Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

That, my friends, describes my dinner leftovers perfectly. I’d have less left over, of course, if my hubby hadn’t had an after-work-work thing down the street from Raising Cane’s, but such is life. When I went looking for a casserole recipe to use the rest of the chicken I cooked up yesterday, I came across this recipe for Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole and thought–hey! I noticed leftover homemade enchilada sauce in my freezer just the other day! I had to make some adjustments based on what I had on hand, of course, but I stayed fairly close to the original.

Adjustment #1: I had just over a pound of cooked chicken when it called for ‘about a pound and a half’, so I threw in a can of drained and rinsed pinto beans to compensate. (I normally prefer black beans, but I figured pinto would combine better with the refried beans the recipe called for.)

Adjustment #2: I went for a combination of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar, because that’s what I had.

Adjustment #3: I didn’t make a special trip for cilantro because most of my children object and I didn’t want to go out for one thing.

Adjustment #4: I generally only stock the bigger cans of corn–14.5 oz, probably–so that’s what I used.

Adjustment #5: I was doubtful about the amount of liquid, so I added an 8 oz can of tomato sauce to supplement the enchilada sauce. This gave the whole thing a milder flavor, but since my hubby rather specifically doesn’t love red enchilada sauce, I figured it worked.

Bottom line? It was on the bland side, partly (I’m sure) due to that tomato sauce, but I had mine with chopped fresh tomato and enjoyed it. I may make it again and tinker with it slightly; I also may serve up some of the leftovers as taco filling and provide the toppings. Regardless, it made a perfectly serviceable dinner tonight!