Awesome Pork Tenderloin

This is (as most of my recipes) a combination of a few different recipes/techniques.

1 pork tenderloin
2T lemon/lime juice (I use about 1T of each)
1/4ish c. soy sauce
1tsp ground ginger, or 1T fresh, grated
1T honey
1tsp garlic powder
2T olive oil
vegetable oil

Whisk all marinade ingredients together. Preheat oven to 400. Pour marinade over tenderloin and let rest for 30ish minutes.
Heat vegetable oil in oven-proof skillet over med high heat (I use my cast iron skillet). When oil is very hot, quickly sear tenderloin until browned on outside but still very raw on inside (I turn it so I sear it on 4 "sides").
Place tenderloin in hot skillet in oven, and bake at 400 for about 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, test for doneness, and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Why have I not made this before?!

One of my favorite brunch spots is Charleston Cafe, which unfortunately Wes doesn't really like...so I don't go there often. I always order one of their "Island Potato Casseroles," which is homemade chips ("chippers") topped with sautéed peppers, onion and eggs, and then you chose one of the local islands...my favorite has sausage, shrimp, and spicy tomato sauce. It's heavenly, I swear. So, tonight I made the kids and Wes some scrambled eggs for dinner, and a lightbulb went off. I put Cape Cod kettle chips in an oven-proof dish, drizzled a tiny bit of ranch and salsa over them, topped with my scrambled eggs, a bit more salsa and ranch, and a nice sprinkling of shredded cheddar. I stuck it under the broiler on low for about 5 minutes...long enough to heat everything through and melt the cheese. Go make this...NOW. you won't be disappointed! And you can get inspirations for all kinds of toppings from the Charleston Cafe website. I can't wait to try it again!

Rosemary-Mustard Grilled Salmon

The kids and I had this salmon for dinner last night (Wes won't touch it), and I think all three of us would have eaten more if we'd had it!

Approx 1 lb of salmon filets
3T mustard (I used a combination of stone ground and deli, because I had both...you can use just one kind though)
1-2T lemon juice
1-2tsp dried rosemary
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1T olive oil
Salt and pepper

Mix everything (except the salmon, obviously) together, then spread generously over the salmon. Let sit for about 30 minutes before grilling. Now I'm no grilling expert, but here's how I did it...heat grill to high heat, and grill salmon skin-side down for 4-5 minutes, then flip and grill for another 4-5 minutes, until cooked through...easy-least and oh so yummy!!

Awesome Chicken Skewers

These are delish!! Now that we have a play set in the backyard, we spend every minute from the time Wes gets home to the time to go to bed in the yard. I want to be included in the fun, so we've been doing a bunch of grilling so I'm not cooped in the kitchen!

3/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
Veggies cut into large chunks...we used zucchini, button mushrooms, red/yellow/orange peppers, and cherry tomatoes
4 slices of bacon, cut in fourths
Approx 1/4c olive oil
3T balsamic vinegar
3T lemon juice
1T rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Wooden skewers

Whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and seasonings together in a small bowl. Spoon a few tablespoons of the marinade into another bowl and toss with the chicken. Let sit for at least an hour.
About 30 minutes before assembling the skewers, soak the skewers in water, and toss the veggies with the remaining marinade.
To assemble, thread a mixture of veggies and 3-4 pieces of chicken on each skewer, wrapping about 2 veggie pieces on each skewer in bacon.
Grill over medium-low heat until the bacon is crispy and the chicken is cooked through.

Vegetable Pasta/Pasta Salad

I've been dairy free for over 4 months, and the thing that's the hardest about it is missing out on "creamy" dishes. While this pasta isn't the same as pasta with alfredo sauce...or mac 'n cheese...(yum) it does have a bit of a "creamy" factor. I ate it hot with dinner, then cold the next day for lunch...thus the reason for the double name ;)

1 to 1 1/2 dry pints cherry tomatoes, roasted
1 box rotini pasta (or whatever shape you want)
1 box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/3c. kalamata olives, halved
1 bag baby spinach
1/2c. panko bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned)
butter or olive oil
Zesty Italian Dressing
Salt/pepper
Optional: Grated Parmesan cheese

To roast the tomatoes, preheat oven to 400. Cut tomatoes in half, toss with a bit of olive oil and salt. Roast for about 15-20 minutes, until starting to turn golden on the edges.

