Enchiladas de Puerco / Pork Enchiladas

Love to have leftovers especially when you want to reinvent a new dish that is both tasty and just plain good. Sometimes, One of the things I like to make is enchiladas. There are so many types of enchiladas with different types of sauces. This recipe is so very simple that you can plan ahead and prep this the day before.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb leftover Roasted or Stewed pork
2 to 3 cups of sauce (choice of Red Salsa or Green Tomatillo Sauce)
2 cups shredded cheese (Monterrey, cheddar or other type of cheese)
6 to 12 tortillas (choice of flour or corn)

Start to heat up the tortillas on a griddle. Personally, I like to use my comal to heat up my tortillas. Don't try to overcook the tortillas as you want them pliable.

Reheat the pork into a pan. Add a little stock and a couple tablespoons of sauce. This will help the seasonings of the sauce to meld with the meat.

For the type of cheese, I am using shredded Asiago cheese. I love the flavor of this type of cheese with the pork. Add some cheese to the pork in the tortilla. Roll it and place off to the side.

 

In the baking dish, add a little sauce to the bottom of your dish. Add each enchilada stacking them side by side. Once placed onto the baking dish, add the rest of the sauce to the enchiladas.

Cover the enchiladas in foil. Then, place the enchiladas into the oven at 350. Allow to cook for about 30 minutes. Add the cheese and allow to cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

You can enjoy this with some rice and beans or even a nice salad. This is another great way to enjoy leftovers and enjoy good Mexican food!

White Cheddar Pimento Cheese

A long time ago, I came across this small business here in Houston called Houston Dairymaids. I really do love their variety of cheeses, along with a great wine selection and other such stuff. I sometimes purchase a slew of items and plan a picnic when we travel to other areas here in Texas.

Well, one of those items that I do like to purchase is Pimento cheese (despite the fact that I don't like pimento cheese). This lady comes and sells pimento cheese made with white cheddar cheese.

Most people know that if I find something that I like, I am going to take it and try to make it myself. This recipe is rather simple. You just need to make an effort of getting the items. This keeps well for about 2 to 3 weeks as long as its refrigerated well.

Ingredients:

12 oz Aged white cheddar cheese
2 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably Duke's)
8 oz pimentos, drained
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
additional sea salt and pepper to taste

Shred the cheese into a large mixing bowl.

Add the mayonnaise, pimentos, salt and pepper. Mix with a spatula. Taste to see if the flavor is there. If it seems a little try, you might need to add a little mayonnaise. Also, add additional salt and pepper to taste.


If you are using this for a party, place into a large serving dish and seal with plastic wrap. Otherwise, place into separate containers especially if you plan to go picnicking. Refrigerate overnight.

I find that it tastes so much better the next day. This is great with some crackers and additional vegetables. I had a friend tell me recently that he hated pimento cheese and he really liked it. It doesn't have a heavy pimento flavor. This really doesn't have that flavor. You really need to try this!!

Crockpot Mac and Cheese

I love to macaroni and cheese. It's one of the many comfort foods that I learned to make first with the simple Kraft box. I also love to make simple recipes that doesn't require too much cooking from my part. That's why Crock-pot dishes are sooo easy because it doesn't require any work at all!

Now this recipe is what I have done a couple of times for parties or just on my own. Keep in mind that that this maybe a large amount of macaroni, but I am making a large batch for a party.

Ingredients:

1 whole onion, diced
8 tbsp butter (1 stick of butter)
1 lb 8 oz bag of elbow macaroni
2 cups whole milk
2 tbsp mayonnaise (Duke's preferably)
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp paprika
1 cup diced Velveeta
1 cup shredded mild cheddar
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack
1/2 cup shredded Gouda
salt and pepper to taste
additional milk or half&half (if necessary)

First, start off with sauteing the onions. Using a medium sized skillet, place the 2 tbsp of butter allowing it to melt. Add the diced onions and cook until they are caramelized. Once cooked, take off the heat and allow to cool.

Start the crock-pot at the highest setting. This helps the crock-pot to warm up. Now you are ready to add the ingredients to the crock-pot. Notice that I am using my large crock-pot. Start first by adding the milk and the butter. I am just adding the stick of butter, but if you want you can pre-cut the butter.

After you have added the milk and butter, you can add the spices. Stir the mixture.

Add the macaroni to the mixture. One of the last things that you need to add is the mayonnaise. I found Duke's mayo is the best, but whichever mayo you like to use should be sufficient.

Stir the whole mixture up to make sure that the noodles aren't getting stuck. Shred all the cheese and add to the macaroni. Also, add the caramelized onions to the pot. 

Bring the heat down to a medium. Remember to stir it so everything is mixed well. Cover the mixture with the lid. Every hour, stir the mixture making sure that the macaroni pasta doesn't get stuck together.

After about 2 hours, you will notice that the pasta is starting to get close to al dente. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. For me, the cheeses are salty enough that you don't need to add salt, but again, everyone is different. You might also notice that there needs to be more liquid. Add milk or half & half to the mixture. 

Check every 15 to 30 minutes to see if the macaroni is done to your liking. This is great with whatever you plan to eat with main dish that is. Also, I have found that macaroni does keep well frozen. When you freeze it, make sure it is sealed well. Once you take it out of the freezer, you need to let it defrost slowly. You can then reheat in a pot, add additional liquid and let it get it to cheesy, bubbly goodness.