Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Do you love easy, delicious, one-dish meals as I do? This Creamy Chicken Enchiladas recipe from Taste of Home is one that I have made often in the past, but just made it again last week. 

This recipe also freezes well, and as the recipe makes two 9x13 pans, it works great to put one in the freezer to use later during this busy holiday season. It also would work well to dice up some of your left-over turkey meat from Thanksgiving Day to use in this recipe.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Source: www.tasteofhome.com  (Click link to print)

Course: Main Course

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 package Cream Cheese (8 oz) softened
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 5 cups cooked chicken diced
• 20 flour tortillas (6 inches) room temperature
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 ounces ea) undiluted
• 2 cups sour cream 16 ounces
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cans chopped green chilies 4 ounces each
• 2 cups Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, water, onion powder, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in chicken.


2. Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla.


3. Roll up and place seam side down in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes.


4. In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, milk and chilies; pour over enchiladas.


5. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.


6. Yield: 10 servings.

You can add toppings, if you wish, for these creamy enchiladas ... as in the photo above (from several years ago), smothered with sour cream, salad greens, and tomatoes. It is also delicious served without toppings.

A photo from a number of years ago, when I divided the recipe into four 8x8 pans to freeze.

NOTE: This is an updated post from the past. Click here to view the original post in 2015.

Simple Home Beauty: Bringing Autumn Indoors

Are you a "homebody"? I sure am! Maybe that word has a negative connotation to some people, but not to me. I just love the simple joys of home. So much of life happens in our homes. It's where we gather together with those we love, where we prepare our meals and gather around the table, where we come to be refreshed and energized for this wonderful, busy, full, and often crazy life.

Homebody: One who enjoys

the simple pleasures and activities

that center around the home.

Don't you just love this definition of "homebody"? It's taken from a sweet little book I'm slowly reading through by Melissa Michaels ...

dwelling: Simple Ways to Nourish Your Home, Body, & Soul. 

And do you love the various seasons of the year, as I do? The varying seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter each give us a sense of new beginnings, and also provide new and refreshing ways to bring warmth and joy into our homes, which in turn bring rest and refreshment to our souls. 

For each season of the year gives us opportunities to bring the beauty of outdoors even into our homes. Autumn is a prime time to showcase the brilliant and soul-feeding colors of outdoors! I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite indoor glimpses of the beauty of the season.   

I absolutely love this table centerpiece, purchased a year ago from Kirklands. The tablecloth and plaid placemat were purchased this year(the tablecloth on "clearance"), and I think the plaid placemat was either from Kohl's, or from Target. 

This little fall display on the dining room buffet is mostly from purchases from a few years ago, but the little cozy white house (with light inside) came from the "dollar" bins at Target this year!

And moving to another favorite room in our home - the kitchen!

This fall display (above) is on one of my kitchen countertops. First of all, you need to notice the beautiful tile backdrop that one of our sons-in-law put up for us ten years ago when he remodeled our kitchen and dining room for us (thanks, Tyler)! The muted olive green tray was a Christmas gift last year from one of our daughters (thanks, Cristy!), the gorgeous vase with fall flowers was a purchase from Kirklands this year, and the framed "Home Sweet Home" art was a purchase from Michael's this year as well.

On another counter in the kitchen, you'll see the fun little "Happy Pumpkin Spice Season" decor, a purchase from another year. Also the artificial green plant beauty was a gift from another daughter (thanks, Carrie!), and the Gold Canyon scented candle and stand were purchased from the same daughter who has been selling for Gold Canyon!

Some people are putting up their Christmas decorations already, but so far at least, I've always chosen to wait until after Thanksgiving Day. I just want to hang onto the beauty of autumn till then!

Our awesome God is the CREATOR

of all the autumn beauty, 

and it really does feed our souls! 

Such joy in bringing little glimpses

of His beautiful art into our homes - 

refreshing us, energizing us ... 

each day of this amazing season. 

Nearness to God

In this fast-paced, wonderful,

and often crazy world ...

I need this reminder of the source of what I long for. What I long for is not found in the achievements, in the pursuits of material things, or accomplishments. What we long for is found in a Person. "Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress where I will not be shaken.

My victory and honor come from God alone.

He is my refuge,

a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in God at all times. Pour out your heart to Him,

for God is our refuge.

(Psalm 62:5-8 NLT)

A Collection: Simple Joys of Autumn

There are so many joys this beautiful season that sometimes can get swallowed up in Christmas preparations. I just love autumn! The colors, the scents, the comforting soups, and so much more.

Here are some brief little glimpses into a few of the things that have given me joy this season ...

The joy of essential oils! I am continuing to learn more of the many uses of essential oils, and am loving the process! My little collection has been growing since I received a Young Living starter kit last year for Christmas. 

My recent purchases have been from REVIVE, and besides the health benefits that essential oils provide, I love the scents that fill our home as I've been diffusing some new autumn blends.

My five favorite blends for my diffuser this autumn:

4 drops orange + 2 drops clove + 2 drops immunity boost

4 drops immunity boost + 3 drops orange

3 drops bergamot + 2 drops orange + 2 drops cedarwood

6 drops immunity boost + 4 drops lemon + 2 drops stress easy

3 drops immunity boost + 3 drops orange + 3 stress easy

The joys of coffee! And more importantly, the joy of having coffee with someone we love!

The photo above represents a miracle! One of our daughters had a day off work in October, and invited us to meet her for coffee at a cute little coffee shop! We had experienced a long season of difficult years in our relationship as parents and daughter many years ago, and I will never get over the miracles that God has done! Such a very sweet coffee date with a precious daughter! 

The joy of fun little gifts! We brought home a few little souvenir gifts with us after a sweet little getaway to Lied Lodge in Nebraska City last month (see the photo below) and after a visit to the Arbor Day Farm while there.

The joy of a special autumn getaway together as a couple! Our six (grown) kids gave us a gift card last year for Christmas for a stay at Lied Lodge in Nebraska City. And autumn was the perfect time of year to schedule our trip! 

The fall colors were perfect, and our three-night stay was just wonderful ... extended devo times, walks in the crisp autumn air, time away together, away from the busyness of life.

- - - - - - -

It's so good to pause, to express thanks for God's many gifts to us ... this month of November, and all through the year.

Gratefulness isn't hard.

Forgetting to be grateful

is what makes life hard.

(Ann Voskamp)