Chicken Enchilada Soup {Chili’s Copycat}

I love soup. Broccoli cheese, chicken noodle, clam chowder and potato soup are some of my favorites but I also love a good enchilada soup. I will fully admit I don’t like a whole lot of veggies in my soup so I am sometimes leary about ordering enchilada soup. I have never had Chili’s version but my mom has told me it’s delish. After looking at the recipe, I knew most of my household would love it (Joel is a soup hater, boo).

Masa harina, a flour made of ground corn, is used to make tortillas, tamales and other traditional Mexican dishes. In this recipe, it not only lends that traditional enchilada taste to the soup but it also helps thicken it. Masa harina is usually found in the baking aisle by the flour or in the Mexican/ethnic food aisle. I’ve seen it at Wal-Mart so it shouldn’t be too hard to find. But if you can’t find it, or don’t wish to buy it for one recipe (although you could make this delicious dish with it), you could mince up some flour tortillas and they will dissolve into the soup for added flavor and texture.

The Chili’s version does not include corn or black beans but we like them around here and they add more texture and yumminess so I decided to add them. This is a really simple, convenient meal that is quick to throw together so it would be a great option for a busy weeknight or for when you don’t feel like cooking.

This makes a huge amount of soup so I should have halved it, especially considering the whiny boy. I ate it for lunch for a few days and froze the rest in individual portions. I will have to update on how the freezing went once I try some.

Chicken Enchilada Soup {Chili’s Copycat}
recipe from Lindsay’s Lucious

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken stock
1 tablespoon chicken soup base
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1 (8 oz). can tomato sauce
1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce (or two 10 oz. cans)
1 cup masa harina (or 6 small corn tortillas, minced)
16 oz. Velveeta, cubed
1 cup colby jack cheese, shredded
1 (22 oz.) bag Tyson roasted and diced chicken, thawed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained (optional)
1 can black beans, drained (optional)
Garnishes: pico de gallo, sour cream, shredded cheese, crunchy tortilla strips

1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onions until they are tender. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute or two, then scrape the onions and garlic into your crock pot.

2. Add all the other ingredients, except the chicken, corn and black beans. Cook over high heat for two hours or low for four. Whisk until smooth (you may wish to use a stick blender).

3. Add the chicken pieces, corn and black beans and heat through, maybe another 30 minutes to one hour. Check seasonings, and garnish as you like before serving.

Crispy Chicken Black Bean Tacos

We seriously love us some tacos around here and would probably eat them once a week without complaints. The only way we differ is that I prefer corn tortillas and Joel prefers flour. I usually have each available so that we are both happy but Joel totally jumped on the corn train when I served these.

I usually fry the corn tortillas then fill them but with this recipe, you place the tortilla in the hot oil, fill and fry. They were incredibly crispy and satisfying and though I made them weeks ago, I am still dreaming about them.

This recipe is from Cornerstone Cooking, the cookbook of food blogger Nick of macheesmo.com. I am an avid follower and really enjoy all of the unique, creative recipes he shares on his blog. Make sure you check it out!

Crispy Chicken Black Bean Tacos
recipe adapted from Cornerstone Cooking via Endless Simmer

2-3 large chicken breasts (I used polo asada from Trader Joe’s), cooked and thinly sliced
1 cup black beans, cooked
1/4 cup red onion, minced (I omitted these)
1/1 tsp. cumin
1/1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 corn tortillas
Hot sauce
Salsa
Sour cream

1.  In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Add a pinch of salt and lightly mash all of the ingredients together. Grate your cheese and have it ready as well.

2. In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat.

3. Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1/8 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a few slices of chicken and a sprinkle of grated cheese. Be careful not to overfill or they will not fold.

4. Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.

5. As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once.

6. Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.

7. When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.

8. Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

We love quesadillas so I am always thinking of different varieties to mix it up and this has got to be one of my favorite combinations yet. Joel grew up in Kansas City and I lived in the south for several years so we are big fans of barbeque. And Noah totally loves corn and black beans. He asks for them for lunch (with rice) on a regular basis. So with all that considered, I knew this would be a winning meal in our house. And it’s relatively healthy so that’s a big plus too! I suppose you could use reduced fat cheese to make it even better for you but that’s kind of where I draw the line. You just don’t mess with cheese. I would rather just enjoy it in moderation.

Serve these with extra barbeque on the side if you are feeling saucy.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas

4 chicken breasts
1 (15 oz.) can black beans
1 (15 oz.) can corn
2 cups cheese, shredded (I used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella)
Green onion, thinly sliced
8 whole wheat tortillas
BBQ sauce

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, rinse and drain black beans. Once grill is heated, place chicken on grill and cook for about 6 minutes per side, basting with BBQ sauce occasionally. Remove from grill and allow to cool slightly.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dice chicken into bite size pieces. Place one tortilla into skillet then sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese, corn, black beans, chicken, green onion and another 1/4 cup cheese. Top with second tortilla. Cook until golden and cheese has melted then carefully flip and cook until golden on the second side. Remove to plate and repeat process with remaining ingredients. Slice into 6 pieces using a pizza cutter. Serve with additional BBQ sauce for dipping.

Catalina Taco Salad

Ever since I was a child I have loved Catalina dressing. Like a dip my chicken nuggets in Catalina while other normal kids dipped in ketchup kind of love. I even liked to drizzle a little on my cottage cheese. Strange, I know. I still love it today, but just on my salad (although I may just have to try the cottage cheese thing again).

So when I saw this salad I knew I had to try it. The salt and crunch of the fritos is a nice contrast to the rest of the salad. And the warm ground beef makes it extra yummy and filling.

Catalina Taco Salad
recipe slightly adapted from Jennifer Cooks

8 cups torn romaine lettuce or lettuce blend
1 ½ pounds ground beef
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained thoroughly
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained thoroughly
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced into half moons
1 (14 ounce) bag Fritos corn chips
1 (24 ounce) bottle Catalina salad dressing

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Set aside and cool slightly while preparing other ingredients.

2. In a very large serving bowl, combine lettuce, grated cheese, beans, tomatoes, olives, and onions.  Toss gently to blend.

3. Just before serving, add cooked ground beef and corn chips; toss gently to combine with salad ingredients.  Begin drizzling salad dressing over salad mixture and lightly toss salad until the desired amount of dressing is used.

Chicken Enchilada Salad

Remember the enchilada sauce from Wednesday? I told you I would be bringing you a unique meal idea to use the sauce with and this is it! I have been eating a lot of salads this summer and this recipe was at the top of my list to try. I changed up the ingredients a bit to suit our taste and add even more variety and texture throughout the salad. I totally have a thing for black beans and corn together so I had to add those to the lineup.

This salad has creaminess from the avocado and black beans, crunch from the tortilla strips and corn and spice from the enchilada sauce. The chicken (which you could replace with ground beef if you prefer) completes the salad and keeps you full for much longer.

As you can see, I had my little sous chef helping. He also loves corn and black beans so he kept sneaking those cute little hands in the bowls.

Chicken Enchilada Salad
recipe adapted from Fresh Express

1 head iceburg lettuce, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cucumber, cut into small cubes
1 avocado, diced
1 basket cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup mixed yellow and white cheese, grated
2 green onions, sliced thinly
2 chicken breasts, cooked and hand-shredded
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
Tortilla strips, cripsy onions or crispy jalapenos, to taste
Your favorite creamy Ranch or Buttermilk dressing

1. In separate bowl, toss chicken with enchilada sauce. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Place lettuce into large salad bowl. Add in tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, green onions and toss together.

3. Place mixed salad onto 4 individual plates.

4. Top the salad with the enchilada chicken and sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on top of each salad.

5. Drizzle on your favorite creamy dressing.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Corn

Do any of you have one of those foods that your significant other just won’t eat? No matter what you do? Quinoa is one of those things that Joel will not go for in any shape or form. I knew the Quinoa Black Bean Patties would not go over well with my carnivore husband but I went for it anyway. I thought maybe a Quinoa Salad would be a middle ground that he possibly enjoy. Well, he still didn’t give it a try. I should have known when there was leftover macaroni and cheese in the fridge.

Well I enjoyed this very much. I was originally just planning on mixing in the corn and beans but then I saw a cucumber in the fridge and thought it might be a good addition. Turns out that it totally made the salad for me. This was so simple to throw together and consisted of ingredients I always have on hand. Plus, it’s good for you so it can’t get much better than that!

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Corn

1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups water
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and sliced thinly into half moons
6 Tbsp. Italian dressing (I like light balsamic vinaigrette)
1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce to medium and boil, covered, for 12 minutes or until water is evaporated. Remove from heat, fluff and let sit with lid for 15 minutes.

2. Place cooked quinoa in a bowl and allow to cool.

3. Once cool, mix in black beans, corn, cucumber, Italian dressing and feta. Refrigerate.

Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette

In honor of Cinco de Mayo I wanted to bring you all one of my new favorite salad recipes, Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette. It was pretty much like an explosion in your mouth of Mexican flavor!

The vinaigrette was tangy, zippy and spicy which worked wonderfully with the cool greens, warm chicken, black bean pico and ranch dressing. I think this vinaigrette could be used as a quick and easy marinade for chicken this summer too.

Everything combines to create a light and refreshing salad that is surprisingly filling! Give it a try tomorrow for a yummy Mexican meal!

