Enchilada Stack

I had planned to make enchiladas for dinner, but the corn tortillas weren't having it. Each time I filled and rolled one, it split in half. I tried rolling the tortillas when they were cold and warmed in the microwave, but I had no luck. I cut my losses and went back to the drawing board. I decided to just make a deconstructed enchilada instead. It was kinda like enchilada lasagna or an enchilada stack. I didn't have high hopes for this dinner, but boy was I surprised. It was delicious! I loved the flavor of the slightly sweet corn tortillas with the spicy meat and bean mixture and mild green enchilada sauce. I just love it when a dinner fail turns into a winner!

Enchilada Stack

1.5 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (4 oz.) can green chiles (undrained)
4 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
18 small corn tortillas
1.5–2 cans green (or red) enchilada sauce (or 2 cups homemade)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef (or turkey) and drain. Add corn, black beans, green chiles, taco seasoning, and water and mix well. Heat mixture until thoroughly heated and set aside.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and layer six tortillas on the bottom on the pan, overlapping the tortillas.

Cover tortillas with one-half of the meat mixture, and drizzle 1/2 can of enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese, and cover with six more tortillas. Repeat with meat mixture, 1/2 can enchilada sauce, 1/3 cup cheese, and remaining six tortillas.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until top is nice and crispy.

Garnish with salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, and cilantro (if desired).

Sugar Cream Pie

Nothing says Thanksgiving quite like a pie. And pie just so happens to be our What's Baking theme for November. Every year, I typically stay away from classic apple and pumpkin pies and try something new for Thanksgiving. This year was no different. I saw a recipe for a sugar cream pie in a magazine last year, and I knew right away that I needed to tuck it away for this year. I misplaced the recipe but after a quick Internet search, I came across this recipe. It had rave reviews. It smelled heavenly while it was baking—like french toast—so I had high hopes for this pie. The verdict: It was too sweet and had an odd consistency. The consistency was like a firm jelly, slightly like custard, but not rich. It was not the delicious sugar cream pie I had envisioned. My little cousin, however, loved it and called it cream of wheat pie. 

Sugar Cream Pie
source: Allrecipes

1 prepared 8-inch pie crust (unbaked)
1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used cinnamon.)
1/4 cup butter (chilled and diced)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, flour, and cream with a wooden spoon. 
Add milk and vanilla and continue stirring mixture is smooth. 
Pour mixture into pie crust. 
Sprinkle top with nutmeg (or cinnamon) and drop small chunks of butter onto pie.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes.
Cool completely before serving.

Turkey and Chorizo Chili

My husband wanted me to make this chili that I whipped up recently, but I couldn't find poblano peppers at the grocery store. So I decided to mix it up a bit and create a new chili. I used a bell pepper instead of the poblano pepper and turkey instead of beef. Then I added Mexican chorizo to amp up the flavor. I also added fire-roasted tomatoes with chipotle peppers, white beans, and light red kidney beans. The results were saucy, spicy, and satisfying—nothing short of delicious. It was not as rich or sweet as the other chili, but it packed some heat, which I really enjoyed. If you're looking to add something a little different to your chili, add some chorizo. You won't be disappointed.

Turkey and Chorizo Chili

Source: adapted from Taste of Home, August/September 2012 and Hanover

1/2 pound Mexican chorizo (casings removed)

1 pound ground turkey

1 green bell pepper (seeded and chopped)

1 large can (40 oz.) light red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 large can (29 oz.) tomato sauce

1 small can (15 oz.) fire-roasted tomatoes

1 small can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes with chipotle peppers 

2 small cans (15 oz.) white beans (one drained and rinsed)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips for garnish (optional). 

Brown chorizo in a large skillet and add to a crock pot. Brown turkey in chorizo drippings and add to crock pot. Add peppers, tomatoes, beans, spices, and sauce, and mix well. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips, if desired.