Creamy Cheesy Enchilada Casserole with Chicken, Corn & Peas

Got Leftovers? If you've bought a rotisserie chicken from the market and are looking for a recipe to use up the leftovers - like leg, wing and backbone meat, then read on for a delish dish with a Latin flare: my Creamy Cheesy Enchilada Casserole with Chicken, Corn & Peas.

If you cook with turkey pieces, they are too huge to use all at once, so take a bite out of the those leftovers, too.

Add a package of cheese, a tub of sour cream, frozen veggies like corn and green peas, plus a can of enchilada sauce, and you have a one pot meal for the whole family. 

I use cans of enchilada sauce (sometimes listed as red chili sauce) quite often. It especially goes well with poultry in entrees like: Stuffed Bell Peppers and Chicken Tinga Stew.

Chicken is cheap anytime and turkey segments come on sale quite often, especially during the winter holidays. I get mine from my local Latin market.

Frozen veggies hold up better than canned when baking, so use frozen, or lightly steam fresh veggies for this Mexican-style casserole.

I can always find corn tortillas and sour cream at my local 99c only Stores. You should lightly brown tortillas in a pan to dry them out somewhat, so the enchilada sauce with sour cream does not dissolve away the tortillas (which happened the first time I baked this.)

You need an oven proof pan or dish, but don't fill it up all the way, it may bubble over - always leave an inch from the top lip. You may want to place a cookie sheet under the heating casserole dish in case it overflows.

Since the ingredients are pre-cooked, all you are doing is heating it up, so the baking time is quick, only about half an hour.

Try out my Latin-themed one dish entree, Creamy Cheesy Enchilada Casserole with Chicken, Corn & Peas, and save some leftovers for your weekly work lunches, too.

Ingredients (about 4-6 servings)

• 2 cups shredded cooked turkey - okay to use roasted or boiled chichen.
• 2 cups veggies - I used frozen (and defrosed) corn and peas. Okay to use any favorite frozen veggie combo. You can use fresh, lighlty steamed, veggies too.
• 2 cups enchilada sauce - 1 small can, add a little water or stock to bring up to 2 cups, if necessary. Okay to use red canned chili sauce.
• 1 cup sour cream - or cottage cheese. Light, low calorie, or regular.
• 2 cups cheese - shredded, sliced or crumbled. I used pepper jack cheese, but use any budget cheese you like.
• 6-8 small corn tortillas - whole and/or torn in half. Cut tortillas to fit a large casserole dish or deep pan.
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil - to lightly brown corn tortillas.

Directions
Start with firming up tortillas by lightly browning corn tortillas for 2-4 minutes. This will keep tortillas from dissolving or falling apart when baking with liquid ingredients. As tortillas heat up move on to assembling casserole.

Defrost frozen veggies. Either soak in water (then drain) or allow to come to room temperature. Shred cooked turkey or chicken into bite-sized pieces. Slice, shred or crumble cheese.

In a large bowl lightly mix 2 cups of enchilada sauce and 1 cup of sour cream, or cottage cheese.

Now time to bring it all together. In a large casserole dish or deep pan add a thin layer of creamy enchilada sauce. Next add a single layer of tortillas. Spread on a thin layer of enchilada sauce. Next pile on a layer of turkey, cheese and veggies. Spoon on another layer of enchilada sauce.

Layer on tortillas, sauce, turkey, veggies and cheese until you almost reach the top. I used 3 layers of tortillas total.

Save some cheese and sauce to top the Enchilada Casserole with. Also stop about an inch from the top of dish. You need some room as sauce and other ingredients melt and bubble. You may want a cookie sheet underneath casserole dish in case it bubbles over some.

Cover casserole dish with lid or foil. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. If you want the cheese lightly browned then uncover the baking dish during the last 10 minutes of baking.

Serve hot. A delish side dish is my Mom's Mexican Rice, recipe is a click away, here.

