Chicken Tortilla Casserole

I get these emails all the time from Eat Better America. This last one had a dish that looked so good I e-mailed it right to my mom. Tonight I decided to make it, oddly so did my mom. Here is the recipe as it was intended to be made. I'll tell you my variations at the bottom. Brandon really liked this which says a lot for a four year old, he called it "cheese chicken." The husband had seconds too. The recipe is called "Healthified" Chicken Tortilla Casserole.

1 can (10 3/4 oz) 98% fat free 45% less sodium condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chile's 1 container (8 oz) fat-free sour cream ½ cup fat-free (skim) milk 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder ½ teaspoon ground cumin 2 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken breast 8 yellow corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch), torn into bite-size pieces 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup) 1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup) 1 ½ cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend (6 oz) 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix soup, chilies, sour cream, milk, chili powder and cumin until blended. Stir in chicken, tortillas and bell pepper. Stir in tomato and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish. 2. Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes.

This recipe is really as easy as it sounds. I didn't have any shredded chicken just laying around and I didn't plan ahead and have it ready so I will share with you my full proof method of cooking chicken fast. In a baking dish add 1 cup chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Place boneless skinless chicken in and bake it at 550 for about 15 minutes. It should be pretty close to done. This is basically poaching and keeps skinless boneless chicken very moist. I kept mine just under done so it wouldn't dry out during the final bake.

Next. I did not use anything light. I live in a family of underfat men, shit Codi just finally made it to 10% on the weight chart and we celebrated that. I might have also used a tad bit of extra cheese.

I omitted the bell peppers because none of my boys like them.

I combined half regular corn tortillas and half hard ones (they are called tostada shells in the store.) My husband really likes crunchy stuff so I put a few of those closer to the top of the casserole to keep them crisp. I used these tostada shells (the yellow corn ones on the top.)

I think beans would be a nice addition to this. Possibly pinto or red, I don't think black beans would be the right flavor. I also think if I wasn't making it for a kid I would mix in a tiny bit of cayenne pepper or a couple splashes of Tapatio.

Finally, yes I know it looks a little weird when you are first mixing it but it taste so good in the end. SO GOOD!

For a printable version of their recipe click here.

Baby Back Ribs

You begin prepping these ribs the day before. They are well worth the extra effort! They are juicy, tender and just fall off the bone.

INGREDIENTS
1 rack baby back pork ribs
favorite dry spices (I used Emeril’s rib rub, season all and pepper)
BBQ sauce
plastic wrap
aluminum foil

DIRECTIONS
1. Remove the skin on the back of the ribs. It acts as a barrier between the seasoning and the meat. Can start with a knife and peal the rest by hand.
2. Apply your dry spices to the ribs so that they are fully covered on both sides.
3. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Then wrap completely again in the foil. Let it marinate for 24 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Place ribs on the center rack and cook for 2 ½ hours. The plastic will keep them moist and cook them in your marinade and natural juices.
6. Remove ribs from the oven and open up the foil and plastic wrap. Do not remove the ribs from the wrap. They are tender at this point and may fall off the bones.
7. Let them sit in the juice and let them soak some of it up for 15 minutes. While they are sitting heat the grill to low heat.
8. Place the ribs on the grill and baste with the BBQ sauce. Let cook a couple minutes on each side constantly applying the sauce. Cut and serve.

Asian glazed pork tenderloin with roasted asparagus and finger potatoes

Serving size 2

1 Pork tenderloin
Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 orange, juiced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 clove garlic, diced
1 green onion, chopped
Crushed red pepper, pinch
Pepper

Asparagus:
1 Bundle asparagus
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
salt & pepper
olive oil to coat

Finger potatoes:
about 20 finger potatoes, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
salt & pepper
olive oil to coat

Sauce:
Cornstarch
water

For pork tenderloin, combine marinade in bag and place pork in. Marinate over night. Preheat oven to 350. Remove pork from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. While pork is coming to temperature combine all ingredients for potatoes and place on left side of a cookie sheet. Roast potatoes in oven for 20 minutes. Remove cookie sheet and place pork in center. Combine all ingredients for asparagus and place on right side of pork. Roast uncovered for 40 minutes. While pork is roasting place marinade in small sauce pan and simmer on low for 35 minutes whisking often. At this point mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water. Slowly add mixture a little at a time until sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon. Allow pork to rest about 5 minutes then slice thinly on an angle. Top with a drizzle of your sauce. Pork will be soft enough to cut with a fork or butter knife.