I'm Back! And come bearing calories...

Hello, my faithful followers (however few)!  I must, first off, apologize for my absence these last weeks.  Christmas came, and then the New Year brought with it some really fun stuff like illness, the beginning of a new chaotic semester, the start of  a new job - all things gauranteed to let your hobby food blog fall by the wayside. 
No worries, however -- I'm back!  And I happily share my first recipe of 2012 with you.  You've seen it on Pinterest, you've heard of its amazingness, you might have even pinned it with the intention of someday making this behemoth of a casserole.  But I done went and did the damn thing.  And let me tell you, it was no disappointment. 
Yes, kids ... we're talking about Pizza Casserole.  Chock full of noodles, meat, tomato sauce, and a enough cheese to cover your dairy intake for the next few days, it is an absolutely delicious, indulgent, and gigantic dish.

The original recipe that caused a Pinterest uproar can be found on the Blog For Mamas.  This is a slight adaption from that recipe, only in that I added stuff that the Hubby and I enjoy on our pizzas (mainly veggies).  That is what makes this recipe so great - its ability to be messed with and tweaked to please your particular palate (gosh, I love alliteration).

*Note: This recipe makes enough to feed a small army.  Seeing as how there are only two big people and one munchkin in our family, we had leftovers for days.  In the future, I plan on cutting this recipe waaay back.  But, for the first go 'round (and because I'm a fatty), I decided to just make the whole thing.

Start out with the following:

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 lb italian sausage

Saute all this yummy stuff up in some EVOO with plenty of salt & pepper.

Once its all browned and delicious, set it on a plate lined with some paper towels to drain all the grease out.

This is the rest of the stuff you'll need:

One bag No Yolks extra-wide egg noodles (cooked)

About half a package of pepperonis

One big jar of your favorite pasta sauce (or, even better, homemade)

Lots of cheese.  I used whatever I had on hand - the sliced provolone really added a kick you can't get with just plain ol'e shredded mozzerella

Line a large Pyrex (or other) casserole with about 1/3 of your sauce.

Next, layer on half the cooked egg noodles.  This is kinda like layering a lasagne, but don't freak out if you accidentally layer out of order.  Its all going to meld together anyway.

Next comes about half your meat mixture, then another 1/3  of the sauce.

Next comes a bunch of cheese, the other half of the noodles and meat.

Finish it off with the rest of the sauce, then some more cheese (I warned you of the dairy decadence) and a lovely pepperoni grid.  You can add way more pepperoni, if you'd like.  I also gave the very top a healthy dose of parmesan..  What the heck, right?

Cover the whole thing with foil and bake at 350 for 30 min.  Take the foil off and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Ain't she purdy?  And oh, man, does she taste good!  We ate on this for days, with the hubby giving it a chubby "two thumbs up".  Again, I will never make this much of it, unless of course my parents and siblings are coming over.  In that case, I may triple the recipe.

I actually made this recipe over the Holidays, and have since then decided to cook dishes that lean a little more on the lighter side.  I can't wait to share some of them with you -- keep checking back for more!

White (Enchilada) Christmas

My husband isn't an echilada fan.  This always blows my mind, as enchiladas are the only thing I order at Mexican restaurants.  In fact, I judge all Mexican places by the quality of their plain ol'e cheese enchiladas.  I also love making enchiladas, so I'm always on the lookout for new recipes I think might pass the "Hungry Bear Test."  These are the bomb.com.  No, seriously.  They're so good they make you say silly things like "Hey, these enchiladas are the bomb-dot-com" and everyone else who's eating them doesn't even make fun of you.  Okay, maybe a little.  But, who cares?!  They're good enough to take a little verbal abuse for.  What they aren't, however, is diet food. 
Oh, Christmas Break - how do I love thee?  Let me count the calories...

First things first - you need chicken.  You can buy it already cooked, boil it and shred it, whatever you want.  I happen to like using my handy-dandy grill pan.  I covered them in taco seasoning so they would be chock full of flavor, and then shredded them up.  You need about 2 cups of shredded chicken.

Some of the other stuff you'll need. 

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

2 cups chicken broth

can of salsa verde (or green chiles)

1 cup sour cream

Oh, and these.  La Banderita is my favorite brand.  And look how festive they are!

Once your chicken is cooked & shredded, mix with 1 cup cheese and a few tablespoons of the salsa verde or chiles.  Scoop some of this delicious filling into the center of each tortilla and roll, placing them seam-side down in a casserole dish.  The recipe I based this on said it made 10 enchiladas, but I only made 8.  Otherwise, they would have been skimpy.  We don't like skimpy 'round here. 

Okay, now its time for a little "real" cooking.  If you don't know how to already make a roux (pronounced "rue") then pay attention.  This is one of those culinary things you need to know.  A roux is equal parts butter and flour, in this case 3 tablespoons, that are cooked together and used mostly as a base for sauces.  Think macaroni and cheese, alfredo -- its a useful little trick.  So, whisk the two together over medium-high heat for about 1 minute.  You just want them to come together and cook that raw flour taste out. 

Then add the cup of sour cream, 2 cups chicken broth, and the rest of the salsa verde.  Voila!  The best flippin' enchilada sauce in the world!

Pour the creamy deliciousness over your enchiladas.  Note:  This seems like waaay too much sauce, but trust me - add it all.  It thickens up and kinda gets absorbed by the enchiladas.  So good.

Cover with the other cup of monterey jack, giggle with excited anticipation of the enchilada goodness that is to come, then stick in a 350-degree oven for about 25 minutes.  Then, let them sit under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes, until they get all golden brown.

The finished product.  These are good.  REAL good.  I didn't even get a plated picture because the husband and I couldn't  not eat them long enough.  We're pigs.