Huevos Rancheros - Video Recipe

I am finally getting around to making videos of my favorites from recipes past, and Huevos Racheros is one of my extra tasty ones. This Mexican breakfast has corn tortillas combined with warm eggs and tangy tomato salsa, plus cheese melted into creamy refried beans. That's a lot of flavor to start the day.

Besides a simple fried or scrambled egg, I make Huevos Rancheros the most. Mainly because I keep a Ziploc bag or two of pinto beans and Mexican cheese in the freezer, just for making this delicious South of the Border breakfast.

Refried Beans

Huevos Rancheros is quick and easy to make. If you use canned refried beans then it's even faster. All you do is heat up some refried beans and tortillas, while frying a couple of eggs. You finish by smearing refried beans on warm tortillas, crumbling on cheese, layering on the fried eggs, and finally topping with more cheese and tangy, spicy salsa.

I make my Huevos Ranchero with white Mexican Queso Fresco cheese. It's a medium/soft and crumbly mild tasting cheese, that is similar to feta cheese in texture, but without the sour taste. It melts slower than regular cheddar cheese so give it more heating time if you like gooey cheese, or just use American-style cheese.

I like my eggs fried, that is, cooked on one side enough to get a slight crunch along the edges of eggs whites, while still keeping the yolk runny. You can make your eggs anyway you like: Sunny side up, over easy, poached, or even scrambled.

Usually corn tortillas are lightly heated up for a minute or two just before serving.

Any favorite store-bought jar of salsa will do, but I do have some Homemade Salsas for you to try sometime, just click here to see all the links. Bring salsa up to room temperature or zap it in the microwave in 15 second increments, until warm, but make sure to cover the salsa, as the tomato pieces tend to splatter.

I can get all the ingredients at a 99c Only Store or Dollar Tree, but any grocery stocks corn tortillas, eggs, pinto beans, cheese and salsa at decent prices. If you have a Latin market nearby be sure to check out their variety of tortillas, cheese and beans.

My recipe is for one serving of Huevos Rancheros, but it's easy enough to make a few servings if you have a can of beans and a jar of salsa. Just warm up a small stack of tortillas and a pot of refried beans, while the eggs are frying -- it's an easy assembly line.

Setting out a plate of Huevos Rancheros will impress any guest. It's so satisfying and a great way to start the day.

  Scrambled Eggs & Refried Beans - VIDEO

Play it here, video runs 2 minutes, 13 seconds.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

 Ingredients (one serving - this recipe is easy to double)

• 1 to 2 eggs - I like 2 eggs, while my wife likes one egg.
• 3/4 cup of refried beans -  fresh or from a can. I also like to use black beans. Adjust the refried beans amount to suit your taste, add more or less.
• 2 corn tortillas - okay to use one tortilla for lighter breakfast.
• 1/4 cup salsa - any amount of your favorite salsa will do, fresh or from a jar.
• Cheese - Mexican "queso fresco" or your favorite. Add enough to cover eggs and beans. You can use cheddar, mozzarella, Monteray Jack, or a cheese blend.
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil - enough to heat tortillas, eggs, and refried beans.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
If salsa is stored in the refrigerator, then reserve a serving amount from jar and let salsa reach room temperature.

Heat teaspoon of oil in pan or pot over medium heat. If you are using whole pinto beans then add them to heating pan, along with a tablespoon or two of bean broth. Mash beans with a fork or potato masher until they reach your desired creaminess.

It only took me a couple of minutes to heat through and mash. Set aside, or keep on lowest heat. Add bean broth as needed to keep refried beans moist. (If you mash a lot of beans, then just store extra in the freezer - refried beans freeze and defrost perfectly.)

If you are using canned or homemade refried beans then heat them up, even in the microwave.

Start heating corn tortillas on a pan or grill with a teaspoon of oil. Tortillas only need a couple of minutes to heat through.

As tortillas are heating up, use your favorite method of frying eggs. I like mine sunny side up, but you can make them over easy, or even scrambled.

