Easy Dinner

I am still struggling with balancing working with cooking. Chris and I cook a lot, but it requires a lot of cooking and planning ahead when you work. I have so much more respect for my Mama! She always worked long hours and had a home-cooked meal on the table.

This is one of my go-to meals lately when I'm short on time. I also make it ahead of time and cook it the next day when I get home from work.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole:

Ingredients:

2 large cans of cooked chicken

1 or 2 cans kidney, black, or pinto beans (drained)

1 cup of salsa

1 can of cream of celery soup

paprika to taste

hot sauce to taste

corn tortillas (6 to 10)

frozen corn kernels

1 onion, chopped fine and sauteed (optional)

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend)

cilantro, to taste

Tear the corn tortillas into bite size pieces and set aside. Lightly spray a casserole dish with nonstick spray and then put a layer of the tortilla pieces. Stir all of the other ingredients besides the cheese together in a large bowl. Layer the casserole dish with a layer of the tortilla pieces, then a layer of the chicken mixture, then a layer of the cheese. Repeat until all gone. Make sure the top layer is cheese. I usually top mine with chopped green onions.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or until hot.

I love this recipe because you can make it different every time. Sometimes I add chopped celery, or sauteed onions and bell pepper. I added chili powder the last time I made it. And it makes great leftovers for the next day.

Definitely not a Martha Stewart recipe, but pretty good for something that takes about 5 minutes of prep time! I like to make it on Sundays and then cook it when I get home from work on Monday. And it's pretty healthy.