Christmas Eve Brunch 2011

Some pics of last year's festivities at our house:

Abbie refused to be anywhere except right in between Chuck and I so Chuck had to awkwardly turn his back to whoever he was standing next to :)

This year's brunch will include mostly old favorites, plus a few new things here and there. It's always a nice time to sit and relax before the craziness of the next few days begins!

Christmas Eve Brunch 2011

• Colleen's chicken salad with ciabatta rolls


• Southwestern egg bake


• Crispy shredded potato gratin


• Baked French toast casserole with maple syrup


• Bacon


• Salad with assorted fruit


• Amazing crumb cake


• Assorted Christmas cookies

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Salsa Verde Enchiladas

This enchilada recipe is an old favorite of mine. It's the only one I've tried with salsa verde and I really enjoy it as an alternative to red sauce enchiladas. Fairly simple to make and assemble, it requires shredded chicken mixed with the salsa verde and a simple sauce made on the stovetop. Assemble, bake, and voila, you have a delicious meal. I like to serve this with Sauteed Corn and Black Bean Salad.

Salsa Verde Enchiladas

from source unknown

Makes 8 enchiladas

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded or 1 pound shredded chicken (about 2 1/4 cups)

1 jar (16-17 oucnes) mild salsa verde

3 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried cilantro

8 medium-sized flour tortillas

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir 1/4 cup salsa verde into shredded chicken. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat remaining salsa, onions, and lime juice over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro, keep warm on very low.

Place one tortilla in salsa mix, turning to coat (tongs help here), heat 10 seconds. Place coated tortilla on work surface, top with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll and place seam side down in prepared dish. Repeat with all 8 tortillas.

Stir sour cream and broth into remaining salsa in skillet. Spoon over filled tortillas in dish.

Cover with foil, bake 15 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese and remaining cilantro and bake uncovered, 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

White Bean and Chicken Soup with Pesto

While browsing through my mother's Sandra Lee magazine (I know, clutch your pearls in horror) I saw several recipes that I thought would be good for weeknight dinners. This easy, comforting soup was one of them. And it actually doesn't really use any pre-packaged processed food, unless you count the ready-made pesto. The white beans go nicely with the shredded chicken in a tasty broth. The pesto on top ends up just getting mixed into the soup of course, so if you don't like the taste of pesto, just skip it as a garnish.

I let the soup simmer a little longer than the recipe suggests both before and after the chicken is added. And if you are making shredded chicken instead of using a rotisserie one from the store, make sure you season it nicely with salt and pepper. I did not and I think it would have added even more flavor to this. Serve with a few slices of Texas Toast and a green salad!

White Bean and Chicken Soup with Pesto

from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade magazine, Christmas 2011 issue

makes 5-6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup carrot, chopped

2/3 cup celery, chopped

3 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 1/2 cups water

2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

12 ounces roasted pulled chicken (I used a pound of shredded chicken)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons prepared pesto

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook 5 minutes or until tender.

Add stock, water, beans, tomato paste, and garlic powder. Stir to mix and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer, partially covered, for at least 20 minutes.

Add chicken and vinegar, simmer 5 more minutes or until heated through.

Serve immediately and top each bowlful with a tablespoon of pesto.