Out for a few more days!

Sorry about the lack of posts the last couple weeks. My family is getting ready to move, and we have been packing.

Hopefully I will be back cooking and posting very soon!!

Lazy Chicken Enchiladas

Um, yeah, these are fantastic and couldn't be any easier!! I love recipes that you really can throw everything together anytime you have a couple minutes and then into the oven they go when you are ready to eat. I also love that my family will all eat them, even my 18-month-old. They do have a bit of spice to them, but nothing that you can't handle.

I adopted this recipe from one I found at Jamie Cooks It Up!. It is so easy to layer everything, kind of lasagna-esque, and put it on the table for everyone to enjoy. Hope your family enjoys this as much as we do!

Lazy Chicken Enchiladas:

3 chicken breasts, cooked            2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 small onion, cut in half              2 small cans green chilies

3 bay leaves                               2 c. cheddar cheese

dash of salt                                milk

10 flour tortillas                          1 taco seasoning packet   

water

Poach chicken in water, small onion and bay leaves with a little bit of salt. Allow to poach for 20-40 minutes until you can shred the chicken easily with a couple forks. Shred the chicken in a large bowl with ¼ cup of the water mixture from poaching the chicken. When chicken is shredded, add in seasoning packet, soup, chilies and cheese in the same bowl. Mix all together. Add in a little splash of milk until the mixture resembles a gravy-like consistency. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray and spoon about ½ cup of the chicken mixture over the bottom of it. Layer 2-3 tortillas along the bottom of the pan. Pour about 1/3 the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Layer 2-3 more tortillas on top of the chicken mixture. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture over the tortillas. Layer the last 3 tortillas on and cover with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. *Can also use a whole rotisserie chicken, shredded instead of poaching chicken.*
(I have also just pulled some cooked chicken out of the freezer, that we have just grilled with some salt and pepper, and cut it into small chunks. Takes away the time-consuming step.)

Breakfast Casserole

Ever had those mornings/evenings where you wish you had thrown something together before so you could just throw it in the oven and feel good about what you were feeding your family? We have those days ALL THE TIME!

This is actually what our family makes for Christmas breakfast. It is so nice to throw breakfast together the night before, and put it in the oven while you are opening presents on Christmas morning. It is tasty, mild enough for the kids to enjoy, and easy enough that it can be made, and enjoyed, year-round.

This casserole is super yummy served with some fruit, bacon, ham, whatever sounds good to you that morning, or night.  :) Bless my mother-in-law's heart for this recipe, so simple and SO tasty!

Breakfast Casserole:

10 slices white bread, cubed, crusts cut off

2 ½ c. grated cheddar cheese

8 eggs

2 c. milk

Dash of salt, pepper and dry onion

Mix together eggs, milk and spices. Layer bread cubes, then cheese, and repeat. Pour mixture over it all. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 325 degrees for 60-90 minutes – until set.

Mexican Rice

We are in a HUGE Mexican food phase right now! Cannot get enough of the enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, tamales...Gotta love how easy it is to make, the little heat of the spice, and how everyone EATS it!

This rice is so simple. I came across a recipe on my allrecipes app, but have since made it 3 times, and have tweaked it to add a little heat along with a little less onion.

My whole family gobbled this rice up this last time I made it, including my 3-year old and 18-month old kids. Not to mention my husband was raving that it actually tasted close to what a Mexican restaurant would serve. Try this rice recipe next time you have tacos, enchiladas, etc. at your house, you won't be disappointed!!

Mexican Rice:
2 T. vegetable oil
1 c. uncooked long-grain rice
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. tomato sauce
2 c. chicken broth
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt, cumin and cayenne. Stir in onion and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve!

Homemade Mac and Cheese

We have those nights where it is just easier to make something you know the kids are going to eat and love. This is one of those recipes the kids can even help a little with.

I like to include my kids while I cook. Everything takes 3-4 times longer than if I were to just do it myself, but they are learning such important skills. This isn't to say I don't get COMPLETELY frustrated while helping them learn, but at least they are trying and I am able to practice my patience with my kids.

This one NEVER fails. It is so easy, creamy and delicious. We usually serve this as a side-dish to BBQ foods, or baked chicken, but eating it as your main dish would also be good for one of those needed comfort-food-nights.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese:

2 c. elbow or seashell macaroni   dash salt

¼ c. butter                                2 c. milk

¼ c. flour                                  2 c. (8 oz.) Velveeta, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water in large pot. Cook macaroni 7-9 minutes. Drain. In same pot, now empty, melt butter with flour and a dash of salt over medium-high heat. Stir with whisk until it forms a ball. SLOWLY add milk, stirring constantly while it thickens. Stir in Velveeta, careful not to let the mixture boil, until the Velveeta is completely melted. Pour macaroni back into pot and mix together. Spray 

9 x 13 inch casserole dish with Pam. Pour macaroni into casserole dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve.

Nebraska Fried Rice

My husband grew up in Nebraska, and served a mission for our church in Hong Kong. Hence the merging of Ham Fried Rice with corn. Our kids won't eat Ham Fried Rice at any Chinese restaurants because none of the restaurants we go to add corn to their rice. Honestly though, who does? Our family loves it this way, and really I have become converted. Of course, you are more than welcome to switch out the corn for a vegetable medley, also found in the frozen food section of your grocery store!

Ham (Nebraska) Fried Rice:

2 c. rice                                                                        3 eggs, scrambled

2 c. water                                                                   2 c. frozen corn

9 oz. Ham, diced                                                   soy sauce

1 T. butter

Cook rice in a saucepan, or rice cooker for 20 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, dice ham and saute in a wok with the butter. Add frozen corn, and saute until corn is cooked and warm. Add in eggs and scramble the entire mixture, or it is easier to scramble the eggs in a separate skillet and add at this point. Add cooked rice into the wok, followed immediately by enough soy sauce to coat the rice, about ½-1 cup. Remember, you can always add more soy sauce, but you can't take it out. Once soy sauce is mixed in, cover the mixture and let “fry” for 2-3 minutes. Stir the rice again and serve.