Enchilada Pie Recipe

Cost-Buster Cooking: Chicken or turkey enchiladas (from leftovers)

In the same way that used cars are now dubbed “pre-owned vehicles,” my term for poultry leftovers is “pre-cooked chicken.” I intentionally roast an extra whole chicken or two so that there’s always a cache of cooked chicken in the freezer.

This “dinner insurance” works to your benefit in a few ways. First of all, it means that dinner can be on the table in far less time when compared with how long it takes to cook chicken from its raw state. Plus you can always utilize the color of chicken meat that your family may not like on its own.

While you can always purchase a rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked chicken at the supermarket, the cost per pound is far higher than if you cook a whole chicken yourself. Plus there are many recipes that can be made with pantry staples, so having the cooked chicken eliminates a trip to the market.

One of my favorite chicken dishes is enchiladas. An authentic Mexican specialty, the only constants are that enchiladas are a hot dish made with corn tortillas, and they contain some sort of cheese. In this version the flavorful filling is made with cream cheese and then they are baked in a creamy cheese sauce.

Cost-Buster Cooking Tips

While most of the recipes are written for chicken, feel free to substitute turkey on any occasion; it will work equally well.

There are two different ways of prepping cooked poultry for recipes — shredding and dicing. For this enchilada recipe, I specified shredded meat because I wanted to keep the filling smooth for rolling in the tortillas. On the other hand, for dishes like a chicken pot pie the meat should be diced to remain in harmony with the vegetables in the sauce.

The best ways to shred chicken or turkey is either with your fingers or with two forks, pulling it apart into small bundles. Start by cutting the meat into two-inch lengths, and then shred it.

It’s really necessary to soften tortillas before working with them so that they don’t crack and split. Corn tortillas are best softened in a skillet after being moistened with oil spray. Flour tortillas, on the other hand, should be wrapped in plastic wrap and softened in the microwave. Cook them on high (100 percent power) for 30 seconds.

The reason to cook dried and ground herbs and spices is to release the best flavor from them. This is especially true with spices such as ground cumin and the various spices comprising chili powder.

Recipe: Enchilada Pie For One « lonelygourmet.com

Instructions Saute ground beef until no longer pink. Drain off fat and return to heat. Add 1/2 the can of enchilada sauce and stir. Lower heat and saute for 5 minutes. In the meantime, prepare a large ramekin with cooking spray. Spoon 1 TBSP of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the ramekin. Place 1 corn tortilla on top of the enchilada sauce, cutting to size. Spoon in the ground beef mixture. Add chilis, onions, 1 TBSP enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. Cover with the other tortilla and top with 1 TBSP of enchilada sauce, jalapeno peppers and cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese on top is melted. Serve!

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