Freezer Chicken Enchiladas

Freezer Chicken Enchiladas
Serves 4-6 (can easily be multiplied)

Ingredients
1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 medium onion , chopped
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons minced canned pickled jalapeños
10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
Cooking spray

To Prepare
1. Blend tomato sauce, onion, garlic, chipotle, cumin, coriander, salt, and broth in blender until smooth. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add tomato mixture, bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until mixture is reduced to 3 1/2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Toss 3/4 cup sauce with chicken, 1 cup cheese, cilantro, and jalepeños.

3. Place 5 tortillas on baking sheet and lightly coat both sides with cooking spray. Bake tortillas until just pliable, about 2 minutes. Working quickly, transfer one tortilla at a time to work surface, fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture, and roll tightly. Transfer, seam side down, to large plate. Repeat warming and rolling process with remaining 5 tortillas.

To Freeze
1.Place plate in freezer until enchiladas are frozen, at least 1 hour.

2. Place remaining sauce in freezer safe container and press 2 layers of plastic wrap directly onto surface of sauce. Tightly wrap enchiladas in bundles of 5, first in plastic and then in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

To Serve
1. When ready to serve: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Defrost enchilada sauce in microwave on defrost setting, about 12 minutes.

2. Coat 13 by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange frozen enchiladas in single layer in baking dish and coat tops with cooking spray. Bake until tops of tortillas are just beginning to flake, about 20 minutes. Remove dish from oven, top enchiladas with 1 1/2 cups sauce, and bake 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle enchiladas with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese and bake until cheese melts and center of casserole is hot and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes.

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Emilie's Classic Lasagna

I've shared Everyday Foods' Lasagna Primavera and my own Manicotti recipe, but sometimes there is just nothing like a classic. This recipe is my go-to recipe for good old, beefy, cheesy noodly lasagna.

After many a failed/bland/watery lasagna recipes I finally perfected this one which has everything we want in a lasagna. We like the cheesiness of ricotta, but dislike the pasty texture, so we use half ricotta and half cottage cheese. This gives a smooth texture and is less expensive. This recipe also has the perfect blend of seasoning and spices in the cream mixture, which would otherwise be much too bland.



EMILIE'S CLASSIC MEAT LASAGNA

15 oz. container ricotta cheese
16 oz. container cottage cheese
3 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1&1/2 pounds ground beef
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 c. diced onion
2 jars Marinara Sauce (find a brand that does not appear too watery in the jar...the thicker the better)
16 flat lasagna noodles

1 aluminum 9x13" or larger baking pan

To Prepare
- Bring large pot of water to a boil (I hate the gummy texture of the no boil kind, but you can go for it if you want to). Cook lasagna noodles for 6-7 minutes. When ready to layer lasagna, take noodles out one at a time with tongs.
- In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, 1 c. mozzarella cheese, 1/2 c. of shredded Parmesan Cheese, salt, dried parsley, dried basil, black pepper and eggs.
- Cook beef in medium-large sized pot with onion and garlic until browned. Pour off fat. Stir in pasta sauce.
- In baking pan, assemble layers as follows...lasagna noodles, a third of the ricotta cheese mixture, then a third of the meat sauce mixture. Repeat layers. Finish with lasagna noodles and sauce.

To Freeze
- Wrap uncooked lasagna in plastic and then foil and store in freezer.

To Serve
- Thaw completely in refrigerator for 24 hours prior to cooking.
- Bake, covered in foil, at 400* for 30 minutes or until hot in the center. Add remaining cheese and bake 10 more minutes. Let rest 15-20 min.

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I'm OFF

for EASTER break!

See ya next Monday.

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