Green Chili Chicken Casserole

I don't think I've posted this recipe here. It's one I created a while back that my hubby love, love, loves.  It's really easy to make and freezes very well, so if you do OAMC, then this recipe would fit nicely into your repertoire.

Here are the ingredients:

Shredded Monterrey jack cheese, cream of jalapeno soup, Green Chile Tomatillo salsa, chicken breast, white corn tortillas

Ingredients:
1lb. cooked, shredded chicken breast*
1 to 1 1/4 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (you can grate your own instead of buying the already shredded stuff. I'm just lazy.)
1 10oz can of Cream of Jalapeno soup (This might be regional. It's available in Texas along with a lot of other traditional Mexican soups.  If you can't find it, you can sub Cream of Chicken)
2/3 cup Green Chile Tomatillo salsa (Again, this is a variety found in my local grocery store. You can sub any kind of green chile or tomatillo salsa. Heat intensity is personal preference.)
15-20 White tortillas, cut in half or quarters

Directions:
1) If preparing to eat immediately, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  If preparing for the freezer, skip this step.
2) Spray a 9X13" baking pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
3) In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, soup, 1/3 cup salsa and mix until the chicken has been thoroughly coated with the wet ingredients.  Set aside.
4) Spread 1/3 cup of salsa on the bottom of baking pan and build your first tortilla layer. Spread about 1/4 of the chicken mixture over the tortillas and then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese.
5) Repeat the layering process for two to three more layers (of until you run out of the chicken mixture.)
6) Loosely top the casserole with the remaining tortillas and spread the last 1/3 cup of salsa over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
7) Bake in a 350 degree oven, loosely covered with foil for about 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese on top browns.  Or if you have a broiler safe baking dish, brown the top for about 5 minutes under the broiler.

To bake from frozen - Allow casserole to thaw completely in refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 35-40 minutes until completely heated through. 

Green Chile Chicken Casserole - Ready for freezing or to pop in the oven.

*A note about cooking the chicken -
The best way I've found to cook chicken for these kinds of recipes is in a slow cooker.  The chicken will be extremely tender and moist and it's an easy way to infuse flavor.  The the casserole in the photo in this post, I cooked thawed chicken on high for about 4.5 hours. I flavored it with one small can of hot green chilies, 2T of olive oil, 1 peeled whole garlic clove, and about 2 tsps of salt.  The resulting juice and chilies from the slow cooker were incorporated into the sauce for this recipe (as was about 1/3 c of left over Creamy Jalapeno dip from Chuy's!). 

Another option for the chicken is to make up a big batch of KA's Chicken Tacos chicken. The flavors would be perfect in this recipe! If you really wanted to coordinate ingredients, I would use a tomato based salsa and a sharp cheddar cheese (in lieu of tomatillo salsa and Monterrey Jack cheese.)

Conversations with Ben - April 22, 2011

This morning, waking up, getting changed, and dressed for the day.

Ben: "...and then Mommy take me and Molly to the liberry and she will get me a movie to watch and it will be a great day!"
Daddy: "Oh yeah?  That sounds like fun."
Ben: "Uh huh. And I get to go to the liberry."
Daddy: "It's library."
Ben: "Liberry."
Daddy: "Library. Lye-BRAR-ee"
Ben: "No, Daddy. Liberry. LYE-BERRY."

Conversations with Ben - April 10, 2011

Riding in the car on the way to the grocery store.

Ben: "Mommy, what those birds doing?"
Me: "Where, honey? What birds?"
Ben: "Thoooossseeee birds there. See?"
Me: "Oh right.  They're digging in the dirt. Probably looking for something to eat."
Ben: "What do the birdies eat?"
Me: "Hhm.  Bugs and worms, I suppose."
Ben: "Oh."
Ben: "I don't like to eat bugs.  They're too pointy."

"Cheese" for the camera! Looks exactly like his "I smell something" face.

Molly - Three Months Old

Good golly, Miss Molly!
You're three months old.  Slow down, there tiger.  If you're not careful, you'll be all grown up and I'll be looking around, wondering where my baby went.

What a month!  Not long after you turned two months, I thought it was about time you started trying out your new room. You had been taking naps there for a couple of weeks and seemed to love it just fine. One late evening you were "napping" and I thought that maybe we should try leaving you there for the night.  Best decision (and 8 hours of sleep), EVER!  You're a happy camper in your cozy abode.

I don't think it's the decor, though.  Poor baby! Your mama has just not gotten it together enough to actually decorate. I keep meaning to. There is a boat load of adorable tchotckes and flotsam at the "crapt" store (Ha! When you're older, you'll have to ask your brother about that one) that would be perfect for a girly-girl's haven.  Some day. I promise. It will be properly girlified.

