chicken enchies (and time saver tips)

i'm always looking for a quick, filling meal.  that means i have to do some things in advance and in big batches to be able to put together a quick meal.

i should let you know i'm not much of a planner. i know there are mothers/wives out there who plan the meals a week at a time. i am not that person. this is how dinner gets decided at our house:

(around 5 or 6 o'clock)

me: are you getting hungry?

k-man: not really, but maybe in like an hour or so.

me: hmmm, ok. are you craving anything in particular?

k-man: no, not really. (rare case scenario ;) )

me: ok. i'll go an see what we have in the fridge. 

k-man: cool. 

and then i concoct something like this recipe. 

ingredient preparation is usually the thing that takes the most time (in many cases) in the kitchen. if you can have many of your ingredients ready to use, then popping something in the oven means you can spend a total of maybe 10 minutes of hands-on time for dinner. the are some things i have found most helpful to do when i have some free time are these:

cooking large batches of chicken breasts in the crock pot

{i buy the frozen bags of chicken breasts at wal-mart and then pop them in the crock pot for 4 hours on high. then i shred them and put them into serving-size containers and freeze them)

shredding cheese

{we never (anymore) buy pre-shredded cheese. in case you haven't noticed, it doesn't really have a cheese flavor. when cheese is on sale (cheddar, mozz, etc...) i buy a bunch and we shred it. it's great for pizzas or  in this case chicken enchies}

boiling eggs

{protein is so important in you diet. i have recently started boiling batches of 5 eggs and storing them in the fridge for quick pick me ups and lunches. sometimes i want something light for lunch but know i will be hungry if i don't have some protein. adding an egg in a flash is just the thing!}

make double pasta

{we eat a lot of pasta and it is very helpful to make twice what you will eat for one meal. for instance, yesterday i made a stir fry. but made extra pasta. it is very helpful to store a container of cooked pasta in the fridge. i can take it out for lunch or dinner the next day and have a meal by just adding pesto or sauce and reheating}

here's a recipe i made using the things we had on hand. these are kind of like enchiladas but with no tomato product since i am allergic to tomatoes (so sad...).

i recommend adding a some salsa to the mix when making this for non-tomato-allergic people. 

here's what you will need: (remember, you just adjust for the number of people you are feeding. this recipe makes 4 enchies. enough for 2 adults)

4 large wheat tortillas

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken

1 cup pink or red beans

1/2 cup sauteed onions and peppers

1 cup shredded cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

salsa

directions:

preheat oven to 425F.

mix in a large bowl: chicken, beans, onions, peppers, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream and cilantro. add 1/2 cup of salsa.

spoon mixture evenly into 4 tortillas and roll. place in a 8x8 pan. top with any leftover mixture. 1/2 cup more salsa and 1/2 cup cheese.

bake at 425F for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

enjoy!

my mixture sans salsa :/  salsa would have taken it to the next level!! 

ready for the oven! 

hope you make these for  a tasty meal :)

what are some shortcuts you do in the kitchen?