Other

Tortilla Chip Casserole

Didn’t someone once say that casseroles are boring?  I guess casseroles used to primarily consist of some kind of leftover meat, mixed vegetables, maybe a pasta, rice or potato and some kind of creamy condensed soup…yeah…boring.  I wouldn’t want to eat that.  Well, unless I’m really hungry.  This Tortilla Chip Casserole is unlike any other casserole you’ve had.  If you are making this for dinner for guests or family, don’t even bother telling them you made a casserole because you’ll have them dreaming of Taco Bell right away.  Instead, tell them you have made the most flavorful, cheesy knock-your-socks-off dish and leave it at that.

Black beans, chicken and tortilla chips are nestled between layers of a spicy, cheesy milk sauce, and topped with enchilada sauce and cheese before being baked until melted and gooey.  Cumin and coriander are added to the milk sauce giving warmth to the already-bold flavors going on in the dish and cream cheese is also melted in making the sauce thick and rich.  Roasted red peppers, which are tucked away in the middle of the layers, add more flavor but sort of disappear in the end result so leave them in or leave them out, it’s up to you.  The best way I can describe this dish to say it’s like eating your favorite Mexican dip for dinner.  It’s creamy, it’s cheesy, it’s hearty, it has chicken, it has chips, it has spice.  It’s everything wrapped up in one little casserole bow.  Don’t let the lengthy list of ingredients deter you:  this will be the best dish you’ve made in a long time.  And no one will be dreaming of Taco Bell.

DSC04329

The ingredients:

DSC04322

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 6 minutes. Add garlic and flour; cook 2 minutes. ­Gradually add milk and stock, stirring constantly; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, and cream cheese.

DSC04324

DSC04325

Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture over bottom of a broiler-safe 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Layer beans, 1 1/2 cups chicken, and 2 ounces chips. Top with 1/2 cup milk mixture. Layer 1 1/2 cups chicken, bell pepper, and 2 ounces chips; top with 1 cup milk mixture and enchilada sauce.

DSC04326

DSC04327

Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

DSC04328

Sprinkle with green onions, if desired.  (I was in such a hurry to eat this, I completely forgot the green onions!)

DSC04330

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Red enchilada sauce

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Crunchy Chickpeas

For the second weekend in a row, I’ve gotten completely sucked into the 80’s miniseries North and South staring Patrick Swayze.  Last week was North and South Book 1 and yesterday was North and South Book 2 (based off of John Jakes’ book Love and War).  I remember watching both of these miniseries when I was a kid and have managed to get sucked right back into it all over again like I’ve never seen it.  I’ve always slightly been fascinated by the Civil War but it might be because I grew up in the Land of Lincoln, 30 minutes away from Springfield, Illinois where every field trip I went on in school was somehow related to Abraham Lincoln.  As if dedicating two Sundays in a row to the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln wasn’t enough, I proceeded to watch Killing Lincoln on Nat Geo last night before bed which let me tell you – was not a good idea.  At some point, I did manage to make myself a snack of Crunchy Chickpeas, to keep me going through hours of, well, death.  I guess it’s fitting since today is President’s Day, right?

I’ve seen these chickpea snacks nearly everywhere – in magazines, on Pinterest and in food blogs so I figured, why not give them a try?  They aren’t the simplest things to make but now I get the hype.  Canned chickpeas are tossed with garlic and seasonings and baked low and slow for a long time until crunchy on the outside but slightly chewy on the inside.  Sounds simple enough but the beans first have to be drained and de-skinned.  Hah..wahh?  I never really paid attention to the fact that chickpeas have skin but they do.  Lay them out on a paper towel, top with another paper towel and gently roll.  Yes, roll.  Those little pesky skins will slide ride off.  But take my word for it, do this process in batches.  Otherwise, you’ll be rolling and plucking skins all day.  My first bite of these chickpeas, I wondered what was so great.  But then, there I was, watching 80’s TV and popping these obsessively into my mouth.  I can’t explain it what it is about these snacks but they are slightly addictive.

DSC04267

The ingredients:

DSC04262

Wrap chickpeas in a towel; lightly roll to loosen skins. Discard skins.

DSC04263

Combine chickpeas and remaining ingredients.

DSC04264

Arrange on a baking sheet.

DSC04265

Bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 1 hour and 40 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes.

DSC04266

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Herbed Ricotta Tart

Sometimes I think I could just change this blog to “A Fork In Each Tart”.  Every time I make a tart, I devour it.  I think I could eat them every single day.   And there are so many different ways to make a savory tart.  My favorite so far is Summer Squash and Ricotta Galette.  A thisclose second is Rustic Summer Squash Tart.  Both of those tarts are made with refrigerated pie crust (easy peasy!) and are so, so good that I really have to stop myself from eating the entire tart by myself in one sitting.  I came across this Herbed Ricotta Tart and didn’t expect it to be as good as the other two tarts because a) it uses pizza crust instead of pie crust and b) it only has scallions and herbs.  But once again, yet another tart did not disappoint.  I devoured this one just as easily as the others.

Scallions, chives and dill are mixed with ricotta and eggs, poured onto pizza dough and topped with parmesan cheese before being baked until golden brown.  The scallions and chives do not overpower this vegetarian tart but instead provide a subtle onion flavor.  Any herb, such as thyme or basil, would be great substitutes or additions here also.  That is the great thing about tarts – any mixture of herbs and vegetables will work perfectly.  And trust me, this tart is good cold right out of the fridge like cold pizza.  If you haven’t jumped on the tart train yet, please get onboard.

DSC04226

The ingredients:

DSC04219

Unroll dough and press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch round removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray or mold into a square or circle, carefully rolling up the sides (as I did) onto a baking sheet.

DSC04220

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add thinly sliced green onions to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

DSC04221

Combine cooked green onions, ricotta cheese, sliced fresh chives, minced fresh dill, salt, freshly ground black pepper, eggs, and egg white.

DSC04222

Pour onion mixture into prepared crust; sprinkle mixture with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

DSC04224

Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 35 minutes or until center is set. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges.

DSC04225

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

1 … 5 6 7 … 9
Blog at WordPress.com.