Green Chile Turkey Pie

Yes, the leftovers. 

I've had so many emails from various sources like Martha Stewart come across in the past week with ways to use leftovers that I stopped looking at them because I didn't have enough leftovers to make all suggestions. I had two ideas on my mind– the green chile turkey pie and another one to come next week. These recipes aren't supposed to be exactly the same because the beauty of leftovers is using whatever is left and that will be different for each of us. 

When I made my pumpkin pie crust, it created two crusts (using a simple pie crust recipe– it's really not as hard as people make it out to be and I used my fingers to press it in rather than roll it out, like I press the dough with my paper bag pizza). 

For the first layer, I used the stuffing. Then I added a layer of diced turkey which I topped with chopped green chile. However, if you don't have green chile, you can always use salsa here. In New Mexico, we can't go for too many days without craving our green chile and usually Thanksgiving doesn't include it so this is great way to incorporate it back into a meal. And liven up those leftovers.

For the top, like a shepherd's pie, I used the mashed potatoes. Greg had made them and they already included parmesan cheese so I didn't add more. Then I baked it for an hour at 350 degrees.

And if you're already tired of eating leftovers, this is the perfect meal to freeze in pieces for later dinners or easy lunches. 

To come next week: leftover waffles. The waffle iron is on the counter waiting.

Hash Brown Waffles

There is nothing better than hash browns.

Actually there is: hash browns topped with green chile and cheese. Even better? Mixed into the batter.

I love hash browns but my challenge always has been getting them crispy enough at home (if you live in Albuquerque, Hurricane's makes the crispiest ones I've had here). And I'm not a big fan of the fried smell that lingers in the air long after the meal has been eaten.

There are several tricks that I've learned though:

Soaking the shredded potatoes overnight rids them of some of the starch which also helps make them crispier when they are fried. And using a waffle iron takes care of much of the fried smell (I'm sure you have one at the back of a cabinet that you can dust off).

Hash Brown Waffles (adapted from Mad Genius Tips in the October 2015 issue of Food & Wine)

2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled, shredded, and soaked overnight in water

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup grated cheese plus more for the topping

3 Tbsp. melted butter

2 cup green chile or salsa

Oil and heat your waffle iron as directed. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes, eggs, flour, baking powder, 1 cup of the cheese (I usually use a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzarella), butter, and 1/2 cup of the green chile or salsa.

Spread a portion of the mixture on the waffle iron, careful that you can still close it. All waffle irons aren't created equal: one way to know when to check the doneness of the waffle is when the sizzling stops. The waffle is done when it's brown and crispy.

Place the waffles in a 200-degree oven while you make more or immediately top with cheese an green chile or salsa (microwave for about 40 seconds to melt the cheese) and enjoy. Repeat making waffles with the remaining mixture. The rest of it can be frozen for future meals so you can return your waffle iron to its place in the back of the cabinet.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

The first time that Greg cooked for me, this is what he made: the chicken tamale casserole. While the recipe is easy so it should be a cinch for any bachelor to make, it's a tasty meal that can come together quickly on a school night (or any other night where cooking feels like the last thing we want to do). And there might be enough for leftovers for lunch for the next day. Besides, it includes Fritos and who doesn't like Fritos?

Chicken Tamale Casserole

8 oz. bag of Fritos

1 rotisserie chicken 

8 oz. of roasted green chile, chopped

1 large can of sweet corn

1 large can of black olives, chopped

2 large cans of tomato sauce (16 oz. each- or the 2-pound can)

1 pound cheddar cheese shredded (or other good melting cheese like colby)

Garlic powder

Layer ingredients from the bottom to the top in two deep casserole dishes (or one large rectangular baking dish):

Start with a thin layer of tomato sauce then add the Fritos to cover the bottom 1 inch. Top that with the rotisserie chicken meat, 1/2 of corn, 1/3 olive, 1/2 green chile, and the rest of the can of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with garlic powder as desired. Then add enough cheese to cover the dish, garnish with remaining olives.

