Cottage Cooking - Enchilada Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a simple family meal that is perfect for a summer supper. It comes together quickly and all the ingredients needed for the casserole can be found in any grocery store. You can have this on the table in 30 minutes and it requires no special equipment to make. That makes it a perfect candidate for your collection of recipes that must be prepared in cottage kitchens that are poorly equipped. Children and adults will enjoy this, though you will want to tone down the heat for the younger children at your table. This is a great dish for young cooks to tackle because it is so simple make. Here is how it's made.

Enchiladas con Huevos

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Eggs that had been boiled for a deviling that never happened were the inspiration for these unusual enchiladas. The dish, which appeared in Country Woman magazine a decade ago, was originally meant for a company breakfast or brunch. Years ago, I made it at Easter time and I still make it for a light family supper when I have a surfeit of eggs that must be dealt with. The enchiladas are very easy to make and while they'll never be on anyone's final meal request, they are enjoyable and pleasant enough to eat. While the recipe calls for corn tortillas, the flour variety also works well here. I'm sure you know that corn tortillas can be softened for rolling by wrapping them in damp paper towels and "nuking" them on HIGH power for about 30 seconds. I suspect you already have the ingredients to make these in your refrigerator and pantry. If you have no taco sauce an excellent recipe for the famous Taco Bell sauce can be found here. If you start preparation of this dish with eggs that are already hard boiled you can have these enchiladas on the table in about 30 minutes. If you need directions for making perfect hard boiled eggs you can find them here, but the time required to boil them must be factored into your preparation time. This is a nice dish for busy days. Here's the recipe.

Enchiladas con Huevos...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired Linda Braun

Ingredients:
8 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 small can (8-1/4 ounces) cream-style corn
1-1/2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided use
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, divided use
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 corn tortillas, warmed
1 bottle (8 ounces) mild taco sauce
Sour cream, optional

Directions:
1) Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Combine eggs, creamed corn, 1 cup Jack cheese, green chilies, cilantro, taco seasoning and salt in a medium bowl. Spoon 1/2 cup of mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tightly. Place, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. Top with taco sauce. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup cheese..
3) Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with reserved 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 8 servings.








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Shrimp Enchiladas Verde

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm always on the lookout for meatless meals, especially at this time of year. I came across a recipe for shrimp enchiladas in Family Circle magazine last week. I had homemade salsa and really fresh shrimp in the refrigerator, so there was no reason not to give the recipe a try. It was easy to do and I was really happy with the results. I followed the original recipe to a tee, but I wanted to try it again using frozen shrimp and bottled salsa before I shared it with you. I wanted to make sure that the quality of the the ingredients I had originally used hadn't skewed the results. I made the dish again tonight and can report that the enchiladas are a really nice weekday meal. I don't think they'll ever become anybody last meal request, but you'll be pleased with the results. The enchiladas can be on the table in less than an hour, and most of that hour is cook time. Here's the recipe for shrimp enchiladas with salsa verde.

Shrimp Enchiladas Verde...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, Coutesy of Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium-size red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 medium-size green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1-1/4 pounds medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut in half crossways
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 corn tortillas
1 bottle (16 ounces) tomatillo salsa (such as La Victoria)
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp; cook an additional 3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in corn, 1/4 cup water, chili powder and cumin. Heat through.
2) Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 11 x 8 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
3) Wrap four tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave 30 seconds. Brush one side of each tortilla with salsa. Spoon 1/2 cup shrimp mixture on each. Roll up and place seam-side down in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Top with any extra filling.
4) Mix remaining salsa with half-and-half. Spoon over enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Camarones a la Mexicana - One Perfect Bite
Thai Tamarind Shrimp - One Perfect Bite
Shrimp Cakes with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce - One Perfect Bite