Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Pimento Cheese Dip

Pimento cheese will forever remind me of hot summer days spent swimming at my grandparents' house as a kid.  I remember pimento cheese sandwiches were pretty standard lunch fare served alongside a nice cold can of Tab (do they even still make that anymore?).  It was so common, my Dad and I used to joke about going to Nana's house for pimento cheese sandwiches.  And while we're there, maybe we'll jump in the pool.

And it wasn't even good pimento cheese; it was the one that came in a plastic tub from the grocery store.  I'm not even certain whether it had actual cheese in it at all.  It was bad, which was exactly what made the joke so funny for us.

This is not that; this is the good stuff:

1c sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 lb. cream cheese, softened
1/4c mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 
1/2 (4 oz.) jar diced pimento, drained
salt and black pepper, to taste


1.  Throw everything in a bowl and stir until well blended.

2.  Chill until ready to serve.              
I like to serve this with the cracked black pepper Triscuits.
So good!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Best Chicken Enchiladas

I've gone through alot of chicken enchilada recipes over the years, most of which involved cream-of canned soups - which I now find gross.  This one is different because there is not a single can of soup involved, nor is there any actual chicken (I'm all about fake meat these days).

I made these a few nights ago and they were practically inhaled by the entire family.

Here's the recipe:

 8 taco-size flour tortillas
2c cooked chicken (I used Gardein)
1/4c onion, chopped
2c Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
4 TBSP butter
3 TBSP flour
2c chicken broth (I used no-chicken bouillon base with water)
6oz. Greek yogurt
4oz. can diced green chiles, drained

1.  Preheat oven to 350* and spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a skillet over medium high heat, add 1 TBSP butter and saute chicken and onion.

3.  Wrap tortillas in damp paper towel and heat in microwave (about 30-45 seconds).

4.  Combine chicken and onions with 1c cheese.

5.  Add 1/4c mixture to each tortilla, roll up, and place in baking dish.

6.  In medium sauce pan, melt remaining 3 TBSP butter, add flour and stir until thick and pasty.

7.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.

8.  Continue cooking until mixture is thick and bubbly.

9.  Remove from heat and stir in Greek yogurt and green chiles.

10.  Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

11.  Bake approximately 20-25 minutes.

12. Switch oven setting to Broil for 3-5 minutes. Watch to make sure the cheese is browning, not burning!
Served with sauteed mixed veggies.
Print Friendly and PDF

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Food & Drink Blogs - Blog Rankings