Honey Lime Chicken or Pork Enchiladas

yield: 8 SERVINGS

 

prep time: 1HOUR HR

cook time: 30MINUTES MINS

total time: 1HOUR HR 30MINUTES MINS

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons honey
• 5 to 6 tablespoons lime juice, 2 to 3 large limes
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
• ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground
• 2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded - about 4 cups total (see note)
• 8 to 10 (6 to 8-inch) flour or corn tortillas
• 4 cups about 1 pound shredded Monterey jack cheese, (or a combo of cheddar and Monterey Jack)
• 16 ounces green enchilada sauce (see note)
• 1 cup heavy cream, sour cream, or half-and-half
• Additional Toppings, optional: sour cream, chopped tomatoes, extra lime wedges, avocado, chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS 

• In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the shredded chicken in a resealable bag or other covered container. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
• Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and pour about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Fill flour tortillas with chicken (save the leftover marinade!) and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the leftover marinade and the the cream (or sour cream/half-and-half).
• Spread sauce evenly on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until brown and crispy on top. Serve with chopped tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, extra lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and/or avocado.

NOTES

Nutrition Facts: the nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated based on the enchiladas (but do not include the optional toppings as those are added based on personal preference). 

Chicken: a rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe. Or, this is my go-to quick stovetop method for making cooked, shredded chicken at home. Otherwise, I often throw chicken breasts in the Instant Pot with 1 cup broth and some salt and pepper and cook for 8-12 minutes at high pressure and then shred (discarding liquid).

Sauce: here is an easy, delicious recipe for homemade green enchilada sauce. Green salsa also works for this dish (slightly different flavor profile and the consistency is a bit thinner than enchilada sauce). Also, if you want to skip the cream in the topping all together, you can mix the remaining green enchilada sauce or salsa with the leftover marinade and spread that over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.

Freezable Meal: freeze prior to baking. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake enchiladas, covered (without thawing first) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 30 minutes longer, until brown and crispy on top. The tortillas may be a bit softer after freezing and baking.

©Mel's Kitchen Cafe — https://www.melskitchencafe.com/honey-lime-enchiladas/

Rachel got me hooked up with this recipe from Mel's Kitchen cafe. (see link above this paragraph)  She said when she made it she used one whole rotisserie chicken meat from Costco.  Click onto Mel's link here to get more details about the recipe.  Below is a picture of Rachel's batch that she made.  She used mission whole wheat tortillas. 

Tuna Cottage Cheese Casserole

Click on above picture to read recipe or read below

1 can tuna
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 lb. cottage cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3/4 t. celery salt
1/2 t.  worcesteshire sauce
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 T. butter

Mix tuna, oil from can, cottage cheese, seasonings, and 1/4 cup bread crumbs into beaten eggs.  Turn into oiled 1 quart casserole and top with remaining crumbs, buttered.  Set in pan of hot water and bake in 375 degree oven about 35 minutes or until mxture is set. 

Yesterday as I was leaving Costco after my shopping trip, I ran into Larry and Corinne Steimle.  As we were visiting, the topic of my recipe blog came up.  Larry told me about one of his favorite  recipies.  It sounded like a very interesting recipe....Tuna and Cottage Cheese Casserole?!?    I said if he'd send it, I'd post it on my blog. 

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Serves 6

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey) - shredded chicken would also work
3 gloves garlic minced (optional)
Chopped onions
Cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper to taste
2 cups enchilada sauce divided (I prefer green over red)
1  15 oz can refried beans
12 corn tortillas
Grated cheese to top the enchiladas (mozzarella or cheddar work well)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brown beef with garlic and  onions and drain.  I season my ground beef with cumin, chili powder, and a touch of cayenne pepper for a little kick.  You could also used toco seasoning instead.  Add 1 cup of enchilada sauce and the can of refried beans to the meat.  Microwave tortillas for 30 sec - l minute to soften.   Spread a spoonful of sauce on each tortilla and top with meat mixture and cheese.  Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in sprayed 8 inch glass casserole.  Top with remaining sauce to cover and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake 20-25 minutes.

I'm visiting Rachel and she made this for me today for lunch.  Yum.  When she made it she used the green enchilada sauce instead of the mild red enchilada sauce.  She also used white cheese instead of the cheddar cheese.  

Layered Hamburger Bake....

