I am now announcing that I am back “into” cooking again. I am not going to tell my husband just yet. I might change my mind by the end of the week. I seriously doubt that he will read this post…he is very busy at work this month and last month and (most likely) next month. He is trying to get ready to retire. I don’t understand this “getting ready to retire” talk. When I retired at the end of the school year…I packed up my boxes…and walked quickly and happily out the door. Perhaps I forgot something important! I was on the fast track, I guess!

Nevertheless, my retirement is what has prompted my return to the cooking world. I really loved teaching, except on the days when the district repeatedly changed the expectations. On those days, I called my husband, our daughter, my friends and told then about my impending resignation. Alas…the children were too precious for me to leave in the middle of any school year. This went on for at least five years. I was such in an uproar about the state  of education in Texas that I stopped cooking much at all. I understand the connection. I realize that it doesn’t make sense.

In order to gain back my sensibility, I decided to return to the kitchen after my retirement. Well…I did take the first week off. I needed to recover from the last week of school. Saying good-bye is just exhausting. Ridiculous. I will see all of my teacher friends in September when I will probably do a little substitute teaching. And I do see them on Facebook constantly. So now I am beginning to cook again. My collection of over 150 cookbooks has been so neglected.

Cookbooks are like novels to me. I can read them for hours. Which brings me to my main point. Goodness! I am so long-winded. I’m like this in person too. Oh well! One of the very nice people who I follow on WordPress is The Chicken Grandma. Her blog is so very entertaining and interesting to me. She writes about her life on a farm, her family, and also includes recipes. Just a few days ago, she included a recipe for her Taco Salad. I can hardly wait to make it, since it is a very different recipe from my own Taco Salad. I commented online to her that I usually serve it with a Chicken Enchilada Casserole. Since she asked for both recipes, I am including them on this post. My first time to post recipes…I promise that I won’t leave anything out!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 lb boneless chicken breasts (boil, dice, save 1 cup chicken broth)

1 medium onion-chopped

3 tablespoons butter

1 small can chopped green chilies (do not drain)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1 package soft corn tortillas (usually one dozen)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Saute onion and chilies in butter. Add soup, chicken, milk, and saved broth. Heat together for about three minutes. Tear soft tortillas into small pieces (about 2″ in size). Layer tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese in three quart size baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Taco Salad

1 head lettuce (broken into pieces)

2 ripe (but firm) tomatoes (chopped)

1/2 medium onion (chopped)

1 15 oz. can Ranch Style Beans-original recipe (drained)

1 large avocado (cut into small pieces)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 small package (not individual size package) Fritos (not dipping size Fritos)

1 bottle Kraft Catalina dressing (8 oz)

Toss together. Add dressing just before serving.

 

Have fun making these easy dishes!