Cheater Enchiladas

Work Smarter, Not Harder 

Who remembers a time when they could sit & watch any TV show they wanted without

A) any distractions

& 

B) having cable (is that still a thing?)

I can remember the afternoons of the Food Network- 

Rachel Ray, Alton Brown, & my personal hero-

 Sandra Lee, of Semi-homemade Cooking.

I have previously mentioned the long line of

 cookingly challenged people  I am descended from, 

& it must be genetic. 

No ones gotten food poisoning lately, so that is an improvement.

Reheating is my game.

This magical creation comes to us, because I forgot to thaw out the roast for the crock-pot......

The crock-pot that is meant to make cooking easier- 

no muss, no fuss.

No lie, I struggle.

If I do manage to thaw the meat, 

I either forget to plug the darn thing in, or turn it on.

On those really special days, both.

Fortunately, I do plan meals for two weeks, 

& keep a stocked pantry....

which brings us to 

CREATIVE COOKING

& That, I excel at! 

Because it's stupid, never ending, freezing, arctic winter, 

I have been keeping the freezer full of quick & easy stuff 

the kids can eat 

(ie: blow through like starved wildebeest) 

on the never ending snow days. 

Also, I've received constructive comments 

that pictures are appreciated. 

So, in breaking with tradition, there will be food pictures.

 TO DO or TO NEED

1 can of enchilada sauce of your choosing 
Frozen burritos of your choosing
Cheese, also of your choosing
A baking dish 
An oven 
(though I wonder if these could be microwaved in a pinch?)

Step 1- put a layer of sauce into the bottom of the pan, before you put in the burritos.....

Step 2- Put the burritos back into the prepared baking dish.

Step 3- more sauce

Step 4- If you are using a glass baking dish, make sure the oven is cold. If you put a cold pan into a hot oven the glass can explode. Don't ask me how I know........

Step 5- AFTER putting your pan into the oven, heat to 375 & bake until burritos are hot & sauce is bubbly (potentially 35-40 minutes)

Step 6- Turn oven off & sprinkle your "enchiladas" liberally 
(or not) with your cheese.

Step 7- let rest in oven until cheese is melted (about 5-7 minutes)

That's it kids. 

Gourmet enchiladas.

They might not impress company, but they'll feed growing boys.

I like Big B......just kidding

This is my refrigerator, 

& I'm sure by now you've noticed that it's smaller then the average bear.....

or typical American refrigerator.  

& here is why---->

I had a larger version, that mostly fit, but not well. 

There was much cabinet rearranging to make it fit, 

& it was heavy enough it took several large men to maneuver it into place. 

After nearly 4 years it died.

RIP.

During one of the hottest summers in the history of forever.

When the A/C also went over to the other side.

mkay?

I was hot & tired 

& lacking in large men to maneuver.

& really felt called to use the rearranged cabinets

 I couldn't reach over the top of another flat 

& inevitably cluttered surface.  

I. WAS.OVER. IT

We've (& by WE, I mean I) have been making a point of trying to live purposefully.

& I realized as I was cleaning out a large 

& no longer cold refrigerator,

 how much extra 'stuff'' we (& by we, I mean I)  

had accumulated.

Enter my fun size fridge-et.

I can both maneuver & reach over it. 

It also forces us ( & by us, I mean me, the grocery shopper) 

to be thoughtful about what is bought & kept. 

No more very new cheese or very old meat lurking in the corners.

It's about big enough for milk, butter & our veg.

not much room for excess.

I was previously, & still am, in possession of a lovely, big pantry & a chest freezer.

You'd be surprised what you can freeze...

& because it's in the basement & frozen

 I don't have to worry about the 

bottomless pits called pre-teen boys 

snatching whatever they can find.

Starving as they might be.....they don't hunt. They scavenge.

I do miss my ice maker, but not so much that I want to step in puddles of melting ice, abandoned by the same boys, 

who can also not bring themselves to bend over 

pick up dropped ice.

Such is life outside the box.

All you need is Love & a waffle Iron

This post is dedicated to the loyal reader,

 who is not my Dad. 

Thank you both for the support & encouragement <3. 

I would also like to thank the waffle iron industry for coming so very far.

For Christmas, I bought myself a new waffle iron.

(Farberware, Walmart, $20)

 I can generally produce an edible waffle, & have been known to get pretty creative with them- & lucky for me thanks to a waffle iron & baking mix, it's pretty fool proof......which is why I am so darn good at it! 

