Flautas

I don't eat a lot of meat. But when I do, it's often wrapped in a tortilla. 

Filling 1: Spicy Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

1/2 c corn (fresh/frozen)

1/2 c chopped bell pepper (fresh/frozen)

2 T tomato paste

1 T cumin

1 t chili powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t red pepper flakes

Water to cover

Combine all in a crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or until chicken is tender. Shred chicken.

Filling 2: Honey Lime Black Beans

Ingredients

2 c black beans

1 T honey

Juice of 1 lime

1 t cumin

Hot sauce to taste

Salt to taste

Combine all in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Flautas

Ingredients

Fillings(above)

12 corn tortillas

Toppings: lettuce, salsa, sour cream, avocado, cheese, cilantro

Vegetable oil (enough to fill pan 1-2")

Toothpicks

In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat oil over medium high. Steam tortillas in microwave wrapped in moistened paper towel for 1 minute. Fill each with 2 tablespoons of desired filling and secure with toothpick. With tongs, place Flautas in oil and cook for 2 minutes each, turning evenly to brown. Drain over paper towels. Serve with your favorite toppings. 

Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Casserole

I am not a great photographer, and I can only do so much with my little camera, but let me tell you, this casserole is not the most gorgeous thing. But, it is tasty.
Adapted from the box of Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken:

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 box (6 oz.) stuffing mix, prepared according to directions
  
• 1 1/2 cup chicken, cut into bit size pieces
• 1 1/2 cup broccoli florets, fresh or frozen (thawed)
  
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup
• 1 tbsp milk
• 4 oz. Velveeta cheese, diced (I'm not proud, but it was all we had!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9x9 inch baking dish, combine chicken, broccoli, soup, milk, and cheese. Pile the stuffing on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with a simple salad.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

We eat a lot of Mexican around here. I don't mean the authentic stuff, but the American-ized version. I guess the main reason we have tacos and the like so often is, besides being awfully yummy, because my little brother (now a good head taller than me) has always been so picky! I can't think of one veggie besides tomato that he will eat, and that is only in ketchup or sauce. Sometimes he'll eat things like these delicious enchilada, but usually it is just the basic ground beef taco with cheese only.

I only made a 9x9 pan with 4 servings, but you could double this recipe to make 8 servings in a 9x13 pan.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Oven time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
• 1-2 tbsp jalapeño, chopped
• 1 tbsp taco seasoning
  
• 2 oz. cream cheese, softened
  
• 4 tortillas (I think I used 8 inch?)
• 1 can Old El Paso green enchilada sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, your choice!)
  

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with nonstick spray. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together cream cheese with taco seasoning and the japs as they used to call them at the McAlister's I worked at in high school. Combine this with the chicken. In your bowl, divide the filling into 4 parts by pushing each part to the side (trust me, this step helps for even enchilada making!).


Zap your tortillas in the microwave for 20 seconds
to make them more pliable, then fill each one up. Lay them seam-side down into your baking dish. When they are all filled and nestled in, pour over your can of enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

We had ours with chopped tomato and sour cream, with some Mexican mush (FAIL on rice! oops!) and refried beans.

Rocket Chicken

Rocket Chicken is a Wooten family tradition. Dad likes to marinate the birds in Wicker's, a vinegar based bbq sauce, usually overnight. He cooked them for hours in a hot smoker (custom built by my very talented little brother). What makes them special is that they are cooked upright, propped on a can of beer. LOL! We ate ours with a simple salad and grilled corn. Awesome summer dinner.

Taco Chicken Soup

I am in the process of clearing out the family pantry and freezer. My mom has this habit of stocking up when she sees things on sale. This is an awesome habit in most circumstances, but sometimes it gets out of hand. For instance, what are we going to do with four containers of hot cocoa, in June? Anyway, this soup is awesome not only because it is a one pot meal, but because it cleared out a little pantry and freezer space. This is a basic recipe that you can adjust depending on what you have on hand. Don't have black beans? Pinto or kidney would work fine. No chicken? Try ground beef! Vegetarian? Double the beans and use vegetable broth. The possibilities are endless! Although we are trying to clear out the freezer, this soup would actually freeze really well! Perfect for a college student. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion, bell pepper (mine was frozen)
• 15.25 oz. can corn
• 15.5 oz. can black beans
• 2 tbsp. chopped jalapenos
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
  
• 6-8 cups chicken broth
• 1 taco seasoning packet
  
• 2 cups shredded chicken (we had some frozen tenderloins)
  
• 1/2 cup rice
• 1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
  

Start off by cooking your onion and bell pepper in the bottom of a large pot in the oil. One they are soft and translucent, add the rest of your veggies and pour in the broth. Stir in the taco seasoning. Cover and bring to a boil. [If your chicken is already cooked, add it and reduce your heat to a simmer] If you are using raw or even frozen chicken like I did, drop it in at this time, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, shred with a fork, and put it back in the soup. Simmer your soup for about 30 minutes so that all the flavors can develop. Add the rice and sour cream, and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes on medium until the rice is tender. Enjoy with a side of jalapeno-cornbread!