Cheese and Green Chile Enchiladas

recipe from Rachael Ray Show

Ingredients

    3/4 pound Monterey jack, shredded (3 1/2 cups)
    2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies, drained
    1 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
    1 small yellow onion, grated
    2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
    A small handful cilantro leaves, chopped, plus whole leaves for topping
    1 teaspoon ground cumin (about 1/3 palmful)
    Kosher Salt
    Pepper
    Vegetable oil or EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for warming tortillas
    12 corn tortillas
    Thinly sliced jalapeño peppers and red onions, for topping
    1 lime

Direction

Preheat the oven to 425°F.


In a medium bowl, combine the cheese, canned chilies, sour cream or crema, yellow onion, garlic, chopped cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper.
Heat 1/4 inch oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Using tongs, add 1 tortilla at a time, turning in the oil to soften for a few seconds. Drain on paper towels.


Dollop a few tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto each tortilla and roll up like a cigar (you will use about half to two-thirds of your filling). Arrange the enchiladas in a single layer in a casserole dish. Cover with the remaining cheese mixture and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Top with the jalapeños, red onions, whole cilantro leaves and lime juice.
Yields: 4

Throw-It-Together Mexican Chicken Casserole

I wanted to make a mexican casserole tonight for dinner... but found some ingredients were lacking on my end. Instead of going to the grocery store, I made my own variation!

Ingredients:
1 chicken breasts, cut up into small cubes
1 cup salsa
1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup water
1 cup onions, diced
1 can cream of chicken
1 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 cup frozen diced green beans
3/4 cup shredded cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour all into a 9X13 casserole pan. Cover top with foil. Cook at 350 for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until bubbling and make sure the rice is cooked.

Veggie Quesadilla

When I think of Quesadillas, I first think of the movie Napoleon Dynamite and the infamous quote "Make yourself a dang quesadilla (pronounced in Napolean's way: k-sa-dill-a)". After a little self giggle, I think about my childhood quesadillas. Many times, they were just cheese and tortillas, which is fine when you are 5 years old... but is sooo boring and sooo not as healthy for you as an adult. Time to give the quesadilla a face lift! I decided to think about it as if it were a fajita, but take the healthier side, and go VEGGIE!!!!! My husband was very surprised on how delicious this was and it totally hit the spot! Yum in your tum!

Ingredients:
olive oil
1 onion (sweet or red)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
paprika
Small tortillas (we like flour tortillas, but you could use corn)
1 can of refried beans
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese (or any flavor you desire for cheese. I went low moisture, part skim mozzarella for a low fat mild cheese)

Directions:
Put olive oil in large pan, and heat.
Add sliced onion (chunky is good!). Add sliced green and red bell peppers (again, chunky is good!).
Add paprika to taste and cook veggies till only slightly firm.

While waiting for the veggies, put oil in another pan. Heat up on low, then add a tortilla with smeared refriend beans on it.
Once heated, add the veggies from other pan onto the refried bean covered tortilla.
Sprinkle cheese on top.
Top with another tortilla.
Once ready to flip, carefully flip to other side! (It's hard, not going to lie!)

Cut quesadilla in triangles with a pizza cutter and serve hot with guacamole... salsa... low fat sour cream... whatever you love!
Makes about 3 to 4 full quesadillas.