But, I digress.

I had an epiphany. Which is a coincidence, because it's also nearly THE epiphany.

We roll quick, cheap & easy around here,

 & try to work smarter, not harder.

Waffles can be easier??

umm.....ya. even fancy. Ney, gourmet even.

For this to make sense, we have to remember back 20 years 

to when I first learned this particular cheat.

Cobbler, topped with white bread! 

& lots of butter & sugar which makes everything better.

= turns out as a beautiful bubbly mess after baking.

To make any delicious stuffed waffle it's as easy as sliced bread.

1.Give your hot waffle iron a good spritz of your 

preferred non-stick spray.

2. Assemble your creation between 2 slices

3.Smash it! 

4. & cook until the done light comes on!

This is easy enough that even small children could do it 

(with close supervision, of course) 

we've been eating lots of egg sammie waffles, which works out because the gangster garage hens have been busy.

which brings me to point 2......

GET THIS EGG COOKER

it's on amazon, which tells you it's revolutionary.

Its' quick, cheap & easy.

Make any kind of little fried egg or baby omelette, & waffle it.

It's literally that easy.

hot roast beef? Yep

Cheese Toasty? Easy

Budget Hot Pocket? Go for it

Creative cooking at its finest.

Dollar Tree Cooking Challenge

So, I recently saw a video (<------- that one) by the

VEGAN ZOMBIE, about shopping the groceries at 

DOLLAR TREE. 

& I know there are several budget meal plans on Pinterest, based products available at Dollar Tree. 

I'll just assume that this is one of the new Facebook challenges, 

& I'm getting ahead of the curve,

 because I'm a fun killer & won't dance outside my car.

For the excitement of it, & because we roll quick, cheap & easy

 I wanted to check it out. 

I was amazed at the selection of things available (coconut oil?!?!), & was surprised at some of the things they didn't have. 

Of course selection will vary by location.

DOLLAR TREE NOT TUNA CASSEROLE

10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup

1/2 C Mayo

1 bag egg noodles (boiled & drained)

1 C Cheddar Cheese 

1 C Milk 

Sprinkle 'O bread crumbs 

In all fairness we already had milk, so I didn't buy theirs, though they have milk available in the refrigerator section. 

Or the bread crumbs. That's just a pantry staple.

Mix it up it your 9x13 & bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, until brown & bubbly  

by all means, drain a can of tuna to add, if you like tuna. I thought I had a better chance of getting the troops to eat it sans tuna. 

I also picked up a frozen steamer bag of peas, because that's what you eat with tuna casserole. 

These are the very same, name brand bags available at any grocery store, & just as tasty!

We also tried the veggie burgers mentioned in the video, with tater tots (last night)- I thought it was ok, but the visible veg chunks in the patties were a flop with the kids.

It's good to have this shopping option available, but buying smaller packages in the long run is usually more expensive. 

If you are just feeding a single person, I can see where this might be a good budget plan, especially if you have access to reasonably priced fresh produce,

 so you aren't living on processed foods 100%

Let's face it, it's just hard to beat Aldi. 

 But I'd make this again in a pinch.

Delicious Turkey Balls

From www.reference.com

Do Turkeys Have Testicles?

QUICK ANSWER

Male turkeys have testicles located within the body, just above the kidneys. The testicles are bean-shaped and produce testosterone, which contributes to the development of the male reproductive tract, courting behavior and aggressiveness.

continue reading

Just in case you wondering.......but that really has 

nothing to do with this recipe.

These little nuggets are whole 30-ish, paleo-ish, 

but mostly: allergen free, or what is also known as, 

won't poison me. Which I guess is important. 

& as always- they are Quick, Cheap & Easy! 

Because who has time for anything else???

I've recently fallen of the AIP wagon (autoimmune 

protocol diet), & literally spent all of yesterday 

exorcist spewing. So Yuck!

& then because I believe fortune cookies & words of 

wisdom are clearly a sign from G-d, my 

delicious GT'S Gingerade Kombucha spoke to me.

Friends, I love food. I really do, all of it. 

But like a toxic relationship, not all of it loves me.

I also really, really hate cooking in the traditional 

sense of the word.

