Cheater meals - Easy Enchiladas

I love to cook, but I don't cook daily.

Josh and I have unique schedules, and since there are really only 2 mouths to feed at this point I would be way overcooking if I made dinner every night.

So basically, I will cook 2-3 times a week and then we eat off of the leftovers for the other half of the week. I love leftovers. (Sorry mom for all the complaining I did when it was leftover night growing up...I FULLY appreciate them now!)


Some weeks I put more time into cooking and make some really nice stuff. Other weeks I am feeling lazy and I make what I like to call "cheater meals." It's not like a frozen pizza or anything, but it doesn't take too much effort.

An example is Cincinnati style chili...basically it is ground meat and a Cincinnati style chili seasoning packet from the grocery store and then you cook that up and serve it over some pasta and voila - lots of food for minimal effort.  I have made it from scratch before, but it tasted the same as the packet. That isn't very motivating for me to make it from scratch very often!!

Another example is easy chicken enchiladas. I cannot take credit for this one - I credit Rachel Mahoney entirely. She may not do it the same way as me - but she told me about it! They are super easy, super quick, super cheap, and taste really good! The plus side is you can make all kinds of variations depending on what extra stuff you have on hand.

Here's what you need:
Soft tortillas (any kind you like)
Refried beans (again, whatever you prefer)
Chicken (canned or leftovers from another meal work great)
Shredded cheese
2 cans of red enchilada sauce

Get your 9x13" baking dish ready with some pam and then get to work! Take a tortilla, smother it with some refried beans, put some chicken in there, sprinkle with cheese and roll that bad boy up! Then put it in the dish and keep on making those things until your dish is full or you run out of your ingredients. Then pour the sauce over the whole dish (I sprinkle a little extra cheese on top too) and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until it all looks nice and hot.

Serve it up with some Spanish rice and a salad and you are good to go!!  I like to make some variations on occasion and add in different stuff I might have on hand, like salsa, diced tomatoes, corn, or anything that inspires me and I need to use up!

So next time you need a "cheater meal" night, give the easy enchiladas a try!!