Enchilada Pasta-Bake

Sorry I dropped off for a bit there. Ever read that children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? If not you should -- it's funny and cute. Well, I had a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day which ended up affecting my mood for the week? And you know those days that just make the whole week suck? Yup...that would be me....now :/ Don't worry, nothing personal. More on the school front. I got some bad news on this award I applied and worked my butt off for. Turns out -- they still did not think it was good enough. ::sigh:: I cried for about a day, and sulked for another day. I am just starting to get back into not being mopey. I know, I know...I should not let this get me down so much and to be honest I have no idea why it hit me so hard, but man, it brought me down! But, I will not be defeated, will brush myself off and try again.

And on top of that, for the past week, I have been getting awful sinus headaches :/ I cannot seem to get rid of them and by the time it's evening, my head is hurting so badly that I feel nauseous and can't even open my eyes. And my sinus headache was the worst on my Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day...just my luck and probably because I was crying. So that's what's been going on with me. Sory to be Debbie Downer in the corner....I just wanted to explain why I've disappeared. The hubby was super sweet (yes...as always) and when I got home from my Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, I had flowers and my favorite chocolate bar waiting for me. It was so nice, and just what I needed. I guess I'll keep him ;) 

I made this pasta for the hubby two days ago. I wanted a recipe that I knew would last a few days (though, knowing the hubby, I should have known a few days would only be two ;). It is super easy to make, because you throw ingredients in a skillet let is simmer, stick it in the oven and voila -- delicious meal :) Most of my time making this meal, was on the couch! Though I had the horrific food blogger moment when I opened my cupboard for one of the ingredients and it wasn't there :/ So, I am missing black beans. But I included a note to add it, if desired.

ENCHILADA PASTA-BAKE

Adapted from Plain Chicken

INGREDIENTS 

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

1 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. green onion
1 lb. ground turkey (or beef)
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 tbsp. garlic powder
15 oz. of red enchilada sauce (I used 1 1/2 --10oz--cans)
1 c. of salsa
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. of milk  (or 1/2 c. of sour cream)
8 oz. pasta 
1 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 c. frozen chopped poblano peppers, thawed + some for garnish
1 c. black beans, drained*
2 c. of cheese, divided**

* I did not add beans because I did not have any at home :( Though I thought I did. But I think it would make the pasta even better!

**I used 1 c. of pepper jack cheese and 1 c. of the fiesta blend. You could also just do 2 c. of the same cheese.

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute green onions until slightly browned and fragrant. Add in ground turkey -- sprinkling taco seasoning and garlic powder over meat -- and cook until browned. Drain any extra fat.

Stir in enchilada sauce, salsa, chicken broth and milk. Add in pasta, making sure pasta is completely submerged in sauce. Bring contents to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and cover skillet. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Then fold in corn and poblano peppers (and beans if desired). Cover and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes, until pasta is tender. If your pasta is not tender, but your liquid (sauce) is low, add in 1/4 c. of enchilada sauce, 1/4 c. of chicken broth and a tbp. of salsa, at a time, until pasta is tender. Once pasta is tender and no residual liquid remains, stir 1 c. of cheese until completely melted.

Coat a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Pour enchilada pasta in casserole dish and cover with remaining cheese. Place in oven and bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese has completely melted. Remove from oven and garnish with poblano peppers.

Enjoy,
Chika

Black Bean, Corn, & Chicken Enchiladas

Happy Friday! One of the best days of the week :) A whole weekend to look forward to! Freedom!! Hahaha...NOT! I still have a ton to do. But most importantly, it is Ashley's wedding this Saturday (tomorrow)!!! So the hubby and I are heading up to Dallas tomorrow morning with Mike and his girlfriend.  We are car pooling because we both have adorable pups that we do not want to leave for too long-- so we are driving up in the morning and coming back that evening. Thankfully, I have a friend from the dog park that is going to come and dog sit Ninja! Though, I still get pretty sad when I have to leave his wrinkle face. I like to think that he has separation anxiety, BUT I think it is me who has it :)

I am sad to say, but today I must head off to see the optometrist and maybe the ophthalmologist. My eyes have been really bothering me lately. My family has a history of good eye sight, and both my parents did not start wearing glasses till they were much older, and only for reading. But I have found that even if on the computer for just a few short minutes or watching TV, my eyes begin to feel really strained. My mom (yes, a twenty-something year old, who goes straight to her mom when something is wrong :)...said that it could also be allergies, but for my piece of mind, I want to know if I am in need of glasses. Hopefully, it's something simple, because I would really appreciate my eyes not feeling so strained, since I am a blog-a-holic ;)

Remember when I confessed my love for Mexican Food?!? Well, there are three foods that top my favorite Mexican food list: Tamales, Flautas, and Enchiladas. Of course, I had to make these foods for my blog, because my wallet is not going to support my habit ;) So far I have made Tamale Cups (hopefully in the future, making actual tamales) and Flautas, but not Enchiladas. And who does not love that red sauce covered in a gooey layer of cheese? Challenge accepted! So last night I decided that for dinner, I would make the hubby enchiladas. A bit of a theme, as he decided to eat tacos for lunch with his co-workers. I knew it, I'm psychic. He really enjoyed it, and so did I....soo...sooo yummy. And the best part: it makes enough for left overs (if, your a family of two like us ;)!

BLACK BEAN, CORN, CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Adapted from Culinary.net

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

2 large chicken breasts*
3 (10oz.) cans of red enchilada sauce
1 (15.25 oz.) can of black beans, drained
1 (10 oz.) can of Rotel
1 1/4 c. frozen corn, thawed
10-13 medium tortillas (Mission Artisan Soft Tortillas: Corn & Whole Wheat Blend)
2-3 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese

Optional Toppings: Sour Cream and Diced green onions

*Chicken breasts were cooked via the Crockpot. If you do not have a Crockpot, substitute with cooked ground meat (see Culinary.net for cooking instructions).

DIRECTIONS

For the filling:
In a large Crockpot, cover 2 large chicken breasts with one can of enchilada sauce. Cook on low for 8 hours (recommended) or on high for 4 hours (if in a rush). Once chicken is done cooking, using two forks, shred chicken apart. Allow chicken to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour, to allow chicken to absorb enchilada sauce.

Once chicken has absorbed most of the sauce, in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat-- saute chicken, beans, tomatoes, and corn until warm and fragrant, approximately 5-8 minutes. Make sure no moisture remains at the bottom.

Assembling the Enchilada:
Grease a casserole dish with nonstick spray. Next pour a layer (just enough to cover the bottom of the dish) with enchilada sauce.

Then, coat each tortilla completely with enchilada sauce. You can do this two ways:

1. Fill a small, shallow bowl with one can of enchilada sauce and dip (completely submerge) each tortilla in the enchilada sauce. 
2. (what I did because I did not want soggy tortillas)-- using a pastry brush, brush a coat of enchilada sauce on each side of the tortilla. 

Then, line the center of the tortilla with 1 1/2 tbsp. of shredded cheese and 2-3 tbsp. of meat mixture. Roll tortilla up and place seam side down in casserole dish. Repeat until all of the meat mixture is used. Using the remaining enchilada sauce that was used to coat the tortillas and one additional can, cover enchiladas with sauce. Sprinkle shredded cheese over enchiladas, to desired amount (mine was clearly to completely cover them, I mean who doesn't love cheese?!?).

Bake for 5-10 minutes until cheese is completely melted. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. I garnished the enchiladas with a dollop of sour cream and some green onions. And served Spanish rice and refried beans as sides.

Enjoy,
Chika