Cook pasta in salted water, until firm (usually a minute or so less than the suggested time on the box). Drain, reserving about 1c of the pasta water.

In a large pan, heat the butter/olive oil over medium heat. Saute the artichoke hearts until they begin to caramelize slightly. Add the spinach and about 1/2 c. of the pasta water, cover and cook until the spinach is wilted. Stir in the tomatoes, olives, and bread crumbs, adding more cooking water if needed to get the consistency you want. Add a few tablespoons of dressing, and s/p to taste. Once everything is mixed and heated thru, stir in the pasta and serve hot or at room temp, topped with parm if you want!

A few FIRSTS tonight!

Well, we didn't make it to the Farmer's Market last night to get veggies to go with leftover London Broil tonight, so I decided we'd run by the grocery, and get some veggies to make stir-fry. I don't know what got into me in the produce department, but I ended up getting boc choy AND broccolini...two veggies I've never even cooked (and I've never eaten broccolini!). I also got mushrooms, a red bell pepper, and yellow squash. I have to say, I made some pretty awesome veggie stir-fry!! (And in just a bit I'll be making fried rice with the LB since I think Wes would cry if I tried to feed him only veggies for dinner! He went to play golf tonight, though, so Wesley and I just ate the veggies). I did get some tips for this from www.steamykitchen.com

1 bunch bok choy, chopped in 1/4 to 1/2 inch chunks
1 bunch broccolini, cut in 1-2 inch pieces
1 container baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
2 small or 1 large sqash, cut in long 1/4 inch thick matchsticks

3 cloves of garlic, grated or very finely chopped
~3T canola oil
~1/4 c. beef broth
~1/4 c. soy sauce, mixed with 1T cornstarch

Okay, have everything ready before you start...this goes fast! Put the oil in a large frying pan or wok, add the garlic (to the cold pan!), and turn to med-high (according to www.steamykitchen.com, this will infuse your oil with garlic without scorching it over high heat...great idea!!). Once the oil is hot and the garlic is golden, dump all the veggies in, and use tongs to toss very well...and quickly! Toss for about 30 seconds, until everything is good an coated in the garlic oil. Pour in the broth and cover, letting steam for about a minute. Uncover, toss in the soy sauce mixture, and cover for about another minute. Toss once again before serving! You can add toasted sessame seeds on top if you'd like, but we didn't becaue Wesley is allergic :(
Delish and quick! Woohoo!

Eggplant Lasagna

Okay, first a disclaimer...I haven't actually eaten this yet! I made it last night, and we're having it for dinner tonight, but I don't think there's any way it could taste bad considering the ingredients :)

1 large eggplant
1 large tomato
about 2-3 oz. fresh parmesian cheese (I used shaved)
15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce (I used Classico Tomato-Basil)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella (I found "pearls"...teeny-tiny little mozz balls!)
Olive oil spray
Salt/pepper/garlic powder
Fresh* basil (okay, so I used the refrigerated squeeze from a tube kind...I need to plant an herb garden!!)

Preheat oven to 350. Slice the eggplant into very thin rounds (less than 1/4" if possible). Spray with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spread in one layer on cookie sheets. Roast in the oven until soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Slice tomato in thin slices as well. Mix the ricotta cheese with salt, pepper, garlic powder and basil to taste.
In a large casserole dish that you've sprayed with olive oil, cover the bottom with a single layer of eggplant, then a layer of tomato, then about 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce. Then, add a layer of 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, sprinkle with parm, and top with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat all of the layers once more, then top with one more layer of eggplant and sauce, and top with the remaining parm and mozzarella.
As I said before, I haven't actually eaten this yet, but I'm thinking it should cook for about 30 minutes in a 350 oven. I'll update later if this isn't correct. I'll be serving it with noodles tossed in olive oil and herbs, since I have a feeling that Wes will be pulling the eggplant out with his nose turned up :)

Black Bean Enchiladas

These were a great dinner last night...and Wesley loooooves black beans, so he ate quite a bit of the filling as his dinner. No need for the tortillas! I found the recipe on Annie's Eats. There are a few changes I made, as well as a few I'll make next time, which I noted.

