Enchilada Weekend

Jack had to work this weekend and I was stumped as to what to make for dinner. He called before coming home and I asked him. He was, again, requesting chicken tikka or more East Indian or Greek dishes. We had a lot of that last week and rejected his request. I wanted a new flavor. So I asked him...how about chicken enchilada.
I use MamaDeb's recipe which is a great base recipe. I now am able to use that base and embellish and make variations. I always make it differently. Last night, I poached chicken and shredded and sauteed in garlic, tomatoes, and onions then sprinkled liberally with paprika, chili powder, and chipotle sauce. Salt & pepper, of course. Then I did the usual of mixing with light sour cream (not too much), 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese or Jack's favorite, Pepperjack and half a jar of red salsa. I added most of the can of sliced black olives and a can of diced chiles. Then I use yellow corn tortillas. I only used 1 can of enchilada sauce - HOT is what Jack bought. heh. I spread a lil of the sauce at the bottom of baking dish. Then layed out corn tortillas. Then spread a layer of the chicken mixture. More of the enchilada sauce. Then repeat the process again with the corn tortilla until mixture is gone. Usually last layer is the tortillas. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over that. Sprinkle a little bit of the shredded cheese and top off with the rest of the black olives.
I cover with foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Oh yeah...preheat oven 350 degrees.

We had corn as side dish...and used condiments of chipotle and tamazula hot sauces; green (tomatillo) salsa; and more sour cream for jack.

We should be able to have this dish, 2-3 nights in a row. And then, probably won't want it for another few months. hee.

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Remember the orzo, ground beef & cabbage casserole from the other night? Well, on Friday night, we had the rest of that as a side dish (instead of a main dish). I served it with grilled shrimps, marinaded in lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and s & p to taste.

Served with more lemon wedges & leftover tzatziki sauce. Well, Jack had it with the tzatziki sauce. Being Pinay, I had a small bowl of the Datu Puti Suka (spicy vinegar with a lot of hot chilis in the bottle). Jack kept sneaking in his own shrimp in it.

I don't even know what I'd do without my indoor grill pan. It offers us a quick, fast, and healthy food choices. I always have wooden skewers around. (if you're going to use these on an outdoor grill, soak them in water before using or they'll shoot up in flames ----i just used an indoor grill pan so i didn't have to soak in water).