Favorite Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe was shared with me by a friend in college who was culinarily inclined. I made these for the husband once, and he was hooked. I have adapted the recipe a bit, but nuts and bolts are the original. Thanks Cooper!


Ingredients
1.5 lbs of chicken, shredded
1 large can of green enchilada sauce
1 can of diced green chilies
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
hot sauce of your choice
juice of 1 lime
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro
8-10 Flour tortillas
3 c. Pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped (optional)
Sliced olives (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Mix shredded chicken, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, lime, cilantro, 1/2 c. enchilada sauce, 2 c. pepper jack cheese and cream cheese in a large bowl. Add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce for heat.

2. Coat the bottom and bottom of the sides of a 9X13 casserole dish. Heat your tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds if they are inclined to break. Fill them with a spoonful of the chicken mixture, some enchilada sauce, and roll. Place into the pan, seam side down.

3. Pour about 1 c. remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas to coat. Top with remaining c. of pepper jack, olives, and green onions.

4. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and the sides are bubbling.

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

Once you have all the ingredients for this delightful dish, it is actually very easy to throw together. It was a huge hit at my house with vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.

9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles
 2 Tbs olive oil
 1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
 1 c chopped onion
 2 Tbs minced garlic
 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of all excess water
 3 cups ricotta cheese
 4 c shredded mozzarella cheese
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon dried oregano
 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 2 eggs
 3 cups tomato pasta sauce (have two jars/cans on hand, amount is approximate)
 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Get out a 9X13 pan and spray with a little cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add garlic and onions. Once tender, add the artichoke. Cook until the liquid has evaporated.

3. In a medium sized bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and the drained spinach using an electric hand mixer. Beat for about one minute. Then stir in the parmesan cheese.

4. On the bottom of your 9X13 pan, spread about 1/2 c of the pasta sauce. Then lay 3 lasagna noodles on top. Next spread 1/3 the cheese/spinach mixture over the noodles. Then layer 1/3 the onion/artichoke mixture. Sprinkle 1 c. mozzarella cheese, following 1 c. pasta sauce. Repeat layering 2 times. Top with remaining noodles, sauce, and generous amount of mozzarella cheese.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for about 10 minutes or until it looks bubbly and delicious. Let sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Super Easy Pizza Dough

Pizza is my favorite food besides chocolate (and cookies). My madre is the best pizza maker West of the Mississippi as far as I'm concerned, and this is her recipe. It is very quick, and very easy. Even non-cookers/bakers can do it if they put their mind to it (no rhyme intended).

No Rise Instant Pizza Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast (.25 ox or 1 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Mix in water and vegetable oil. Divide dough in half. Begin using gravity to stretch the dough. Spread it on an oiled baking sheet and use a rolling pin to roll to desired shape and size. Bake 5 min, remove and poke air bubbles with a fork. Add your favorite toppings and bake another 10-20 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.

Pizza Sauce

Per Pizza-
1 can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp oregano

Easy Pudding Cake

This is a favorite from my growing up years. My mom used to make it all the time, and I think it was the first thing I ever learned to bake. It is very easy, and very tasty. I made it on Sunday, and probably ate the half of the cake by myself...for better or for worse... :)

Pudding Cake aka Best Chocolate Cake EVER.

Prep Time: 10 Min
Baking Time: 30 Min

1 small pkg. chocolate pudding (cook and serve)
1 cake mix (chocolate)
1 c. nuts, chopped
1 c. chocolate chips

Make pudding in medium saucepan according to package instructions. Remove from heat. Let cook for about 5 minutes. Add chocolate cake mix (dry) to pudding and mix just well enough to incorporate (small powder bits are fine). Spread quickly into greased and floured 9X13 inch pan. Sprinkle nuts and chips over the top and press into the batter with the back of a spatula. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if you please.

Variations: Lemon cake mix with vanilla pudding and white chips, spice cake mix with butterscotch pudding and butterscotch chips.

We have some cakey winners!!!

I apologize for the delay in the cake mix contest winner decision. Without further delay, I'd like to proudly announce the winner is....