Mexican Chicken Salad with Chili Lime Vinaigrette
recipe from 4 Little Fergusons

FOR THE CHILI-LIME DRESSING:
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice (about 2 Small Limes)
1 teaspoon Grated Lime Zest
1 teaspoon Chopped Garlic
½ teaspoons Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Pepper
¼ teaspoons Cumin
⅓ cups Olive Oil

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO:
1 whole Red Pepper, Diced
1 whole Yellow Pepper, Diced
½ whole Red Onion, Diced
⅓ cups Fresh Cilantro, Snipped
1 can Corn, Drained (15 Ounce Can)
1 can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed (15 Ounce Can)
1 whole Large Tomato, Diced

FOR THE SALAD:
8 cups Mixed Greens Of Your Choice
4 whole Grilled Seasoned Chicken Breasts, Cubed
1 whole Hass Avocado, Mashed
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Mexican Cheese To Taste
Your Favorite Ranch Dressing
Crunchy Tortilla Strips

1. Combine all of the dressing ingredients and mix well.

2. Combine all of the pico de gallo ingredients and mix well.

3. To assemble salad: place mixed greens on each plate, add a generous helping of pico, some grilled chicken cubes and cheese. Add a dollop of mashed avocado (mix the avocado with the lime juice and some salt, to taste) to the top of each salad.

4. Drizzle with mostly ranch dressing and a small amount of the lime dressing. Top with tortilla strips.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Cast Party Wednesday.

Quinoa Black Bean Patties

Joel was not too thrilled with this meal to say the least. But my response to some of these vegetarian meals that he hasn’t loved has been “it’s your fault.” It was his idea to give up meat so I don’t have any sympathy for him, haha.

I was actually pleasantly surprised with the outcome of these patties. I didn’t have high hopes and worried that they would be bland and flavorless but they were quite good and very filling. It probably helps that I love anything with cumin in it and these packed a big flavor punch of that yummy, smoky spice. They were really great with baked sweet potato fries.

I love feeling full and satisfied after eating a healthy meal. And I wasn’t hungry 2 hours later like I usually am after a salad.

Quinoa Black Bean Patties
recipe from Can You Stay for Dinner?

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 carrot, diced
4 scallions, sliced
2 cloves garlic
15 ounces can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup Italian seasoned dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Rinse quinoa throughouly in a fine mesh strainer under running water to remove the saponin which causes a bitter taste.  In a small pot, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes; set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, scallions, garlic, beans, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, salt, and pepper; pulse until combined but still slightly chunky.

3. Form mixture into four patties. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium; cook burgers until browned, about 8 minutes per side.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, These Chicks Cooked, What I Whipped Up Wednesday and Cast Party Wednesday.

Black Bean Soup

Winter has finally struck here and it means business. This is the perfect hearty soup to warm you to the core on these cold nights we have been having. I love a good, thick soup that is filling and this totally fit the bill. The cumin provides a delicious, smoky flavor while the lime juice adds a nice little acidity to the soup. I love the addition of sweet potatoes, it was unique and super yummy with the black beans.

I left the ham hock out but I bet it would be so tasty with little bits of ham throughout (or bacon would be good too). This recipe is easily adaptable for vegetarians….just leave out the ham as I did and use veggie stock instead of chicken.

This soup takes awhile and involves soaking the beans overnight so it takes a bit of preparation and planning. Top this soup with some crispy tortilla strips to add a crunchy texture or scoop it up with some crusty french bread. Yum!

Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes
recipe from Simply Recipes

1 pound dried black beans (about 2 cups), rinsed, soaked in 4 quarts of water overnight or 6 hours, drained
1 lb smoked ham hock or shank (or a 1lb. bacon cook and crumbled – added before serving)
2 bay leaves
5 cups water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
1 medium sweet potato, chopped into
1/2-inch pieces (can substitute 2 large carrots)
1/2 carrot, chopped fine
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp molasses
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 to 4 Tbsp lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
Salt

Garnishes: Tortilla strips Chopped fresh cilantro Sour cream Avocado, peeled and chopped

1. Place beans and ham hock in a 4-quart, thick-bottomed pot. Add 5 cups water, bay leaves, salt and baking soda. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and let cook 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until beans are tender. Remove bay leaves. Remove ham hock from the pot. Cut ham meat away from the bone and cut into small, bite-sized pieces, set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large 8-quart thick-bottomed pot on medium high until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Add the onions, celery, sweet potato and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the cumin, chili powder, and garlic, cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the beans, their cooking liquid, chicken stock, molasses, and bell pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Remove 4 cups of the soup (about half of it) to a blender. Purée until smooth and return to the pot of soup. (You may need to purée the soup in smaller portions, depending on the size of your blender. Don’t fill the blender more than half way at a time and hold the lid while blending.) Add back the ham pieces to the soup. Add 3 Tbsp of lime juice. Adjust seasonings. If on the sweet side, add a bit more lime juice. Salt to taste.

Serve with garnishes. Makes 8 cups. Serves 6.

Note that the soup may continue to thicken. If you would like it thinner, just add some water to desired consistency.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday,  These Chicks Cooked, Friday Food, Fusion Friday, Full Plate Thursday and What I Whipped Up Wednesday.