Heavenly Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe on my niece’s Pinterest page via Facebook. I’m not set up on Pinterest yet, but would love to try it sometime – when I have oodles of hours to kill!
Since chicken enchiladas are a family favorite, I end up making them at least once a month. I had been making them with all the sauce inside and just cheese on top, but I’m sold on trying it the way this recipe suggests – and with homemade cream of chicken it is sooooo very good.
I made 12 of these so that each family member could have two if they wanted – they disappeared quickly! No leftovers!
See my tip at the bottom, in case you don’t have chicken broth or want to lower the fat content.
Do you have a favorite recipe you’ve discovered? Feel free to share it with me at angel@bmeagle.com, and please send a picture if possible. Thanks!

1 lb. chicken breast
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8 flour tortillas
1 1/2 C. grated Colby-jack cheese or other
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. flour
1 (15 oz.) can chicken broth
1 C. sour cream
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies

In a skillet, add oil and cook chicken and chopped onion until chicken is just done.
Divide cooked chicken in equal portions between the 8 tortillas. Add 1-2 Tbsp. of cheese to each.
Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with oil then roll enchiladas and place seam side down.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan and stir in flour to make a roux. Whisk over medium heat continually until bubbly. Gradually add chicken broth, then bring to a boil, still whisking.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and green chilies. Pour sauce evenly over enchiladas then top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Angel’s Tips: When I made these last week, I didn’t have any chicken broth in the pantry, so I cooked my chicken with 2 C. water and 1-2 tsp. chicken bouillon, simmering for 25-30 minutes with the lid on.
Since my two youngest don’t care for spice or sight of little green chilies, I poured 1/2 of the creamy sauce over enchiladas on one side of the pan, added the green chilies and poured it over the other half.
To lower the fat content, omit butter and use 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, instead of flour, mixed with a 1/4 C. cold water, also use light or fat-free sour cream and less cheese.

Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

This is a nice little treat for kids, young and old. The Rainbow Chip cake mix adds a fun flavor as well as a slightly softer texture. You’ll notice my picture is lacking the white chocolate topping – they are great with or without this part. This recipe would be perfect for family gatherings, class parties, bake sales ... you name it!







Ingredients:
12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
10 oz. bag mini marshmallows
1 1/2 C. Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip cake mix, or similar product
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 C. Rice Krispies
2 Tbsp. rainbow sprinkles
1/3 C. white chocolate melting chips (optional)

Directions:
Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt butter and add marshmallows over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to low, and stir in cake mix and vanilla until just combined.
Stir in half of the Rice Krispies and 1 Tbsp. sprinkles – mix well.
Add remaining Rice Krispies and stir until combined.
Pour mixture into prepared baking pan using a large spoon and spread evenly. I used the butter wrapper under my hand to press it down nicely.
Microwave chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted. Drizzle over Rice Krispies. Sprinkle with remaining sprinkles.
Let cool and cut into squares.

Angel’s Tip: Place melted white chocolate in Zip-Lock bag, snip off one bottom corner for an 1/8-1/4 inch opening and squeeze out to drizzle over the top in zig-zags.

Recipe adapted from 365 Days of Baking

Summer Sandwiches

When it’s hot out and turning the oven or stove top on just sounds like a bad idea, try these sandwiches – of course, they taste delicious anytime of the year. They're easy to make and our family loved them. If you have any picky little ones, they may wish to opt out on some of the ingredients, so gather up their orders and make half with “the works” and the other half a whittled down version, if needed.
Make it a picnic, and enjoy! If you try one of these sandwiches, let me know what you think!

Dad’s Sandwich

Our family calls this simple yet delicious sub “Dad’s Sandwich” because my husband invented it – I love it when he takes a turn in the kitchen, and it’s always something wonderful!

Ingredients:
2 French bread loaves
2 packages of your choice of meat, such as turkey and ham
1 package Provolone cheese
1 package shredded iceberg lettuce, or shred your own with thin slices
2 large tomatoes, sliced
Stackers pickles, we like Bread and Butter flavor
Ranch dressing, we use Hidden Valley Light
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Slice loaves completely in half, layer the meat, one variety on top of the other – we use about 10 slices of each meat across each sandwich. Top with Provolone cheese, 8-10 slices, and lettuce. Drizzle with ranch dressing. Add tomatoes and pickles and sprinkle with pepper if desired. Dig in!
Makes 8 large sandwiches.

Sicilian Submarine Sandwich

I remember a little shop that my dad used to go to when I was young that had this type of a sandwich served – the place smelled heavenly, and I’ve always wanted to try that kind of sandwich.
It was very tough to find all the ingredients locally, so I went with my own version. To get a nice bread texture and to melt the cheese, I lit the gas grill, on low, and placed the sandwich on some foil and closed the lid for about three minutes. Toasting the sandwiches in the oven for 3-4 minutes at 450 degrees F would also work.
Someday, I’ll hunt down the authentic ingredients and give it a try – I’ll list those special ingredients below the recipe. This makes about 3 sandwiches.

Vinaigrette ingredients:
1/2 C. light olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
Dash ground black pepper
Dash salt
Dash garlic powder

1 baguette, about 20+ inches long
1 C. red onion, thinly sliced
2 handfuls of shredded green leaf lettuce
1 package deli-style ham slices
1 package Genoa salami slices
1 package Provolone cheese
2 oz. roasted red peppers, can make homemade
4-5 small basil leaves, fresh
tomatoes, sliced

1. In a small bowl mix the vinaigrette and add the onion slices. Marinate for an hour or more, if possible.
2. Cut baguettes open without slicing all the way through, and brush marinade on both sides.
3. Add lettuce and sliced meats to your liking.
4. Top with Provolone, red peppers, tomatoes, then basil leaves.
5. Grill the sandwiches one at a time, or place in 450 degree F oven for 3-4 minutes until cheese is slightly melted.
6. Slice to make 3 sandwiches.

Those hard-to-get ingredients (deli-sliced, if possible):
2 oz. prosciutto ham (instead of Black Forest)
2 oz. capocollo
2 oz. mortadella
2 oz. Genoa salami

Also, you can see from my picture that I used lettuce shreds that I had on hand, instead of the green leaf lettuce.

Angel’s tip: To make your own roasted red bell pepper throw one or two on the grill, or in the oven in a pan on broil, turning occasionally until blackened. Then place in a bowl of ice water. After it has cooled, peel the skin off and slice, removing the stem and seeds. Place slices on sandwich before toasting.