What else did you do this month? Oh yes! You started talking.  Well, ok, not with actual words that I understand, but you are definitely making sounds with the intent to communicate. It's just wonderful to hear.  You'll stop and smile and then say things like, "Cooo gaaahhh aggooo," which I can only assume means, "Oh mommy! You are so pretty and funny. I think you're the smartest woman in the whole wide world! I can't imagine that some day you'll be as funny as a heart attack and as smart as a box of rocks."  Obviously, that's exactly what you are saying.

On the other hand, every time you see your boyfriend, The Fan In Your Room, you also say, "Cooo gaaahhh aggooo." The best I can hope for is that it means you're happy. 

You are such a love!  I snuggle you every day and give you kisses and tell you how wonderful you are. I'm beyond happy to be your mommy.

Love, hugs, and kisses!
Mama

Molly - Two Months Old

Dear Molly-wolly,
You turned two months old yesterday. Hooray!  You're a big girl, my love.  Today we went to see your pediatrician to get the official stats.  You weigh 10 pounds, 10 ounces. Your noggin is 37 centimeters around and you're about 21" long (but your pedi things because you love to sit all yogi style, that your nurse Sarah didn't did measure your gams quite right. But that's okay.)

So where does that put you on the classic growth chart?  All over the place!  You're 50% for weight, 10% for head size and 5% for length (but we know that's probably wrong anyway.)  You're 100% perfect! It said so right on the chart. I promise. *wink, wink*

The worst part though were the shots. Oh my sweet drama queen! You did not like them one bit. I don't blame you. Those suckers hurt!  You stopped crying shortly after the shots were given but then when I picked you up and you looked at my face, you just whimpered and sobbed on my shoulder.  Break my heart, little girl!

So other than the recent trauma of exams and inoculations, this month has been just lovely.  You have started to smile and coo and gurgle at us.  You've gotten accustomed to sleeping for more than two hours.  You love to eat and even though I quit breastfeeding you exactly 1,832 times, I also restarted 1,833 times.  You love boob, kiddo (your dad is slightly jealous. Yes, I did write that because I know he reads this blog. Hi, honey!)

The love between you and your Ben-Ben is growing so much.  Molly, your brother is smitten with you.  I am so excited for the day when you and he can play together (and inevitably argue with, pick on, and bicker with each other.)  

You're starting to stir so I'm going to go for now.  I love you, darling princess.  My sweet love!
LHK,
Mommy

P.S. I promise to edit this post with your two month picture soon!

How'd You Do It, Stella?

Get your groove back, that is. 

I miss my groove.  Before Molly, we had our thing. Our routine.  I knew when to feed Ben, entertain him, get him ready for bed (ok, his dad did that).  I knew when I had my time, our time, family time.  It was lovely. We had it good.

I completely forgot how all sense of predictability goes right out the window when a newborn comes home.  *head slap* Doh! 

The comfort in all of this is that a) the creature that killed my groove is seriously adorable, snuggly, and wonderful and b) the groove will come back...so I'm told.  In the meantime, we're just holding on to this ride by our fingernails, playing man-on-man defense and doing our best to still say loving and kind words to each other at the end of the day.

Molly - One Month Old

Dear Miss M,

So I'm writing this a couple of days late from your actual “one month” birthday mark. Don't worry. As these letters continue, I'll get later and later in the month until eventually I'm playing catch-up the week you turn a year old. I'm just that good.

We made it, kiddo! You, me, your dad, and Ben-Ben have survived month one. Way to go! So what have you been up to this month? Mostly sleeping, pooing, eating. Technically, because you were four weeks early, you've been playing catch-up, growing and gaining weight that you would have done while you were still inside me.

You're a chunk-a-lunk, now! I love holding you and snuggling your sweet cheeks. Daddy was worried you weren't going to get that chipmunk look he loves so much, but you didn't disappoint. You're a championing breast feeder. I wasn't sure how that was all going to work out, but you've taken to nursing like a duck to water. You love it! Me? Well, I'd like to sleep a little more and be less of a buffet station at the Golden Corral, but I've been reassured that you eventually get more efficient and I will sleep for more than three hours at a time, once again (fingers crossed!)

Your brother is so taken with you, Miss Molly. He loves to help take care of you. When you cry because you're hungry and I can't get to you right away, your bubba will say, “It's okay baby girl.” Sniff! I think you two will be great friends as you get older. You'll love him. Ben-Ben is funny and adventurous. He's mischievous and stubborn so you'll have your work cut out for you as a little sister. But he could use a good dose of teasing and picking-on. Be gentle though, Molly-wolly. Your Ben is sensitive and has a soft heart. I know you'll be his protector. He certainly will be yours.

This letter will be short. You're currently giving me the stink eye and letting me know that you're about to wail for lunch in T-minus any minute.

I love you, my sweet princess!

Kisses,

Mommy