♥

Christmas presents have long since been opened,

family and friends hugged

but I still feel like hiding..

heavy fur blankets pulled up to my chin,

our little pup resting nearby

reading and LOVING The Goldfinch..

while every other day it seems that wicked freezing wind strips our trees and leaves bare skin exposed and shivering.

♥

The pull to leave all this quiet

behind and join in

compels but I resist..

The portent of change gusts in on the the back of that wild wind
and while I do embrace each new year..

I will always cherish quiet moments.

If you, too, are an introvert, you’ll understand that this is how I recharge…

♥

Our family has been loving a new game called

Ticket to Ride

I highly recommend it!

{ Thank you Austin for introducing it to us! }

One little goal I have for our family this year

is to acquire a collection of games that we can play together.
I love it when cell phones, computers and televisions are set aside for an hour or two..

and the ensuing laughter is such a bonus!

♥

I made this new dish between games and it was the perfect Family “Game Night” dinner.

Spicy Chicken Chilaquiles

were inspired by A Pretty Life..

{ ..a Calgary blog I just love to visit, I know you will too! }

This is a layered Mexican dish, it was so quick and easy to make
so I know it will become part of the weeknight dinner “rotation”!

These are the meals I know my family will love and best of all,
clean up is so fast.. we have more time

for each other..

♥

Spicy Chicken Chilaquiles

Spicy Chicken Chilaquiles

 

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Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless cooked chicken breasts halves, shredded (a rotisserie chicken from the grocers works well)
• 430 ml jar mild or medium salsa
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• 1 540 ml can drained, rinsed black beans (we used black turtle beans)
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1/8 cup canned jalapeno slices, drained and chopped, or more as desired
• 1/2 cup black sliced calamata olives
• 2 tsp cumin
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 large bag tortilla chips (we used Tostitos Cantina Extra Thin)
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 - 4 cups shredded Tex Mex or Mexican cheese, as desired

Toppings

• sour cream
• scallions (green onions) diced
• cherry tomatoes, chopped
• avocado slices
• lime wedges

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Shred the cooked chicken breasts and set aside. In a large saucepan, add the salsa and chicken broth and heat over a low heat until simmering. Add the shredded chicken, black beans, diced yellow pepper, jalapeno peppers and olives then simmer to warm through. Add cumin and adjust to taste.
3. Stir in the sour cream to blend.
4. Spray a 9x13" baking dish or a few small single serving casserole dishes with cooking spray. I found the smaller, deeper dishes were moister than the single large baking pan.
5. Scatter a layer of tortilla chips to cover most of the bottom of each dish, gently breaking any chips that are too large for the dish.
6. Spoon half of the salsa mixture over top, sprinkle with half of the cilantro and then half of the cheese. Repeat a second time, ending with the cheese on top.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes for smaller casseroles, 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the dish is cooked through.
8. Serve by topping slices with tomato, green onions, and avocado.

Notes

This dish can be made more or less spicy with the type of salsa used and the quantity of jalapeno peppers.
Watch the baking time, the smaller single casserole dishes baked in only 10 minutes because the filling was warm and then put straight into the oven once assembled. It's better to take out when the tortilla chips just begin to turn brown and cheese is just melted.

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