EASY PEASY Chicken Enchiladas

I love chicken enchiladas, but I hate how long they always took.  This is absolutely simple, quick, and easy.  You can even start with your frozen chicken in the freezer.  I'm going to tell you step by step what I am doing right now.

I just took out 12 chicken thighs that were in my freezer opened up the ziploc bag and dumped them into a pot of warm water placed on the stove over low in a bath of herbs and 1 onion quartered.  I'm going to let that cook until it's soft enough to fall apart, about 2 to 5 hours.

Then I'm going to take the chicken out, let it cool, save the broth and freeze it so I can use it later, and then shred the chicken into bits for the tortillas.

Okay here are the ingredients

5 c. SHARP cheddar cheese shredded

2-3 c. Shredded Chicken Thighs

2-3 c. Sour Cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can green chilies

2 Tbs. minced onion

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 can mushroom drained

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried parsley

10 tortillas

Okay here comes the easy part...
mix everything but the tortillas and 2 cups of cheese in a bowl together.  Warm up the tortillas for 30 seconds in the microwave, and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Fill up each tortilla as full as you want, roll it up and place it in the dish, making sure to leave about 1/2 cup of the mixture for later.
When the baking dish is full take the 1/2 cup mixture and spread over the top of the enchiladas and then sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 covered for 20 minutes and then uncover for 5 minutes.  Then BAM!  Dinner is done and it's amazingly delicious and easy.  I don't care who you are, you can have dinner tonight on that!

Golden Graham, Coconut, Chocolate Treat

These are devilishly addicting.  I made them for my husband one day when I was creating treats with what I had in the pantry and he fell in love, okay okay, I did too.  I think we ate the entire thing during one movie!  It really is that good!

Ingredients
1/3 cup Butter (YOU HAVE TO USE BUTTER!)
1 (10oz) bag Marshmallow Minis
1 box Golden Grahams
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup Shredded sweetened Coconut

Directions
In a big bowl pour in your cereal, chocolate chips, and coconut.  Set aside.

In a sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter, add the marshmallows and melt until it is a sauce.  Remove from heat and pour over the cereal and coconut mix.

Mix slowly and thoroughly so every piece of cereal is kissed with the delicious butter mixture.  The chocolate chips will start to melt from the heat and everything is going to blend so well.  When everything is well combined, pour out onto a baking sheet and cool in your refrigerator.

You other option is doing what I do, eat it hot right out of the bowl.  Either way you're going to love this dessert!

 P.S. for an added bonus at the end of mixing everything when it has cooled off a little bit I'll throw in some more mini marshmallows so you get some whole ones in there.  :)

Peanut Butter Cup Cake mix Cookies

Yes you did hear me right.  Peanut Butter Cups in a box of cake mix with some other ingredients to make the most delicious, moist, and chocolatey cookie ever!  I think you're going to love these.  You just have to restrain yourself from eating the bag of mini unwrapped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!!

Ingredients
1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix
2 Eggs
1/3 C. Canola Oil
1 8oz Bag Reese's Mini's

Directions
Preheat oven to 350

With your mixer beat the cake mix, eggs, and oil, until well combined.

Pour in entire bag of Reese's and mix on low. You want them to break up just a little but get mixed in really well.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a spoonful 2" a part until the baking sheet is full.

 Bake for 8-9 minutes and then cool completely on a cooling rack.  Enjoy!!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  I'm up making my husband his special Valentine's breakfast.  As I was searching through all of my past waffle, french toast, and crepe, and pancake recipes, I came across this one and it's definitely my favorite!  Ricotta cheese makes anything delicious!  So if you are looking for a breakfast full of love this is definitely the one!!  You can even make them heart shaped!  :)  Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Ingredients
3/4 cup Flour
1 Tbs. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Tbs. Sugar
1 cup Ricotta cheese
2 Eggs
2/3 cup Milk
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
Butter or Pam Spray for griddle
1 jar prepared Lemon curd (I use my recipe that I have posted on this site)
fresh Raspberries (optional)
Powdered sugar for Dusting

Directions

Preheat a nonstick griddle. 

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. 

Whisk together the cheese, eggs, milk, lemon juice, and zest in a large bowl. 

Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Brush the hot griddle with butter, or spray with non-stick cooking spray. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup of the batter on the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown.

Empty the contents of the lemon curd into a small saucepan and warm over low heat just until runny. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the curd over the pancakes, top with fresh raspberries, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Egg Custard Recipe

Ingredients

4 large Eggs

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 cup Water

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Ground Nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a sauce pan bring all the ingredients together until steaming, but do not boil.  

Pour into a baking dish, sprinkle with nutmeg, and place in a water bath. (I place my small baking dish in a bigger baking dish filled with water.  You want the water to come up about 1/2 inch to 1 inch on the sides of the baking dish with the custard in it.) Bake for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Let cool on a cooling rack and then place leftovers in the fridge.  If desired sprinkle more nutmeg on top when the custard comes out the oven.  Enjoy!

Fresh Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup white sugar

4 egg yolks

Directions

In a medium sauce pan, mix together lemon zest, lemon juice, and cornstarch until smooth. Mix in butter and sugar, and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil for one minute stirring constantly. In small bowl, with a wire whisk, beat egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in a small amount of the hot lemon mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the sauce pan beating the hot lemon mixture rapidly. Reduce heat to low, cook, stirring constantly 5 minutes or until thickened. Pour mixture into medium bowl, place plastic wrap on surface to keep skin from forming as it cools. Cool at room temperature. Put in refrigerator for 3 hours to cool (or freezer for 30 mins-1 hr).

Cherry Chip Cupcakes with Cherry Vanilla Icing

I always make a Valentine's Day treat for Dave.  We were sitting here tonight talking about our upcoming Valentine's tradition of Crab Legs and having dinner at home, and he said, "Remember those cupcakes you made last year?  The cherry ones?  They were amazing, and I was wondering if you could make them again this year."  With a sweet request like that how in the world could I tell this cute little man no?  I love him so much I could just eat him up, but I'll save that for the cupcakes.  

Anyway back to the cupcakes, so unfortunately this is not my recipe, but I have no idea where in the world I got it.  I just know that whomever made it rocks at cupcakes and I want her or him to be my friend.  :)  So if you want to dazzle your man or woman on V-Day this year, aim for her or his stomach and make these!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 cup Sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted, room temp. Butter

1/2 cup Sour Cream

2 Eggs, room temp.

2 tsp. PURE Cherry extract

1/2 tsp. Fresh Lemon Zest (this is the ingredient that will make these cupcakes knock your lovers socks off!)

1/2 cup Sweet Cherry Chips (I use Gurleys)

(I also add a little red food coloring to my batter because I think it makes the cupcakes look cute, as you can see)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350

Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
.
In your mixer whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix in butter, sour cream, eggs, cherry extract, and lemon zest.  Mix until well combined, and then fold in with a rubber spatula the cherry chips.

The you're just going to take your cookie scooper or just use a Tbs. and put 3 Tbs. in each one of your liners.

Bake for 20-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  You want to make sure you take them out before they start to go golden brown on the top.  Then let cool completely before icing.

Cherry Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted Butter

1/2 lb. Powdered Sugar

1-2 tsp. Pure Cherry Extract

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp. Salt

2 Tbs. Heavy Cream

Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a mixer and add a little food coloring if so desired.  Frost your cuppy cakes!