Vegetarian Enchiladas

I grew up in a small town in Southeastern Kentucky. When I was a kid, I remember when we got two new restaurants– McDonald’s and Pizza Hut. They were right next door to each other, and for awhile, pretty much the only game in town.

I was about 8 the first time I tried an enchilada. We were on vacation in Myrtle Beach and one of my parents ordered them at a restaurant. I don’t think it was even a “real” Mexican restaurant but one of those vacation places that has some of everything… So I was probably plowing through a disappointing cheeseburger when I took a break for a bite of

the most magical, life-altering food in the universe. Where had these been all of my life?? 

And then, I don’t think I ever had one again– or Mexican food of any kind really, other than the tacos we made at home with the Ortega box– until I was a senior in high school. My little home town had expanded significantly in the culinary department over the past decade, and in addition to 2 of every fast food chain known to humankind, we now had– a brand. New. Mexican restaurant.

So the summer before college, I got a job waiting tables there–mostly because I had a friend who was working there. And over that summer, I proceeded to develop a deep and abiding love of Mexican food that I harbor to this day. I never get sick of it. I love most all of it.

But especially– enchiladas.

The beauty of an enchilada is that it’s flexible and does not require meat. I love a good mess of a ground beef enchilada, any day, but it’s really easy to lighten them up. Which is helpful when you eat them as often as I do. (And when you have a #weirdvegetariankid in the house).

If you love my Clean Out The Fridge Pasta concept, you will love my enchilada philosophy, which is much the same. This version centers on black beans and spinach, but the possibilities are endless.

Start by draining and rinsing a can of black beans, and preheat your oven to 350. 

Then, make 1 cup of Minute Rice according to package directions. When it’s done, add the beans; half a block of cream cheese; and 1 to 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach (my kids will actually eat spinach, but if you need to sneak it in on your fam, use less). Season this mixture with garlic powder; onion powder; and chili powder. (When we lived in Phoenix, I used to always keep chipotle chili powder in the house, and it is AMAZING in these; I never think to buy it here in Kentucky though… until I’m home making enchiladas and think damn, I wish I had some chipotle powder. Learn from my mistakes!)

Alright, the rest is pretty self-explanatory but: use this mixture to fill soft flour tortillas; place in a greased baking dish; top with taco sauce (hello, Ortega, we still love you!); and cover with shredded Monterey Jack. Garnish with chopped green onions, and bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

This is where the ‘clean out the fridge’ part comes in, because you can use any variety of substitutions or additions here:

Substitute:

-pinto beans, Navy beans, or kidney beans for the black beans

-corn tortillas for the flour

-salsa for taco sauce

-any kind of shredded cheese you need to use up instead of M-jack

Additions: 

-corn

-roasted peppers

-cilantro

-avacado

-sour cream (I forgot the sour cream at the store this week! so sad!)

-most any kind of meat you have on-hand: ground beef or turkey, grilled chicken, shredded pork, BACON. Throw it in there.

The enchilada don’t care.

Enjoy with boxed red wine of your choice, and don’t feel too badly about the cheese calories; because you ate all those vegetables, and life is all about balance.

Here’s to summers serving up chile rellenos to Kentuckians who couldn’t pronounce it worth a shit, but knew a good thing when it came to town Here’s to going home smelling like fajitas every night… and never getting tired of whatever the kitchen guys threw in a to-go box for you to take home for a midnight snack.

That was a good summer.

 

 

 

How To Have Your Bacon Tomato Pasta (and Live With a Vegetarian Too)

When I got married, I got a lot of gifts.

I mean– a LOTTA gifts. I had my own friends and family. My husband’s friends and huge-ass Catholic family. And then, not one, but THREE groups of church ladies showering me: my own home church; my in-law’s Catholic church; and the church I was serving as an intern my last year of seminary.

Do the math. That’s a whole bunch of church ladies. And church ladies know how to show up with the presents. It’s a love language.

Some of those gifts are things that I use every day; some are fixtures in my house; some are things that either got “loved to death,” or didn’t make one of the 10 or so moves we’ve made in our 16 years of marriage. But one thing that has never failed me yet? “How To Cook Everything,” Mark Bittman’s staple cookbook.

My favorite dinner during tomato season (after, of course, the perfect BLT,) is his pasta with bacon, tomato and carmelized onion. But now I’m flipping through the cookbook, and for the life of me, I can’t find the recipe! I know this is where I got it, because I make it at least a couple of times every summer.

