Chicken Enchiladas

Sorry that posting has been so scarce, we've had 2 solid months of illness around here. I won't bore you with the details, but I hope to get better. A friend recently reminded me of how popular this recipe is... it's my mom's and it's a hit with EVERYONE!

Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb cooked chicken, diced or shredded
1 cup onions, chopped
1 small can green chilies (optional)
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp coriander
1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
1 cup sour cream
salt, pepper, cayenne
corn tortillas (usually about 12)

Sautee onions in a small amount of butter or oil until translucent.
Combine chicken, onions, green chilies and cheddar cheese in a large
bowl and season with salt, pepper and cayenne (if desired). Set aside.

In saucepan, melt butter, blend in flour, add chicken broth, and cook
until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese and
coriander and continue to blend until cheese is melted. Stir in sour
cream. Cook until heated through, but DO NOT BOIL.

In large glass baking dish spread a little sauce on the bottom (enough
to cover). Place chicken mixture in a tortilla, roll and place in
dish, repeat until filling is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the
enchiladas (you may also reserve some to pour over after they have
baked if you like). Cover dish with tinfoil and bake at 350 degrees
for about 25 minutes (until bubbly).

**Modifications**
If you like your food a little spicier you can add some spice to the
chicken mixture by adding any kind of seasoning such as cayenne, chili
powder etc, peppers (chipotle, green, etc) or hot sauce. You can also add beans

or veggies to your filling to mix it up a bit, basically the secret is the sauce.
You can also make this more casserole like by layering the items.
First a little sauce, then tortillas to cover the bottom of dish, then
filling and then more tortillas and top with sauce. Cover and bake for
25 minutes at 350 degrees.

This can also be frozen after preparation. After freezing, if thawed
bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees (covered) or 50 minutes if frozen
(until bubbly).

Leftovers!

I'm sorry that I've been MIA. I went back to work and life is just crazy around here!

Tonight I made one of my favorite Thanksgiving leftover dishes and it turned out that the toddler LOVED it!

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Soup:

8 ounces wild rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
3/4 cup flour
4 cups cubed cooked turkey
2 cups light cream or milk

2 cups broth
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons crumbled dried thyme

1 teaspoon crumbled dried bay leaf


Place 4 1/2 cups lightly salted water in a medium pot. Bring the water to a boil and add the wild rice. Stir the rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes (in CO it's going to take about 1.5hrs) or until the rice is tender and opens.

While the rice is cooking, sauté the oil, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the onions, celery, and carrots in a large stock pot for 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix well. Pour in the broth and heat through. Add the turkey, cream, and spices. Simmer for 40 minutes. Just before serving add the cooked wild rice.

Enjoy!