Fiesta Chicken Enchiladas

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

I love Mexican food.  I loved that these were super easy to make, and the flavor was really great too.


1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces or strips
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 cup salsa, divided
2 oz cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
3/4 cup shredded Mexican style cheese, divided
8 tortillas, 6 inch "taco" size

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray large skillet with cooking spray.  Heat over medium heat on stovetop.  Add chicken, peppers, and chili powder.  Cook and stir 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Stir in 1/4 cup salsa and cream cheese.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is well blended.  Stir in 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

Spoon heaping 1/3 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll up.  Place, seam side down, in 13x9 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  After filling all tortillas, top with remaining salsa and shredded cheese.  Bake covered for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.


Tips and Hints:
*I cut the chicken into chunks, but will do strips the next time.  I think strips will fill the tortillas a little more evenly.
*Neufchatel cheese is a nice alternative to cream cheese.  It contains less fat than real cream cheese, but still has the same tangy flavor and creamy texture.  In recipes like this, you can definitely substitute with no issues.
*You can substitute any cheese for the Mexican style cheese.  I used cheddar.
*We live in tortilla paradise--I can get all sorts of styles and flavors of tortillas.  I used flour tortillas when I made these, but you can substitute whole wheat, corn, or a flavored variety as you desire.  I actually got 10 enchiladas out of the filling, so have a few extra tortillas on hand.

Spanish Rice

1 package Mexican or Spanish Rice

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can corn, drained

1 1/2 cups water

1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheddar or Cojack cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese in microwave safe casserole dish.  Microwave on high for 6 minutes.  Stir.  Add another 1/4 cup water if it is dry.  Add cheese.  Microwave for an additional 6 minutes.  If rice is not completely cooked, heat for another 1-2 minutes as needed.

Tips and Thoughts:
We like Knorr's Spanish Rice for this dish. 
If you need a larger batch, double everything except the corn and cook in a skillet on the stovetop.

This started as a "what do I have to throw together for dinner" meal and has turned into a family favorite.  It is a quick and easy, one pot meal.

Salsa Chicken and Rice

This is a family favorite. 

1 large can chicken

2 cups water

2 cups instant rice

1 jar of your favorite salsa

3/4 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Empty chicken into large pan.  Add water.  Heat to boiling.  Add rice; cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Stir in salsa (you may not need full jar); heat until desired thickness.  Stir in cheese and heat until melted.

Serve with tortilla chips or put in tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and extra cheese.

You can also use smoked sausage instead of the chicken. 

Tips and Thoughts:
For kids who don't like spicy food, you can use a milder salsa or pull some of the rice out before adding the salsa for them to eat plain.
You can use either white or brown instant rice or a mix.
Canned chicken is a great ingredient for a lot of recipes.  It saves cutting and cooking chicken.  The texture is a little different (more like canned tuna) and it crumbles more, so think about whether you want that texture before substituting in other recipes. 

Taco Bake

Originally from Kraft Food and Family Magazine

1 package (14 oz) Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

1 pound ground beef

1 package (1 1/4 oz) taco seasoning mix

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare dinner as directed on package.  While macaroni is cooking, brown meat; drain.  Add taco seasoning mix and water to meat; simmer 5 minutes.

Stir sour cream into prepared dinner.  Spoon half of the dinner mix into 8 inch square or 9 inch round baking dish; top with layers of the meat mixture, 1 cup of the cheese, and remaining dinner mixture.  Cover.

Bake 15 minutes.  Top with salsa and remaining 1/2 cup cheese.  Bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Thoughts and Tips:

You can use any brand of Macaroni and Cheese, but our family prefers Kraft.  I only use 1 Tbsp of butter instead of the 4 the box calls for.

Use any strength of salsa you desire.  Mild almost got overwhelmed by the other flavors in this dish, so I would recommend at least a Medium.

Really, how can you go wrong with this?  Tacos--good.  Mac and Cheese--everyone's favorite.  Quick and easy--perfect for a weeknight!