Halloween Dinner: Skillet Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My take on cheesy chicken enchiladas only requires one skillet for cooking and eliminates the all the stuffing and rolling! 

Skillet Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Weeknights call for quick meals and what could be better that a one pan meal where the cooking is all done in one pan and the clean up is a breeze.  Chicken Enchiladas are a favorite of ours but stuffing those tortillas takes extra time and on a weeknight I don't really want to bother.  This casserole type enchiladas have all the flavors but really is an easier assembly.  This would be perfect for your Halloween dinner or any weeknight meal this fall and winter.

For this meal I use my trusty cast iron skillet.  If you don't have one make sure to use and oven safe skillet and we will be starting this out on the stove and finishing it in the oven.  All the goodies from gooey cheese, soft tortillas, chicken, salsa, seasonings, and a large dose of veggies are covered with enchilada sauce and all mixed together in the same skillet.  It's heaven in a skillet!  You can add a side or rice and beans, or a side salad, but this is so loaded with veggies that it's pretty much a meal on it's own.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• fresh or frozen corn
• red bell pepper
• yellow onion
• fresh baby spinach
• cooked chicken breasts
• red enchilada sauce
• salsa
• corn tortillas
• cheddar cheese
• grape tomatoes
• cilantro

Substitutions and Variations

• Use shredded pork or beef
• Change up the vegetables - mushrooms, green chilies, anaheim chilies, black beans, mexicorn

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• For best results, refrigerate and freeze leftovers without the toppings and add them after reheating.
• Charring the veggies in a cast-iron skillet adds depth of flavor.
• To make ahead: Cook the vegetables up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate.

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Skillet Chicken Enchilada Casserole

serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fresh or frozen corn 
1 sliced red bell pepper
½ cup diced yellow onion
2 large handfuls baby spinach
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
8 oz can red enchilada sauce
1 cup prepared fresh salsa
8 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch-thick strips
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat oil in a large cast iron or ovenproof skillet.  Add corn, bell pepper, and onion.  Cook, until charred, 7 to 10 minutes. Gradually add spinach in batches; cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in chicken, enchilada sauce, and salsa until combined. Gently stir in tortilla strips. Sprinkle with cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Top the casserole with tomatoes and cilantro.

Fall Flavors: Pumpkin Crumb Muffins

The fall flavors of pumpkin spice are built in these bakery style Pumpkin Crumb Muffins and are certainly hard to resist.

Pumpkin Crumb Muffins 

Every year I get excited when autumn comes around because I get to bake with some of my favorite flavors such as pumpkin, apple, Maple, pecans and walnuts.  Today I bring to you a small batch of six, bakery style muffins that are light and fluffy and filled with pumpkin spice and topped with a delicious crumb.

These are easy to make on a weekend and will fill your kitchen with the aromas of pumpkin, ginger, and nutmeg; giving you all the scents of fall.  Make a batch today to enjoy with your morning coffee.

Enjoy! 

What Ingredients do I need?

• 1 can 100% pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• canola oil
• 1 egg
• pure vanilla extract (get the best you can afford)
• sour cream
• all-purpose flour
• sugar
• brown sugar
• baking powder
• pumpkin pie spice
• butter
• ground cinnamon

Substitutions and Variations

• Try some add-ins:  dried or fresh cranberries, walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, or dried cherries

• Leave off the crumb topping

• Add oats to the crumb topping

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• 1st rule of thumb when making muffins is "do not overmix" the batter.  You want it batter to just come together.  Little spots of flour is okay.

• To get high muffin tops turn your oven up to 400 degrees.

• Make sure you are using fresh baking powder.  To test put 1/2 teaspoon into 1/4 cup of boiling water.  If it bubbles, you are good.

• Double the recipe for 12 muffins.

• Muffins can be frozen individually and kept for 3 months.

• Fill the muffin tin almost to the top for nice big domed muffins.

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More Muffin Recipes

·        Strawberry Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins - Lower Carb Version

·        Pumpkin and Eggnog Swirl Muffins

·        Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

·        Vanilla Chai Muffins

·        Cranberry Orange Muffins - Small Batch

·        Mexican Hot Chocolate Muffins

·        Simple Blueberry Muffins

Pumpkin Crumb Muffins 

makes 6

1 cup 100% pure pumpkin 
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2  1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 6 well muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 

In a large bowl add the egg, pumpkin, oil, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix together using a whisk.

Add the flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.    Stir just until combined.  Do not over mix.  

In a small bowl or on a pan mix together the crumb ingredient.  Mixing together until moist and crumbly. 

Using a cookie scoop, add batter to the prepared muffin tin. Add the crumb mixture to the top of each muffin.  Bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the pan. Remove from the pan and serve.

Bakery Style Strawberry Banana Chunk Muffins

My Bakery Style Strawberry Banana Chunk Muffins are exploding with your favorite flavor combo.

Hot from the oven you can't eat just one!

 

Bakery Style Strawberry Banana Chunk Muffins

I'm a little late to the Fall baking party but I just had to share with you these fabulous muffins that use strawberries and bananas.  A favorite flavor combo right?  Since strawberries and bananas can be bought almost year round let's use some late summer ones to create a bakery style (large!) muffin.

