PW's Enchiladas a.k.a. Casserole Mishap

My sister Aimee knows the way to my heart because she sent me Pioneer Woman's cookbook for my birthday. I immediately started making a list of what recipes I was going to try, they all looked so good! I had heard from many others about her amazing enchiladas so I had to give them a whirl. Now I've tried many of her recipes, and many of them I have LOVED, and were just so simple and delicious. I read over the enchiladas recipe and it seemed a bit more complicated than I'm used to, but I'm always up for a challenge. I picked up all the items at the store and began my first try at authentic enchiladas. I should have known that it was going to end up a "disaster" because when I first pulled out my corn tortillas all of them but 3 were broken in half. I wasn't about to go back to the store, so I was just going to "make it work!" 2 exhausting hours later we sat down to eat, and oh my, was it worth it. I may not make it PW style, but it was my style, dumbed down and casserolized! (is that a word?) :) 

First I started making the sauce, which was simple enough...enchilada sauce, chicken broth, oil, flour, salt, pepper. Things were going well...

Then I browned my beef, sauted my onions and added the green chiles. Again, not too bad, but here's where things got a little interesting...

First off, I hate frying things, for multiple reasons, but one of them being I really don't know when I should turn them, or how to know if the oil is hot enough etc. I am very intimidated by the whole frying process and have never had luck with it. Well, I gave it my best and things seemed to be going well with my broken tortillas and all. She says to fry them just until soft, and slightly blistered, about 30 seconds per side. Then I let them drain on paper towels.

Now you may be wondering why there are no more pictures to document making the enchiladas. Well, I was a little frazzled at this point and taking pictures was the last thing to cross my mind. Basically, after you fry the tortillas you are supposed to dip them into the delicious red sauce with some tongs and lay them on a cookie sheet to assemble. Hahaha right! They were just ripping apart when I would try to pull them out of the red sauce. I think I had one tortilla that turned out okay. I am wondering if I just didn't fry them long enough. /shrug I'll never know. PW is a wonder woman and I have no idea how she does it. It wasn't going well, but I was going to see this through! I got my tortillas all dipped, then began assembling them with the ground beef mixture, some chopped olives, green onions, and cheese! I tried rolling them and that is when I called it quits. My husband could hear me in the kitchen moaning and groaning and came to check in on me, his words were. "Oh this would make a good Halloween meal, you could call it bloody scraps". Thanks hon. Actually, it gave me a good needed laugh and I carried on. I still had a hungry family to feed, so we threw 1/3 of our "bloody scraps" in the bottom of the casserole dish, layered 1/2 of the beef mixture on top of that, sprinkled with chopped olives, green onions, and cheese. Then poured some of the red sauce on top of that. Then started the layering again with the red sauce-soaked tortillas, beef mixture, olives, green onions, and cheese, and topped with more red sauce, then finished the top off with the rest of the corn tortillas, sprinkled with cheese, green onions and some more red sauce! I made my enchiladas into a casserole and you know what? It actually worked, it was DELICIOUS! 

I probably won't try to attempt those enchiladas PW style again, but I will definitely be making my Enchilada casserole mishap again, Cami style. :)

If you want to see how the lovely PW does her enchiladas and makes it look so easy, go here! Otherwise, if you are interested in enchilada casserole read below! Don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients or long list of steps. It is worth it!

PW's Enchilada Casserole Mishap

adapted from Pioneer Woman

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour

1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce

2 cups Chicken Broth

½ teaspoons Salt

½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro *I always omit cilantro!

FOR THE MEAT:

1-½ pound Ground Beef

1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced

2 cans (4 Oz) Diced Green Chilies

½ cups Chopped Black Olives *I added additional olives as well

½ teaspoons Salt

FOR THE TORTILLAS:

10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas

½ cups Canola Oil *I think next time I may even skip the entire frying process

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 cup Chopped Green Onions

½ cups Chopped Cilantro *Again, I omit the cilantro

First begin making the red sauce. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

While that is simmering, brown and season the meat with salt. Add the onions while meat is browning. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies, and olives. Set aside.

Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried. *I may just omit this step entirely to make it a little easier and less time consuming. I'm not sure that it will affect flavor because I'm making the enchiladas into a casserole instead of stand alone items.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip a tortilla into the red sauce and lay on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. You may want to reshape the tortillas to fit, but that is optional. It will probably take about 5 or so small corn tortillas per layer. Spoon half of your beef mixture onto the tortilla layer. Sprinkle green onions and cheese (and cilantro). Then pour more red sauce on top of that. (Pour to your liking, but be careful you don't want it to soupy. I wouldn't recommend using all of the sauce, it was much too soupy for us.) Now start with another layer of dipped corn tortillas, the rest of your beef mixture, sprinkle more green onions and cheddar cheese, and top with more red sauce. Now for your last layer of dipped corn tortillas, sprinkle with more cheese and green onions and even top with more olives if you'd like.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas, if desired, before serving.

Now enjoy and trust me it is worth all the work!

Orange Syrup

I'm so excited to share this recipe, because it is delicious! I have a deep love for all things orange, and this one is no exception. I can't wait to try it again. This recipe came from my sister Jamie, who is such a great cook and knows a great recipe when she sees one. If you are looking for a fun way to change up your regular ol' pancakes and waffles, try it today! MMMMmmmm!

Orange Syrup
Jamie Matthews


1 cube butter
1/2 cup orange juice concentrate
1 cup sugar
 
Melt together and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and enjoy! Promise you, you'll LOVE it!

Traditional Halloween Dinner

My sister Jamie has been eating this dinner every Halloween for the last 7 years! It is such a fun tradition and one that I think I'll try for my kids too! It is super yummy and lots of fun for the family. Something to look forward to every year for sure.

Pizza Dip in a Pumpkin

Jamie Matthews

 
1 small pumpkin (about 2 1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 TBSP butter
2 1/2 cups pizza sauce (or marinara sauce)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup ham or pepperoni (chopped)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
*Breadsticks- recipe below

Scoop out pumpkin; put lid on; place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 350 for 20-25 minutes.

In saucepan saute onion and green pepper in butter.  Stir in pizza sauce, mozarella cheese, ham or pepperoni, parmesan cheese, and Italian Seasoning.  Heat through until cheese is melted.  Pour into hot pumpkin.  (The pumpkin doesn't change the flavor of the sauce, it just keeps it warm and looks really cute).

Shelly's Breadsticks 

Shelly Davis

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 T yeast
2 T sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, melted
Garlic Salt
Parmesan cheese
 
Mix warm water, yeast and sugar together. Let it work until yeast rises.  About 5-10 min.
 
Pour yeast mixture into bowl with flour and salt.  Knead a couple minutes.  Then put into greased bowl (I usually use the same bowl I stirred everything in, dirty and all, I just spray PAM over it) and cover with a dishcloth.  Let rise 1 hour.
 
Roll out dough.  Cut into breadsticks (I usually get about 16 or so).
 
Melt 1 stick butter (margarine works too, but the butter gets the breadsticks more crunchy around the edges).  Dip breadsticks in butter, then twist them, and put on cookie sheet.  After you've put all the breadsticks on the cookie sheet, sprinkle liberally with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Now let them rise another 30-45 minutes. Then cook them at 425 for about 15 minutes.
 
 
Orange Halloween Drink

Jamie Matthews 

1 can (46 oz) pineapple juice, chilled
3 cups Sprite
3 cups orange drink (I usually use Koolaid)
2 Liters GingerAle, chilled
1/2 gallon Orange Sherbet


Mix the liquids together and serve with Orange Sherbet.....rootbeer float style!

Hot Corn Dip

Chips and dip are probably one of my favorite things ever! I saw this on Our Best Bites and I knew I was going to love it. Love it I did! We have made this a couple times this month. We can't seem to get enough of it. I keep telling myself it is good for me too, I mean it IS corn dip, with just a little mayo and cheese. :) I know you are all going to love it too. So next time you have a little party, or just want to sit down in front of a t.v. with a yummy snack, try this! It is spicy, creamy and divine!

Start with roasting frozen or fresh corn in a little butter for about 5 minutes. Add salt and  pepper. It will turn a golden brown if using fresh corn. After 5 minutes, transfer corn to large bowl, I forgot that step my first time making it, so just disregard :)

Then add the onions and red pepper. (Or you can add the red peppers later if you are using roasted red peppers from a jar, which I highly recommend doing!) Once the onions are wilted add the garlic, jalapenos and green onions. Give them a couple a minutes.

Pour everything into a large bowl.

Add the mayo, cayenne and half of the cheeses.

Pour into a 8x8 baking dish and top with remaining cheese.

Cook for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Then dig in!

Hot Corn Dip
Adapted from Our Best Bites and Emeril Lagasse   

2 tablespoons butter 
3 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 4 ears fresh white or yellow corn, or frozen fresh corn) 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1 roasted bell pepper from a jar *or 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1 jalapeno minced *or 1/2 small canned and diced jalapenos 
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 oz. monterey jack or cheddar, shredded *I used colby jack and loved it 
4 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Tortilla chips, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels turn deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, jalapeno, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Transfer to the bowl with the corn. 

