Yesterday I decided to throw some things together and see how a homemade enchilada sauce would turn out. Let me tell you - I will never buy the canned sauce again! This is so easy to get started in the morning, and when it's done you have a delicious smoky and spicy enchilada sauce that will give you the best enchiladas ever. I love using it in my Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Enchildas. Yum!

This recipe makes quite a bit, so you can get two meals out of it or freeze the leftovers for dinner another night.

Homemade Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
Yield: 5 cups   Printable Recipes

16-oz chicken broth
32-oz fire roasted tomatoes
2 onions, diced
5 cloves garlic
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (seeds removed)
2 tbsp adobo sauce (from the the can of peppers)
1 1/2 tbs cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt
pinch of sugar

Slice open the chipotle peppers and remove the seeds. Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, cumin, chilli powder, salt, sugar and chicken broth in your slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Remove the chipotle peppers, then  using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. You can also use your blender to puree the sauce.  Now get ready for the best enchiladas ever! Store the sauce in glass mason jars in the fridge. Can be kept in the fridge up to 2 weeks, or will keep in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Recipe Note: This sauce is a little spicy, so if you want to tame it down for little mouths, reduce the amount of chipotle peppers and adobo sauce you use. 




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I wish I was one of those people who was so prepared that they had weeks worth of frozen meals made up, just waiting to be reheated for a quick and easy meal.

I’m not. I’m a procrastinator.

I tend to leave things to the last minute, just hoping that some magic fairy will do it for me. After thirty years I’ve come to realize…there is no such magic fairy. So, in light of this very disappointing revelation, I’ve decided to try to be more organized and prepared. My first project? Breakfast.  I love the results of the Overnight Oatmeal Jars so much, I decided to experiment with other make-ahead breakfasts. My husband likes a certain morning breakfast sandwich, and since the fast food version is so unhealthy I wanted to make our own at home.

These are sooo easy to make in large batches, and you can eat them right away, or with a few modifications freeze them to reheat later. This is a totally awesome idea from the Macheesmo blog. I adapted it a bit by adding some bacon and I changed the cooking method a bit. These were so delicious and easy to assemble. You can customize each sandwich however you like it. I like my eggs a tad runny and cooked them that way, but you can easily scramble the eggs instead and add any kind of veggies and meat you like.


Serves: 12   Printable Recipe

12 english muffins

12 large eggs

12 slices of cheese

12 slices of precooked bacon

butter or cooking spray

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

Add-In's

Tomato

Avocado

Spinach

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Separate the english muffins and place them with the inside facing up on a cookie sheet. Place a slice of cheese on the tops of each muffin, then layer a slice of bacon over the cheese. I use precooked bacon to it bakes quickly in the oven.
2.  Lightly grease the cups of a muffin tin, then crack an egg into each cup. Alternatively, you can scramble all the eggs together in a small bowl, then distribute the egg mixture evenly between the muffin cups. Place muffin pan in oven and bake the eggs for 10-15 minutes, depending on how runny you want your yolk (if you want over easy eggs).

3. After the eggs have cooked for about 4-5 minutes, place the prepared english muffins in the oven also, for the cheese to melt and bacon to become crisp. This will allow the muffins to become lightly toasted too.

4. Remove the eggs and and muffins when done. Slide a knife gently around the edges of the cooked eggs to remove them. Spread some butter over the bottom half of each muffin, then place a cooked egg over each buttered half. Season with with salt and pepper, then place the cheesy bacon top over the eggs. Feel free to add any kind of toppings you want: fresh avocado, spinach, tomato, etc…the possibilities are endless!

5. You can eat them immediately, or wrap each muffin with foil, place them in a large freezer bag and keep in the freezer. When ready to reheat, just pop in a 350 F oven and cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until heated through. These are easy to reheat while you are getting ready in the morning, just pop one in the oven, go about your morning routine, then you’ll have a warm, toasty muffin ready for you.

Tip: Don’t reheat in the microwave…unless you like soggy bread. If you’re a soggy bread lover, go for it! If you want to add fresh vegetables to your sandwich and you are freezing these for later, I would wait to add the veggies until you’re ready to reheat.

I’ve got another great recipe for you here from Tasty Kitchen – Homemade Hotdog Buns! Now you may think, “Why would I make my own buns when I can get them for a buck at the store?” The answer is in the TASTE. These buns are so soft and chewy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, yet sturdy at the same time. They will hold up to any kind of topping you want to use, or if you’re a purist, they’ll enhance and compliment the flavor of your hotdog so you’ll wonder why you ever used the store bought kind. I usually just pick away the excess bun to get to my hotdog, but not with these guys. They are a little work, but if you’re up for it they won’t disappoint you! You can even freeze the leftovers or use them for hoagie sandwiches.

You can see my full post and snag the recipe over at Tasty Kitchen.

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup water

I love finding ways to make homemade versions of store bought staples.  Chicken broth is one thing that's so easy to make at home, is less expensive, and you know exactly what's in it. 

I used to wonder what the difference between chicken broth and chicken stock was, or if they were the same thing.  While they do contain the same ingredients, the difference is in the cooking method.

Chicken broth is made from mainly chicken meat and parts, with more meat than bones. Stock is made from chicken parts and bones, with more bones than meat. Simple huh?

When making broth it's reduced for 3 hours, and chicken stock is reduced for at least 6 hours.  Since stock has a longer reduction time, it contains more gelee from the bones. (That gross brown jelly-looking stuff.)

This makes stock better for de-glazing a pan than broth, because the gelee helps to bind the pan drippings together to form a pan sauce.

Anyway, that's the basic explanation of the two.  I like to make chicken broth from the leftover carcass when I roast a chicken.  It makes for a flavorful broth, and I feel like I'm being frugal. :)

Chicken Broth 

1 leftover cooked chicken ( about 5 lb.)
1 medium onion cut in half (optional)
2 large carrots trimmed and peeled  (optional)
1 root end of a whole celery stalk, 2 inches long (optional)
1/2 cup parsley, stems only (optional)
salt (optional)
cold water to cover ingredients by 2 inches

Step One: Place your leftover chicken carcass in a large stockpot and cover with water until chicken is covered by two inches of water.  Since your roasted chicken has herbs and seasonings already in it, you can just use the chicken or you can add the extra vegetables for added flavor. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours. After the first boil, use a large spoon to skim any residue floating on the surface.

Step Two: Remove carcass, bones and vegetables from the broth.  If there was any leftover meat on the chicken, remove the meat and save. Discard bones and vegetables, then pour broth through a fine strainer into a large bowl.  Add salt to taste, as needed or desired.  Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Step Three: The next day, remove all of the solidified fat from the surface of the broth with a large spoon.  Then pour the broth through a strainer one more time.

Now, I like to pour half cup portions of the broth into muffin pans and freeze.  Once frozen, remove the frozen portions of broth and place in a freezer bag.  This will keep for several months in the freezer.  Whenever you need broth, you can just remove as much of the portions as you need, and defrost them for use.

Tip: You can use the leftover chicken in salads, casseroles, chicken salad, sandwiches, etc.  If you have a leftover chicken, but don't want to make the broth right away, freeze the chicken until you are ready.  You can also wait until you have several leftover chickens, then un-thaw and make one large batch.