I’m not even going to lie here; I kinda fell off the face of the earth for a few weeks. Real life really caught up with me pretty darn fast.

Between my upcoming thesis and some new job opportunities, I have been swamped. Do you ever realize that when you’re incredibly busy so many other things start happening that you also have to deal with? It’s like these things have been waiting in the wings for their shining moment to drop on you at the most inopportune moment. That’s been my life for this past two weeks; I knew I had enough when I had three straight days of headaches and migraines. That’s when I threw in the towel, collapsed on the couch and ate massive amounts of cheese.

When I think about the things in life that I could not live without, I think that cheese would have to be at the top of that list. Followed closely by peanut butter, ice cream, and oh yeah, my family; in no particular order, of course :) When I was younger, my dad would make pizza pretty much every Friday and I liked to help by shredding the cheese. It was the best part because I could sneak handfuls of the cheese when no one was looking.

I want cheese. And I want it all the time. Let’s be honest here…whether melted, sliced, shredded, cubed, on a cracker, in a sandwich…cheese makes everything better. I’m sure you’re tired of hearing my ramblings on cheese but I love these enchiladas for two very important reasons. One, they’re filled with plenty of cheesy goodness. Two, I can eat plentiful handfuls of cheese in prep! It’s like sampling several spoonfuls of cookie dough before you pop it into the oven. Any dish that I can nibble on while I’m making it, is a definite plus.

I also love spicy foods. Any food that will make my eyes water is perfect. These enchiladas are not that spicy, so don’t worry. The spice can also be easily adjusted by using more milder sauces or even you’re adventurous, even more spicy. It’s not often that we get to have spicy food in my household because my younger sisters don’t have a taste for it.

I’m still trying to regain some semblance of my life prior to these past few stressful weeks. I think that in order to fully recover, I’m going to have to do some serious retail therapy followed by even more serious cheese and wine therapy. I’m not sure if it should be more wine or more cheese…I am pretty sure, though, that my family is reading this and thinking that there better only be cheese involved; but I cannot make any promises :)

Spicy Chicken Enchiladas
makes 12 enchiladas

1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 c. red enchilada sauce
1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded
(or 15 oz. can chicken chunks in water, drained)
1 c. part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
12 tortillas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large frying pan, simmer onion, green peppers and chiles in the chicken broth and 1/3 cup of the enchilada sauce; simmer for about five minutes. Add in the chili powder, pepper, garlic and chicken; mix and cover for five more minutes. Place the tortillas on top of the chicken mixture in the pan and cover again for about a minute (to soften them).

Remove chicken mixture from heat and remove the tortillas. In a baking pan, line the bottom of the pan by pouring about 1/2 c. enchilada sauce on the bottom. Place about 1/3 c. of the chicken mixture in each tortilla, spread lengthwise; roll the tortilla and place it seam down in the baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Once the pan is filled with the enchiladas, pour the remaining enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and the tortillas are golden.

All this talk of cheese has me craving mac and cheese.