Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

I have made this recipe more times than I can count.  I originally had a version of these enchiladas back in college when my friend Kristin made them for a dinner party.  I'd never had this type of enchilada and was a instant fan!  Creamy filling, a little spiciness from the chiles and jalapenos, gooey cheese, and crunchy bits of tortilla on the edges of the pan... doesn't get better than that!  Given the number of times I've made this, I can't believe I've never taken a picture of the finished product!  I'll work on it... because I'm sure I'll make it again very soon!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2-2.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (seasoned with cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper then BAKED and cubed into very small pieces, or SLOW COOKED for about 6 hours on high then shredded)
1-2 c sour cream, plain greek yogurt, or whole milk plain yogurt
1 medium sweet onion, diced small
2 small cans green chiles
*optional: 1 small can jalapenos
corn tortillas (I like these since they're gluten free)
flour tortillas (if you don't need to eat gluten free, Trader Joe's Truly Handmade are the BEST)
1 jar Herdez salsa verde (this brand has much higher quality ingredients than any of the green enchilada sauces I can find)
cheddar cheese, shredded (I can't bring myself to buy preshredded cheese any more because it is just so much better when you grate/shred it fresh....  Love organic/grassfed white cheddar for this recipe)

Cook the chicken.  Chop or shred it.  Mix it with sour cream/yogurt, onion, green chiles, and jalapenos (optional) until you get a creamy mixture- the chicken should be totally coated.  Now you'll need to decide how much corn tortillas and flour tortillas you want to make.  This is a pretty "loosey goosey" recipe and I'm sorry for that, but I trust that you will have success with this recipe no matter what.  Get a 13x9 pan and grease with olive oil/butter/coconut oil, then pour a light layer of green salsa over the bottom.  You'll fill each tortilla with filling, roll it up, then lay them seam side down in the pan.  You'll want to kind of smush them in there.  Do all corn, all flour, or a mix of both types of tortillas.  Pour a line of salsa over each filled tortilla, then sprinkle shredded cheese on top of each tortilla.  You'll know how much to use, depending on how much of a cheese lover you are!

You may have some chicken filling left after filling all of your tortillas!  If you do, make another pan of enchiladas OR just put the filling in a casserole dish, top with a little salsa and cheese, and bake along side the enchiladas.  This mixture is also very good mixed with corn and/or cooked rice before baking!

Cover your pan with foil and bake at 450 degrees 30 min, then uncovered for 15 min OR until the cheese has begun to brown and bubble a bit.  Enjoy!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

This is our new favorite dressing for salads and for dipping veggies.  It's incredibly delicious and SO EASY.  The dry mix recipe below makes about 3/4 cup of mix, but when you make a batch of dressing, you only need 2-3 tsp of the mix.  That means when you run out of your first batch of ranch, your seasoning will already be mixed up and all you'll need to do is stir it into some more yogurt! 

I just introduced my toddler to this dressing and he LOVED it....  And I didn't feel bad letting him eat it by the spoon/handful because it's basically just YOGURT!

Ranch Seasoning Mix (makes about 3/4 cup)

2 tsp coarse salt
4 T dried parsley
3 tsp dried dill
2 tsp freeze dried chives
4 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp onion powder
4 tsp dried onion flakes
2 tsp pepper

Yogurt Ranch Dressing

1-2 cups whole milk yogurt
2-3 T water (to desired consistency)
2-3 tsp ranch seasoning (to taste)

Pancake "Cookies"

These are Breck’s all time favorite freezer treat (he points to the freezer, then to the microwave, since these need microwaved for about 15-20 seconds before eating!)

This recipe is highly adapted from a waffle recipe for babies that I found a while back.  I love waffles, and so does Breck, but they’re time consuming!  I tried this recipe as pancakes too, which works GREAT (they’re thick pancakes), but is also time consuming.  But cookies?  Much faster!  And they taste just as delicious as the waffles or pancakes!  

This makes a large batch (about 24 cookies), so you’ll have plenty in the freezer for when your toddler needs a nutritious snack (or breakfast, lunch, or dinner!)

Pancake “Cookies”

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs (OR 2 T flaxseed! Works just as well!)

1 ripe banana (OR ¼ c date paste OR ¼ c sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar)

1 c canned pumpkin (this is ½ a can- save the rest for smoothies OR mix in to mac and cheese for added nutrition!)

1 ⅔ c whole milk (I have also successfully used 1 ⅔ c milk plus ⅓ c nonfat milk powder, plus ¼ c natural peanut butter/almond butter)

4 T melted butter (OR coconut oil)

Dry ingredients:

1 ½ c flour (I have used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour and Namaste gluten free flour-COSTCO- with great success)

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger (or just cinnamon is great too)

Pinch salt

1-2 c fresh/frozen blueberries (raspberries are great too!  You could also leave the fruit out if you wanted.  I just like the nutrients the fruit adds to the cookies, but they make them admittedly a bit messier.)

Mix wet ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients and mix until everything is incorporated and there are no dry pockets.  Stir in blueberries.  Use ¼ c cookie scoop to scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until they don't immediately deflate when you touch the tops.  Once cool, freeze cookies (using your parchment paper from baking between layers of cookies so they don’t stick together in the freezer) for up to 3 months or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.  

Quinoa Pizza "Cookies"

My toddler LOVES food in handheld cookie form.  These quinoa cookies were an instant hit with him.  They taste like pizza yet are arguably more nutritious!  

Quinoa Pizza “Cookies”

1 c uncooked quinoa

2 c liquid (water/chicken broth)

Matchstick carrots, mushrooms, finely chopped onion

Cook all above ingredients according to directions on quinoa package (put in put, bring to oil, simmer with lid on 15 minutes)

1 jar tomato paste (5 oz)

1 egg

4 large pepperonis, diced (*I like applegate farms)

4 sliced provolone cheese, diced

2 large roasted red peppers, diced

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1 tsp each garlic powder, oregano, basil

Stir all ingredients together.  Use a ¼ c cookie scoop (or measuring cup) to drop mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet (you will end up making 2 batches, and can reuse the baking sheet for the second batch, or just use 2 sheets and cook them at the same time).  They don’t need to be too far apart because they don’t “grow” much or spread.  Once dropped onto sheet, flatten slightly with palm (they’ll be about and inch thick).  Bake 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees.  Cookies should hold together when they’re done.

Broccoli, Potato, Cheddar "Cookies" and a Formula for Savory Toddler "Cookies"

A few months ago, I discovered that Breck (my now 18 month old toddler!!) would eat anything in the shape of a “cookie” (patty/cake/whatever you want to call it!).  I just think calling something a cookie makes it somehow more exciting, and have been trying to think of ways to get veggies and protein into these cookies for my toddler who is becoming more and more discerning about what he eats by the DAY.  (He just started shaking his head “no” to just about every suggestion we make- about anything, lol).  Use whatever veggies you think your toddler might like (or that YOU like, in case they reject them, because with toddlers, you NEVER KNOW what they will and will not like) in place of the broccoli in this recipe.  My husband and I LOVE this recipe just as much as Breck!

Broccoli, Potato, Cheddar “Cookies”

flesh from 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, roasted in the oven OR microwaved on potato setting til soft (OR regular potatoes!)

1 c steamed broccoli, mashed/chopped into small pieces after steaming

½ c shredded cheddar cheese (I highly recommend shredding your own- tastes so much better!)

1 egg

About ½ c breadcrumbs/oats/oat flour/panko- add until mixture easily stays together and isn’t super wet anymore (*I like to use 4c gluten free seasoned breadcrumbs).

Stir all ingredients together.  Use a ¼ c cookie scoop (or measuring cup) to drop mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet.  They don’t need to be too far apart because they don’t “grow” much or spread.  Once dropped onto sheet, flatten slightly with palm (they’ll be about and inch thick).  Bake 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees.  Cookies should hold together when they’re done. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.  To reheat, microwave for about 15 seconds.   

*This recipe is one of our favorite variations on a basic formula for toddler "cookies." Here's my formula:

Savory Toddler "Cookies"

1 c cooked/leftover rice of any kind OR 1 c cooked sweet potato/potato OR 1 c cooked quinoa
1 c steamed and mashed/chopped veggies
1/2 c shredded cheese
1 egg
1/2-1 c breadcrumbs (as needed to achieve a thick consistency that holds together slightly and is not completely runny)
Seasoning (salt, pepper, spices)

Stir all ingredients together.  Use a ¼ c cookie scoop (or measuring cup) to drop mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet.  They don’t need to be too far apart because they don’t “grow” much or spread.  Once dropped onto sheet, flatten slightly with palm (they’ll be about and inch thick).  Bake 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees.  Cookies should hold together when they’re done. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.  To reheat, microwave for about 15 seconds.