Cake Batter Pancakes

Submitted by Hannah

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup yellow cake mix

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 cups milk (I used vanilla almond milk)

assorted sprinkles
 

Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; not too thin, not too thick. This will vary greatly on the brand of cake mix you use. Start with 1 cup of milk and add more if needed. I suggest a small taste test as well to see if the pancakes are flavored enough.

Preheat a skillet on medium heat (I use an electric grilled and turn it to 250 degrees). Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with vanilla glaze.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

assorted sprinkles
 

Mix milk, extract and powdered sugar until glaze forms. You may need to add a little more sugar or water/milk to reach desired consistency. Mix into glaze and drizzle on pancakes.

*Hannah found her recipe here, which includes many other great sweet treats, as well as pretty pretty pictures. Check it out! 

2^nd Place- I plan on making this every day. 

Dorm Room Cake

Submitted by Taylor 

Needs:

Cereal Bowl

Cake Mix of choice

Water

Spoon

Microwave

Put desired amount of cake mix into a bowl

Add desired amount of water

Mix

Microwave until baked (about 50 seconds)
 

I have never measured it out, but it makes a pretty darn good microwaved cake once you figure out the proper proportions.

If you would like to make icing use the same or a different flavor cake mix and add less water so it is thicker. Spread on top of microwaved cake.

3rd Places in no particular order ( I couldn't choose between these three, so there are three third places whether you like it or not.)

Healthy Chocolate Cake

Submitted by Tyler 

1 can black beans

1/2 can water

1 chocolate cake mix 

Drain the beans and rinse them so that you don't get gas as a result of eating this delicious cake. Blend the beans with 1/2 can of water (using the original bean can). Mix this with the cake mix and put her in the oven and sha bang! You have a cake with virtually no fat and still all of the original tastiness. Your friends won't even be able to taste the difference. 

Peach Cobbler

Submitted by Maddison 

1 large can of peaches (29 oz)
1 lemon cake mix
1/2 cup of melted butter or margarine

 Lightly grease a 9 X 13 pan, then pour in peaches and their juice. Sprinkle dry cake mix over the fruit, then melt butter and pour over cake mix. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes (or at like 400 for 30 minutes or something like that, I don't remember). Serve it hot or cold. It is delicious.

Sprite Cake

Submitted By Liz 

You can make a cake by mixing a cake mix with a 2-liter bottle of Sprite! It's rather amazing, and fairly delicious. You leave out the other ingredients that the cake mix calls for and use Sprite instead, then bake the cake at the allotted temperature for the allotted time. That's it!

 
Congrats to these lucky finalists, and thanks everyone who participated!

Update

In the next few days the winners of the cake mix contest will be announced. Thank you everyone who participated!

Pumpkin Desserts To Die For!

I love pumpkin. I don’t mean the literal pumpkin guts or anything. Just processed pumpkin with tons of preservatives and chocolate added. Mmmm, nothing says autumn louder than a pumpkin dessert. Last year around this time, my good friend Jesse C. brought over a plate of these divine cookies. I can still remember the blue tinted glass plate on which the cookies sat. Everything about these cookies was perfect- from their circular shape, to the balanced chocolate-pumpkin ratio, to the slightly crispy outside and the perfectly gooey inside. I highly recommend these cookies. Thanks for saving they day yet again, Jesse.

Total Prep Time: 7 Min
Total Cook Time: 10 Min
Total Price: $0.00 They were a gift. (I challenge you to find an unsuspecting pumpkin-a-holic to make them for you too!)

Perfectly Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 can (29 oz) of 100% Pure Pumpkin (I use Libby's brand)
2 boxes spice cake mix
1 bag (11 oz) of your favorite chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix pure pumpkin and spice cake mix in a large bowl until even consistency. Mix in chocolate chips. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet (or I use parchment paper) using a spoon. Bake 10 min. However, I have found each oven may be different, so watch cookies and remove from oven after a toothpick/fork comes out clean in the middle of one of the cookies.

Another tasty yet easy pumpkin dessert is this Pumpkin Crumble. Check out the recipe here! 

I made this for my work meeting, and it was a complete success. Two thumbs up.