Chicken Enchiladas for a Crowd

This makes 60 enchiladas, and most people eat 2-3.  So, I'd say you can easily feed an army of 20-30 here!

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp lemon juice
grill seasoning
1 can (16 oz) fat-free Refried Beans
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/2 C fat-free sour cream
2 cans (16 oz ea) enchilada sauce
60 small corn or flour tortillas*
4 C shredded cheese, divided (I prefer Colby Jack)

Preheat oven to 350.  In skillet or grill pan, cook chicken in lemon juice and seasonings.  Remove from pan and shred. (I love to shred mine in the food processor or blender.)  Place shredded chicken in mixing bowl.  Add beans, soup, tomatoes, and sour cream; mix well.  In bottom of large baking pans spread thin layer of enchilada sauce; set pans aside.  Heat 20 tortillas at a time in microwave about 1 minute.  Scoop 1 tbsp cream mixture onto each tortilla shell and roll up.  Place seam-side down on baking sheet.  Repeat until all tortillas are filled and on the baking sheet.  Spread remaining sauce evenly over enchiladas and top with cheese.  Bake 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

*I use corn tortillas as they are 2 WW points per enchilada, vs. 5 WW points for flour.

Spinach Smoothie: Morning Glory

If you like Orange Julius, chances are you'll LOVE this!  I know, I know -- it's GREEN.  Get over it.  It doesn't TASTE or SMELL green.  And I'm pretty particular about things that smell funny or if I can taste veggies in my drink.  But, once I tried a spinach smoothie (done right), I was hooked.  Also, I have to stay away from dairy or I end up coughing all day - so this is a great dairy-free smoothie, although if you wanted add a little yogurt, it would taste great too!

1-2 C fresh Spinach, uncooked
2 medium bananas*
2 clementines, peeled & divided
4 oz Orange Juice
2 oz Pomegranate Juice (or grape or blueberry juice)
handful of ice, if desired

Place in blender and blend until desired consistency.  This makes one GIANT smoothie, or 2 - 12 oz smoothies. I drank the first half for breakfast, and then went and gulped the rest of it down right away.  The entire thing is only 3 Weight Watchers points.

*I like to peel bananas, cut them in half and place them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer the night before.  I usually have about a weeks worth of bananas for smoothies in there.  They make the drink so much creamier that way.

Better Than "Who-Ha" Cake

If you've ever eaten chocolate "Better Than Sex Cake", then you know what I'm talking about when I say "Yum!" is an understatement.  Well, change out the chocolate cake for a yellow cake and some pumpkin, and use a crushed Butterfinger bar instead of a Heath bar, and you've got yourself what I call, Better than Who-Ha Cake!  (My daughter HATES the "s" word {s-e-x}.)

1 Yellow or White Cake Mix

1 small can solid pack pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 C)

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 jar Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel Sauce

1 container Cool Whip, Thawed

Hershey's Chocolate Syrup, optional

1 Butterfinger bar, crushed

Preheat oven to 350º. Mix dry cake mix with pumpkin until smooth; batter will be sticky.  Spread into prepared 9x13 pan.  Bake 25-30 minutes,or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  While still warm, poke holes all over tops of cake.  (I use the handle of a wooden spoon.)  Pour entire can of sweetened condensed milk and butterscotch caramel sauce over top; spread evenly.   Let cool completely.  Spread Cool Whip over cooled cake.  Drizzle chocolate syrup over cake in one direction and lightly drag knife through in cross-direction (see picture) for lovely design.  Sprinkle with crushed candy bar.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. *Note* Don't worry about trying to "cut" the cake.  Just scoop it out with serving spoon.  Enjoy!

Butterscotch Pumpkin Spice No-Bakes

2 C Sugar

3/4 C Butter (1 1/2 sticks)

2/3 C Milk

1 (3.4 oz) Box Instant Butterscotch Pudding Mix

1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

3 1/2 C Quick Oats

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

In heavy saucepan mix together sugar, butter & milk over MED heat.  Bring to boil; boil for 2 min.  Turn off heat and whisk in pudding mix and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.  Stir in oats & vanilla.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Drop by tsp onto waxed paper.  Let cool completely.  Makes approximately 55 cookies. 

Hershey "Kissed" Pumpkin Cookies

These delightful little cookies are so... nom, nom, nom.  Seriously, so good and best of all, so simple!  Depending on the size of cookie, this recipe yields 2-3 dozen.

