Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas (from the 'Basket Winner')

(Photo by Sue Schulzetenberg)

And, the winner is…

Nicole Hessig, coordinator of youth ministry for St. Ann Parish in Wadena and St. John the Baptist Parish in Bluffton, won the gourmet food basket that The Visitor offered as a door prize at the Diocesan Ministry Day this past Monday at St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center.

The basket contained a beautiful hand-beaded serving spoon and a variety of ingredients including olive oil, balsamic and raspberry vinegars, Dijon mustard, cherry preserves, an upscale bar of dark chocolate and more, to use in preparing six recipes previously featured on Food, Faith and Fellowship:

• Harvest Bruschetta 

• Strawberry Romaine Salad 

• Winter Fruit Salad & Poppy Seed Dressing

• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake Pops 

• Chocolate Covered Cherries  

• Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake.

Besides cooking meals that are quick and easy, Nicole and her husband, Devlin, especially like grilling chicken, burgers and ribs during the summer months. And, she loves to bake cookies — oatmeal butterscotch and molasses — are two of her specialties. I asked Nicole to share one of her favorite recipes with FFF readers — here it is. CJK

 

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

(Nicole Hessig)

Enchiladas:

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup picante sauce

1-2 tsp. chili powder

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Six flour tortillas

Optional toppings:

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped onion or green onion

Chopped cilantro

Sour cream

Guacamole

Black olives

Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13x 9-inch baking dish with no-stick cooking spray.

Stir soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder together in a medium bowl to make the sauce. Mix 1 cup of the sauce mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.

Fill tortillas with chicken mixture. Fold filled tortillas and place folded side down in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce mixture over the enchiladas. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 350°F.

Before serving, add desired toppings.

Yield: 6 enchiladas

A note from Nicole: This is a recipe of my mom’s. She’s been making enchiladas with various recipes for about 10 years.

My family has always done a lot of hunting – I’ve been going along since I was 12. Now I go with my husband, Devlin. We eat a lot of goose, duck and deer.

Devlin and I both grew up eating wild game and thoroughly enjoy it! An easy way to prepare fowl is in a crock-pot with diced onions, salt, pepper, a variety of seasonings and either cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup poured over it. We serve it with potatoes, carrots and other vegetables.

A note from Carol: Nicole earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2008 from Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota, and has begun a master’s degree program in pastoral ministry at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. She and Devlin have been married for two years and are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Bluffton. Her parents, Dean and Brenda Perala, are also members there.

(Basket design by Rose Kruger-Fuchs/Beaded spoon created by Nikki Rajala/Photo by Nikki Rajala)