Delicious Turkey Balls

1lb Ground Meat (that is safe for you)

Sm. Sweet Pot (ato) grated 

2 TBLSP Flour (that is safe for you)

1tsp oil + oil to grease pan

Tonight, I used ground turkey sausage, because 

that's what I had, & coconut flour, because that is 

what I had, & coconut oil, because guess what? 

that's what I had.

1lb of any meat would work, 2 scoops of any flour 

would work & whatever oil you have 

will be excellent choices. 

If you aren't using a safe sausage, then season to 

your taste- salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika, chili 

powder - use what you have that is safe 

& delicious for you!

To Do

Combine all ingredients in a bowl & smoosh- a very 

technical term for getting in there with your hand, 

to get everything good & incorporated. 

Lightly grease either a baking sheet, or your new 

Pampered Chef Mini Muffin tin.

Pat mixture into little patty nuggets, or

 fill muffin cups.

I ended up with 24.

Bake at 350 for approximately 45 min (utes)

but keep an eye on them as ovens vary. 

Enjoy! 

I do not receive anything but joy for shamelessly plugging pampered chef. 

But if you are interested in quality cook & baking ware & supporting a 

work-at-home Mama, feel free to check out my dealer:

Pampered Chef Karisma

Tres Amigos Enchiladas

Let's all take a minute to thank our lovely South-of-the-border friends, who were kind enough to bring us delicious foods, featuring melted cheese & spicy peppers.

..........................................................

When I was in college, I mostly survived on alcohol, of any kind, + black bean & corn salsa by the gallon, with tortilla chips,

 though drinking it would not have been below me......

Black beans & corn are magical together, the Romeo & Juliet of Mexico, but no one dies.

So, why Tres? 

It's the cheese. It's always the cheese. 

the Cheese had me at Hello.

These are seriously so yummy, they can be my amigos for life.

*Disclaimer* I am not a good cook, & most everything I make, sort of looks like a congealed pile of vomit,  this being no exception, but it is based around refried beans, cream cheese & corn......

There will be no tastefully staged photos, so use your imagination.

Also- the great thing about Taco Tuesday (or Thursday) foods, is that they offer a wide array of variations. Make your own tortillas, or use dried beans. Have fresh corn, use fresh corn. I don't know how to make cream cheese, but if you do, have at it. Like onions, or extra spicy,  go for it.

If, on the other hand you are a tired adult, needing to, once again feed the little people in your life, feel free to use frozen or shelf-stable stuff. Whatever.

Stuff 

2c refried beans

    2c corn                 

              2c black beans                 

       1 block cream cheese

     16 Corn Tortillas     

     4c Shredded Cheese

          5-ish c Enchilada sauce

Gently fold the first 4 ingredients together.

Line the bottom of your baking dish with a drizzle of Enchilada sauce.

Smear a wad of beans into a tortilla, fold, placing seam side down in dish. repeat, trying to get more into the tortilla than you do on your fingers.

When the dish is full & the bowl is, hopefully, empty, 

pour over the sauce, trying to spread it evenly.

I always put glass dishes into a cold oven, 

because lets face it, pre-heating is a myth & waste of energy, 

& a cold dish in a hot oven, in my experience, means I will be picking bits of glass from an exploded pan out of my food.

So, when your cold dish is in your cold oven, set it to 350, 

to bake, for about 35 minutes.

Turn the oven off (it's still hot enough),

& toss the cheese on, leaving it in the oven until melty.

This dish will feed the Army, with leftovers.

Quick, Cheap & Easy, just the way we like it! 

Darn Delicious Cheesy Green Enchiladas

Firstly, I cannot take creative credit for this recipe, it's not mine.

But, I try to do my part to spread the good word, & this is good stuff.

Secondly, I will, once again, not include any pictures. I feel like food pictures cause unnecessary stress. Make your own, & know that if it tastes good, it is exactly right.

Thirdly, this exceeds my 3 ingredient maximum, & takes more than 20 minutes, so you know it's special.

Ingredients

12 flour tortillas (or whole wheat, low carb, maybe even gluten free. mix-n-match)

3 Cups cooked & cubed or shredded chicken (whatever, see above. Quick & Easy)

12 ounces flash frozen Spinach  (please, not the kind smashed in a box, you have to squeeze that kind- not quick, & easy, definitely gross)

4 ounces cream cheese  ( low fat, or Greek yogurt based, knock yourself out)

14 ounces diced tomatoes ( try Rotel for an added kick!)

2 cups shredded cheese (You can't go wrong with cheese, but I would encourage to skip the stinky variety this time. Anything else? A-OK!)

1 cup Sour Cream

7 ounces salsa verde (Literally translates into Green Salsa. That's college Spanish right there)

Smash together, the chicken, spinach, cheeses, & tomatoes, much like you would with a meatloaf. Get your hands dirty, just wash them first.

Prepare 1 super large baking dish or 2 smaller casseroles-

we're feeding the masses here, expect leftovers,

with a quick shot of cooking spray.

Roll a good handful of filling into each tortilla, placing seam side down in dish. Repeat.

When filling bowl is empty, dump in sour cream & green salsa, mixing.

Don't fret over all the filling crumbs. No reason to make this any harder, & it will still taste yummy.

Spread over enchiladas.

Pop into a cold oven.

Seriously, pre-heating is such a waste, & it won't change anything.

Bake at 350 for 20 -30 minutes,

or until it smells good & looks even better.

will yield enough to feed my family of 5, still leaving 7 whole enchiladas for later.

They are seriously delicious & super filling.

Creative Cooking: Big Kahuna Pasta

*Friendly PSA, there will be no photos of any kind, featuring the actual recipe.

I am not that kind of cook, & this is not that kind of recipe*

**NOT suitable for brunches with prospective Mothers-in-law, or visiting dignitaries, try harder**

If, you are trying to get tasty food into hungry tummies, with minimal $, time & fuss, this is a winner, every time.

It's fairly safe to say that we have all been there, done that at one time or another.

Those times when the bank & the pantry have more cob-webs, than actual things you would like.

What I do like, is Pineapple, & that is always in stock!

Canned pineapple is an easy keeper & go to.

Quick, Cheap & Easy, just the way we like it around here.

I, seriously love the stuff, & am slightly obsessed with it......

When we go thrift-storing, the kids always know to look out for 

Kitschy Pineapple Chachkies 

They say it's a porcupine, but in this world, it's an armadillo

But, enough about that- 

The goal of this recipe, was to make wise use of the available resources, 

this will not win any awards for nutrition, necessarily,

but you can tweak it, as needed.

Remember: CREATIVE COOKING

Recipe

8-12 oz pasta 

1 1/2 c diced ham 

1 T bacon bits, per person

2 T shredded cheese, per person 

Crushed pineapple, drained (Save the juice for an after dinner cocktail!)

6 oz tomato paste

Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Onion & Garlic Powder, to taste 

As available, add in diced onion, bell pepper, or real garden tomatoes

Let's chat before we get on with the how-to's

Notice, the ingredients are pretty vague, & are really just suggestions.

Pasta- use up the odds & ends from those summer BBQ pasta salads, find it on sale to stock up, buy it cheap, buy it whole grain, whatever floats your boat.

The Ham- there are all kinds of ham available,  we use the turkey ham, & yes, I understand it is really just a big chunk of processed lunch meat. This most recent one I bought, was 2.25 LBS for $5.48, which for a single item is pretty expensive, but it is going to stretch for 4 meals ($1.37/meal avg).

So, yes we are going to be eating ham this week, plan ahead!

Bacon bits- if you have real bacon, fry it up (save the grease) & use it. Otherwise, these are a pantry staple. A little goes a long way, & can perk anything up.

Splurge on the good kind, it's worth it.

Shredded cheese- I know block cheese is a better buy, in the long run, but I cannot keep it in the house, which doesn't make it worth it to me. I buy a couple of packages of shredded cheese each pay day, & toss them in the freezer to use as needed.

Once again, a little goes a long, long way.

How To

cook your pasta in salted, please don't forget to salt, water, per package directions, drain

While that is going, dice your ham & any vegetables

open your cans, & drain the pineapple (save the juice!)

Toss your ham into a pan, with a smidgen of water (no oil needed), over medium-ish heat, til fragrant & maybe a little brown.

Add any veg, cooking until softer.

Pour in Tomato paste, & drained pineapple

Combine, & simmer until warmed through

Add sauce to drained pasta, & toss gently 

Serve into bowls, top with a pinch of cheese, & a sprinkle of magical-happiness (bacon bits)

This ray-of-sunshine is totally doable under, or right at $5

for a family of 5

Really, 2 parents, + a seriously growing boy+ a smaller boy + a girl, who picked out the pineapple

This will feed the masses, for sure