Welcome!

Welcome to Simple Fare, Fairly Simple. This is a place for me to post recipes of all kinds...along with other miscellaneous fodder from my so-called life here in the south. Who knows what you will find here. Could be anything from my husband...known as IT Guy...to my kids and beautiful grandbabies that are growing up way too fast right before my eyes. But...mostly this will be a place for food. I hope you'll see something you like and if you decide to try something from the list...leave me a comment and let me know!



Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Enchiladas are always welcomed by IT Guy and an easy casserole is always welcomed by me. So when I can combine the two, it just makes good sense, right? This easy dish is family friendly, leftover friendly and taste-bud friendly! Super good! Give it a try on a busy week night!

Creamy Chicken 
Enchilada Casserole



3 chicken breasts ~ cooked and shredded
1 8-ounce block of cream cheese ~ cut into cubes
1 4-ounce can of diced green chilies
1 cup corn (I used frozen)
1 small onion ~ diced
1 clove garlic ~ minced
1 cup chicken stock
4 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar/jack combo)
1 cup Mexican crumbling cheese (Queso fresco)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
6 flour tortillas ~ cut into wedges (can use corn)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x11 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. 

Add the cubed cream cheese and cook and stir until melted. Add the chicken stock and stir.

Add the chicken, corn, diced green chilies and seasonings to the skillet.

Stir to combine.

Layer the ingredients in the prepared pan, starting with some tortillas then some of the chicken mixture then some of the cheese.

Repeat 3 times until all ingredients are used, ending with cheese on top.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 - 45 minutes until bubbly and hot.

Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.




Here's what you need. 
Here's what you need.

Oh! And some of this! 

Oh! And some of this!

Season the chicken breast and bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Season the chicken breast 
and bake for about 45 
minutes at 350 degrees.

Then for fast shredding, put the cooked meat in your mixer with the paddle attachment.... 

Then for fast shredding, put the 
cooked meat in your mixer with 
the paddle attachment....

...and whirl it around until it looks like this. Easy, huh? 

...and whirl it around until it looks 
like this. Easy, huh?

Saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil for a few minutes then add the cream cheese and heat until melted. 

Saute the onion and garlic in some 
olive oil for a few minutes then add 
the cream cheese and heat until melted.

Add the chicken broth and stir. 

Add the chicken broth and stir.

Then add the chicken, cheddar cheese, green chilies and seasonings. 

Then add the chicken, cheddar 
cheese, green chilies and seasonings.

Stir it up! 

Stir it up!

Cut your tortillas into wedges. 

Cut your tortillas into wedges.

Starting with tortillas on the bottom... 

Starting with tortillas on the bottom...

...start layering your ingredients. 

...start layering your ingredients.

Ending with cheese on top. 

Ending with cheese on top.

Bake! 

Bake!

Eat! 

Eat!

Monday, September 29, 2014

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apples and cinnamon just seem to go hand in hand, don't they? So reworked my cinnamon roll recipe to include apples. What a treat! I'm not sure why I never thought of doing that before now! These are so great and a wonderful fall treat! They make two nice sized pans full of yummy goodness but you can split the recipe in half...or make the regular batch and freeze one...which is what I did. I made up both pans, baked them and frosted them both, then threw one pan in the freezer to thaw and reheat later! Yay for an easy dessert! Give these a try....you'll love them..I promise!

Apple Cinnamon Rolls



2 cups milk
2 eggs
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages yeast
½ cup sugar
6 cups flour
Cinnamon/sugar/brown sugar ~ to taste
1 can apple pie filling (I used caramel apple)

Melt milk and butter in microwave, together, until very warm…about 1 ½ minutes. Set aside.

In mixing bowl, with dough hook attachment, combine 2 cups of flour, salt, yeast and sugar. Set mixer speed on low and add milk/butter mixture.

Add eggs one at a time. Mix well.

Add remaining 4 cups of flour and mix until well blended.

Place mixed dough on floured counter and knead until smooth…adding more flour as you go to keep dough from sticking.

Grease a large bowl and place kneaded dough in bowl. Spray dough with a shot of Pam. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled…about 30 minutes.

Turn risen dough onto floured surface and cut in half. Roll each piece of dough out to a 9x13 rectangle.

Spread dough with softened butter then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and brown sugar.

Roll up from the long end and cut into 1” – 1 ½ “sections. Place in greased baking dish. Repeat with second half of dough.

Let rolls rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.

Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Spread with frosting.

Frosting:

½ stick butter
1 bag of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Milk

Whip butter in mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread frosting on warm rolls.


Okay....here we go. Don't be put off by the amount of pictures. These are really pretty easy. 

Okay....here we go. Don't be put off 
by the amount of pictures. These are 
really pretty easy.