But you don’t really need a recipe. Here’s what you do:
Carmelize some onions in olive oil, which, let’s be honest, is kind of a bitch. You have to cut them evenly (who has time for that??), and cook them over low heat, stirring frequently, for… a long dang time. Like almost an hour.

Yeah, it’s a pain, but for this– I promise, it’s worth it. And that’s the only labor intensive thing you have to do. While that’s going on low, you can cook some bacon, and dice some tomatoes. 

When the bacon is done, drain and set it aside so you can free up a burner. Boil some water (don’t strain yourself!) and cook a box of spaghetti or linguini according to package. While the pasta is cooking– you can do the math here, right?– add the diced tomatoes and crumble the bacon into the skillet with the onions. Cook over low heat for about 10-15 more minutes. It cooks into something resembling a bacon-tomato jam situation, and if there is anything more perfect than that, I don’t need to know about it.

Serve that mess over the pasta with an obscene amount of parmesean cheese; you might want some fresh ground black pepper to seal the deal; or maybe even some crushed red pepper for some heat? Either way, I promise you– your summer dinner rotation will never be the same. This is just… a level of food perfection I can’t even describe. And I know some words.

Here’s the catch though– nobody else in my family will eat this. 

On the whole, I don’t live in a house full of picky eaters. But I have one #weirdvegetariankid (even though she will cave and try a bite of bacon every now and then because, and I quote, “it just smells amazing!!”); another kid who doesn’t like onions; and a husband who, Lord help me y’all, does not like tomatoes. I know. We all have our stuff. It’s a good thing he’s hot, is all I’m saying.

Do I let this unfortunate confluence of weirdness deprive me of my favorite pasta? Never!

Enter: the pasta bar situation.

I make all the stuff I mentioned above. I set aside some of the bacon, and some diced tomato. I cook a pan of roasted broccoli. I buy a jar of store-brand alfredo sauce, ($1.69 at Kroger, you’re welcome); and I let everybody assemble their own pasta perfection while I enjoy the fruits of summer labor– which, in this case, is a great tomato (with bacon and carmelized onions).

Bonus: if you have leftover bacon, broccoli, and/or tomato, you’ve got lunch taken care of tomorrow with: a great salad; a killer omelet; or the perfect pasta salad.

And that’s the beauty of the flexitarian lifestyle– it may seem like extra work sometimes to give people options. But ultimately, the food gets eaten; there are lots of veggies to go around; and a little extra prep and labor today amounts to a breakfast or lunch options tomorrow, so it all balances in the grand scheme of things.

And if not, I got to sip a little extra bourbon while cooking in my Dolly Parton apron, and there’s my Sunday night in a nutshell.

I didn’t have any leftovers of the bacon/tomato/onion situation because, when nobody else will eat it, I really just have to take one for the dang team. Tomorrow’s heartburn will be worth it.

Roasted Veggie Mac & Cheese

Living in Phoenix for 7 years, I learned some critical summer survival skills. These skills translate to ANY locale that experiences actual summer– even if it’s not the level of melt-your-face summer that Phoenix achieves for like 5 months of the year.

These tips include things like: don’t touch the steering wheel (or seat belt) until you’ve had the a/c going for a few; plan your errands for the earliest morning hours; learn to make great iced coffee; and, for the love of all things, you DO NOT COOK. This is rule #1. At the height of Arizona scorch season, you never turn on the oven. Or even the stovetop. Live on salads, sandwiches, cereal, or–my personal favorite– a buffet of dips, spreads, fruits, veggies and cheese that you can just set out around 7pm every day and go to town.

It is now May 28 in Kentucky, and I am remembering why we do not cook in summer. (Is this a hormone thing? I’m 42, seriously, that seems a bit young. I probably don’t want to know the answer).

In any case– this dinner is the ultimate “clean out the fridge pasta,” because you can use the dregs of all the veggies, all the cheese, and, get this– all the heels of bread that nobody wanted. Just… you probably don’t want to make this until September. December, if you live in Phoenix.

But I’ll go ahead and tell you how, just in case.

You need:

-assorted veggies (i used baby bell peppers, mushrooms, and kale)

-minced garlic

-olive oil

-a box of elbow macaroni (or any pasta)

-milk

-butter

-2 slices of stale bread (or toast)

-cream cheese

-shredded cheddar (or whatever)

-seasoning of choice

First thing– and with most things I make, the only labor-involved thing– chop your veggies. Toss in olive oil and garlic and put on a baking sheet, and put in the oven at 350. (If you are using kale or any leafy green– leave it out for now).

Then cook your pasta.

After about 15 minutes, toss your kale (or other greens) in with the other stuff in the oven. Stir so it’s coated in oil, and then cook another 10 minutes or so.

While all that’s going on, take your stale bread (or toast) and make bread crumbs. Toss in a bowl with 3 tbs melted butter, and some garlic powder. You will thank me for this part later.

At this point you should have 1) cooked pasta; 2) a bowl of buttery garlic bread crumbs; and 3) roasted veggies. Roasting the veggies is important. This is how you make your kids love veggies and not hate them. It brings out the flavor and makes things taste less like dirt and more like actual food. My kids totally inhaled this dinner, and it has kale. 

While your pasta is draining quietly in the colander, turn your burner on medium, and add some milk and a block of cream cheese. Most mac and cheese recipes, at this point, would tell you to “make a roux,” and then make a cheese sauce, etc. Listen to me– the devil’s a liar, and you don’t have to work that hard when the Lord gave you cream cheese.

Once the cream cheese has softened (like a minute?) stir in the pasta and a bunch of shredded cheddar (or whateva). The pasta is still hot, so it will melt the cheese the rest of the way. Then, stir in those roasted veggies.

Dump the whole mess into a greased casserole dish. Top with the buttered bread crumbs and some parmesan– the cheap stuff, right out of the can, just go for it– and bake at 350 (your oven is still hot, remember??) for like 10 or 15 minutes. Then dinner is done.

Honestly, I got over being too hot and I ate just fine. But I really am kinda done cooking for the summer. Stay tuned for all things grilled, chilled, or just thrown together. In the meantime, the veggie mac and cheese was pretty much worth the hot flash. Would be good with white boxed wine, but for tonight, I went with bourbon. Because if you’re already hot, why not?

 

Potato Soup: Again

It’s starting to get too hot for soup around here, but it’s kind of cloudy and comin’ a storm today, so I’ll allow it; while recognizing that it might be our last soup dinner til about October. Commence the sandwich and salad rotation for the duration. But tonight? Soup it is.

I was thinking about the first time I attempted potato soup, and it was, let’s just say, aWHILE ago. I was a psuedo-newlywed, and visiting my in-laws. My mother-in-law was recovering from surgery, and I offered to make dinner and asked her what sounded good. She said: potato soup.

I had no idea how to make potato soup. But I figured it wasn’t hard? I was pretty right.

I called my bff Nicole and was like how do I make potato soup? Because she was already an old married lady, with a KID even (who is not a teenager, stop it). For all y’all youngsters out there, this is how we learned to cook before Pinterest and Foodnetwork.com and whatever else has emerged in the last two decades. If we wanted something, we called a friend, parent, church lady or MaMaw who knew how to make it, and they just kind of talked us through on the phone.

Anyway. I think Nicole’s advice was “you just cut up the potatoes and cover with water, and boil until they’re soft; then add a can of cream of something soup, some milk, and throw some cheese and bacon in there and you’re good.”

Like I say, I’ve modified over the years… but it really is pretty much that easy.

Potato soup is now a standby at our house, and there are reasons:

1. It doesn’t require much prep.
2. We almost always have the stuff for it.
3. You can modify it endlessly so it doesn’t get boring; and also to use up stuff you have on-hand.
4. It is one of #myweirdvegetariankid ‘s favorites.

I know it’s a pain in the ass to peel potatoes, and in fact, I used to say “life is too short to peel potatoes.” I still low-key think that’s true, but it really just takes a minute to peel a few, it makes the texture of the soup better, and hey, it’s quarantine– what else are you doing tonight?

SO MANY things that I make start with this particular tableau; I’m no painter, but I am an artist with the cream-of-something soup. 

So, peel 5 or 6 potatoes, (depending on size) and dice them. Confession: I am the world’s worst at cutting potatoes in uniform fashion. Sometimes it matters, but for this, whatever. Just get them diced-ish. Also peel and slice a carrot or two. (Or grab a handful of baby carrots out of the snack stash and you don’t even have to peel them). Then dice about half of an onion. 

