Del Real

Over the summer the wonderful people at Del Real sent me a massive party box of all sorts of wonderful goodies to try out. One of the items was a package of seasoned shredded beef (carne deshebrada). As soon as I saw it I thought to myself, “wow, having cooked and seasoned meat all ready to go would make enchiladas a total breeze!”

I decided to try and simplify the usually overly complex enchilada process. The name of this recipe describes it to a “t.” I am a huge fan of enchiladas. I make them fairly regularly but when I do the kitchen ends up in total disarray because of all the work that goes into them. This recipe uses only 5 ingredients but makes enough food to feed a small army.

Note: This recipe makes about 12 enchiladas. Since there are only 2 1/2 people in our household I cooked 4 that night and then put the rest into two 8” x 8” foil containers and froze them. That is 3 nights worth of dinner for about $5 a meal. Who can beat that? Cheap and easy. That is my style.

INGREDIENTS
32 oz package Del Read Shredded Beef
12 soft taco sized flour tortillas
2 (28 oz) can Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce (red or green)
4 c jack cheese, shredded
1 c black olives, sliced

STEPS

Heat the meat per package instructions.
Preheat oven to 425º.
After the meat is done cooking transfer it to a large bowl and toss with 1 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce.
Spray your baking dish(es) with a non stick spray or lightly grease.
Pour enough enchilada sauce in the bottom of your baking dish(es) to cover the bottom.
On a large cutting board, lay a tortilla out flat and add a scoop full of meat and sprinkle with cheese and a few of the sliced olives.
Roll up the enchilada and place seam side down in your “sauced up” bake dish and repeat until you are out of ingredients.
Pour the remaining sauce over the tops of the enchiladas.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and olives.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and finish off in the oven for another 10–15 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted and just starting to brown.
Allow the enchiladas to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Top with sour cream or guacamole if desired.

A huge thank you to Del Real for giving me the opportunity to try out several of your products. I love them all! You guys rock!

Dinners

Recipe—Chicken Tamale Pie

August 6, 2013January 26, 2018 Diva di Cucina

I’m all for one-pot dinners that are quick, easy, and save me from washing any extra dishes. This dinner is all of the above and it is absolutely delicious. If you love tamales then you will love this recipe. Think tamales, but on steroids. The cornbread has so many wonderful flavors and great texture. And then you get way more meat than you will ever find in some little hand rolled tamale, plus cheese. Glorious cheese! If you have a family that loves all the flavors of Mexican food and you are looking for something new that will save you some time in the kitchen give this recipe a try. You wont regret it!

Note: I love Del Real products. I frequently use them as a way to save me time in the kitchen. For this recipe I used a package of the Del Real Shredded Chicken. It shaved off prep time and their products are super affordable. You can also purchase a rotisserie chicken, or if you have time just boil 2 chicken breasts for about 20 minutes and shred them yourself.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 c milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp chili powder
14.75 oz creamed corn
8.5 oz package of Jiffy corn muffin mix
4 oz can diced green chilies, drained
10 oz can red enchilada sauce (I love Las Palmas)
2 c chicken, cooked and shredded
1 1/2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 c pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp Cotija cheese, crumbled

STEPS

Preheat oven to 400º.
Combine milk, egg, chili powder, creamed corn, Jiffy, and green chilies in a medium mixing bowl and stir just until combined.
Pour the cornbread mix into a greased pie dish.
Bake the cornbread for 23–28 minutes or until it is just cooked through and golden on top.
While the cornbread is baking toss the shredded chicken with the taco seasoning and 1/3 cup of the enchilada sauce.
Using a fork, poke a liberal amount of holes into the cornbread.
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the baked cornbread.
Add the seasoned shredded chicken to the top of the cornbread spreading it around evenly.
Sprinkle the shredded pepper jack cheese over the top of the chicken.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow it to set for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with the cilantro and Cotija cheese.
Cut and serve as you would a pie.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Do you like using Del Real Products? Then perhaps you will love this fabulous recipe!

Chile Verde Stuffed Poblano Chilies

Dinners

Recipe—Chile Verde Stuffed Poblano Chiles

April 30, 2013January 26, 2018 Diva di Cucina

Trying to squeeze in another Mexican dish before Cinco de Mayo this Sunday. This recipe has got to be one of the best Mexican dishes I have ever made! Mind blowing good! The roasted poblanos have a mild roasted flavor that goes great with the green chile sauce and salty pork. Veggies stuffed with meat of any kind are great if you are watching your carbs or restricted to a gluten free diet. My only regret with making these was that there weren’t more! They were a little bit more work then most of my recipes but completely worth it. Take a break from the ordinary Mexican dish and try this extraordinary one.

Note: My recipe calls for Del Real brand chile verde but you can use any shredded meat. I have been using Del Real products for several years because it is so quick, convenient, and affordable.

INGREDIENTS
4 poblano (pasilla)chiles
16 oz package of Del Real Chile Verde
1 1/2 c pepper jack cheese, shredded
sour cream
3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp red onion, diced
1 tbsp jalapeño, diced

STEPS
Note: If you have never before roasted peppers see this previous post on how to roast peppers for some additional guidance.

Prepare the chile verde per package instructions.
While the pork is cooking place the poblano chiles on a baking sheet.
Broil in the oven and turn every 5–7 minutes until all sides begin to blacken.
Remove from the oven and transfer the roasted peppers to a large bowl.
Cover the bowl with saran wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.
Set the oven to 350º.
While the peppers are sitting use a slotted spoon to remove the pork from the green chile sauce and transfer the meat to a cutting board.
Use a fork to shred the pork and place it back in the sauce and let it sit.
Gently peel the skin off the peppers.
Using a sharp knife make a slice down one side and carefully remove the majority of the seeds.
Holding the pepper in your hand place a handful of the pork inside the pepper and top off with a handful of the shredded cheese and fold the pepper around the filling.
Place the stuffed pepper in a large baking dish open side up and secure with a toothpick or two to help hold it closed.
Continue stuffing the remaining peppers.
Drizzle the peppers with half of the green chile sauce that the meat was in.
Bake the stuffed peppers in the oven for 15–20 minutes or until all the cheese is melted.
Place the peppers on a plate and garnish with the sour cream, cilantro, onion, and jalapeño.