Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This turned out so delicious, I hope I remember everything I put into it to make it turn out that way.  I threw everything together with stuff I had in my pantry and fridge (and freezer) because the idea of dragging 2 kids to the grocery store was a lot less exciting than trying to figure out what I could make with what I had on hand.

So, this was born.

Ingredients
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
salt/pepper/bay leaves
3 T. oil
1 T. flour
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 cups chicken stock (I used my Better than Bouillon + water)
1/4 cup California chile powder
pinch cumin
pinch oregano
pinch garlic powder
pinch onion powder
salt
1 can Mexicorn
1/2 cup cottage cheese (full fat, please)
handful cilantro
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup Feta
2 cups (or so) shredded "Mexican Cheese Blend" (we get ours at Costco)
6 large corn tortillas
radish/black olives/sour cream to garnish

Put the chicken into a pot of water and season with salt/pepper/and a couple of bay leaves.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and let cook until the chicken is done (I cooked mine from frozen, so it was about 20 minutes, but if they're fresh it'll probably be more like 10).

While the chicken is simmering, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the flour and stir constantly for about a minute.  Add the chile powder, and cook for about 10 seconds until it becomes fragrant.  Then add the chicken broth, the oregano/garlic powder/onion powder/cumin and tomato sauce.  Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes until the flavors blend and it thickens up slightly.

Preheat the oven to 325.

Remove the chicken to a large bowl and shred using 2 forks.  Add the corn, cilantro, green onion, about 1/2 cup of the Mexican cheese, the feta, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, and about 1 or 2 ladles of the sauce to help keep it moist.

Get out your baking dish (I used a 9x11 dish I had and it worked perfectly).  Dip 1 corn tortilla into the enchilada sauce, coating it on both sides completely, and place into the bottom of the pan.  Repeat, making sure the bottom of the baking dish is mostly covered.  Add a layer of the chicken, a few ladles of sauce, and a generous handful of the Mexican cheese.  Repeat again, topping the final layer with tortillas and cheese, using the rest of the sauce over the top and around the edges to make sure it's nice and moist and delicious.

Bake for about 20 minutes or so until bubbly.  Remove from oven and eat with sour cream, olives and radishes on the side.

Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken Breasts

While not our "usual" fare, these were on sale for $.99/lb at Albertson's last week so that was our protein for the week.

I prepared them thusly:

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
4 thin slices lemon
2 T. butter
EVOO
Salt/Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 (I use our toaster oven, which requires no preheating).

Combine the garlic, rosemary, evoo, salt and pepper (lemon zest, too, if you are into that sorta thing) and set aside.

Put chicken breasts, skin side up on a pan covered in aluminum foil (easy cleanup) and loosen the skin from the breasts.  There's usually one part where it's "easy" to slide a finger between and just kinda gently loosen the rest of the skin -- if it comes completely off, don't worry.  Just lay it back on top when you're done!

Smear the garlic/rosemary all over the breast, under the skin and on top of the skin.  Add 1 T. of butter between the skin and the breast and 2 slices of lemon under the butter.  The butter is going to help that skin get SUPER crispy and delicious and the lemon will penetrate the thick breast meat and get soft after baking.

Put in the oven and forget about them for 45 minutes.

Yes, the garlic on top of the breasts MIGHT get slightly "overdone", but in my house burned garlic is a treat.  If you don't like it, don't worry -- take the skin off (and bring it to my house, please, so I can eat it).