In mixing bowl, with dough hook attachment, combine 2 cups of flour, salt, yeast and sugar. 

In mixing bowl, with dough hook 
attachment, combine 2 cups of flour, 
salt, yeast and sugar.

Add the warmed milk mixture. 

Add the warmed milk mixture.

Then the eggs. 

Then the eggs.

Then the rest of the flour. 

Then the rest of the flour.

Plop the dough onto a floured surface. 

Plop the dough onto a floured surface.

Knead until smooooooth. 

Knead until smooooooth.

Allow to rise until doubled. (I use my nifty heating pad to help my dough rise!) 

Allow to rise until doubled. (I use my 
nifty heating pad to help my dough rise!)

Divide the dough in half and roll out. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 

Divide the dough in half and roll out. 
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Chop up the apple pie filling... 

Chop up the apple pie filling...

...then sprinkle that over the rolled out dough. 

...then sprinkle that over the rolled out dough.

Roll up! 

Roll up!

Slice and place the rolls in your pan(s). 

Slice and place the rolls in your pan(s).

Allow to rise! 

Allow to rise!

Bake, baby! 

Bake, baby!

Frost! 

Frost!

Now eat! 

Now eat!

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Creamy Beef Noodle Bake

Casseroles are a staple around the SFFS house. Not only do we eat them fresh from the oven, but IT Guy takes the leftovers to work in his lunch, so this is perfect for us. Not only does it serve a dual purpose, but it's yummy to boot! And so easy! If you don't need a big pan of this, remember you can always split up the mixture into two pans and freeze one for later! I'm having to learn to do that more and more for since I cook for only two people most of the time. But this is just a great dish for a family meal!

Creamy Beef Noodle Bake



1 pound ground beef
1 cup sour cream
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes ~ undrained
1 medium onion ~ diced
1 - 2 cloves garlic ~ minced
1 8-ounce box noodles (flat egg noodles, penne, rotini, etc) ~ cooked and drained
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen corn
1 7-ounce can diced green chilies ~ optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in a little olive oil.

Add the ground beef, salt & pepper and cook until done. Drain.

Add the sour cream and tomatoes (and green chilies, if using) and stir to combine.

Add half of the noodles in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Then add the ground beef mixture, 1 cup of the cheese, and the corn . 

Top with remaining noodles and remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes until bubbly.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Okay....here's what you need. 

Okay....here's what you need.

Saute the onion and garlic. 

Saute the onion and garlic.

Brown the ground beef then add the sour cream and the tomatoes. If you're using green chilies, add them here as well. 

Brown the ground beef then add 
the sour cream and the tomatoes. 
If you're using green chilies, 
add them here as well.

Stir it up! 

Stir it up!

Place half of the cooked noodles in the pan. 

Place half of the cooked noodles in the pan.

Then add the ground beef mixture, 1 cup of the cheese... 

Then add the ground beef mixture, 
1 cup of the cheese...

..and the corn. 

..and the corn.

Then add the rest of the noodles. 

Then add the rest of the noodles.

Cover with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake! 

Cover with remaining cheese. 
Cover with foil and bake!

So, so good! 

So, so good!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Chicken Parmesan Soup

"Souper" good and "souper" easy! Here's a yummy soup to add to your list of fall food. If you don't have or want to use a rotisserie chicken, 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts work great in this. I used flat egg noodles because that's what I had in my pantry, but of course any kind will work. Make sure you've got some crusty french bread to serve with this...or some croutons on top is delicious!

Chicken Parmesan Soup



2 32-ounce containers chicken stock
2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 medium onion ~ diced
2 cloves garlic ~ minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (or less if you don't want a lot of spice..or none if you don't want any!)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups cooked, diced chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
3 cups flat egg noodles

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. 

Add the red pepper flakes and salt & pepper and cook another minute or so.

Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, diced chicken and Italian seasoning. 

Bring soup to a boil then add noodles and cook until noodles are al dente.

Add Parmesan cheese and stir through. 

Serve with crusty french bread or croutons.

Let's go! 

Let's go!

Dice up your cooked chicken. Set aside. 

Dice up your cooked chicken. Set aside.

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic then add the red pepper flakes and salt and pepper and cook that for a minute or so. 

In a large pot, saute the onion and 
garlic then add the red pepper flakes 
and salt and pepper and cook that 
for a minute or so.

Add in the tomatoes, chicken stock, chicken, tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Add more salt & pepper if desired, to taste. 

Add in the tomatoes, chicken stock, 
chicken, tomato paste and Italian 
seasoning. Add more salt & pepper,
if desired, to taste.

Bring to a boil then add the noodles. 

Bring to a boil then add the noodles.

Stir in the parmesan cheese. 

Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Eat it up! 

Eat it up!