Baked Chicken Enchilada Macaroni & Cheese

IThis afternoon, I decided I needed to create chicken enchilada macaroni and cheese.  I am so glad I did. I took a tried and true basic baked macaroni and cheese recipe and added to it to make it spectacular. (This is the same basic recipe I use for my buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese that I should blog, and that I want to use for a few other variations I have in mind.) I also doubled the recipe, but here I have one batch. 

As I usually do when I recreate a recipe and add to it, I made way too much. As in two 9x12 pans, an 8 inch round casserole, and a 9 inch round casserole. I always double so I have one to eat freshx one to freeze for later, and one to share. This time, two are for sharing (and sorry, they are already claimed). That said, this will make enough for two- one to eat and one to freeze or share.  Or heck, have a party!

Baked Chicken Enchilada Macaroni & Cheese

(adapted by me from Alton Brown's Baked Mac and Cheese, homemade enchilada sauce courtesy gimmesomeoven)

1/2 pound macaroni

16 ounces shredded cheddar and jack cheeses

1 cup black beans

1 cup corn

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 small or medium  green chile

2 oz sliced black olives

3 cups cubed cooked chicken 

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp mustard

4 cups milk

1/4 c. Diced onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp. paprika 

1 Tbsp mustard powder

1 egg

12 oz enchilada sauce (more or less to taste) 

Crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook and cube chicken.

(This is actually 8 pounds of chicken (for this recipe and another I'm doing this week.))

In frying pan, sauté chopped green chile with onion and garlic.  Add corn, olives, and tomatoes.  Remove from heat and dump into a big bowl with the chicken.

Rinse black beans, add to the bowl.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and add to the chicken and vegetables and mix well.

In a large pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, paprika, and mustard, keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, and enchilada sauce. Simmer ten minutes.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Pour into the mix and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and crushed chips. Repeat into a second dish.

 Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

You can garnish with sour cream if you'd like.

Here is the recipe I used for the enchilada sauce-

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/

Spinach & Artichoke Soup

I LOVE spinach and artichokes, together, or separate. I love them in dip, on pizza, in salad, in pasta... So... Why not soup?

Today, I decided to create some soup.

Spinach & Artichoke Soup

36 oz. chopped artichoke hearts

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp + 3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp minced onion

3 teaspoons parsley flakes

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

48 oz. vegetable stock

3 1/4 c. Fat free half & half

3 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 c. Shredded Parmesan cheese

3/4 c. Shredded mozzarella cheese 

12 oz. chopped spinach

2 c. cooked, diced potatoes

In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter. Add artichokes, minced onion, and garlic. Sautée about five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.

In a large pot, heat vegetable stock.

When cooled enough to handle, remove more solid portions of artichokes and add to the stock. Purée remaining artichokes with about 1 3/4 cup half & half until smooth and creamy, in batches if necessary. Add to vegetable stock and stir to incorporate.

In the large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add flour to make a paste. Slowly add about 1 1/2 cup half & half. Add shredded cheese. Stir until melted. Add slowly to the other pot and stir until incorporated. 

Add chopped spinach and potatoes and peppers to taste. Simmer until nice and hot.

I LOVED this soup. I figured I would at least try to get my kids to eat it. My four year old refuses to try most foods, but he did sample the soup. He did not like it.

My two year old possibly would have tried it, but his brother passed him his bowl too, saying he doesn't "like leaf soup." So, he refused to taste.

Because I don't like to waste my hard-work, I ate theirs too.

Baby girl likes it though! I added baby cereal to it to thicken it up and she enjoyed a bowl.

Yup. I'm glad I decided to create this one today! 

Parmesan Bacon Asparagus and Potato Soup

I know.. I haven't created a recipe in over TWO years.

Well... I probably have. But I haven't blogged one.

Today, I created a super yummy soup.

Parmesan Bacon Asparagus & Potato Soup

2 lbs fresh asparagus

2 cups cooked, diced potatoes

32 oz chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 Tbsp sour cream (I used light)

2 cups half & half (I used fat free)

2 Tbsp cornstarch

3 tsp pepper

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp seasoned salt

1 Tbsp minced onion

2 Tbsp butter

8 or so slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Blanch asparagus. Reserve about 3 cups liquid from blanching and set aside.

After blanching, cut into segments about 1 inch long. I separated stalks from tips but it's not necessary.

Melt butter in a skillet and sauté asparagus, garlic, and minced onion.

With a food processor or blender, purée about half of the asparagus mixture with portions of reserved asparagus stock.

In a large pot, heat chicken or vegetable broth and half and half until boiling. Reduce slightly. Stir in cheeses and sour cream and stir until melted. 

I added the remaining asparagus stock (cooled) with some cornstarch to make I a little thicker at this point.

Add diced, cooked potatoes, , bacon, remaining sautéed asparagus, pepper and seasoned salt to taste.

It was delicious. Even my two-year old loved it!