Mexican Chicken Manicotti

I tried this tonight on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. My kids even liked it! It's kind of a fun twist on Manicotti.

Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) manicotti shells
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 small onion, diced, divided
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, divided
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup salsa
2/3 cup milk

Directions:

Cook manicotti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1-1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, half of the onion and 6 tablespoons chilies. In another bowl, combine the soup, salsa, milk and remaining onion and chilies. Spread 1/2 cup in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Drain manicotti and rinse in cold water; stuff each with about 1/4 cupful chicken mixture. Arrange over sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 7 servings.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

This is Dad's grandma's recipe that Grandma Lorimer always made us. This is certainly one of my favorites.

1 pie crust (already prepared)
sliced fresh strawberries (enough to fill your pie crust most of the way)

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cold water
3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon butter
red food coloring

Stir sugar and cornstarch into water until they dissolve. Add cinnamon, butter, and food coloring. Heat mixture until it becomes transparent, stirring sometimes. Once it is transparent, let the mixture cool. Once cool, add sliced strawberries. Put strawberry mixture into pie shell and refridgerate. (Do not let sit for too long. Pie crust gets soggy.) Serve with whipped cream.

Pork Carnitas

This is a family favorite! And it's nice for when the missionaries come over because it's easy and makes quite a bit! I also have quite recently discovered it tastes great with Dean's Creamy Tomatillo Dip that's listed on this blog under Appetizers. (The leftover meat and sauce are also great in scrambled eggs!!)

One quick note: The recipe calls for red wine vinegar - last night I used half balsamic vinegar and half beef broth and it turned out about the same.

Ingredients:

3 lb. pork loin roast
2 to 3 cups red wine vinegar (enough to cover meat)
3 to 4 Tblsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Combine vinegar, red pepper, onion and spices for marinade. Cover meat and marinate overnight. Next day, discard marinade and roast meat at 350 until tender or in a slow cooker. (I actually find that if I cook the meat with about a 1/2 - 1 cup of marinade, there are enough drippings for the green chile gravy!) (If you want to add a little heat, add a few red pepper flakes to the meat the last hour or so of cooking.) Serve with fried potatoes, tortillas, green chile gravy, spanish rice, tomatillo dip, tomatoes, cheese, or whatever else sounds good.

Green Chile Gravy

Warm meat drippings on stove. Add onion to taste and flour to thicken (I'm sure you could use corn starch too.) Stir in 1 can diced green chilies. Simmer until thick. (You could also use 1 cup chicken bullion if there are not enough drippings.)