Chicken Tamale Pie

Mexican food is one of my favorites. I love going out for Mexican (and not just because of the margaritas), and I love cooking it just as much. There are so many fun recipes out there to try…and I’ve been enjoying moving beyond basic tacos into new and different things (like my favorite Avocado Chicken Enchiladas!). After making today’s recipe several times, it has become of my favorites to cook and to eat. It has many of the common Mexican-type flavors, with a different “format” as a pie. It’s quick and simple to make, especially if you have cooked chicken already on hand. This time around, I poached some chicken to use, since I didn’t have any already cooked. But if you have some leftover chicken, you’ll save yourself an extra step!

You may notice that I’ve added the calorie count to this recipe. I will sometimes include the calorie count in a recipe. To calculate the calories, I use an app called My Fitness Pal, and the calories are calculate per serving (based on how many servings the whole recipe makes). Your exact calories may differ if you use different brands than the ones I used.

adapted from Pinch of Yum, who adapted it from Cooking Light

Serves: 8

Time: 15 minutes prep, 30 minutes to bake

Calories (calculated using My Fitness Pal): 375

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup milk (any % fat is ok)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 Tbsp taco seasoning, divided
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne…leave this out if you want, but it’s really not a very spicy dish)
• 1 (14 3/4 oz) can cream style OR regular corn…I’ve used both and either will work. For this recipe I used a can of Trader Joe’s corn…I didn’t even check the ounces that the can was. Worked fine!
• 1 (8.5 oz) box corn muffin mix (I use Jiffy)
• 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 10 oz can enchilada sauce…This is the size of the brands such as Old El Paso. I used Trader Joe’s this time, which came in a 12 oz bottle. I used most but definitely not all of it. The pie dish started overflowing!! So if you get a bottle bigger than 10 oz just don’t use all of it.
• 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast (I poached mine earlier that day)
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a pie plate with cooking spray. If you have a pie plate that’s on the larger side, use it. Mine is a bit small and it gets VERY full with this dish! (Which is not necessarily a bad thing!)

All ready to start…I love cooking using my iPad instead of having to print out a recipe!

2) Make the corn bottom layer: In a large bowl, combine the milk, egg, 1/2 tsp of the taco seasoning, the ground red pepper, corn, muffin mix, and green chiles. Stir just until moist. Pour into your pie plate.

3) Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes. You want it to be just barely set and golden brown. Take a fork and poke the corn all over. It’s okay if a little bit sticks to the fork.

4) Meanwhile, while the corn layer is in the oven, stir together the chicken and the rest of your taco seasoning.

5) Take the pie plate and pour the enchilada sauce on top of the corn layer. Then add your chicken and sprinkle with cheese.

Almost, but not quite, overflowing!

6) Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting. This will make 8 servings…they look somewhat small but it’s pretty filling!

Avocado Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is one of my favorite meals to prepare and eat. It’s also the first meal that my boyfriend Andrew and I cooked together. It’s easy to adjust the spice level to your tastes. I used some cilantro from yesterday’s CSA box. The combination of flavors in this dish is amazing! It’s also easy to freeze leftovers.

adapted from The Novice Chef

Serves: 10 (1 enchilada per serving)

Time: About 50 minutes (30 active, 20 minutes of baking)

Wine Pairing: I served this with some Chardonnay from Truro Vineyards, but it would also be excellent with something sweeter, since it is a spicy dish.

Ingredients:
Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (optional…I left it out this time)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup medium salsa verde (you can use mild if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream

Filling & Enchiladas:

• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breasts–I used my George Foreman grill, but I have also poached the chicken in the past. You can use leftover chicken if you have it. For today’s version I had just under 3 cups, so there ended up being a little less filling, but it worked out fine! In the past I have used 1 lb chicken breasts, which is a perfect amount.
• 4 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used the kind with jalapeño peppers in it, since I didn’t have any fresh for the sauce)
• 1 small or 1/2 a large yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium to large avocados (or 3 small ones), chopped
• 10 flour tortillas (8 or 10 inches, depending on your preference. I used Trader Joe’s brand. Sometimes I use whole wheat tortillas for some extra nutrition)

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 pan, plus a smaller square or rectangular baking dish. Prep ingredients as needed.

2) Combine the chopped chicken, onions, avocados, and the shredded cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.

3) Make the sauce: melt the butter over medium-high height in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and jalapeño (if using), and cook for one minute. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth, cumin, salt, and pepper (a whisk is good for stirring at this point), and bring to a gentle boil. Next, add the sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. Stir well to combine. Once the sour cream has melted and the sauce is smooth, remove from the heat.

butter, garlic, and flour

4) Put about 3/4 cup sauce in the large 9×13 dish, and about 1/2 cup sauce into the smaller baking dish.

5) Fill the tortillas: Put about 2/3 cup chicken/avocado mixture in each tortilla and roll up as in the pictures below. Place each one seam side down in the baking dishes. It’s fine if they are touching each other in the dish.

6) When you’re done filling all the tortillas, pour the rest of the sauce over all the enchiladas. Add a little extra cheese on top if you like. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbling. Serve and enjoy!