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
olive oil
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. corn kernels (next time I'll leave this out...didn't really care to have the corn in it)
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 c. salsa
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
2 T lime juice
2-3 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend
medium flour tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce (I accidentally got the medium...quite a bit of heat!)

Using an immersion blender, mush up some of the black beans to your desired consistency (I'd say about 1/2 the beans were mush, 1/2 were whole!). You could also mush with a spoon if you want.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onions and garlic until very soft. Add the beans, tomatoes, salsa, cumin and chili powder (and corn if using), stirring well, until heated thru and thickened a bit. Remove from heat, and stir in lime juice.
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Spoon some of the filling down the middle of a tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with as many tortillas as desired.
Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas, and cover the dish with foil. Bake for approximately 25 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. YUM!
**One other thing I may do next time: add a strip of cream cheese as I did in these chicken enchiladas**

Easy-Peasy (and YUMMY!) Chicken Pot Pie!

Now, I would prefer to make this with fresh (Farmer's Market!) veggies (and homemade stock), but 1) the FM isn't opened yet; and 2) Wesley and I had a playdate with Isabelle and Sallie today, so I didn't even go to the grocery to figure out what to eat tonight until about 5:30. So, we needed something super fast and super yummy! It helps a little that everything was organic from Whole Foods, right??

Olive oil
1/2 an onion, finely diced
1 rotisserie chicken (I used the herb roasted)
1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
vegetable stock (I used the boxed kind)
1 bag frozen veggies (peas, carrots, corn, greenbeans mix)
frozen biscuits
seasoned salt

Preheat oven (whatever temp it says for your biscuits...mine said 400). In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion. While the pan is heating/you're sauteeing, dice up the chicken. Add the can of soup and about 1 c. of stock to the pan, stirring well. Add stock until it's the consistency you like. Add the veggies, and let simmer for a few minutes, then stir in the chicken. Season as needed. Pour the whole mixture into an oven-proof casserole dish. Top with the frozen biscuits (Tip: I let the biscuits sit out on the counter while I was unpacking groceries/beginning to cook. They thawed just enough for me to flatten them some with my palm before putting them on top of the casserole). Sprinkle a little bit of the seasoning on top. Bake until the biscuits are golden...our dinner took about 25 minutes start to finish to prepare, and both the W's loved it...SUCCESS!!

Potato Soup and Cornbread

Wes's mom, Vill, used to make potato soup and cornbread on a regular basis. His family would eat it on a plate...crumble up the cornbread, pour potato soup over, devour. I coluld never get into the idea of eating it as a plate of mush (don't worry, Wes knows I call it this), but I did like both the potato soup and the cornbread. I've tried to make cornbread a million times, but it never turns out quite right...I think I've finally figured it out though! I also looked at a few recipes for potato soup, and think I've come close to Vill's recipe. Wes was in the den when he took his first bite (all mushed up on a plate!), and I heard him from the kitchen say, "Wow! This is it! It's good!" Yay for making one of his favorite meals his mom used to make him!

Cornbread (and next time, I think I'll try it in a preheated cast-iron pan, but I didn't this time)
1 1/4 c. self-rising cornmeal
3/4 c. self-rising flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Add the egg/milk/butter mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring only until just moistened. Pour into a greased 9" pan, and bake for 25 minutes at 425*.