When eggs are 1/2 done crumble on Mexican cheese to begin melting. Regular cheese (cheddar, mozzarella or Monterey Jack, melts faster, so you can add it just before the eggs are done.

When eggs are done, it time to bring it all together.

On a plate add warm tortillas and spread on hot refried beans. Sprinkle on some cheese and slide on the cooked eggs with melted cheese. Finally top with your favorite salsa.

And don't forget the hot sauce!

Hindsight
I have a Homemade Red Beans recipe that you can use for beans from scratch (substitute pinto beans for red beans,) just click here.

Pinto beans are typical for Huevos Ranchos, but mashed and refried black beans are just as delicious.

You can use any favorite cheese you have on hand. And add as much as you like.You can make this dish with one fried egg or two.

If salsa topping is from the refrigerator make sure to allow it to reach room temperature; or heat-up your favorite salsa on the stove top just before serving over cheese-topped eggs. You can also zap salsa in the microwave in 15 second increments, but make sure to cover the heating bowl, as tomato pieces will splatter when hot! Cold salsa on hot Huevos Rancheros is a no-no.

I have a bunch of salsas recipes, just click on any name to view: tangy Roasted Salsa Verde (tomatillo,) Red Chili (2 dried types - but same recipe,) Pico de Gallo, and Mango Salsa.

Migas, Tex-Mex Scrambled Eggs

After my extended Taco Month Series, I have a lot of leftover tortillas. Corn tortillas usually come in 30 count packages, and I almost never finish a package.

Sometimes I just freeze what I don't use. The problem comes when the corn tortillas are defrosted. Some start to break apart and are unusable for tacos. Well, here is a recipe that takes care of the tortilla problem: a scrumptious Tex-Mex scrambled eggs dish called Migas.

All you do is crisp up a broken down corn torillla and shred it into your favorite egg scramble. This adds an extra bit of delicious heft to your typical breakfast. If you have a little tomato, bell pepper, cheese, salsa and onion, that you need to use up, then definitely throw it all into the mix.

My version calls for frying the tortillas in a small amount of oil, but you can just shred a soft tortilla right into the scrambling eggs. You could even use leftover (and stale) plain tortilla chips. (Although I would brush off most of the salt, and obviously, no extra salt is needed for the Migas recipe.)

So don't waste those broken down corn tortillas, just freeze them and bring them out for The 99 Cent Chef's Tex-Mex Migas.

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 2-3 eggs - for an egg scramble, your way. Okay to blend in milk, cheese or anything you like for scrambled eggs.
• 1 corn tortilla - sauteed in oil until crisp, then shred into bite sized pieces. You can also just shred an uncooked tortilla and add it to the scrambling eggs. Okay to use leftover plain tortilla chips.
• 1 tablespoon chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon chopped onion - white, yellow, red or green onion
• 1 tablespoon oil for frying corn tortilla.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Additional veggies to add include: bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno chile (just a 1/4 teaspoon) and the herb, cilantro.

Directions
Add a tablespoon of oil to favorite omelet pan. Saute the corn tortilla over medium heat on both sides until stiff and lightly spotted brown. It should only take 2-4 minutes. To speed things up, you can add uncooked tortillas to the scrambled eggs as well. You will lose some of the crisp tortilla texture, but the Migas will still be delish.

While tortilla is cooking chop about a tablespoon of tomato and onion. When tortilla is crisp remove and set aside -- when cool enough break into bite-sized pieces. Add chopped onion and saute until soft, about a couple of minutes.

Now time to bring it all together. Add chopped tomato, any other optional veggies listed above, plus eggs and tortilla pieces.

Scramble egg to desired doneness, about 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Ready to eat when eggs are firm. Top Migas with your favorite salsa and hot sauce to kick it up a notch.

This is an easy recipe to make for the family, just double or quadruple the ingredients. And adjust the tortilla-to-egg ratio to suit your taste; if you like more eggs, then use half the amount of tortilla. Same thing with the veggies, just add enough to taste, and work with the amount you have on hand.