Homemade Enchilada Sauce

I found a homemade enchilada sauce recipe and adapted it to include and exclude some ingredients.  It is delicious! I've made it twice already, and used it for both beef and cheese enchiladas.  I like Old El Paso in a can, but it never seems to make "authentic" restaurant-style sauce, so we're really excited about this recipe!

I made enchilada sauce many years ago - during our first year of marriage - but it bothered me to start with oil and flour (I don't know why because so many things do!).  I guess I got over that.... :)

HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE
2 cups water
2 teaspoons chicken base
3- 4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
A pinch of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 Tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon white flour
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce

In a 2 quart sauce pan add the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, lower the heat to low and add the flour. Mix with a wire whisk for about 1 to 2 minutes stirring constantly. You want to see a little bubble going on. Then add the chile powder and whisk in till fully mixed.

Add 2 cups of water and the 2 teaspoons of chicken base. Turn the heat up to medium again and stir till fully mixed.

Add the cumin, garlic powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar stirring after each addition. Bring to a boil as you continue to stir. Once boiling, stir and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

As the sauce sits, it may form a "skin" on top.  Stir occasionally to break that apart, until ready to use for your enchiladas.
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Chili Con Queso

My oldest son, Zachary, made this recipe this past weekend, for he and his brothers.  They said it was great!  He found it on all recipes.com, making only a few slight changes in it from its original.  The name on allrecipes is "Jeff's Chili Con Queso" if you would like to see the original recipe without the changes.

1 (16 ounce) package processed American cheese, cubed
1 (8 ounce) package mild Cheddar cheese, cubed
1 (7 ounce) can mild, chunky salsa
3/4 (15 ounce) can chili without beans
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the processed American cheese and Cheddar cheese. When cheeses are melted and thoroughly blended, mix in salsa, chili, sour cream, and chili powder. Cook and stir 10 to 15 minutes before serving warm.
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Pancho's Green Dressing

This is another recipe sent in by blog reader, Marsha.  This sounds really interesting, so I look forward to trying it soon!

Pancho's Green Dressing

1/2 cup mustard

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon oregano

4 green onions, chopped

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and let her rip!

Thanks for this recipe, Marsha!

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Joe's Top Secret Special Marinade

Posted by Lori:

For a long time my husband wouldn't share his special marinade "recipe" with any of us.  Recently my parents ate with us, though, and he "spilled the beans" when my mom asked for the special secret.  So, it's a secret no longer!

Last week my mom had to call and ask Joe what the proportions were again.  She had messed it up and flip-flopped the ratio.  Apparently when you mix them up the meat gets wayyyyyyy toooooo salty! So, don't make that mistake! :)


Joe's Top Secret Special Marinade

2/3 portion Italian dressing (non-creamy)
1/3 portion soy sauce

Use any amount needed, but keep ratio in the 2/3 and 1/3 portions.  Pour over steaks or chicken and marinate several hours or overnight.  Grill and enjoy!

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Cucumber Salsa

Posted by Lori:

When I spoke at the  Waynoka church last Saturday, the ladies gave me one of their cookbooks they had put together last year.  It has some great recipes I can't wait to try!  This is one of them.  It just sounds really good, doesn't it?

CUCUMBER SALSA

1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
1 cucumber, chopped
1 package dry ranch dressing mix

Mix together and eat! Refrigerate any left-over portions.

How simple is that!!
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Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Posted by Lori:

Enchilada sauce has gotten fairly expensive and I don't always keep it on hand. Today my family (mostly my three boys) asked for enchiladas for supper.  In the past I've tried homemade enchilada sauce recipes, only to be disappointed with the results.  This afternoon I searched the web for a homemade enchilada sauce and we were all pleasantly surprised!  Everyone really liked this sauce!  I had the Knorr's Caldo de Tomate in the spice cabinet already, since I had made a Spanish Rice with it several months ago (search Spanish Rice on blog home page.)  I found this recipe on www.plainchicken.com.  It was adapted from another site.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

1/2 cup of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Knorr's Caldo de Tomate
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth

In a medium sauce pan, whisk together all ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring
constantly.
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Secret Marinade for Steaks and Chicken

Posted by Lori:

For quite some time any time we were grilling steaks or chicken, my husband and our oldest son would want to do the marinade. They would make a big deal of it and talk (and gloat!:) about their "secret". Tonight after eating our delicious grilled chicken, I asked for the recipe so that I could share it with you. Reluctantly they gave in and decided to reveal their "secret". Would you believe that it's only two ingredients? Yep! That's it! And here it is for all of you:

Joe and Zachary's Secret Marinade

1/3 part soy sauce
2/3 part Italian dressing

Mix together desired amount of marinade and marinate steaks or chicken for at least one hour and grill or bake/broil as desired.

On this Gratituesday, I am grateful to my husband and son for sharing their top "secret" recipe!  :)

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

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Parmesan Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo

Note: These were the first two recipes I posted on this blog, but thought since it has been almost 2 years, it would be a good one to repost. At that time we didn't have many visitors, but now we have hundreds! (Thank you :). This Alfredo Sauce can be used in many ways making other dishes. It's delicious!


