texas and tex mex (chilaquiles)

So we are now Texans! We are officially all moved into our new home in Allen, TX. It has been a crazy time getting settled since we were visiting family and then just trying to unpack and me getting over my denial about the fact that we are actually living here and not moving back to Virginia.

In celebration of Christian's new job, I grilled up some steaks in my fancy grill pan that i got for Christmas. Yum! If you don't have a grill pan yet, it is a must have. I use mine all the time. It is like your own personal indoor BBQ but way easier to use and way less messy. LOVE it. You can buy them just about anywhere. This probably doesn't even qualify for a recipe since I just used lemon pepper and garlic salt to season them and grilled them up. YUM! I also made "funeral potatoes" which we both love. But everyone seems to have a recipe for those already. SO, I will post about our second real meal that I made in our new home...


CHILAQUILES!


This recipe comes from my mom via somewhere or someone else, but since I got it from her she gets the credit. It is SO yummy. In two days Christian and I polished off a full 9x13 pan. (oink oink) This is more of a chilaquile casserole, since traditional chilaquiles are made on a stovetop and have way more fat. But don't worry if you top this healthy version with a little sour cream and cheese like I did it boosts that fat content right back up again!


Chilaquile Casserole

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (I used Monterey Jack because that is what I had)

2 Tblsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp chili powder

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 (11oz) can tomatillos, drained

1 can chopped green chiles

12 (6 inch) corn tortillas

Cooking Spray

1. Preheat Oven to 375

2. Combine chicken, onions, half the cheese, Parmesan cheese, chili powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Place milk and next 3 ingredients (through chiles) in a food processor or blender; process until smooth.

3. Heat the corn tortillas according to package directions (I did this in the microwave) pour some of the sauce on the bottom of an 11x7 pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange four tortillas in the bottom of the dish and top with half the chicken mixture. Repeat layers ending with tortillas.

4. Pour remaining tomatillo sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

**NOTES**

This is worth the extra effort of making your own yummy tomatillo sauce. YUM YUM YUM! Like I said, I used extra cheese and threw some in between the chicken mixture and the tortillas. Also, I baked it a little longer so that the cheese was all bubbly and delish. Serve with salsa or sour cream or guacamole or all three! Enjoy!