Good sized chunks of strawberries and bananas are dispersed throughout these muffins so you get a burst of flavor in every bite.  These make a small batch of 6-8 depending on how much add-in you use and make the perfect weekend breakfast or grab and go during the week.  There is nothing better than a hot muffin, so make these soon, and see below for great tips on making the perfect muffin.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• fresh strawberries
• bananas
• eggs
• low-fat milk
• canola oil
• all purpose flour
• sugar or alternative sugar 1:1 ratio (for Keto, low carb)
• baking powder
• salt

Substitutions and Variations

• Use white whole wheat flour in place of the all purpose flour

• Make mini muffins or small loaves instead

• Doing a Keto diet or want lower carb? Use an alternative sugar of you choice as a substitute. I like King Arthur's sugar alternative.

• Any combination of fruit/berries (peaches, nectarines, plums, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) or add-ins (chocolate chips, shredded coconut, walnuts, pecans, granola, cinnamon chips) will work.

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• 1st rule of thumb when making muffins is "do not overmix" the batter.  You want it batter to just come together.  Little spots of flour is okay.

• To get high muffin tops turn your oven up to 400 degrees.

• Make sure you are using fresh baking powder.  To test put 1/2 teaspoon into 1/4 cup of boiling water.  If it bubbles, you are good.

• Double the recipe for 12 muffins.

• Muffins can be frozen individually and kept for 3 months.

• Fill the muffin tin almost to the top for nice big domed muffins.

·        More Muffin Recipes

·        Strawberry Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins - Lower Carb Version

·        Pumpkin and Eggnog Swirl Muffins

·        Apple Cider Doughnut Muffins

·        Vanilla Chai Muffins

·        Cranberry Orange Muffins - Small Batch

·        Mexican Hot Chocolate Muffins

·        Simple Blueberry Muffins

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Bakery Style Strawberry Banana Chunk Muffins

Makes 6-8

1 egg
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 large strawberries, cut in to chunks
1 medium banana, cut in to chunks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 6 well muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. (you may need another tin for 8 muffins)

In a large bowl add the egg, milk, and oil. Mix together using a whisk.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, lemon zest, and poppyseeds.  Stir just until combined.  Do not over mix.  Fold in strawberries and bananas, holding a few back to add to the tops.

Using a cookie scoop, add batter to a muffin tin to make 6-8 muffins. Add the remaining strawberries and bananas to the top of each muffin.  Bake 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the tin. Remove from the pan and serve.

Roasted Tomato and Spinach Flatbread Pizzas

For a quick and easy dinner try my Roasted Tomato and Spinach Flatbread Pizzas.  The flavors of garlic roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and spinach just burst in your mouth!

Roasted Tomato and Spinach Flatbread Pizzas

I'm on a flatbread pizza kick lately.  A couple of weeks ago I posted a recipe for my Flatbread Pizzas with Corn and Prosciutto (heaven!) and today I'm sharing my Roasted Tomato and Spinach Flatbread Pizzas.  This pizza uses Naan flatbread as the pizza bases which makes it quick and easy for you to make on a weeknight.  I'm not sure about you but I don't have time or energy to make pizza dough from scratch on a weeknight, so Naan is a perfect substitute.  They come out thin and crispy without all the fuss.  

The star of this pizza is the use of roasted tomatoes instead of pizza sauce.  Cherry tomatoes are cut in half and then tossed with fresh minced garlic and olive oil and roasted until they are bursting with juiciness.  This becomes your topping and your substitute sauce.  Next we use really good fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese and a touch of spinach.  Bake it off and voila, a heavenly pizza is ready to eat!  Make this today, you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy!

What Ingredients do I need?

• cherry tomatoes
• garlic
• Italian seasoning
• extra virgin olive oil
• Naan bread
• fresh spinach
• fresh buffalo mozzarella

Substitutions and Variations

• Use any pizza base your choose - pizza dough, pita, tortillas

• Use shredded Mozzarella cheese or other cheese

• Sprinkle on some parmesan cheese

• Add sautéed mushrooms

• Add torn basil leaves after baking

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Get everyone involved by letting them top their own individual flatbread pizzas.

• Leftover pizza will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.  Reheat on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 for 7-10 minutes with foil loosely over the top.

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Roasted Tomato and Spinach Flatbread Pizza

serves 2

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
kosher salt and fresh black pepper
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

4 medium sized Naan bread 
1 cup spinach
2 tablespoon olive oil
fresh buffalo mozzarella, torn in to pieces

Preheat the oven to 440 degrees.  Place the sliced cherry tomatoes in a mound on a baking sheet.  Top with the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, some salt & pepper to taste, and add a good drizzle, about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the tomatoes.  Toss to combine makes sure all the tomatoes are coated, then spread them out on the pan so they are not touching.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes have burst and are starting to brown.  Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile in a skillet over medium heat add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and allow to heat.  Add the spinach and sauté for a few minutes until wilted.  Remove from heat.

Place the Naan bread on a baking sheet.  Add the torn fresh mozzarella cheese sporadically over the flatbreads.  Divide the roasted tomatoes among the flatbreads, and top with the wilted spinach.  

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 440 degrees until slightly browned on the edges.  Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil.  Serve.