Charlie's Enchilada Casserole

1 can chili w/beans
2 C. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 large (12 oz.) pkg. Cheese Doritos (save 2 C. for casserole topping)
1 10-15 oz. can enchilada sauce
8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 T. onion, grated
1 ¼ C. sour cream

For topping, set aside sour cream, ½ C. cheese and 2 C. Doritos.

Crumble 6 C. Doritos with hands into a mixing bowl.

Add onion and all other ingredients (except topping). Transfer to 8 ½ x 11” casserole dish. Bake for 20 min. at 375.

Remove casserole from oven. Spread sour cream over the top, cover with Doritos and sprinkle with ½ C. cheese. Bake additional 5 minutes.

Servings: 6

Chicken Veggie Enchiladas

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 Tablespoon of canola oil or butter
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 fresh mushroom crates
1 pint sour cream*
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
16-ounce jar spaghetti sauce, such as Classico
1 garlic clove, minced
12-ounce jar chunky salsa
1 can sliced black olives (optional)
8 large tortillas**

*Can substitute half the sour cream with plain fat-free yogurt to reduce fat.
**Use whole wheat tortillas for a healthier meal.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, saute mushrooms, garlic, diced onion, and bell pepper in oil/butter until slightly tender.
3. Mix the sour cream and 2 cups of cheese into the vegetables. Stir until melted.
4. Add spaghetti sauce and shredded chicken. Mix well.
5. Roll even amounts of the chicken mixture into tortillas and place in a greased baking pan. The tortillas should fit tightly.
6. Cover all with salsa and remaining 2 cups of cheese. Top with black olives if desired.
7. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
   

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

2 large boneless-skinless chicken breasts (boiled or grilled, then diced up or shredded)
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 small container (6-8 oz) Reg. Sour Cream
1 can Rotel
2 cups of Mexican Style cheese (divided)
8 Tortillas (usually use fajita size so enchilada is overstuffed, but burrito size works well too)
Sliced Jalapenos if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix soup and sour cream. Smear some of the soup/sour cream mixture on the bottom of a 9x12 glass pan to prevent sticking on the bottom of pan. In another medium bowl, mix shredded/diced chicken, 1 cup of cheese and can of Rotel. Stuff and roll tortillas with chicken mixture, then line up enchiladas side by side in the pan. When finished, pour and smear the rest of the soup/sour cream mixture on top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle additional 1 cup of cheese on top of enchiladas. You can also add sliced jalapenos if desired. Cook for 40-45 minutes in oven until cheese is brown and sauce is bubbly.

This is a quick and easy meal that I make for my family when I don't have a lot of time to cook. It only takes about 15 minutes to throw it together and then just 40 minutes to cook. The leftovers are great too! This is a great meal if you need to make a casserole dish to use for those occasions when you sign up to bring food to people (ie. birth of a baby, loss of a loved one, illness in family, etc.) --Kristina

Mexi-Chicken

2 cups onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic (or more), minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups water
2 cups quick cooking barley*
2 (16-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, undrained
2 (16-ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 cups chicken broth
2 (16-ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
6 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (good with a mix of breasts and thighs)
2 packages taco seasoning
Optional toppings: grated cheese, sour cream, avocado, taco sauce

1. In a large Dutch oven, cook onion and garlic in oil until tender.
2. Add all ingredients except chicken.
   
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add cooked chicken and continue simmering for another 10 minutes, or until chicken is heated through and barley is tender.
   
5. Cool, spoon into freezer bags, label, and freeze.
   

To serve, thaw and heat in a skillet until hot. Serve over tortilla chips or in tortillas (burrito style) with cheese, sour cream, taco sauce and/or avocados. Makes about five large freezer bags, each enough to feed a family of four.

*If you use regular barley instead of quick barley, cook it ahead of time according to instructions on package.

When I eat this, it reminds me of mass cooking days in my friend Jenny's kitchen. It was fun to work together, but I've never been that exhausted in my life. We made so much of this that I didn't want to look at it after the first four times we had it. It's been several years, though, and when we ate it this week I thought it was wonderful.
--Sarah