Baked beans never meant much to me until I tried this recipe for Hot and Smoky Baked Beans. I’m not exagerating when I say these are AWESOME baked beans! I’ve tried other recipes but this is the one I always come back to. The beans have great smoky flavor from the bacon, barbecue sauce and chipotle chilies (and liquid smoke if you use it) and they’re not too sweet (like some baked beans). YUMM!!! Husband lights up like a Christmas tree when I tell him I’m making Hot & Smoky Baked Beans. Sometimes he even eats them instead of dessert. True story.

This recipe really does elevate the humble bean to a new place of honor. I like to use a variety of canned beans (kidney, pinto, black, great northern), and usually 1 to 2 chopped chipotle chilies depending on who I’m serving the beans to. Add a little chopped chipotle pepper and taste the mixture before adding more (a small amount of chipotle chilies goes a long way). A good-quality, smoke-flavored barbecue sauce is best in this recipe. I like D.L. Jardine’s Mesquite Barbecue Sauce. The beer adds a layer of flavor to the beans without making them taste beery. I use an Irish stout like Murphy’s or Guinness.  To add more smoky flavor, I usually add 1 tablespoon of liquid smoke. Parsley is a nice garnish but I don’t usually bother with it. Enjoy!!

Hot and Smoky Baked Beans
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Serve these hot or at room temperature. Yield: Serves 8 to 10.

6 bacon slices
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/4 cups purchased barbecue sauce
3/4 cup dark beer
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 to 6 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies (I use 1-2 chipotle chilies, to taste)
6 15- to 16-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained

Chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Transfer 2 1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings from skillet to large bowl. Finely chop bacon; add to bowl. Add onion and next 7 ingredients to bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in 4 to 6 teaspoons chipotle chilies, depending on spiciness desired. Stir in beans. Transfer bean mixture to 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Bake uncovered until liquid bubbles and thickens slightly, about 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Tags: bacon, baked beans, barbecue sauce, chipotle chilies, dark beer, dijon mustard, molasses

If you’re looking for a new recipe to make for Cinco de Mayo (or any Mexi-themed meal), try these Quick Turkey Enchiladas! They’re super easy to make and quite tasty!

I made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand, such as using a shredded Mexican Four Cheese Blend instead of Monterey Jack cheese. I also used 7 medium soft-taco size flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas because I forgot to get ‘em at the store (whoops!). The flour tortillas worked fine but I would’ve preferred the corn variety. I also skipped the jalapenos because I used a spicy enchilada sauce.

My flour tortillas were soft and pliable so I didn’t need to microwave them before filling and rolling. I spread a little enchilada sauce in the baking dish before adding the filled tortillas, and skipped spraying them with cooking spray. I baked the enchiladas until bubbly (20-30 minutes). Olé! 

Quick Turkey Enchiladas
- recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 30 Minute Suppers (Spring 2009)

Adding cheese to the warm turkey binds the mixture together, making assembly quick and easy. Serves 4.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce (see note)
1/4 cup drained pickled jalapenos, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in turkey and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups cheese, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, jalapenos, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Stack tortillas on plate, wrap with plastic, and microwave until pliable, about 1 minute. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of turkey mixture and roll tightly. Place seam-side down in pan and spray lightly with cooking spray. Top with additional 1 cup enchilada sauce and remaining cheese; cover with foil. Bake 10 minutes, remove foil, and continue baking until cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes longer. Serve, passing remaining heated enchilada sauce at table.

Test Kitchen Note: You will need two 10-ounce cans of enchilada sauce for this recipe.

Tags: corn tortillas, enchiladas, ground turkey, Monterey Jack cheese, onions, Quick Cooking, red enchilada sauce, turkey

Now don’t let the word casserole scare you away. Festive Chicken Casserole is simply a chicken, cheese and tortilla dish, similar to enchiladas only layered instead of rolled and served with salsa instead of baked with enchilada sauce. I substituted chile powder for paprika and cheddar cheese for the jack cheese. I also added some thawed frozen white corn for added flavor. To add a little color to the finished casserole, I garnished with chopped red peppers and green olives. Serve with plenty of good salsa.

Festive Chicken Casserole
-recipe from The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt

Serves 6.

This is a good casserole to make for a party because it should be assembled several hours ahead or even the night before baking. Layers of tortillas, chicken, chiles, and cheese in a creamy sauce will get you “raves” on this casserole dish. Serve with a salad of orange and jicama slices.

2 cups light sour cream
1 can (7 ounces) diced green chiles, drained
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped green onions, including some tender green tops
2 cloves garlic, minced
9 corn tortillas, softened*
4 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
4 cups (about 1 pound) grated Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa for topping

In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, chiles, paprika, cumin, salt, onions, and garlic. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil, place 3 tortillas so that they overlap slightly. In layers, add one third of the chicken, one-third of the sour cream mixture (it will not cover chicken completely), and one third of the cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, beginning with tortillas. Cover and refrigerate sevral hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bring casserole to room temperature and then bake, covered, until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with salsa as an accompaniment.

*To Soften Tortillas: There are a number of easy methods for warming tortillas. Wrap them in paper towels and microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. Wrap them in aluminum foil and place in a 350F oven for 6 to 7 minutes. Fry them one at a time over medium heat in a small nonstick skillet or griddle lightly coated with cooking spray or oil. Heat on a grill turning once with tongs. Stack tortillas and keep warm until ready to use.

Tags: Casserole, Chicken, Mexican, tortillas

I like the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner but I don’t like it so much that I want to eat the same meal multiple days in a row. After the main Thanksgiving meal and a meal of leftovers the next day, I’ve pretty much had my fill of turkey and stuffing to last me until next Thanksgiving. At that point, I’m ready for something new. That’s exactly why I like to use the leftover turkey in a different dish like these delicious, creamy enchiladas. I brought them to a potluck and they were gone in no time. I doubled the recipe but probably should have tripled it.

Pretty much the only thing I did differently was to soften the tortillas in the microwave instead of frying them in oil. To do this, I wrap the stack of tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and microwave them at 30 second intervals until warm and pliable. Not only is this faster but it slims down the recipe. I like to garnish the enchiladas with sliced green olives because I love the salty flavor and color that they add to the dish. You can substitute cooked chicken for the turkey if you like. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

The Great After-Thanksgiving Turkey Enchiladas
- recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine - epicurious.com

Yield: Serves 6

3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups finely chopped onions
1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce
5 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chilies*
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups coarsely shredded cooked turkey
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
12 5- to 6-inch corn tortillas
*Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce are sold at Latin American markets, at specialty foods stores and at some supermarkets.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add enchilada sauce, tomatoes and chipotles. Cover; simmer 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Mix turkey, 11/2 cups cheese, sour cream, 1/4 cup onions and 1/2 cup cilantro in bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook 1 tortilla until pliable, about 20 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1/4 cup turkey mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Arrange seam side down in dish. Spoon 2 1/2 cups sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Bake enchiladas until heated through, about 30 minutes.

Rewarm remaining sauce in saucepan over medium-low heat. Transfer to sauceboat. Serve enchiladas, passing sauce separately.

Tags: Casserole, Main Dish, Mexican, turkey