Mexican Tamale Chicken Pie

I would venture to say that if you asked ten people what their idea of comfort food is, the most popular answer would be chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese and meatloaf. I will say that, before I laid my eyes on this recipe, that those are the first things that would come to mind also. But I also love a good cornbread. 

I never thought of mexican food as comfort food. 

Until last night.

Last night, I made the most delicious comfort food that has ever come out of my kitchen. I wanted flavor, I wanted heat, I wanted sweetness....

So I began with this recipe that I found on Pinterest but I changed it up just a bit to fit our taste and to accommodate my daughters taste buds also. After all, I wasn't going to prepare a potentially life changing dish and give her kitchen scraps. LOL. After the previous night's macaroni and cheese disaster, she deserved to have something wonderful. So did Shawn and I. When I say macaroni and cheese disaster, I mean, we couldn't stand more than a few bites of the stuff and the rest of the pot went in the trash. It was gross. But I don't want to start thinking about that. Lets focus on the deliciousness of the meal I am sharing with you today.

How does a sweetly heated corn bread topped with seasoned chicken and gooey cheese sound? Sounds delicious right? I promise you, this was! 

To make this a bit more healthier, substitute with fat free milk, egg whites and a reduced fat cheese.

Mexican Tamale Chicken Pie

(photo courtesy of www.pinchofyum.com)

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. cornmeal

1 T baking powder

2 T taco seasoning, divided

6 T unsalted butter, melted

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 c. 2% milk

1 can cream-style corn

1-4oz can chopped green chiles, drained (if you buy whole just cut them up really small)

1-10oz Melissa's Enchilada Sauce

2 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded or chopped into small bites

1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Garnishes: cilantro, light sour cream, Queso Fresco (crumbling cheese)

1) Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, 1 T. taco seasoning, butter, milk, and corn in a bowl until just combined. Add in chilies and stir a few times.

2)  Grease a glass round pie dish and pour cornbread mixture into it. Bake on 400 for 15-20 minutes, or until is just set and lightly browned on the top.

3) While cornbread is cooking, toss the chicken with the remaining taco seasoning until coated. Add more if you want.

4) When the cornbread is just done, pull it out of the oven and poke lots of holes into with a fork. Don't worry if the cornbread sticks to the fork. I sprayed my fork with cooking spray to help it not stick to the fork.

5) Pour enchilada sauce (you amy or may not use 10oz, adjust accordingly) over the holey cornbread and allow it to soak in. Top with seasoned chicken and shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

6) Remove from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh cut cilantro, a dollop of sour cream and queso fresco crumbled on the top of it.

Not only is it delicious, it is a beautiful dish!  Disfrute de su comida, Voy!! (enjoy your meal, ya'll)

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Lazy Day Enchilada's

I have a soft spot for Mexican food. It's not due to a vacation to Spain or Mexico, or because my family has Spanish blood. Hell...it's not even because I know how to speak Spanish. Lol.

I guess Mexican/Spanish cuisine is my favorite because of all the flavors. As you'll begin to see, I love foods that pack a lot of flavor and make my tastes buds dance! Because of the richness and complex flavors of Mexican cuisine, it inspires me. And that is why I believe it is my favorite. Rounding out my "top three favorite foods of all times list" are Italian and Lebanese.

Anyway...I love the simplicity of crock pot cooking. I was in the mood for enchilada's but wanted to do something different. So, I got to work in the kitchen and came up with an enchilada that mimicked a lasagna and called on my crock pot to help me.

I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did!

Lazy Day Enchilada's

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 medium sized red onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1- 15oz can chili beans, drained 

1-10oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

2 T cumin

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

2 C. shredded cheddar cheese

8 whole wheat tortillas (soft taco or fajita sized)

1 Cup Melissa's Enchilada Sauce

cilantro and sour cream for garnish

1)  Turn crock pot on high.

2) In a large pan, cook beef over medium heat for 5 minutes.

3) Add in onion, peppers and garlic and sauté until beef is cooked through and onions are semi-tender.

4) Add in beans, tomatoes and all other seasonings and cook for 10 minutes.

5) Your crock pot should be up to temp. When it is, throw tortilla's under your ovens broiler (or at 400*) until they are slightly crispy. I did this because I was afraid of having soggy tortillas.

6) Put tortillas down to cover the bottom of the crock pot. Depending on the size of the crock pot you are using, this may just be one or could be 1 1/2. Just cover the bottom.

7) Spoon 1/4 of the beef mixture onto the tortilla, then cover with 1/4 of the cheese. And repeat until the top layer is the beef mixture (don't add the rest of your cheese yet).

8) Pour enchilada sauce over the beef then top with remaining cheese.

8)Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Everything is already cooked but this just helps to marry the flavors, melt the cheese, and cook those tortillas.

When ready, spoon onto plates and garnish with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream!! Go ahead and put more of that wonderful enchilada sauce on for good measure!

(because my boyfriend and I love our enchilada sauce a bit spicy, we don't add it to the crock pot since my daughter has a more sensitive tongue. We will spoon it on our individual servings and tastes just as wonderful as it would if it was on there the whole time)

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Enchilada Sauce

I decided to post the recipe for my enchilada sauce separately from the recipes I use it in and post so that its easy to find and I only have to type it once. I will link back to this in the recipes that call for it.

In a nutshell, I think that canned enchilada sauce is a complete abomination to a true enchilada sauce. Its runny, flavorless, and has way too much salt in it.

I have spent some time tweaking my homemade enchilada sauce and have come up with one that my family loves and is completely adaptable for different palates.

I hope you enjoy this and you'll find that canned enchilada sauce will no longer be sufficient!

Melissa's Homemade Enchilada Sauce

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped/minced

3 T chipotle chilis, in adobo sauce, chopped

2 cups tomato sauce

1 can fat free chicken broth

2 tsp. chili powder

2 T ground cumin

2 T minced onion

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

*not sure how many 'servings' this yields but it makes a good amount. We keep it in the fridge and have it on hand for other mexican-inspired dishes throughout the week or to add to left overs*

1) In a medium sized sauce pan, heat a drop of olive oil and add garlic and red onion and saute on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Keep an eye out so that the garlic doesn't burn. 

2) Add in chipotle peppers and cook for a minute or two. Do not wipe off the adobo sauce on the pepper. Scrap whatever sauce is left on the cutting board after chopping these into the pan also

3) Add in all other ingredients and bring to a boil. 

4) Reduce heat and allow the sauce to thicken, while stirring occassionally to make sure it is not burning. 

Until you get comfortable making this sauce, start off with less chipotle peppers than called for and add as you wish. If you are sensitive to heat, just a teaspoon or two of the sauce (rather than the actual pepper). This sauce can be as mild or hot as you wish, by adjusting the amount of peppers you add. Regardless of the side of the heat scale you fall on, the result is a deep red sauce with a rich smokey and slightly spicy sauce that will make your taste buds dance. And remember, the flavors get more prominent as it cooks. If it is too spicy, add a small drop of honey and stir. Increase the honey until the heat level is back to your liking. Honey will remove the heat without effecting the flavor (this works for any dish, by the way!)

(photo courtesy of www.classycook.com)

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