Chicken Enchilada Pasta Casserole

 

I am desperately trying to find fall. The calendar says it should be here, and the upcoming holiday season says it should be here as well. Unfortunately, the sun and clouds didn’t get the memo and we’re still struggling through summer-like heat. Sometimes, you just have to make fall happen on your own.

 

 

That said, I was craving the comfort food of our chicken enchilada pasta yesterday. Warm and creamy, a little bit of kick and some wonderful, soft shredded chicken. Normally I would make this particular dish with corn tortillas, but years ago, I wanted to make this and didn’t have any corn tortillas on hand… but I had lots of pasta!

 

 

Boy oh boy, what a find! The pasta creates the same starchy balance as the tortillas, and makes the dish even more versatile than ever. It can be served with warmed tortillas, corn bread, or even a heavier flat bread with some melted cheese. Oh, so yummy!

 

True to any casserole, this can be made ahead of time, it can be refrigerated or frozen, and it reheats like a dream, making leftovers even easier to finish up. Serve with corn, green beans, or some delicious summer squash.

 

Chicken Enchilada Pasta Casserole

 

2 cups pasta (Penne, Garofalo, Gemelli, etc)

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 can (4oz) green chili’s

2 cups Mexican blend cheese

3 Tbs butter

3 Tbs flour

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp taco seasoning

1 can (14.5oz) chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a casserole dish with some cooking spray. Cook pasta per the directions on the package and set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until blended and bubbling, just for a minute or so. Add the chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, and taco seasoning. Bring it to a simmer while stirring and allow it to thicken, about 7-9 minutes. Add the sour cream and 1 cup of cheese and remove the sauce pan from the burner. Mix in the chicken and pasta and once it’s all incorporated, pour it all into the prepared casserole dish.

Sprinkle the last of the cheese on top of the casserole and place it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and there’s a little bubbling of the sauce. Leave the casserole in the oven and turn off the oven. Turn on the broiler for a couple minutes just to brown the cheese before removing from the oven. Finally, allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.

 

This recipe was adapted from a similar casserole recipe at the Plain Chicken

Chili con Carne, complete with IP Instructions

  Living close to the border, we have a wonderful variety of authentic Mexican food. It's so wonderful! It's also so tempting... night after night of rich flavors, and inspiring blends. We have a lot of different venues here that range in quality and price, but let me tell you, they are all great in different ways. One of my favorite places is a little buffet restaurant called Rigo's. They have an amazing buffet that includes, among other things, a "to-die-for" Chili con Carne!

 

In my efforts to create my favorite dishes at home, I started looking for a recipe for this one. I tried a couple different things, like using chili paste or seasonal blends. In the end, I discovered I couldn't do this without using actual chili's. 

 

Again, another perk of living close to the border is that products and ingredients for Mexican cuisine can be easily found at our local grocery stores. No need for a specialty shop (although I admit, it is soooo much fun to go into specialty grocery stores!). As I’ve practiced with this recipe, I have found it doesn’t actually take too long to make the sauce, and I can make extra to freeze and save for another night as well. I haven’t tried it with chicken or pork, but I think it would go well. It’s definitely on my experiment list.

 

Served with a salad and warm tortillas, you have an amazing meal!

 

Chili con Carne

 

Red Chili Sauce:

10 dried California Chilis (stems and seeds removed)

3 Tbs olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1-2 cups beef or chicken broth, divided

Salt and pepper to taste

 

For the Meat:

2 lbs cubed steak (round, sirloin, stew meat, etc)

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp cumin seed, crushed

1 tsp Mexican oregano, crushed (regular oregano works too)

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, depending on how much heat you want)

1 ½ - 2 cups more broth (depending on how thick or thing you like your sauce)

 

 

Have chili’s prepared before beginning. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the dried chili’s and allow to cook for a couple minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Add the onion, garlic, and cumin seeds and cook for a few more minutes. Add 1 cup broth and cook until the peppers have become soft, about 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove from the burner. Using the Emulsion Blender, thoroughly blend all of the ingredients together. Try to puree as well as you can as it will make it easier in the next step.