Posted by Lori:

One of my families' favorite meals is Parmesan Chicken and Fettuccine Alfredo. It's always a favorite when taken to church potluck dinners or other gatherings. My husband likes "red" (spaghetti) sauce instead of Alfredo, so I always serve it with both whenever I make it at home or take it to dinners.

PARMESANAN CHICKEN

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Olive oil

In shallow dish, mix together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and poultry seasoning. Cut chicken breasts in half, lengthwise. Place chicken between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4 inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dip chicken in beaten egg, the coat in breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Fry chicken in olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. (You can bake the chicken in the oven if desired.  Use olive oil, still, but in a smaller amount.) Serve with spaghetti sauce or Alfredo sauce.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
1/2 cup butter (can use 1/4 cup, if desired)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup grated real Parmesan cheese (Walmart brand doesn't seem to melt well.)
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain, place in large bowl.

Combine butter and whipping cream in saucepan. Cook over low heat until butter melts. Stir in cheese and parsley. Serve with fettuccine.

Enjoy!
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Barbeque Ranch Dip

Posted by Lori:

Last week, when I made the Barbeque Chicken Quesadillas, I made this Barbeque Ranch Dip to go along with it.  Unfortunately, it just didn't "go" with it, you know what I mean?  It didn't do anything for the quesadillas.  In fact, they didn't need anything extra do go with them, they were great on their own.  But, what about the dip, then?  I had bought a new variety of Tostito chips.  It was some kind of black bean and garlic version.  WOW!  They were soooooo good with this dip and it all went together with the barbeque and ranch theme of food we had going on that evening.

It's fun trying new products and finding a way to use them.  It's even better if it tastes delicious!

Barbeque Ranch Dip

1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons barbeque sauce
2 teaspoons Ranch seasoning mix (I bought a large container of it at Sam's but the little packets of dip/dressing mix will work just fine.)
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (if desired)
(If I could have found it in the cabinet, I would have added a dash of cumin to this, too.)
Mix all ingredients together.  Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.
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Sour Cream Sauce for Enchiladas

Posted by Lori:
Last week I made beef enchiladas using left over Tex-Mex Roast. The beef mixture was rolled in flour tortillas, along with some cheddar cheese. This sauce was poured over the top. My husband was at a meeting that evening, so I didn't get his input on the meal, but all four children gave it a "thumbs up". I liked it, too, but think I might prefer it over chicken enchiladas or in beef that didn't contain beans.

The sauce is very good, rich, and authentic-tasting. I would share where I found it, but I can't remember - somewhere online!

SOUR CREAM SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 - 4 ounce can diced green chilies

In saucepan, melt butter, blend in flour, add chicken broth, and cook until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in sour cream and green chilies. Cook until heated through, but DO NOT BOIL. Pour sauce over enchiladas and bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve piping hot.

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Apricot Butter

Posted by Donna:

My last post was Honey Graham Bread. I mentioned that this post would be the Apricot Butter recipe that can be fixed to serve with it.

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened (I used butter.)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup finely chopped dried apricots

1/4 tsp. grated lemon rind

Beat the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients, beating until blended.

My husband liked the Apricot Butter more than just plain butter on the bread---which surprised me. I was anxious to see what the three people that I took the bread to thought of it. I talked to one of the ladies this afternoon while we were singing at the Assisted Living Center, and she told me she thought the bread was delicious. I was so glad she liked it.

*****I have also meant to tell everyone that the Key Lime Chicken recipe I posted several weeks back has become my favorite marinade for pork chops. I remember stating that I thought it would be good---believe me it is. Matter of fact, I like it better on the pork chops than the chicken.

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Caramel Sauce

Posted by Kimberly:

With Halloween right around the corner, I was trying to think of a recipe to post that made me think of this time of year. I happened to remember this recipe that I had gotten from a friend several years ago for a caramel sauce that you dipped apple wedges in. At that time, I wasn't a huge fan of apples, but with them dipped in this sauce, I became a one!

Caramel Sauce:

2 sticks butter, melted

1 cup corn syrup

2 cups brown sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Bring mixture to a boil and turn down heat. Stir constantly. Cook 5 minutes longer. Add 1 tsp. vanilla.

Yum-yum!!!

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Parmesan Chicken and Fettuccine Alfredo

Posted by Lori:
One of my families' favorite meals is Parmesan Chicken and Fettuccine Alfredo. It's always a favorite when taken to church potluck dinners or other gatherings. My husband likes "red" (spaghetti) sauce instead of Alfredo, so I always serve it with both whenever I make it at home or take it to dinners.

PARMESAN CHICKEN
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. poultry seasoning
Olive oil

In shallow dish, mix together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and poultry seasoning. Cut chicken breasts in half, lengthwise. Place chicken between two sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4 inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Dip chicken in beaten egg, the coat in breadcrumb/cheese mixture. Cook chicken in olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Serve with spaghetti sauce or Alfredo sauce.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
1/2 cup butter (can use 1/4 cup, if desired)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup grated real Parmesan cheese (Walmart brand doesn't seem to melt well.)
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain, place in large bowl.
Combine butter and whipping cream in saucepan. Cook over low heat until butter melts. Stir in cheese and parsley. Serve with fettuccine.

Enjoy!

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