What's Cookin' Wednesday - Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

I found this recipe online, here, and prepared it for dinner last night. Holy Toledo Batman! My kids and husband ate like they haven't eaten in weeks. They raved about this recipe and begged me to make it again right away!!



Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (1 1/2 cups) enchilada sauce (I use Mild)
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided
12 6-inch corn tortillas
cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Add the minced garlic to the enchilada sauce in a deep skillet and heat to boiling. The recipe calls for 1 can, well, my can was only 10 ounces, not a cup and a half, so I would definitely want to have a little more sauce the next time. Generously sprinkle kosher salt and ground black pepper over the chicken breasts and then nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.

Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts. Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup each of the Monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses and the 1/2 cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.

Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high for 20-30 seconds until pliable and warm. Using cooking spray (if desired), oil a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture along the center of the tortilla. Gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Lightly spray the tortillas with cooking spray (or brush lightly with olive oil). This will help the tortillas turn golden in the oven and will also help keep them from cracking. (Mine totally cracked, but I didn't care). Place baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro. Lightly cover baking dish with aluminum foil and place into the oven for 20 minutes. (I ran out of tin foil, so I didn't cover it - worked out just fine). Carefully remove foil after 20 minutes and bake, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden. (I skipped this step since my enchiladas weren't covered with foil to begin with).

Remove form the oven and let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

We served with sour cream and chopped avocado. Yummmmmmmo!

Are you getting ready for Valentine's Day?

Are you getting ready for Valentine's day? I am, as I state with more than just a little bit of pride. I will keep you posted on whether or not my good intentions actually come to fruition. But, for now... I have a plan. You have to start with one of those, dontcha?
Well, I started seeing some really great ideas pop up on Pinterest, and was thinking how nice it would be to make homemade Valentines this year. I did that when Georgia was little, and Olivia. When the third child came along and started to hit preschool, Valentines to classmates, age, I just didn't manage the homemade Valentines anymore. So, I store-bought. There I said it aloud. I admitted it. ;)
So, this year, I may not have made any specific new years resolutions yet. I haven't even decided if I will. But, as different opportunities to rediscover some creativity present themselves, I am going to try to seize them... starting with Valentine's day.
I will share the specific idea I have for the girls' Valentines as the date gets a little closer.
But, in the meantime, here are some of the other ideas that I thought were super groovy. Maybe you will decide to try one.

You could go the Martha route with these felt fortune cookies.


This blog had two really cute homemade valentines, as well as other great holiday projects!



This one is just too totally cute!


I have seen this idea several times, but still love it!


Seriously, how cute is this super-hero Valentine?

It's been a long, dry spell...

Wow. I can hardly believe that I have been such a bad blogger lately. Really bad. Really, really bad. Lame-o city.
I was in the middle (almost) of the 2nd annual, 25 days of Christmas crafts blogging. And then, I just dropped off the face of the earth. Not really. I just got sucked into being a wife, mom of three, small business owner, and all around busy chick.
So, I'm back in the blogosphere again. And, I promise to be a better blogger. Well, actually, how about if I just promise to try to be a better blogger? Then, maybe, just maybe, I have a shot at it.

So, what have I been up to you ask? Okay, you didn't ask, but it is my blog, so I'll tell ya anyway! When I disappeared in mid-December, I was busy getting our together for Sweet Funky Vintage, "Central Park". And, I just cant gush enough about how much I love this collection. I mean, as owner and designer, I love them all. But, I REALLY love this new collection the most of ALL that have gone before. The designs, the fabrics, the colors - they are all really great.
Our catalog is due in from the printer any day now, so be sure and drop us an email if you would like to have a copy. Don't forget to include your mailing address so we know where to send it!

Our trunk shows started this past weekend. We have an awesome website, and you can even design your own clothing there, but really, there is no comparison to shopping live and in-person at one of our trunk shows. We make it really easy to host a show. We send you postcard invitations, a customized evite, and some information ahead of time, and all you have to do is invite all your friends and serve some wine and cheese and crackers, or if wine isn't your thing, serve milk and cookies. Really, it isn't necessary to channel your inner-Martha. The trunk, chock full o' samples will arrive on your doorstep and the clothes really sell themselves. They are very high quality, made in the USA, and they are custom made for your child. Is your child tall and skinny? No problem. Order a smaller waist and add an inch or two in length. We can do that! How do we do that and still keep our prices the same as your local children's clothing stores (which, by the way, are filled with clothes that were made in factories in other countries)? Because we want to give you a quality product at a reasonable price and we believe that you will value that! You do, don't you? ;)


Our hostess benefits are beyond better than what any other children's trunk show offer. We believe that our hostesses (and consultants) are the backbone of our business and we believe you deserve the rewards! Haven't seen our hostess benefits before? For a trunk show with sales of $250 - $1000, earn $50 in clothing credit. For shows with sales of $1001 - $1999, earn 10% of the show sales in clothing credit (that is $100 to $199 in clothing)! For shows with sales of $2000-$2999, earn 10% of the show sales plus $50 in clothing credit ($250-$349 in clothing). The benefits just keep going up from there. Most other trunk shows offer some credit and some half-priced items, but nobody comes close to our rockin' benefits! Host a show and see how fast you can fill your child's closet!
Did you know about our social mission? We believe in supporting women and children, and giving back to our communities. You can read more about the wonderful organizations we support here.
Okay, I'm going to jump off my soapbox for now, but I am just so proud of Sweet Funky Vintage and of what we do here. Because, we believe in things bigger than our bottom line, ya know?

So, how was your Christmas? Ours was fantastic. We did a whirlwind tour of the US, including visits with both sides of our family. We were blessed this past year with good health, and many blessings. We are looking forward to a very good 2012.
Have you made any New Year's Resolutions? I still can't decide if I am going to really make any. I am definitely going to try to lose the 10 lbs Santa brought me (that joined the ones already there!) and be healthier in general. But, as far as any more profound resolutions, I'm just not sure yet.