Chicken Meal #1
Alright, the first meal on this quest of seeing just how far two chickens can stretch when feeding a family of eight has been eaten. Chicken and nacho cheese quesadillas were a quick, easy, and delicious lunch for all eight of us at Abundance. Both the nacho cheese and the flour tortillas were homemade. They were also made from new recipes. Cheese and tortillas don't have to be homemade. Our nacho cheese was leftover from supper the night before. Since we were out of purchased tortillas, I made them. Tortillas are easy as well as fast, and I was in desperate need of a quick and easy meal that could get to the table FAST. Quesadillas fit the bill. For those interested in the recipes we used, we're including them below. Please be advised: the recipe below will NOT produce a traditional, super flat tortilla. They are a TexMex style which may puff up a bit.
(NOTE: I did not allow the dough to rest as instructed due to short prep time available. Rest time would have made the tortillas better. However, they were still very enjoyable. We do strongly recommend following the instructions exactly - if time allows.)
Texas Flour Tortillas (adapted by the Homesick Texan from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break of eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren't touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It's very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won't roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it into a four inch circle, andthen roll with a rolling pin from the center until it is thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you will have no problem with this.) Don't over work the dough, or it will be stiff. Keep rolled out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it is done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napking until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas burner flame, or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won't have any leftovers, you can store in the fidge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes eight (8) tortillas.
Homemade Nacho Cheese
Add onions. We used two tiny little ones.
Add flour stirring constantly until mixture bubbles freely.
Add cream cheese. Continue stirring constantly as it melts.
Add milk/water slowly - stirring continually.
Allow mixture to cook, keep stirring, bring to boil.
Add cheese - stir until melted.
Keep warm in crockpot or warmer.
Will thicken if allowed to cool.
Makes enough to serve 12+, generously.
I enlarged the tortilla recipe so that there would be leftovers. These leftovers were eaten as snacks yesterday afternoon with enough left for breakfast burritos this morning.
The nacho cheese was originally made and served as an accompaniment to homemade soft pretzels for an evening meal. We made 10 nacho chicken quesadillas for lunch and there was still nacho cheese sauce leftover for another use. It wasn't but could have been used in the breakfast burritos.
More meal stretching coming your way. We told you it was going to be a ride:)
(NOTE: I did not allow the dough to rest as instructed due to short prep time available. Rest time would have made the tortillas better. However, they were still very enjoyable. We do strongly recommend following the instructions exactly - if time allows.)
Texas Flour Tortillas (adapted by the Homesick Texan from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)
- 2 C. all-purpose flour (whole wheat can be made by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
- 3/4 C. warm milk
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break of eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren't touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It's very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won't roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it into a four inch circle, andthen roll with a rolling pin from the center until it is thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you will have no problem with this.) Don't over work the dough, or it will be stiff. Keep rolled out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it is done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napking until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas burner flame, or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won't have any leftovers, you can store in the fidge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes eight (8) tortillas.
Homemade Nacho Cheese
- 2 sticks butter
- onions - chopped
- 1 ounce cream cheese
- 1/2 C. flour
- approx. 2 C. milk or water
- jalepenos to taste - we used 2 jalepeno peppers - seeded and chopped
- 1 box Velveeta cubed (Velveeta melts smoothly and is what we had in the pantry. For a healthier, more natural option, Velveeta can be substitued with 2 C. Monterey Jack and 2 C. sharp cheddar or for a white nacho sauce, 4 C. Monterey Jack. Cheddar may produce oil. This is normal.)
Add onions. We used two tiny little ones.
Add flour stirring constantly until mixture bubbles freely.
Add cream cheese. Continue stirring constantly as it melts.
Add milk/water slowly - stirring continually.
Allow mixture to cook, keep stirring, bring to boil.
Add cheese - stir until melted.
Keep warm in crockpot or warmer.
Will thicken if allowed to cool.
Makes enough to serve 12+, generously.
I enlarged the tortilla recipe so that there would be leftovers. These leftovers were eaten as snacks yesterday afternoon with enough left for breakfast burritos this morning.
The nacho cheese was originally made and served as an accompaniment to homemade soft pretzels for an evening meal. We made 10 nacho chicken quesadillas for lunch and there was still nacho cheese sauce leftover for another use. It wasn't but could have been used in the breakfast burritos.
More meal stretching coming your way. We told you it was going to be a ride:)