Heat in oven at 390 degrees (yes, you read that right) for 25 minutes or until it bubbles.

The Green Chile Enchilada Casserole

I love enchiladas, but when I'm feeding a big crowd or need something easy one night, the enchilada casserole is one of my go-to meals. It also works well frozen in smaller portions for later meals. And I have cut down on the fat by not frying the tortillas and by using a lower fat cheese.

The recipe:

Green chile sauce (see the recipe I made several weeks ago)

12 corn tortillas (I used 9 the last time I made the casserole)

1 onion chopped into small pieces

1 pound of cheese (I've been using mozzarella because it has lower, fat but you also can use anything that melts well– my favorite is colby longhorn)

tomato and lettuce for garnish

I tend to like my enchiladas piled higher so I'll use a 9 x 13 pyrex (although in the photo I used the new Le Creuset dish we received as a wedding gift and holds heat very well), however, you can use any size.

Spray the bottom lightly with oil and then place a layer of corn tortillas on the bottom. They don't need to overlap much, but you might need to tear some in half to make it work. 

Spoon on the green chile sauce and then sprinkle both the cheese and onion on top, making sure you have spread all three items evenly.

Repeat. I usually have two to three layers, but the key is to stop when you have run out of one of the ingredients.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. You are looking to make sure it's heated through and the cheese is melted. Garnish with lettuce and tomato, if desired. Serves 6-8.

A warm green chile salsa

There are many ways to make salsas and sauces, green chile style. And if you're not an adventurous cook, remember that you can't go wrong. Well, you can if you add too many jalapeños! After all, you don't want it so hot that you can't enjoy it.

I saw the original version of this sauce on an episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" where he took on a mom and her son in Tucson. I've made the sauce several times since, realizing each time it does come out a bit differently based on the taste and heat of the vegetables. 

I freeze this sauce in smaller portions and take it out periodically to use on top of eggs, as an enchilada sauce, in a cup of beans, or yesterday- drizzled on top of a pork spinach loaf. It gave the loaf an extra zing. Finally, this batch I made on Sunday used leftover tomatoes from the garden  and jalapeños. We all know how sometimes we end up with a too many garden pickings and this is a good way to enjoy them.

Tomatoes (three or four large, more if smaller)

3 jalapeños (again, depending on size– I used quite a few in the batch in the photo)

4 garlic cloves peeled

4 fresh green chilies (not roasted)

vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped into small pieces

4 more garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

Salt, as needed

Place the tomatoes, jalapeños, first round of garlic cloves, and green chilies a large dutch oven filled with water. Bring the pot to a boil and let it simmer, covered, for an hour.

Using a heat resistant blender jar (like a Ninja which is more accommodating to hot ingredients), puree the entire contents from the pot. You may need to do this two separate times to include it all. Use a heat resistant bowl to hold the sauce if you need to do it in two separate servings.

While the sauce is in the blender, sauté the onion and garlic in the same dutch oven. When the onions glisten, add the puree back to the pot and bring to a boil. Add salt as needed and let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

Green Chile Sauce

I love chile, especially the green. And quite honestly I can't remember life without it. The year and a half I lived in Illinois when I made visits back to New Mexico, I'd stock up on enough to keep me happy until I could visit again.

The green chile sauce is perfect for a variety of dishes. Some people use it on eggs (or on huevos rancheros), enchiladas, or as a topping to steak or pork. Next week I'll share the recipe for making an enchilada casserole but this time around it's how to create the sauce. This is my version of the  one from Bueno Foods:

Either one frozen 13 oz. container of chopped green chile or about 12 roasted, peeled, and chopped green chiles

2 tsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. flour

2 cups water

1 clove or 1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt, if desired (I don't salt most things I make because so much already has salt in it)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan (one that has a lid). Add the flour and make a roux that will thicken the sauce. Add the green chile, water, garlic, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer covered on low for about 12 minutes. It will continue to thicken as you let it cool.  

The Breakfast Burrito

I can't imagine life without the breakfast burrito. Before the rest of the country had discovered them, it was disappointing to travel outside of the Southwest and not find any because they are such a staple of breakfast here.

The best part is that it's something packable that you can carry (often called a walking burrito) as you eat. To me, it's like getting a plate of breakfast to go.

While I am a breakfast smoothie girl, I began to make breakfast burritos so Greg would have something to grab in the morning and eat on his way to school. Sometimes I'll heat one up for lunch since I work at home.

The recipe below makes about twelve burritos and we wrap each one in plastic wrap and them put them together in a ziploc bag in the freezer. If you don't have green chile accessible, you can use salsa, however, keep in mind that you want to be careful because some salsas are too wet and will make your burrito soggy. You can google frozen green chile and have it shipped to you but it's much cheaper to roast it yourself if you don't live in New Mexico (what costs you about $50 to have shipped we can buy for around $3 in the grocery store). 

I like to use a thin tortilla otherwise the burrito is too thick and doughy. The Trader Joe's handmade flour ones work really well and have a good flavor.

And there are many other ways to make burritos: you can add potatoes (hash browned are the best), beans, and skip the bacon or use breakfast sausage. Experimenting with flavors will keep the burritos interesting. 

The recipe for 12 breakfast burritos:

1 pound bacon (or other sausage)

A dozen eggs

13 ounce container of green chile defrosted

A dozen tortillas 

Fry the bacon in a large frying pan (or I bake mine) and then allow the cooked pieces to drain the fat off on paper towels set underneath the slices. Let the bacon fat remain in the pan to cook the eggs.

With the heat set on medium underneath the pan, crack all the eggs into a bowl and mix the yolks with the whites. Pour into the heated pan and stir as they cook. When the eggs are no longer runny, add the green chile and crumble the bacon into the eggs. Stir until the ingredients have been evenly spread across the pan and everything is heated through.

Place a piece of plastic wrap underneath a tortilla and then spread a few dollops of the mix onto the tortilla. Make sure to spread it around the tortilla well (see photo) so that you always taste the mix with the flour tortilla, not just tortilla. Wrap the burrito and then secure the plastic around it. 

A New Mexico Tradition: Roasting Green Chile

While I am a summer person, I also love fall. And I especially love fall in New Mexico. It's about hot air balloons and the smell of green chile roasting in the air. The Hatch (a town in Southern New Mexico known for its chile) crop came in early this year which means we're enjoying it a few weeks earlier than usual but, believe me, no one is complaining.

And if you live away from New Mexico, the state has done a good job promoting green chile and it's now available (not just in a can– that should only be your very last resort because it doesn't taste the same!) in grocery stores around the country. When I moved back to Illinois a few years ago for a short period of time, I found it at Whole Foods but my guess is that it's even more widely available that it used to be.

But to use it for dishes like enchiladas (recipe coming soon), chile rellenos (see last year's directions here), or simply to top on your eggs, you need to spend a little time roasting it. The added benefit is the smell. 

Roasting simply means placing the chiles on the grill and burning the skins so that they separate from the meat inside. After watching many men spend too much time flipping things on the grill, I'm more apt to walk away and let things cook without my intervention. I try to turn them only once. Remove them from the grill when the skins are mostly blackened (my photos should help you gauge that).

If you plan to use the chiles right away, you can place them in a towel to continue to separate the skin before running them under water to rub off the skin and the seeds. Then chop them into pieces and add to your dish.

Or if you want to freeze them and save them for later (which is what we do here because we have easy access to the chiles), place them in serving size plastic bags and freeze until you need them. You'll run them under water to remove the skin and seeds then. 

As we go through a fall of green chile recipes up next week: breakfast burritos.