Potato Soup
*if you'd like to top with bacon (I do!), cook some until crispy, crumble, and set aside
*you may also cut up some scallions and grate some cheddar cheese on top
About 3 lbs. Idaho potatoes (I think I used 5 med. to large potatoes?)
1 c. sour cream
1 stick butter
2 2/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Rinse, peel, and cut the potatoes into 1" chunks. Put into a large pot, and add just enough cool water to cover. Heat to a boil, reduce and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 35-45 minutes.
Drain the potatoes, and return to the pot and mash (Vill didn't really mash the potatoes in her soup, so I didn't mash it a ton...left some chunks). Stir in the sour cream, butter, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer to heat through, and serve however you'd like--mushed up on a plate with cornbread (yuck!), or in a bowl, topped with shredded cheese, scallions, and bacon (yum!) with a side of cornbread.

**And leftovers are great--Wes ate most of them, so I stirred about 1/2 c. of the leftover soup with about 1 c. of frozen broccoli and heated through for Wesley and my dinner. YUMMY!


Disclaimer: I didn't say either of these recipes was healthy ;)

New Year's Day "Lucky Lunch"

Happy 2010, ya'll!
I wanted to post what I cooked for the traditional NYDay Lunch before I forgot how I did everything! It was so much fun...Sallie and Isabelle, and Maggie, Barry and Davis came over to eat with us. I was a little concerned that I'd cooked WAAAAY too much...but either everyone was starving or everyone was being polite, because the majority of the food got eaten!
So here it goes...we had black eyed peas, collard greens, macaroni and cheese (posted previously), and pork tenderloin. Oh, and the ladies enjoyed some seriously amazing pink champagne ;)

A great thing about this meal...I did 3 of the 4 dishes in crock pots (yup, I am the proud owner of 3 crock pots..more on that later). So, I was able to get everything prepared in the morning, veg on the couch for most of the day, then once everyone got here, I quickly cooked the pork and everything was good to go!

Black Eyed Peas:
6 or so slices of bacon
1/2 a large onion, diced
3 c. water
Glory vegetable base
1 can of RoTel tomatos, drained just a bit
2 10-oz packages of fresh (local!) black eyed peas
Salt and pepper

Cut the bacon into 1-inch (or so) pieces, and brown until crispy. Drain about half of the bacon on a paper towel, and add the onion to the remaining bacon, cooking in the bacon fat (those diet resolutions shouldn't kick in until the 2nd or later!) until very translucent. Put this mixture in the crock pot, along with the water, a heaping teaspoon of the vegetable base, the tomatoes, peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high for approximately 4 hours, checking the seasoning and doneness of the peas often. Crumble the reserved bacon over top of the peas just before serving.

Collard Greens:
1 T. butter
1/2 a large onion, diced
1 pack of Turkey Jerky
6 c. hot water
1 beer
Glory vegetable base (approx. 2 T)
2 bunches of fresh (again...local!) collard greens, washed and trimmed
1/3 to 1/2 c. cider vinegar
1 T. brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion in the butter until translucent. Put in the crockpot along with the next 5 ingredients, and some salt/pepper to taste. Cook over high heat, stiring with tongs frequently to ensure all the collard pieces spend ample time submerged. About 1 hour before serving (once collards are very soft and yummy!), add the cider vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce, and s/p if needed. Serve with cider vinegar to be sprinkled on top if desired!

Olive and Feta Stuffed Chicken

Okay, this is seriously awesome. I didn't know what to make for dinner, and called mom on the way to the grocery. She suggested this, and I made a few tweaks since Wesley would be eating it with me. I am seriously thinking I'll make it again tomorrow night!

olive oil
boneless skinless chicken breast
about 8 kalamata olives, diced*
about 1.5 T crumbled feta (I used the garlic herb kind)*
about 1/3 bag of frozen spinach
salt and pepper (and/or seasoned salt...I used Crazy Salt)
*I put both the olives and feta in the food processor to dice since I was feeding this to Wesley.

Preheat oven to 375. In an ovenproof pan, heat olive oil over medium to medium high heat. Cut the chicken to create a pocket. Combine the olives and feta, and stuff into the chicken. Season outside of chicken, and brown well in the olive oil. Once browned, add the spinach to the pan, season, and cover. Put the pan in the oven, cooking until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. YUM!

Taco Soup

I did the in the crockpot, and it was the easiest thing ever!!

