Verde Chicken Enchiladas

The old fashioned version of a birthday party involved cooking at home with family.  There was a homemade birthday cake.  To a lot of people this seems too humble, not nice enough.  Especially, the young ones want to go out.  But birthday parties were happy memorable events in my childhood.  Adults got a party too.  My memories of birthday dinners for my father are more memorable to me than the ones for me.  I wish more people would go back to that.   


It was recently our lovely daughter in law's birthday.  She is truely a wonderful person and we value her greatly.  When they agreed to celebrate with us a couple days after her actual birthday, I asked her what she wanted to eat.  The recipe she asked for follows.  By the way, I often have a container of cooked chicken in my freezer.  Half a roast chicken from a previous meal, but I did not have that this time.  Here is how I quickly got them cooked.

I save those bags that crackers and cereal come in.  They are tough enough to take the meat mallet.  I love my meat mallet for tenderizing and preparing meat to cook.  In this case, chicken breast flattens into a very thin fillet, so that it will cook more quickly and evenly.  Pounding meat with a meat mallet is fun.  Try it next time you've had a bad day. (If cooking the chicken for a casserole is a problem for you, use a deli rotisseri chicken or the 10 oz cans of white-meat chicken you find next to the tuna which really isn't that bad in a pinch.)

Into my largest skillet with a little canola oil and a little salt and pepper.  They cook in just minutes.  I've got a garlic, rosemary chicken dish that's finished in wine that gets the meat prepared like this.    Once cooked, chop it.

Verde Chicken Enchiladas

3 boneless chicken, cooked and chopped
2/3 cup mild green taco sauce
1 cup sour cream
12 10 in flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
1 c. cooked white rice
1 cup Mexican style cheese
1 16 oz jar of your favorite salsa
1/4 c. mayonnaise.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the chicken, the green taco sauce and sour cream.  

A little oil back in the skillet and place the tortillas, one at a time in the skillet to heat.  Flip them over with a utensil to heat the other side.  Then to a plate.  Don't let them brown, just heat 

A little of the chicken mixture, a little of the beans and a little of the rice.  Then a little of the cheese.  Roll it burrito style or in a little package.

Place them in a large casserole dish or two medium size dishes.

Combine the salsa and the mayo and pour over the enchiladas.  Bake for 10 minutes or until bubbly and very hot.  Serve at once.

This is one of two casserole dishes.  There really isn't a lot of meat here.  And I didn't say it was low fat, but it is really good.

Now desert.  No time for a pie.  They are almost here.  Husband comes down and sets the table.  Thank you dear.

Apricot Crisp.  

My mother made this with whatever fruit she had on hand.  She had a real thing for canned peaches for some reason.  For a long time, I could barely look at canned peaches.  

For this dish, three cans of lite apricot halves into a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  I added a 1/2 c. sugar. 

Cream together 1/2 c. quick oats, 1/2 c. packed brown sugar.  1/4 c. all purpose flour and 1/4 c. butter.  This recipe is very common.  Spread this mixture over the fruit.  Back for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. 

A scoop of this and some good vanilla ice cream and you have a party.  

And this silly girl was one of our guests and the daughter of the birthday girl. 

Remember to celebrate.