Add 1/2 C mayo, cayenne pepper, half of the monterey jack and half of the cheddar and mix well. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish, or something equivilant and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips or Fritos.


I see someone's little hands going in for a bite! :)

Sausage Tortellini

I LOVE this meal. It is so incredibly easy and quick to prepare. I'm talking 10 minutes and it is ready to eat at the table. It is very filling as well, such a hearty dish. Oh yeah, and it tastes fabulous too. :) Don't be scared of the sausage, it really isn't overpowering. This will be a family favorite I promise!

Brown the sausage and drain if necessary.


Cook the tortellini for a couple minutes is all. I was always told that once they start popping to the top, then that means they are done!


Mix meat, noodles, and marinara sauce.





Enjoy this yummy and hearty dish!

Sausage Tortellini
adapted from Or So She Says

1 pkg. cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen

1 pkg. Jimmy Dean sausage, regular

1 jar of marinara sauce or spaghetti, *I use Ragu Garden Combo because I LOVE it and it counts as a full serving of veggies!

Brown the sausage. Drain excess grease if you have some. While sausage is browning, cook the tortellini. It should only take a couple minutes. Drain tortellini and throw in with the sausage. Pour the pasta sauce in and mix all together. Heat through and serve!!!

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm sure you've all seen this recipe floating around, or tried them yourselves. Aren't they delicious?! So easy, just 3 simple ingredients. Perfect for this time of year. So preheat that oven and pour a big glass of milk. Before you know it, these cookies will be gone!

Just 3 ingredients! 

Mix together

Plop on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Voila!

 Enjoy!!!

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Aimee's friend Kristen

Makes 36 cookies

1 box spice cake mix

1 small can pumpkin puree

1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all 3 ingredients together in a large bowl. Drop a spoonful of dough onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Makes 36 cookies

*You can easily double this recipe using 2 boxes cake mix, 1 large can of pumpkin and a bag of chips.

*A tip from Kristen..."Sometimes they have peaks when you scoop them so I use a wet spoon to just pat down the peaks.  Otherwise you might get pokey cookies."

Brownies Overload

I am a sucker for all things brownie, and oh my, these brownies are just silly. They should come with a warning sign. They are triple layered, gooey, RICH, sweet and delicious, definitely not for the faint of heart. I do however think you will be in love with all this brownie has to offer. I tried a small bite, and it was almost more than I could handle. Ugh, so good, but very rich, but so good. Did I mention so good? I knew I could not keep these around me for fear I would eat them all by myself! I divided them up and sent them with my husband to school to give them away to the pharmacy students. Boy were they happy! They have told my husband more than once since then, "Hey bring back some more brownies!"

I didn't like the original names for these brownies, much too long. I shortened it to Brownies Overload because that is exactly what they are. Just see for yourself!

First make your brownies, using a box mix. I'm not afraid to voice my opinion here in saying that these are the best brownies you'll ever find in a box. I eat these...a lot.

As soon as the brownies are done, sprinkle the mallows on top and cook for another 5 min.


They'll look like this...Now let cool.

Now combine the butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter in saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently until melted.

Take off heat and add rice krispies. Stir until combined. Then pour over cooled marshmallow/brownies.

Spread chocolate mixture evenly and let set up in fridge.

       The real question is how do they taste?

Hmmm, they sure are gooey...

Taking my first bite...

Wow these are good!

Can I have some more?!

Enjoy!!!

Brownies Overload

adapted from The Cooking Photographer

1 package fudge brownie mix
1 package mini marshmallows
1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips*
1 cup creamy peanut butter*
1 Tablespoon butter
1 ½ cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil and brush lightly with oil. (I did not use foil. I just sprayed the 9x13 with cooking spray and it worked out great.) Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees or to brownie box directions. Prepare brownie mix for chewy brownies. Bake according to box directions.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the marshmallows. Bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely, or until marshmallows have solidified.

Melt chocolate chips*, peanut butter*, and butter in a saucepan over medium low heat stirring frequently. (*Next time I may try and half these 2 ingredients, the top layer was too thick for my liking. I like to be able to taste more brownie than chocolate/peanut butter! I think a nice thin layer of the chocolate/pnt butter mixture on top of the mallows would be delicious!)Turn off the heat and stir in the cereal. Pour over the brownies and smooth out the mixture. Refrigerate until the topping is set. Carefully remove the brownies from the pan by lifting the foil. If they are too soft to be removed, freeze for 30 minutes and try again. To cut, brush a chef’s knife with oil and cut into strips, then into squares. Repeat with the oil as needed. *I found this tip to be very useful!