 

Pour the blended mixture into a mesh strainer over a bowl. Using a spatula, push the mixture through the strainer. If it gets too thick, you can add more broth to help with the process. Once complete, add salt and pepper to taste (if desired) and set aside.

 

In a cast iron pot, heat 2T olive oil over medium-high heat. season the beef with salt and pepper and place in the pot when the just starts to smoke. Allow it to brown for a couple minutes before stirring. You don't need to cook the meat completely, just enough to add color and a sear.

 

Add the chili sauce, spices, and the remaining broth (if your sauce is a bit thick). Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow it to cook for 2-3 hours.  Beef should be tender and flavorful.

 

 

*Instant Pot Instructions:

 

Make the sauce as described above on the stovetop. In the Instant Pot, set it to Sauté. Add the oil, and just as it starts to smoke, add the meat. I usually cook this in 2 batches so I can get a good sear on all of the meat. Don't stir for a couple minutes when you first put the meat in as it will help create a nice brown sear on the meat.

 

Once all the meat is seared, turn off the Sauté function. Place all of the meat, the sauce, and the last of the seasonings into the Instant Pot. You can also add more broth if your sauce is too thick. Turn the Slow Cook function on Low and set the time for 3 hours.

 

I love using the delay start for this recipe. I can prepare everything in the morning or at lunchtime and then set the delay to start in the afternoon. That way it will be ready for dinnertime without me having to do all the prep work at dinner time. Finally, serve and enjoy!

 

This recipe is adapted from the recipe at La Pina en la Cocina

Classic Shredded Beef Enchiladas

 

I don’t want to blow this out of proportion, but these might be the best enchiladas ever. To understand, I have to back up a little and explain how we got here.

 

 

When the stay home orders began, there was a major rush on groceries and household supplies, and I confess it triggered a preservation gene in me. I have lots of homestead skills, but we really don’t have much of a food storage. I have always enjoyed cooking, so a lot of the storage I have is ingredients to make things. However, when it comes to proteins (aka meat) I didn’t have a ton of recipes, or supplies.

 

So here we are, trying to find recipes that will keep my food storage a working system of fresh products, and not something that sits in a closet for 20 years. During the pandemic shopping, I found a 3lb package of shredded beef. That’s right, package… not canned. I was intrigued.  What could I do with this? Would it be worth it? Would it taste better than canned beef?

 

Oh, yes… yes it does!

 

 

I am so glad I went on a whim with this one. While I often will make my own shredded beef and freeze it, it’s nice to have alternatives.  This recipe can be used with homemade, fresh shredded beef, packaged beef, or even canned beef. Any way you try it, you are going to love it.

 

 

 

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

 

1 lb shredded beef

1 4oz can diced green chiles

1 28oz can red enchilada sauce (mild or medium, depending on how spicy you want it)

2 ½ c shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided

16 corn tortillas, warmed

 

 

 Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine the meat, chili’s, ½ c enchilada sauce. In two 6 x 10 inch glass dishes (or one 9 x 13 inch glass dish) spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce, about ½ cup total.

Reserve about a cup of cheese to put on the top at the end. Place about ¼ c of the meat mixture along the edge of one tortilla. Sprinkle a little cheese in and roll the tortilla like a cigar. Place it in the glass dish and continue with that method until all the filling is used up. Evenly divide the enchiladas between the two dishes. Divide the remaining sauce between the 2 dishes, and pour it on top of the enchiladas. Make sure to cover the tortillas completely with sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and place in the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. If you like a little brown crisp on your cheese, turn the broiler on for a few minutes at the end of backing. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for just a few minutes before serving.

 

*I make two dishes so that I can freeze one for a quick dinner another night. Each of the two dishes serves 4-6 people.

 

This recipe was adapted from Lil Luna’s Beef Enchiladas