Enchilada Pasta Casserole

Yesterday was a good day.  Why, you ask?  Because I won $50 in Harry Potter trivia and IT WAS AWESOME.  I have never been surrounded by people that love Harry Potter as much as I do and I wasn’t even a little embarrassed at the “nerdy” conversations we were having.  To cap off a pretty wonderful weekend, I made this delicious casserole for dinner AND I can eat it 3 more times this week which is perfect for my current work schedule.  This casserole is made with a great pasta and a wonderful soup all mixed together.  Plus, there are sauteed vegetables in this.  SAUTEED! Those are my favorite kind of veggies.  Gluten free and AMAZING.  Really comfort foodie and perfect for fall (which I’m begging to come soon).

Enchilada Pasta Casserole
Serves: 4                 Total Time: 30 minutes

What you need:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 red onion, diced (I only had 1/2 in the fridge, but would’ve loved to use 1 whole onion)
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used a green pepper)
• 16 oz. small pasta (I used GF penne)
• 32 ounces (or so) enchilada soup – I used the Cookwell and Company cheese enchilada soup from H-E-B, but any variation would work
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheese (2% milk okay)

 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400* and spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray
• In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the pepper and onions.
• Cook the vegetables until soft and browned
• Cook the pasta in heavily salted water until done, drain well
• Combine the pasta, vegetables, and spices into the pasta pot and stir well
• Pour the pasta mix into the pan and top with cheese
• Bake for 15 minutes.  If you will be eating the whole casserole right away, I would broil for an additional 2 minutes to brown and toast the cheese, but don’t recommend if you are making enough for leftovers
• Let the casserole sit for at least 5 minutes before dishing it out to serve

This recipe is adapted from Slender Kitchen.

Enchilada Rice

It’s Saturday which means it’s game day again!! So sorry I haven’t posted those margs yet, I just can’t snap a pretty picture that captures how good they taste!! But I am almost out of the tasty liquid, so I will have to post them soon! And I made kettle corn today because popcorn is one of the best snacks around when you’re spending the day watching your favorite teams. A nice cool front has blown it and I’m sitting in my living room with the windows open because it’s sub 70*!!! That’s like October weather. Or maybe November. This kind of weather has me in the mood for football and just makes me happy. And yearning for even cooler weather and warm comfort food. Ooooh and riding boots. Anyway, I got a nice comforty type food meal recipe thing for you today  #winning. And it’s gluten free AND it’s a little bit of texmex that you can easily whip up at home.

One Pan Enchilada Rice 

Serves: 2-3
Prep Time: 5 minutes                   Total  Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

What you need:

• 1 cup uncooked rice (brown is healthier!)
• 1.5 cups vegetable (or your favorite) broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 14.5 oz can corn, drained
• 1 14.5 oz can black beans, drained
• 1 14.5 oz can tomatoes (optional), drained
• 1 14.5 oz can enchilada sauce (I used red, but any will work)
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions:

• Cook the rice in the broth and set aside to cool
• Cook the olive oil and garlic in a skillet until fragrant over medium heat, add the onions
• Cook until the onion start to brown and become translucent – about 4-5 minutes
• Add the rice, corn, black beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili power, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and chopped cilantro – stir well
• Cover and let come to a boil over high heat before reducing to a simmer
• Let simmer for about 6-7 minutes or until the onions are soft and the mixture is warmed through (If you want it less soupy, let it cook for a little while longer and then stir well. Also, stir your cheese in to help thicken)
• Top with cheese and  cilantro and then devour

This recipe is adapted from Damn Delicious.

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Have you guys ever eaten quiona? It’s kind of a mix between pasta and rice, but it’s way more fun to cook than either of those two! It starts as a little grain, but it expands and almost sheds as it cooks and puffs! You can tell that I am easily amused, but this stuff satisfies the taste buds of even the pickiest eater. Quinoa by itself doesn’t taste like much which means it is a great base for any awesome combination of flavors. Being a Texas girl, I am partial to Tex Mex flavors. This delicious casserole is warm and cheesy, but really filling with all of the vegetables – plus it’s like lightened up enchiladas, winning on all fronts!! It’s gluten free, too friends!!

Quinoa Enchilada Casserole

Feeds: 2- 3
Prep Time: 5 minutes                        Cook Time: 50 minutes

What you need:

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow pepper, diced (note – you can use whatever pepper combo you like, but you want one whole pepper total)
• 1/2 cup of corn (about half of a 15 oz can)
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (more to taste if you want!!)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained (note- you can use less beans and more corn, it’s all about your preferred taste!)
• 1 cup red enchilada sauce (about half of a 15 oz can)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese, I used 2% milk Mexican Blend

Directions:

• Place quinoa and water in a medium sized pot and boil for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 12-15 minutes or all the water is absorbed.
• When the quinoa is cooking, preheat the oven to 350* and spray a small pan (7 x 9 or similar) with cooking spray
• While the quinoa is cooking, heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the garlic and onion
• After cooking for 3-4 minutes, or when the onions start to soften, add the peppers and corn. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or all of the vegetables start to brown a little.
• Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro, Stir really well to combine all of the ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir again.
• Hopefully your quinoa will be almost done! Add the quinoa and black beans to a medium sized bowl. Stir in the sauteed veggies and stir gently, Mix the enchilada sauce in and continue stirring until it is well combined
• Spread the mixture into your pan and sprinkle with the cheese
• Bake for 20 minutes covered with foil
• Bake for an additional 10 minutes or the cheesy is melty and the edges are crsipy.

This stuff tastes good a few days later – warms well in the oven or microwave.

This recipe is adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod.