Recipe Sunday

Well, since last week's Budget Saver Sunday didn't seem to blow anyone's skirt up, I thought maybe Sunday would be a good day to post a recipe.  It's still budget conscious - because I'm that way - but it's mostly about the food.  So here goes nothin'...


Chickie-Mex Meal

4 frozen chicken burritos
3 chicken tenderloins (thawed)
1 T olive oil
dash chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 c sliced olives
1 roma tomato (sliced thin)
4 oz (or half a package) Mexican blend shredded cheese
sour cream (optional on the side)


Cook the frozen burritos at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until they're mostly cooked and thoroughly thawed.  Remove from oven.  In a skillet, heat the olive oil and cook the tenderloins until they have a nice brown on both sides.  (They will still be a little pink on the inside.)  Season tenderloins to taste while this step is occurring.  I used chili powder, salt and pepper here.  Place partially cooked tenderloins on top of the mostly cooked burritos.  Cover all with the enchilada sauce.  Sprinkle with olives.  Sprinkle cheese over everything.  Take the tomato slices and lay them artfully down the center of the meal.  Sprinkle a little more cheese over the tomato slices.  Put back in the 350 degree oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the tenderloins are cooked through and their juices run clear.  Serves 3 - depending on how hungry those three are.  

As with most recipes I use (except baked goods), the quantities are subject to change.  If you like more seasoning, use more.  If you need to feed more people, increase the quantities.  Ditch the olives if you don't like them, or decrease the cheese if you're watching your cheese intake.  If you're uncomfortable with judging whether your chicken is cooked through when it's covered in sauce, cook the tenderloins thoroughly in the pan and decrease the oven time to just long enough for melting the cheese and getting the sauce bubbly-hot.

I made this last night and it seemed to be a big hit with the family. 

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.  And please remember, with recipes, it's all about your tastes, so your mileage may vary.  Which means, basically, if you don't like it, don't shoot the cook.

(The top pic is not a photo of what I made, but it's the closest image I could find to how my dish looked.  I did use those El Monterey frozen burritos, though.) *All images deleted to avoid any chance of copyright infringement*