1 spice cake mix*

1 C solid pack pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

24-36 unwrapped Hershey's Kisses (Or Hugs)**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly spray with cooking spray.  In mixing bowl combine cake mix & pumpkin; mix until well blended.  Batter will be sticky.  Using 2 spoons, drop by spoonful onto pan.  Bake 14-16 minutes.  Lightly press Kiss into center of cookie and let sit on pan a minute or so before transferring to cooling rack.  Let Kisses set before transferring to airtight container.  

*If you don't have a spice cake mix, you can use a white or yellow mix and just add 1 tsp pumpkin pie spices.

**I use Chocolate Caramel Kisses for these cookies.

TIP:  For "sticky" cookie batter, use the back of a spoon dipped in flour to "shape" cookie dough before baking.  See picture below. 

Black Bean & Yam Chili

3-4 C Cooked Black Beans, with water (or use 3-4 cans undrained)
1 can (29 oz) Yams, drained and cut into smaller chunks
1 - 14.4 oz beef chunk in water, drained (can use stewing beef if browned first)
1 jar salsa
1-15 oz canned corn
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Tony Chachere's creole seasoning (or other spicy favorite)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp hot cocoa mix
1 tbsp molasses (or 2 tbsp honey)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
water, to desired consistency

Place all ingredients in pot and cook, stirring frequently, just until boiling.  Or place in Crockpot on LOW 4-6 hours.  Makes approximately 11 C.

Pudgy Pies

I grew up making these at various campouts or bonfires where I grew up in the Michiana (around Michigan-Indiana border) area. When I moved out West 15 years ago, it seemed people here in Utah had never heard of Pudgy Pies. Well, they have now, thanks to me! hehehe.

I should have taken some pics of the pudgy pies I made while camping down at Bryce Canyon a few weeks ago, but I forgot. So, instead I will share some other successful Pudgy Pie Pics from around the blogosphere.

1- First of all you need some of these -- they are called Pie Irons and they retail anywhere from about $10-$12 each. (Some people call these sandwich makers or hobo makers.)
 

2 - Decide on your fixings.  This will vary depending on the filling you desire, but you will at least need some cooking spray or butter (OR BOTH!), a loaf of bread (or two, or three...) and some filling.  Filling can be anything from pie filling to preserves, etc.  Here are a few of MY favorite combinations:

Mini Marshmallows & Rolos
Whipped Cream Cheese & Blueberry Pie Filling
Apple Pie Filling
Lemon Pie filling + 1 large marshmallow (tastes like lemon meringue pie!)
Black Forest Pie = Cherry Pie Filling + Crushed Oreo Cookie
Cookies & Cream = 1 Large Marshmallow + 1 Crushed Oreo Cookie
Bananas Chocolate Foster = fresh banana slices + 1 Ghirardeli Dark Chocolate-Caramel Square

In addition to your filling selections, I recommend having a plate of powdered sugar as well as one of cinnamon-sugar, to sprinkle over the pies as soon as they come out of the fire.

3 - Set up your Pudgy Pie Fixing's bar:
  Cooking Spray
  Bread
  Butter
  Stuff for fixings
  Dipping Plates for sugar-coating

Ready?  Ok, you're set!  Let's go!

4- Make your pie!
Spray both halves of the pie iron with cooking spray.  Butter one slice of bread (I leave my crusts on).  Place that bread, buttered side down onto the pie iron.  Top that slice of bread with your filling(s) of choice.  Butter second slice of bread, and place over top of filling, leaving the buttered side up.  Carefully hook the other half of the pie iron, close & latch, and place in hot coals.  I like to cook mine about 3-5 minutes each side.  *This will depend on how hot the coals are.  You may want to check it after a few minutes.  Don't feel bad if you get a scorching black one -- I usually end up with at least one!

Photo from endofthesidewalk.blogspot.com 

5 - Remove pie iron from coals and CAREFULLY set on heat-tolerant surface.  (As this is usually a picnic table when camping, be sure to designate a specific area for Hot Pie irons.)  Open your pie irons, and use a metal fork to take out your pie.  Coat in the sugar if desired & EAT!!!

Photo from Tasteofhome.com

FYI -- Other things you can make with pie irons:

 - Grilled Cheese

 - Cheesy Tots (add frozen tater tots, a little olive oil, & seasonings)

 - Pizza Pockets

 - Grilled PB & J's -- YUMM!

 - Pesto Pockets