I don’t have a creative twist on this classic meal. Like many families, these enchiladas are a staple for us because they’re just tasty. And they’re even better with uncooked tortillas, if you ask us.

{ CLASSIC CHICKEN ENCHILADAS }

3 chicken breasts

1 small onion, chopped

¼ c. butter

1 small can diced green chilies

8 oz. cream cheese

¾ c. milk

pkg. shredded cheese (mozzarella or mixture)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 bunch green onions, chopped

10 flour tortillas (uncooked are best)

……….

Boil chicken until cooked. Shred into small pieces. Saute onion in butter. Add green chiles. Melt cream cheese in mixture and add chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream of chicken & milk and pour this into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ pan. Spoon some mixture onto each tortilla, roll up and line in pan. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 20 min. at 350 degrees (lightly covered) and an additional 5-10 minutes (uncovered). Garnish with any or all of the above: salsa, lettuce, tomato, etc.

Yes. Of course the kids balked at the very “sound” of onion relish. But our whole approach to food with our kids is the same motto that many of you probably share — Don’t knock it ’til you try it.

So they tried it. And you know what? They didn’t die. And they ate most of their dinner. And we totally cleaned our plates. That’s why I took a pretty picture and I’m sharing it here with you. Yep. It’s yet another simple recipe from e-Mealz. (We are on the Low Carb/WalMart plan.)

{ GRILLED SAUSAGE WITH ONION RELISH }

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. sage

1/4 c. water

1/2 c. sour cream

1.5 – 2.25 lbs. Italian sausage

…..

Preheat outdoor grill. In medium saucepan combine onions, vinegar, brown sugar, sage, and water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to med-low. Cook; stir 15-20 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Grill sausage 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and browned. Remove to plate. Top sausage with onion relish.

…..

{ side dish }

This zesty coleslaw is the perfect compliment.

16 oz. bag shredded coleslaw

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. mayo

1/2 c. salsa

In large bowl, combine all these ingredients and toss well.

Another favorite from e-Mealz! The reason many of their meals are becoming favorites in our family is because of the simplicity, the healthy yumminess, and the fact that someone else tells me what to make and comes up with the grocery list. Makes this mama very happy.  : )

{ PESTO CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES}

1.5 – 2.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 bell peppers, chopped (or sliced)

8 oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms

2 zucchini, sliced

1/2 c. prepared pesto sauce

salt + pepper to taste

box of couscous (whole wheat recommended but I used what I already had on hand)

…..

Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken; season with salt + pepper. Saute chicken 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, mushrooms and zucchini. Continue cooking until chiken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 5-10 minutes. Stir in pesto sauce; continue cooking for 1 minute.

Cook couscous according to pkg. directions.

Winter time = comfort food. And so I’m sharing our go-to recipe for one of the most classic comfort foods on the planet. Pasta.

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

1/3 c. half & half

1 Tbsp. butter

4 oz. dried fettuccine

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Black pepper to taste

Nutmeg to taste

optional: chicken breast

optional: broccoli, mushrooms

……….

Allow half & half and margarine to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine. Drain and return to warm saucepan; add half & half, butter, and Parmesan. Toss gently until well coated. If desired, add cooked vegetables and cooked cooked chicken (we once marinated ours in Caesar dressing before cooking on the grill and it was really good). Transfer to warm serving dish. Sprinkle with pepper and nutmeg. Yield 3-4 servings.

I’m the first to admit that I’m not very creative in the kitchen. David, on the other hand, is completely comfortable being a little more inventive. For this I am grateful. Some of our yummiest meals have come about because of his creativity. So kudos to David on this one. It’s a little concoction he pulled together a few years ago.

Oh — and if the peanut butter idea throws you off, all I have to say is: Don’t knock it ’til you try it. It’s seriously tasty.

PEANUT BUTTER STIR-FRY

2 chicken breasts, cut in bite-size pieces

½ c. crunchy peanut butter

2 ½ c. sugarsnap peas

2 c. broccoli

1 1/2 c. carrots, sliced

1 1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced

1 c. green onions, sliced

1/2 c. yellow bell pepper

1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

stir-fry sauce

Cook chicken in a wok with a little olive oil until fully cooked. Set aside and mix with peanut butter. Combine all vegetables in the wok (starting with the ones that need longer to cook, such as carrots) and add a little water on occasion, as needed. Add garlic. When vegetables are done, add chicken to the vegetables (still in the wok) and add half a bottle of stir-fry sauce. Serve over rice.

Makes about 4 servings.

If you don’t know the flavor of curry, you must give it a try. This is an easy one, too. It’s not hard to find a recipe online, but I got this particular recipe from my friend, Britney. The recipe I’m posting includes my slight modifications.

CLASSIC CHICKEN CURRY

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 pieces)
2 Tbsp. curry powder (look among the spices)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. (14 oz. can) low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Cooked white rice
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
1/4 c. (1 oz.) almonds, roughly chopped (optional)

Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut it into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle it with the curry and cinnamon, toss, and set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and zucchini and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Add the broth, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer. Return the onion and zucchini to the skillet and heat until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. For a little stronger curry flavor, this is a good time to sprinkle some more of the curry powder into the liquid mixture. (I do.)

Divide the rice among individual bowls, top with the curry, and sprinkle with the basil and almonds.

Tip: You can vary the ingredients depending on what you have on hand. Consider substituting coconut milk for the cream, eggplant for the zucchini, cilantro for the basil, or cashews for the almonds.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

I love seafood, but don’t cook with it often (SOMEone in the family isn’t a big fan). But when David said he was kind of in the mood for shrimp, I was all over it. We made this together, tweaking a recipe we found on allrecipes.com. This is our version.

GARLIC SHRIMP LINGUINE

1 lb. uncooked linguine
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 Tbsp. cooking white wine
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
4 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat; add wine, cheese, olive oil, garlic, parsley, and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium high and add shrimp to skillet; cook for a few minutes or until shrimp begins to turn pink (do not overcook). Add whipping cream. Serve portions of pasta topped with shrimp & sauce. Garnish with parmesan cheese (we prefer shredded over grated for garnishing) and fresh parsley, if desired.

My friend Tori shared this recipe with me a few years ago and it’s become another family favorite for us. After making it many times, we’ve tweaked the recipe to our liking. David loves to add a little bit of “this & that” to spice it up, and we love the flavorful results.

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. uncooked rice
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1-2 cans of stewed diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 c. water
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Seasonings as desired (oregano, pepper, garlic salt, Tabasco sauce)

Mix hamburger, uncooked rice, water, onion, celery salt, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Add an egg to help hold it all together. Shape into (about 16) balls and cook in skillet until all sides are brown. In a separate bowl, mix tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, 1 c. water and Worcestershire sauce and pour over meatballs. Heat to boiling. Add desired seasonings. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes. (Add water during cooking if necessary.) Serve over cooked rice.

Note: This takes about ½ hour to make and 45 minutes to simmer, so 1 hour and 15 minutes, from start to ready to eat.