Merrrrrrry Christmas!

I’ve mentioned a time or twenty that Christmas is my FAAAAAAVORITE. The lights! The decorations! The muuuuuusic! It is THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR.

Ya feel like slapping the sleigh bells outta me yet?

One of my faves is our Advent calendar. This baby is probably a quarter of a century old and it’s been part of my Christmas tradition since I can remember. I didn’t even know that the typical basic lame-o Advent calendar has chocolates in it. Psssht. Felt ornaments hung on jingle bells is where it’s AT.

Growing up my brothers and I used to fight over who got to hang up the ornaments each day. Of course me being the oldest and ahem, most intelligent, would do the math backwards. Of course hanging up the Santa ornament on Christmas Eve day was the grand prize in life, so I’d count back every third day and graciously “let” my brothers start it off so that I’d have my turn synced up for the Big Guy.

Lucky for me, and also confusing for me, is that my husband does not give a rip about this thing. FINE. More ornaments for me to hang up. Until Mac gets older. Shoot. The window of not having to share is sweet but short.

Anyway. Cooking. That’s what I’m supposed to talk about.

I made something kinda lazy the other night but oh hey, it was super tasty so here it comes at ya. Enchiladas were on the menu, but when it came down to it I was not motivated to spoon the filling carefully and wrap the tortillas carefully and place them carefully in the pan. Nope, lazy wins. Instead I stacked ‘em up in my Dutch oven. Time saver it tastes the same. Win win.

Enchilada Stacker

-5 whole wheat tortillas, about 10” in diameter

-2 cups shredded chicken (I had leftover frozen cheater chicken that I thawed)

-1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

-1 bag sweet peppers, seeded and halved (about 2 cups worth)

-1 Tbsp olive oil

-1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 ½ cups worth)

-1 can enchilada sauce (though I only used ~3/4 cup)- either red or green

-2/3 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar, though Monterey Jack would be tasty)

-Pinch of Chipotle chili powder

I chose to roast the sweet peppers and onions, but really you could just saute these in a pan if you want to go faster. To roast, heat oven to 375 degrees and toss peppers and onions with olive oil. They take about 15-20 minutes- might want to stir halfway to ensure even roasting.

Combine chicken, black beans, peppers, onions, pepper, and chili powder in a bowl. Set aside.

Spoon ~2 tablespoons enchilada sauce on bottom of Dutch oven. Layer one tortilla. Spoon one quarter of your chicken mixture on top. Top with a light sprinkle of cheese. Add another tortilla. Add more chicken mixture plus another 2 tablespoonsish of sauce. Repeat alternating layers- both the sauce and cheese on opposite layers help this stay stacked. End with final fifth tortilla and pour over remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for ~20 minutes, or until sauce around the bottom edges is bubbling. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Slice up and serve with a nice blob of Greek yogurt.

Don’t take heart if your looks like a hot mess. Just call it enchilada jumble…or whatever floats your boat. Just remember- I GET TO PUT THE SANTA ON THE CALENDAR.

Makes six servings. Per serving: 380 calories, 45 g carbs, 10 g fat, 32 g protein

Non-significant goings on

We are (still) in the midst of redoing our kitchen. Next up is new flooring. Which of these is the least chintzy looking vinyl tile?

Have I mentioned I'm cheap thrifty?

Speaking of thrifty, I bought Mac a new-with-tags-but-how-old-is-this-turtleneck from the thrift store the other week. It has a hockey print on it. 

How adorably 80s is this look??

In better news, I made a really reeeeeally REALLY good meal this week. Don't want to overhype it, buuuuuut it's the best thing I've made. Ever. EVERRRRR. 

Have I mentioned I'm pregnant?

If I called this a one-pot dinner (why did the font change?), I’d be lying ever so slightly (I can't figure it out). Sorry, ya need a pot and a bowl. Does it help that this is still minimal prep and cleanup? And it comes together in under 30 minutes? Yes? Ok cool.

Chicken & Poblano Hotdish

-3 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded, and diced

-1 teaspoon olive oil (or a sliver of unsalted butter)

-1 medium yellow onion, diced

-1 fresh clove garlic, minced, or ½ teaspoon jarred minced garlic

-2 Tbsp unsalted butter

-2 Tbsp all purpose flour

-1 1/2 cups skim or 1% milk

-Salt and pepper to taste

-4 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese

-2 cups cooked diced chicken (I just used a rotisserie chicken)

-1 package Jiffy brand cornbread mix

-1 egg

-1 cup cream style corn

Quick tutorial on how to easily roast & peel poblanos: Heat oven to broil on high. Arrange poblanos on a baking sheet. Roast for ~30 seconds, or until tops get bubbled and browned. Rotate poblanos until all sides are bubbled and browned. Turn oven down to 375 degrees and remove poblanos, immediately placing them in a paper bag. Fold top to seal in steam. The steam will help the skins peel off nicely. After ~10 minutes, or when cool enough to handle, remove super thin outer skin, remove inside seeds, and dice- set aside.

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, add oil or sliver of butter. Add onions and saute until lightly browned and tender. Add 2 Tbsp butter. When melted, whisk in flour for a minute. A chunky paste will form (mmmMMM). Whisk in milk and continue cooking over medium heat. Mixture will start to thicken up. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, followed by shredded cheese, diced poblanos, and lastly, chicken. Cover and turn heat to low.

If you’ve had time to sneak this in while the onions were sauteeing, cool, but if not, it’ll only take a minute. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cornbread mix, egg, and creamed corn. Spread over chicken and poblano mixture. Bake uncovered for ~20 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown. Insert knife to ensure cornbread is fully cooked.

Makes 5 servings.