1 lb of chicken (either cut boneless skinless breasts into small chunks, or I got a package of "stir fry chicken pieces" or something to that effect)
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of corn (I used a small can of shoepeg)
1 can of black beans
1 can of mild Ro*Tel tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 packet of taco powder
1 packet of ranch powder
Approx. 1 c. of water (I added some awesome Glory chicken base to it--I use this stuff all the time!!)

And it can't get any easier than this: throw everything into the crockpot (don't drain any of the cans), cook on high for 4 hours, then eat! I actually cooked some cheese tortilini and threw that in the bowls when I served this to make it a little more hardy. It really didn't need it though. It can be served with Fritos, cheese and sour cream.

2 notes:
1) If you like spicy, you could use regular Ro*Tel tomatoes, but honestly, it was plenty spicy for Wes and I with the mild ones.
2) This is a similar recipe to the Sante Fe Stew, but it's thinner (and a little bit easier b/c you don't have to cook the chicken first).

Barbeque Chicken AND Pork!!

I made WONDERFUL bbq chicken for dinner tonight (along with grilled corn and Cesar salad. Yum!), and am making bbq pork for the Wofford Homecoming tailgate this weekend...go Terriers!! So, here are these two recipes. I'll have to let you know after Saturday how the pork goes over! (And of course, the measurements aren't exact...although this time I did at least use measuring spoons/cups most of the time)

BBQ Sauce
Whisk together all of the following ingredients over medium low heat. Let simmer for approximately 45 minutes, whisking often.
2 c ketchup
1 c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire
3 tbsp prepared mustard
¾ c sugar
½ tbsp garlic salt
½ tbsp black pepper
½ tbsp paprika
½ tbsp dry mustard
3 shakes cayenne pepper
2" cinnamon stick

BBQ Chicken
1 c. Zesty Italian dressing
¼ c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp onion flakes
½ tbsp paprika
½ tbsp black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Combine all marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Marinate the chicken for at least a few hours (we marinated it overnight). Grill the chicken, brushing with BBQ Sauce for the last 5 minutes or so. Serve with BBQ sauce if desired (but discard the sauce you used to brush the cooking chicken!!).

BBQ Pork
1 c. Zesty Italian dressing
2/3 c. prepared mustard
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Liquid Smoke
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tbsp garlic salt
1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp seasoned salt (I use Jane's Krazy Mixed-Up Salt)
1/2 tbsp dried mustard
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
5-6 lb. Boston Butt Pork

Combine all marinade ingredients, whisk together well (I used my immersion blender with the whisk attachment) so that ingredients emulsify. Place pork in a Ziploc bag, pour marinade over it. Seal, squeezing out air, and let marinate for 24 hours. We will EITHER be cooking this in the oven at very low heat overnight, or in the crock pot overnight. I'll let you know!!

Pot Roast

2 lb. pot roast
olive oil
½ c chopped onion
1 c beef broth
minced garlic
½ c red wine
Tbsp Wooster
2 tsp Italian herbs
½ to 1 tsp liquid smoke
black pepper
Brown roast in olive oil, remove roast, brown onions, add roast and everything else; simmer for 2 ½ to 4 hrs. (You can also do this in the slow cooker)
**My notes…I did this in the crock pot—low for 8 hrs. When I got home, I added a small bag of baby carrots for the last hour or two. Right before we were ready to eat, I melted a pat of butter in a small pan, added a spoonful of flour to make a roux. I whisked in all the liquid from the crock pot and slowly boiled until thickened into a gravy.
Also, this about overflowed my crock pot! You may want to cut back on the size of the roast and amount of carrots added.

Two Chicken Crock-Pot Recipes

Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken
Chicken breasts (diced)
Jar of salsa
Can of black beans, drained
Can of corn, drained
Combine in slow-cooker, cook all day over low, and serve over rice. You can also put in other things like black olives, peppers, etc.

