appetizer to contribute to any party you may be hosting/attending for the big countdown. And if you're planning on sitting at home and watching the ball drop, then this would be a great addition to your snacking fare for the evening!

Ingredients...

...Tortillas (two per quesadilla)
...Bacon (one slice per quesadilla)
...Cheese (the amount can be determined by you)

Directions...

Cook bacon, according to your own preferences (I cook mine in the microwave). In a skillet, warm a small amount of olive oil. Place one tortilla in the pan and cover with cheese, leaving room around the edges. Cut bacon into pieces and top cheese with it. Put second tortilla on top and cook until cheese is melted. Flip, to brown top tortilla just a little bit. Cut into fourths and serve.

Southwest Roll Ups

We love us some good Mexican fare in this house! If hubs offers up a date night to Carlos 'o Kelly's, I'm there in an instant! So when I get a chance to try out a new recipe at home like this one, I get pretty excited to say the least! Not only is this delicious, but it's super simple, and also freezes great, so on those nights when you're strapped for time and don't have all night to prep and cook, you can just whip these out of the freezer, toss in the oven and serve.

Great food that's EASY too?!? My work here is done...

Ingredients...

...1 can refried beans
...1/2 cup salsa
...1-2 cups diced, cooked chicken
...tortilla shells
...shredded cheese

Directions...

In a medium bowl mix together refried beans, chicken and salsa. Place a large spoonful of the mixture in the middle of a tortilla shell and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place in a lightly greased oven safe baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.