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can just do this on the stove, but I have found Instant Pot potato soup to be dream-boat easy, does not dirty many dishes, and doesn’t heat up the house when it is going-on-summer weather like it is around here.

So set your Instant Pot on sautee, and brown the onions in some olive oil. (Note: at least on mine, the sautee setting is super hot, so watch closely and stir frequently or you will have burnt onions pretty quick). After they onions start to soften, throw in some minced garlic. After about another minute, add the potatoes and carrots, then cover with vegetable or chicken broth. (Yes, the vegetarian in this house eats chicken broth sometimes. We don’t overthink it). Then a can of cream of mushroom soup,* plus add any seasoning you like.

*My son [not a vegetarian] truly hates mushrooms. But he doesn’t notice or mind it in this. However, if you also have a mushroom-hater in the house, you can really use cream of anything soup– chicken, onion, celery, whatev. But then, I have a spouse who hates celery, and a vegetarian daughter, so. I usually land back on mushroom. You do you. 

Anyway. I have found about 11 minutes to be the magic cooking time on the Instant Pot for any variation of potato soup. (That’s for plain ol’ potatoes. If you’re fancy with red or Yukon Gold or some nonsense like that, cook for more like 8 minutes).

Release the steam valve when the timer goes off after 11 minutes. Then remove the lid and add shredded kale (stems removed); a splash of milk; and about half a block of cream cheese (or the whole dang thing, if you’re feeling wild and crazy). Let the kale soften for a few minutes, and dinner is done.

Garnish options: bacon or ham (I often add turkey smoked sausage); shredded cheddar; green onions; hot sauce; sour cream; or any fresh herbs you have around.

Serve with whatever salad and/or bread you like, and dinner is done. And, Dear 20-something me– this dinner goes great with boxed wine. Most things do. When you have kids, you’ll know.

Nacho Buffet – The Flexitarian Hero of Dinnertime

Can we talk about nachos? I feel like we could talk about them for like, awhile. And I could launch into sonnet mode pretty quick, but I’ll try to refrain.

There are so many things to love about nachos but for me they are the trifecta of easy; healthy; and flexible. Basically you just set stuff out and let everybody make their own. And since I needed to use the leftover chicken from last night’s chicken fiasco, it was a no-brainer.

Also, I feel much less disgruntled about chicken now that it is leftover chicken. Endless dinner potential. But tonight seemed like nachos or bust.

You know those round tinfoil pans you get when you buy frozen dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls or pie crusts? Here’s what you need to do: save those. They serve any number of purposes from crafts to food storage to fly traps, but for tonight– they shine in their most memorable role– nacho vehicles. 

So on nacho night,  you get those out, and they serve as both the cooking dishes and the plates (which means fewer dishes to wash! I’m telling you, these pans are the unsung heroes of your kitchen). And then you commence setting out fixings and let everybody assemble their own.

Like most of my pasta variations, the nacho bar is a clean out the fridge miracle. Here are some things to set out– whatever you have/like/need to use up.

-tortilla chips

-leftover chicken, turkey, pulled pork or ground beef

-Canned beans (black, pinto, kidney, whatever), drained and rinsed

-corn

-peppers and onions

-shredded cheese or a jar of queso [and if you are REALLY BALLER at this, you use both] 

-pickled jalapenos

-and then for garnish after they’re done in the oven: cilantro, green onion, avacado, sour cream, salsa, taco sauce, ranch dressing… and maybe olives if you’re into that, but we’re pretty ambivalent about them around here.

Once everybody has assembled their nacho pans, stick them in the oven at 350 for about 10 or 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. That’s it. Dinner managed. And everybody is happy. Even the vegetarians, who just pass over the meat selection and do extra beans.

I will not say this is my absolute favorite dinner… but if it was my last meal on earth, I wouldn’t be mad. And I wouldn’t have to spend the last hour of my life washing dishes.

Beverage pairing– Pacifico. Occasion- game night; or Monday night in quarantine. Whichev.

Easy Greek Pitas

Tonight I took one of my favorite easy go-to dinners… and made it way too dang complicated. Don’t do that.

This saga starts with chicken– and if you want to skip the saga and get to the food, I totally get that, so just scan down to the first picture. But if you’re here for the stories, I will tell you that I am ambivalent about grocery store rotisserie chicken. They’re okay in a pinch, but even the meat-eaters in my house don’t like dark meat, so I end up having to get super creative to use it all. And any recipe I’ve ever seen for “easy oven roasted chicken” is a damn lie, because I am a decent cook and I have never once gotten a whole chicken to turn out well.

