The Joy of Finding a Lost Recipe

 

Longtime friends that I don’t see often, including my goddaughter, will be in Fort Worth for the Van Cliburn Piano Competition, and they want to come to the cottage for lunch one day. So we are mired in that, “I’ll fix something,” vs. “No, don’t go to any trouble. We’ll bring something” argument. In truth, I would feel a bit inhospitable if I let them bring lunch, and maybe there’s an element of not wanting them to think I’m too old or otherwise incapable.

At any rate, I decided since they’ve been in the East for years now, it’s time to serve them a Tex-Mex lunch. And I knew just the recipe I wanted. But I couldn’t find it. I could picture the sheet of paper it is on—with a box around the recipe. Jordan suggested we talked about what was in it so we could reconstruct it, but I couldn’t even remember that. All I remembered was Mexican, chicken, and so delicious that I fixed it frequently.

I have two appallingly thick folders of recipes in the file rack by my desk, and I went through each, carefully, page by page, twice (yes I can be obsessive when get an idea in my mind!). No luck. Just when I gave up and was considering a recipe for chicken enchilada pie, I remembered that slim folder by the side of my file rack. It mostly has old favorites from a previous existence, but every once in a while, I stick a favorite in there. And there it was: Queso Chicken Casserole. So here it is for you: I recommend it highly—and it’s easy.

You can tell this is a 
much loved
recipe

Ingredients:

32 oz. can refried beans, plain

1 can Rotel, probably the original

½ sweet onion, diced

¾ lb. Velveeta, diced

3-4 cups shredded chicken (yes, by all means use rotisserie chicken)

1 cup corn

½ cup cilantro, chopped

Grated cheese, either Mexican blend or cheddar

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan. Spoon refried beans into the pan and spread evenly (you may want to heat them a bit to make spreading easier).

Mix onion, Rotel, Velveeta and saute over medium heat in a large skillet, stirring a bit until the cheese is completely melted. Stir in the chicken and corn and mix.

Carefully spoon the chicken/cheese mixture over the refried beans, distributing it evenly. Then top with cheese. The recipe calls for Mexican blend, but I always prefer cheddar, and I go a bit more generous than the ½ cup called for.

Bake aat 350^o until casserole is bubbly and cheese on top is melted. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with corn chips. I think I’ll also add a spoonful of guacamole in a lettuce cup for pretty presentation.

Olé!

A variation on tamales

 

Shhh! Don’t tell the world, especially Texans, but I don’t much care for tamales. I’m not a bread person, so tamales for me often have more wrapping than filling. I’d reverse that ratio. On the other hand, I think polenta is great. So several years ago I made a tamale pie that used polenta instead of masa—a true blending of Mexican and Italian cuisines, but heavy on the Mexican side. You could rightly call it Tex-Mex. It is high on my list my all-time favorite dishes. I haven’t made it in a while, but it’s on my “let’s cook this” list. Sorry for the fuzzy picture. Because I haven't made this recently, I didn't have a picture and had to snatch one off the web.

This recipe is a lot easier if you use the prepared rolls of polenta, available in most groceries, rather than trying to cook your own. Use the traditional flavor rather than that with herbs added—this dish will take your flavors in another direction, away from basil for instance.

Tamale pie with polenta

1 lb. ground sirloin, as fat-free as possible (try using ground buffalo)

1½ Tbsp. chili powder

 1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 16-oz. bottle medium hot salsa (Pace picante preferred)

1 15-oz. can refried beans (original flavor)

1¾ c. chicken broth (preferably Better than Bouillon)

½ c. chopped cilantro

2 1-lb. rolls prepared polenta, sliced ¼ inch thick

3½ c. shredded sharp cheddar

Brown beef, breaking up clumps. Add chili powder and cumin. Stir briefly. Add salsa, beans, and broth. Simmer until thick, about 10 minutes. Add the cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.

Layer half the polenta in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with sauce and 1½ c. cheese. Top with remaining polenta and then remaining cheddar. Bake uncovered at 350° for 35 minutes. Let it sit a minute before serving.

Buen provecho!