Southwest Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
4 Tblsp. bacon grease

4 medium raw chicken breasts, cut into small bite-size pieces
1 medium onion
4 sticks celery
1/2 cup flour
4 Tblsp. minced garlic
8 cups chicken broth or stock
2 cans fire roasted corn
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 large Russet potatoes, peeled 
1/2 package Walmart Southwest Chicken Seasoning (or equivalent seasoning equal to 4 Tblsp.)
Salt & pepper to taste
Scallions and bacon, chopped, optional for serving

Preparation:
1. Put onion and celery into food processor and puree until smooth. Add a bit of chicken broth if needed to smooth it out.

2. Dice potatoes. (I use a french fry cutter to slice them, then cross-cut them after, to get cubes.)

3. Heat bacon grease in large stockpot on medium heat.

4. Once grease has melted, add the onion and celery puree, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed to keep it from burning.

5. Stir in the flour, and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly, to keep flour from clumping.

6. Add garlic, followed by the chicken broth. Stir well to make sure flour dissolves and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.

7. Add chicken, corn (do not drain), cream, potatoes and seasoning. 

8. Over medium heat, slowly bring the soup to a boil. Stir frequently to keep the potatoes from sticking to the bottom.

9. Once the soup has reached boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer, so it's only gently/barely boiling. 

10. Continue cooking until the potatoes are done (about 15-20 minutes). Stir every so often. The soup will thicken as it cooks. If it gets too thick, add chicken broth in 1/4 cup increments until it thins to your taste.

11. Season the soup with salt, pepper and even hot sauce, as needed. 

12. Soup can be garnished with scallions and bacon, if desired. 

Easy Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

2 cans (10 oz each) red enchilada sauce (or make your own, see below)

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 package 6” flour tortillas for soft tacos 

1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

 

Enchilada sauce

1 can tomato sauce

1 ½ tsp Goya seasoning

1 tsp cumin

 

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. 

2.  Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish or pan with cooking spray.

3. Cook beef, stirring occasionally and chopping as desired, until thoroughly cooked, then drain. 

4.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and the chiles.

5. Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly in baking dish. 

6. Spread 1/4 cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla.

7. Sprinkle beef mixture with 1 tablespoon cheese. 

8. Wrap tortillas tightly around filling, placing seam side down in baking dish. 

9.  Top with remaining enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

10. Cover with foil, and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

11. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.