Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil spray
  • Two 10-ounce cans mild green enchilada sauce
  • One 10.5-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
  • One 8-ounce container sour cream
  • 4 cups shredded meat from 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken or Perfect Roast Chicken (page 203 in Magnolia Table Cookbook)
  • One 4-ounce can diced green chiles
  • One 14-ounce bag grated mozzarella cheese (about 3 1/2 cups)
  • Ten 10-inch soft flour tortillas (see Cook’s Note)
  • 1 vine-ripened tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

  1. Position an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13x3-inch (deep) baking dish with vegetable oil.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the enchilada sauce, chicken soup, and sour cream. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the baking dish. Set aside the remaining sauce.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and chiles. Toss until well combined. Set aside.
  4. Set aside about 2 cups of mozzarella for topping the dish. Put the rest in a medium bowl for ease.
  5. Sprinkle some mozzarella on a tortilla, then add some of the shredded chicken and chiles. Tightly roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the prepared pan. Continue with all of the tortillas, chicken, and mozzarella (except for what you’ve reserved for the top), putting the tortillas into the baking dish as they are filled. Push the others up against one another as necessary so that all the filled tortillas fit in a single layer.
  6. Pour the remaining sauce over the filled tortillas. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the reserved mozzarella on top. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
  7. Pass the chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and lime wedges at the table. Serve with Mexican rice and warmed charro or other beans.
  8. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup basmati or long-grain white rice
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the rice and sauté until the rice begins to brown a little, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small glass bowl, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in the microwave, about 30 seconds. Stir in the lime zest and juice.
  3. Pour the lime butter over the hot rice, add the cilantro, and stir until combined. Season with the salt and pepper.

Megan’s Favorite Cheesy Baked Tortellini

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

2 c Marinara Sauce

1/3 c Mascarpone Cheese

¼ c chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1# purchased cheese tortellini (or gnocchi)

2 oz thinly sliced, smoked Mozzarella

¼ c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Lightly oil 8x8x2 baking dish

Whisk the marinara sauce, mascarpone cheese, parsley and thyme in a large bowl to blend

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender.

Drain

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Top with the smoked Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the cheeses on top melt, about another 10 minutes.

Serve

Slow Cooked Brisket

Ingredients

Brisket:

One 3- to 4-pound second-cut or point-cut brisket, preferably in one piece

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound small carrots, halved lengthwise

3 large shallots, sliced lengthwise

12 large cloves garlic

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

5 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons grainy mustard

Gremolata:

2 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, stemmed

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Zest and juice from 1 large lemon

Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cook the brisket: Tie the circumference of the brisket with butcher’s twine. In a large Dutch oven or other wide heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, sprinkle both sides of the brisket with salt and pepper. Use metal tongs to add the meat to the pot. If the oil is hot enough, the meat won’t stick. Cook, undisturbed, on its first side, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn on the other side and brown, 3 to 5 additional minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and place it on a baking sheet.
  3. Cook the vegetables: Lower the heat to medium. In the same pot, add the carrots, shallots and garlic and sprinkle them with another pinch of salt. Brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar and vinegar and simmer over very low heat until the liquid reduces and starts to coat the carrots, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the vegetables and cooking liquid into a bowl.
  4. Cook the meat: Return the brisket to the pot and add the beef stock. Bring the stock to a gentle simmer. Cover, then place the pot in the center of the oven and cook for 1 hour. Remove the pot from the oven and add the vegetables and their liquid back in. Return the pot to the oven, uncovered, and cook until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork, an additional 1 to 2 hours. (If the meat looks dry or begins to get overly browned, cover the pot with the lid or a layer of aluminum foil for the remaining oven time.)
  5. Make the gremolata: In a small skillet, toast the coriander seeds in 1 teaspoon olive oil until lightly colored and fragrant. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the parsley, garlic, lemon zest and juice and a generous pinch of salt. Add the coriander seeds warm, straight from the skillet. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, then stir and set aside.
  6. Finish: Remove the pot from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, blend half the cooking liquid and half of the remaining vegetables in a blender until smooth, then pour back into the pot. Whisk in the mayonnaise and mustard. Taste for seasoning. Slice the meat against the grain. (It should be fork-tender without being dry.) Transfer the meat and the remaining vegetables to a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the meat. Serve with the gremolata.

When blending hot liquid, first let it cool for five minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling only halfway. Put the lid on, leaving one corner open. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth.