Tomatillo Cream Chicken Enchiladas

My sombrero is off to Heather, who is a retro domestic goddess herself! She was generous enough to share this delish recipe! Let's hope we get some more goodies from her.

Tomatillos are NOT members of the tomato family like many believe. Instead, they are related to gooseberries! Their flavor actually resembles that of a tart apple with a hint of lemon. It's pleasant. It's clean. If you've never cooked with a tomatillo, I highly recommend it.

3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 (8 oz) pkg. Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Tomatillo Cream Sauce (recipe follows)
1 (8 oz) pkg. Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend, shredded
Sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two 13x9x2-inch baking dishes. In a large bowl, combine chicken and next 8 ingredients. Spoon 2 Tbsp. of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Fold sides over, enclosing filling. Place filled tortillas, in a single layer, seam side down, in prepared baking dishes. Spoon Tomatillo Cream Sauce evenly over enchiladas. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired.

Tomatillo Cream SauceMakes 5 cups
8 fresh tomatillos
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt1 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large skillet, combine tomatillos, broth, chilies, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat.Pour mixture into container of an electric blender or food processor. Pulse mixture several times until smooth. Return mixture to skillet; stir in cream, and cook 2 minutes on low.

Sloppy Joes

I got home from work rather late and all I had in the fridge was some hamburger meat. So to save a trip to the store and to use up some ingredients we had laying around the house, I managed to whip up a yummy version of sloppy joes.

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbls lemon juice
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbls mustard

Brown ground beef in large pan and drain off fat. Stir in onion soup mix, simmer for a few minutes. Add other ingredients, simmer and serve on hamburger buns.

THE cake

The recipe below I didn't exactly find, it was given to my a few years back by Adam's mom, Joy. Every year for Adam's birthday his mom would make THE cake and all of his friends would gather around the table and relish in the cake of myth and legend. The bottom of the cake forms a nice dense crust while the inside remains moist, gooey, and sweet. It is delish by itself, but I prefer to top it with raspberries and a dab of powdered sugar.

Get out a 13x9x2 pan and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (it using a glass pan, which I don’t recommend, use 325 degrees).

1 (2-layer size) package yellow cake mix (I use only Pillsbury’s pudding-included type)
4 eggs
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar

Mix one slightly beaten egg with dry cake mix and butter to a moist dough consistency. Grease the pan and press mixture evenly in it.

Soften cream cheese (nowadays not really necessary) and beat in electric mixer with remaining (3) eggs and vanilla until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar gradually and beat until smooth; this takes several minutes. Pour over crust. Bake 35-40 minutes. Watch carefully so base doesn’t get too brown. The cheese mixture sinks into the center somewhat leaving a firmer crust around the edges. Cut in squares to serve.



Adam and his friends enjoy this cake best after it's cooled for a few hours and then put in the fridge to "set". I think it tastes fine either way.

Chicken Catalina

I took a picture of this, but some how I ended up formatting my camera and lost the pics :(

I apologize in advance.

We usually prepare the night before and refridgerate overnight. Then it's an quick and easy dinner when you get home.

8 oz bottle catalina salad dressing
1 envelop dry onion soup mix
8 oz apricot preserves
2 pounds chicken (cut into chunks)
2 cups rice
3-3 1/2 cups water

Mix dressing, onion soup, preserves, water and chicken in a large bowl. Pour rice into greased 9x13 baking dish and top with chicken mixture. Bake covered for about 1 hour. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.

NOTE: I was a little shy on the water and it was a huge mistake. *I* like my rice fluffy and wish I had put in closer to 4 cups of water, but I know that some people like their rice a little more sturdy.

Becky's Banana Bread

This was one of the recipes we recieved for our wedding cookbook. It comes from my mom's dear friend, Becky.

3 ripe medium bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 9x5 loaf pan. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer to a prepared pan. Bake until top is golden brown and splits slightly, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Serve warm.

DO NOT DOUBLE RECIPE.