No Cream of Crap!

One of this weeks #elf4health challenges was to make a casserole and think of ways to make it a bit healthier. Ya know, less cheese or sauce, more veggies.... stuff like that.

Well I don't know if everyone would consider chicken enchiladas a casserole, but that's what I decided to try and lighten up! 

I went looking through tons of recipes to get inspiration. And one after the other, without fail, "1 can cream of...." Oh HECK No!! 

It makes me angry, like genuinely ticked off, when I see a picture of a beautiful, seemingly healthy meal, and decide to make it only to find a 'cream of crap soup' listed among the ingredients.

Gross.

So I did my own thang! ;)

It tasted great!There are a few things I would do differently, but we will discuss that later. For now, admire my work!

Nom, noM, NoM, nOm!!


This was a fairly easy meal to make, but it did take up quite a bit of time (mostly for chopping) so I don't recommend it if you are in a hurry or have a very hungry hubby (which is all the time in my house!!!).

I have to apologize, because I never measure anything. These are my best guesses as to how much you might need. Just make it your own and have fun with it!


What you will need:

• 1 to 2 (depending on size) chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 2-3 cups of chopped red, yellow, and orange mini sweet peppers (or whatever kind you like)
• 1/2 a large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup flour
• 5 or so large tortillas
• enough shredded cheese to cover the top.

Plus all of your favorite toppings!! (sour cream and guacamole for us!)

Spices: To Taste

• Cumin 
• Chili Powder
• Paprika
• Black Pepper 
• Crushed Red Pepper

Anytime I have a recipe that calls for shredded chicken, I throw a chicken breast or two in the crock pot with some water or chicken broth, and put it on low to cook all day. It practically shreds itself!

Once you have everything chopped (the most time consuming part),

saute your peppers in pre-heated olive oil until slightly soft.  Add onions and garlic and flavor with spices (lots of chili and cumin, just a little paprika) , continue until onions are soft.

Add chicken broth and flour. Heat till bubbling, lower heat and stir until thick.

Viola! Cream of..... peppers... or something.

Now, just put a little bit in the bottom of a 9X13 pan, mix most of it in with the chicken, leaving enough to cover the dish.

Put a big scoop in a tortilla shell, roll it up and place (seem down) in the pan. Repeat until it is all used.

Cover with the remaining sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and bake at 350 until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!

Things I would do differently:
I think I would just make MORE of the sauce. It tasted great but I like my enchiladas to be stuffed really full and these were pretty wimpy. Plus it would swing the meat-to-flour ratio back to the end I like to stay at.
Other than that it was perfect! I love those mini sweet peppers!

I also made some puppy chow (or muddy buddies). It's not lightened up in the least, but as one of my all-time favorite childhood Christmas memories, I couldn't let a holiday season pass without it. This stuff is like crack!

Oh man, now I really want some more. Must. Stay. Away. Til. Noon!

What is your favorite holiday treat?