Slow-Cooker Italian Chicken
Chicken Breasts (diced)
Can of tomato sauce
Can of artichoke hearts, drained
Jar of roasted red peppers, drained
Italian Seasoning
Combine in slow-cooker, cook all day over low, and serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

“I Say It’s Homemade” Spaghetti Sauce

1½ lbs. lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 whole bulb of garlic, pressed (or only a few cloves, if you prefer)
Olive oil
Small yellow squash, thinly sliced
Small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I usually use Ragu)
1 can RoTel tomatoes
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 small can of sliced black olives, drained
¼ c. catsup
½ c. red wine
1 T Italian seasoning (or fresh herbs, if available)
Dash or two of Tabasco
Dash or two of Worscestershire
Bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown the ground beef, drain.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in a small amount of olive oil; add squash and zucchini and cook for just a few minutes.
3. In a large pot, combine all ingredients.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook for at least 45 minutes, better if simmered for at least 1½ hours.

Awesome London Broil

NOTE: This recipe is taken directly from http://llcskitchen.blogspot.com


1 London Broil, approximately 1 to 2 lbs.
1/2 c. soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS. vegetable oil
2 TBS. ketchup
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Poke holes in your LB with either a fork or the tip of a sharp knife. Dump all ingredients except the LB in a large ziplock bag. Close the bag tightly and give it a good shake or 10 to combine all the ingredients. Drop your LB in the bag and smoosh the marinade all over it, then place the bag on a flat dish and refrigerate overnight or at least for 8 hours, turning the bag over once.When ready to prepare, heat your grill and cook the LB for approximately 4 minutes on each side for rare, 5 minutes on each side for medium rare and 6 to 8 minutes on each side for medium well to well. I highly recommend serving this cut of meat on the rare to medium rare side as the more well you cook it the more tough it will be regardless of the marinade or the slicing. Gah. After your LB is grilled to your liking, let it rest off the heat for at least 5 minutes to evenly distribute the yummy juices throughout the piece, ensuring juicy slices from end to end! Cut thinly along the bias of the meat.. meaning cut it width wise and not length wise. Enjoy!

Hamburger Pie

**makes 2 pies!

1½ lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, diced (more or less to your taste)
¾ c. milk
¾ c. mayonnaise
3 eggs—beaten
1½ tbsp. cornstarch
2 to 2¼ c. grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 frozen pie crusts

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Brown ground beef with onions, pour off fat. In a large bowl, mix beef, milk, mayo, eggs, cornstarch, and cheese. Add salt and pepper. Slit bottom of piecrusts, pour meat mixture equally into each. Bake for approximately 1 hour, covering edge of crust after 15 minutes. Uncooked pie can be frozen. To cook frozen pie, either thaw in refrigerator, or preheat oven to 450°. Cover crust edges, bake frozen pie for about 15 minutes before changing temperature to 350°. Continue baking for about 1½ hours.


I use lean ground beef, skim milk, low fat mayo, and the roll-out refrigerated piecrusts.

Chicken Enchiladas

olive oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes (or smaller)
2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
16 oz. light sour cream
4 green onions, chopped
2 (4.5 oz) cans diced chilies
2 c. shredded Mexican-blend cheese
8 oz. block of light cream cheese, cut into 8 long strips
8 large flour tortillas
jar of enchilada sauce (16 oz?)

Preheat oven to 375, and spray a large casserole dish with olive oil (13x9).
Over medium to medium-high heat, saute chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp. cumin. When almost cooked thru, add in onion and garlic, cooking till translucent.
In a large bowl, mix sour cream, 1 tsp. cumin, green onions, chilies, and 1 c. cheese. Add in chicken mixture (if it has a lot of liquid in it, drain that off first...gross I know).
Spoon about 1/2 c. of filling in the center of each tortilla, then lay a strip of cream cheese on top. Fold up ends of tortilla, then roll up to seal. Place seam side down in casserole dish. You will probably have to cram the enchiladas in the casserole to get them all to fit!!
Pour the jar of sauce over the enchiladas, then cover with tinfoil. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until filling is heated thru, and sauce begins to bubble. Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over the top, baking for another 5-10 minutes till cheese is melted and bubbly.
YUM!!!