A Comfort Classic

Good Mornin’ to Ya!

I love Saturday mornings at our farm-house! Dan and I started the day around five this morning. He went to town early to get his hair cut from the local barber. He absolutely loves going to the barber shop so he can talk to all the farmers sitting around drinking coffee before the sun comes up. Funny Man always comes back with some good stories!

When Dan returned home, the first thing he said was, “Bill the barber wants to know why there are skinny jeans for men?” Dan said they are always asking him questions like that because they know I work with men’s clothing. They insist that Dan ask me and I get a kick out of their questions and comments. It’s safe to say that “trends” around these parts are tied more to the weather than the world of fashion.

Dan proceeded to tell me that Bill the barber reached down to the hem of his jeans and pulled them tight against his legs to demonstrate the look for the other men in the room, as if it was the craziest thing he had ever seen! One of the other men piped up and said “Well Bill, those are mushroom huntin’ jeans – the ticks and the bugs won’t get up your legs in those,” he joked. Dan and I had a good laugh as I envisioned a room full of ole country boys discussing the latest fashion trends.

My morning was not nearly as entertaining but I have to say it was very productive. I did some chores around the house, got in a good workout, showered and now have a hot breakfast and a soothing cup of coffee as I sit down to share my thoughts with you. It is such a rewarding feeling knowing I accomplished so many things on my list before most people are even out of bed!

It has been awhile since my first post; I have been trying to get everything up and going as quickly as possible and have been neglecting the “meat” of a blog = NEW POSTS!!!

On Thursday evening, we got together with my cousin and her new fiancé to watch my little sister’s basketball game on TV. My younger sister, Morgan, plays division 1 basketball and is somewhat of a local celebrity! When we can’t make the trip to see her play, we make sure to catch the game on TV or on the radio!

For the event, I decided to bring over my family’s famous Creamy Chicken Enchiladas for dinner; this is one of my cousin’s favorites! It is a great make-ahead dinner. I put everything together Wednesday night, covered it with foil, and popped it in the refrigerator until the big game.

As we waited for the enchiladas to bake, we watched as Morgan went 3 for 3 in the first half from beyond the arch! Three pointers have been her sweet spot since she started playing at the college level. I think back to when she played in high school and was usually the tallest one on the team. Back then, she would have to play any position needed… in a school of 40-some students…K-12!!! Told you we are from the “middle-of-nowhere”!

Around half-time, it was finally time to indulge in the creaminess! The smell of these enchiladas will make your mouth water and tummy grumble with anticipation. They are so flavorful, creamy and mostly comforting, as it is one of my favorite recipe from my mother’s kitchen. However, the highlight of the evening can easily be summed up with a big W!!! It was a close and exciting game; the girls played so good together and took home a much deserved win!

Now, I’ll finally stop blabbing about the week and share my dinner preparations.

CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:
(Note: I substitute some ingredients to make this a lighter recipe for weeknights… gotta get those jeans buttoned!)

10 tortillas (I use 100% whole wheat tortillas – and only used 8)
4-6 chicken breasts
Sliced jalapeños – about 3 tbsp. (I buy them pre-chopped in a jar to eliminate extra prep work! Amen!)
3-4 cups chicken broth
1 stick of butter (I used 2-3 tbsp. of smart balance instead)
3 tbsp. flour
1 ½ c. sour cream (I substitute with plain greek yogurt)
½ tsp. onion powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

I boil the chicken breasts until cooked through. Add a pinch of salt to the water and you can use the left over water for the chicken broth later in the process. Sounds like it would dilute the flavor but it really won’t and this is how my mom has always made it.

Shred the chicken once cooled. Another great time saver and flavor booster would be to use a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store.

Now it is time to assemble these puppies!

Grease a 9×13” pan and assemble the enchiladas one at a time, laying them folded-side down in the pan. It might help to lay them all out so you have an even amount of chicken and cheese in each tortilla.

Now, the creamiest of all creamy cream enchilada magic begins here…

Here you will need the butter, jalapeno, onion powder, flour, and sour cream/greek yogurt.

Add the butter and melt. Add jalapeno and saute for a couple of minutes to let the flavors infuse the butter. Then add the flour slowing to create a roux.

Then slowly add in the chicken broth and simmer until sauce thickens.

When adding the creamy sauce, make sure to cover every inch of the enchiladas. Allow the sauce to go in between each tortilla and to the edges of the pan.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. If you would like to bake later, simply cover with foil and refrigerate. When ready, bake for about 25-30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly (foil on for 20 minutes in order to keep cheese from burning on top).

(Servings 8-10)

I hope you and your family enjoy this dish as much as mine! Dig in!

-Rustic Honey