...(or "Suzanne's Casserole" since I got it from my college roommate, Suzanne)

6 oz. medium noodles

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. garlic salt

1/8 t. pepper

1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. milk

1 10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, cooked & drained

cheddar cheese

Cook noodles. Brown hamburger & onion. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, salt, garlic, pepper & cooked noodles,; set aside. Stir together cream cheese, sour cream & milk. In 12 x 7 1/2" baking dish layer half the beef-noodle mixture, half the cream cheese mixture, all the spinach,and remaining ground beef mixture. Bake uncovered, in 350 degree oven, about 30 minutes. Uncover, spread remaining cream cheese, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 10 more minutes.

The above is the actual recipe that I got from Suzanne. I use a little more noodles and 2 8oz cans of tomato sauce. I use a 9x13 pan. I layer everything, cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Also, I don't just drain the spinach,I literally squeeze the liquid from the spinach. ~April

April Steimle sent me this recipe after she served it at the dinner we attended together. It was sooo good. After reading what was in the recipe I know why it was so good.....sour cream and cream cheese. Yum!

Dijon Chicken Strata

1 8 oz loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (8 cups)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1 4 1/2 oz jar sliced mushrooms, drained (I USED FRESH MUSHROOMS...canned mushrooms are NASTY.)

1/2 cup sliced green onions

3 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese or American cheese

5 beaten eggs

2 1/2 cups milk

3 TB Dijon-style mustard

1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Place bread cubes in a greased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Layer chicken, mushrooms, and green onions over bread; sprinkle with cheese.

2. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, and pepper. Carefully pour over layers in dish. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

3. Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

My sister-in-law got me hooked on dijon mustard! This is from a "Better Home and Gardens Cookbook." It is SO YUMMY. Have it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

3 or 4 chicken breasts cooked and diced
1 dozen corn tortillas torn into pieces
1 cup milk
1 chopped onion
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 can cream chicken soup
1 can green chili salsa (7 oz size)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Grated cheese

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, except the cheese. Put into a crock pot and cook all day on low. Then put grated cheese on top right before serving. You can also put into a 9x 13 pan and bake for 1 ½ house covered at 300 degrees.

I got this recipe from Scott's mom. I make this recipe a lot using the leftovers from our Sunday crock pot chicken. Sometimes I'll add leftover rice or add a can of beans.

June 23, 2023

I can't believe I've been making this recipe for over 20 years.  I have this version of the recipe that I use now. 

I’ll use a rotisserie chicken from Costco for the chicken meat.  I'll buy the chicken, debone it, and divide the chicken meat into 2 or 3 portions.  As I debone the meat, I put the skin and bones into a pot, cover the bones and skin with water, and boil it for about 1 hour.  Then I remove the bones and skin, skim off the grease, and divide the broth into 3 equal parts. (It's about 1 cup broth x 3)  I will use one portion of  the meat and one portion of the broth for each time I make this recipe.  I put the other 2 portions in the freezer to use the next time I make the recipe. 

Chicken Tortilla Casserole 

1 jalapeño pepper (about 3 Tablespoons) that I’ve chopped in my chop wizard. Click here to see what a chop wizard is.  If you don’t have a chop wizard, just chop it into small pieces.  

1 small onion chopped

4 minced garlic cloves

6 Tablespoons butter

Several shakes of Mrs. Dash (original seasoning blend)

Put the above ingredients into a large pot and cook until tender.  

Add:

1/3 cup flour (or corn starch for gluten free) and blend in.  

Add:

1 1/2 cups milk and whisk and cook until thick

Add:

1 1/4 cup salsa (I use 1 cup red salsa and 1/4 cup green salsa)

14 cut up corn tortilla shells (I cut them into squares with my knife on a cutting board)

1 1/4 cup cooked rice  (I use rice that I cook in my instant pot and have ready to use in the freezer.  The rice I prefer to use is the blend is 1 cup wild rice and 1 cup brown rice.  After it is cooked, I put it 1 1/4 cup portions in a zip-lock sandwich bag and put it in my freezer — ready to use when I make this recipe.

1 cup chicken broth (from my freezer from the rotisserie chicken made earlier.  See above explanation) 

1/3 - 1/2 of a Costco rotisserie chicken that I have stored in my freezer (see above explanation) or fresh cut up rotisserie chicken.

salt and pepper to taste (I use 1/4 tsp each) 

Put it into a 9x13 pan.  Top with grated cheese (I use sharp cheddar cheese)  Cook in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.  

Pictured below are the ingredients I use for the recipe.  The brown and wild rice mixed are cooked together and put in the freezer

Pictured below is the cut up rotisserie chicken, broth, onions, jalapeño pepper, and rice mixture that was prepared earlier and put into the freezer.

Frozen brown rice and wild rice mixture