I had all but given up the quest to cook a whole chicken, when I found a recipe for the Instant Pot. Friends, if you don’t have an Instant Pot, we will discuss this another time, because it is worthy of its own post. Let’s just say I decided to give it a go with the whole chicken.

First of all, I was in early phases of prepping this thing when I remembered– nothing will make you less hungry for chicken than prepping a whole chicken. You have to pull stuff out of it that I promise you don’t even want to think about. Unless it is Thanksgiving and there is a turkey at the end of this rainbow, the guts are never worth it. Full stop. I know, I’m a good Kentucky girl with farm roots and I should be fine with any phase of a creature’s life cycle if I’m going to eat it… but if turning in my country cred means I never have to touch chicken innards again, I’m fine with that. [And yes, while I’m digging in a chicken cavity I did have the thought this is why my sweet daughter has been a vegetarian since preschool…. she is clearly smarter than me]. 

But I’m powering through with this bird and then– it says to turn on the sautee feature and brown the chicken IN the Instant Pot for a few minutes before cooking. More lies! There is no room to brown a bird in the Instant Pot and furthermore flip it over like a pancake… this very notion defies the laws of physics.

Bottom line, unlike some evil kitchen sources, I will never lie to you. The chicken was fine, but this dinner is a-okay with just about any kind of pre-cooked chicken you have, and it’s not worth your life to cook a whole chicken on a Sunday evening in quarantine. Buy the pre-cooked one, or use some leftover grilled chicken, or whatever. Then eat dinner and live your life.

So here we are, arrived to the simple version of this menu, as it should be. The only thing you really have to make is a quick tzatziki sauce. Everything else you are just going to cut up and/or set out buffet style. For the tzatziki you need:

-low fat sour cream or plain yogurt (or full fat sour cream, I don’t judge)

-a few slices of cucumber, peeled and chopped

-dill 

-Greek seasoning

-a squeeze of lemon, if you have it on-hand. optional. 

I told y’all, I put Greek seasoning on everything, because I have a weirdly obsessive love of Greek food. This easy sauce really makes it feel like you are having some semblance of actual Greek food for dinner– even if you started with store bought chicken and pita bread.

Store bought pita bread or flatbread is our next stop here– set some out, along with the sauce, and:

-cooked chicken, sliced or shredded, whatever

-spinach (or other salad greens)

-sliced cucumbers

-feta cheese

-sliced tomatoes if they are in season, but don’t even @me with the nonsense that passes for a tomato in April. And

-Hummus (you could also sub in roasted chickpeas if you prefer)

And this is where your vegetarian version comes in, because for those passing on the chicken– which tonight, honestly, might also be me– the hummus is your protein, and you just add the veggies, the sauce and the feta for a healthy dinner that has every food group, and uses a lot of what you probably already have around the house.

That’s it. Set all that out and let everybody fix their own wrap. There will probably be enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Which is good, because that damn chicken had better be worth it.

Side note- on a messy scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being tacos or barbecue ribs, this is like a 9. So if you are fixing dinner for a new-ish romantic interest in your life, maybe skip it. Also, cucumbers are one of like 3 foods that don’t go with boxed wine; so maybe just have a shot of bourbon while you’re cooking; and another when you’re done.

 

Crock Pot Yukon Gold Soup

It’s a cold and snowy day in the Midwest, after a several-week tease of Spring weather. But my whole family is home today with nowhere to be, which is pretty rare and fabulous, so we’re making the most of it. Soup in the crockpot is pretty much a snow day requirement, in my book.

During Lent, my church family gets together on Wednesday nights for a study and a soup supper. People tend to take turns bringing soup so we have 4 or 5 different kinds each week, and so that nobody has to take something every time. But I do wind up taking something most every week so that I know there will be at least one thing there that #myweirdvegetariankid will eat.

And this year, I’m doing it for myself too. Yes, I gave up meat for Lent. Yes, I am already kicking myself and jonesing for a cheeseburger. And yes, while making this soup I fought off the overwhelming urge to throw in some ham or smoked turkey. Because dang that would be good.

BUT. I’m sticking (mostly) to my guns here. I wrote a post on my other blog about why I gave meat up this year. I’m usually more about adding a spiritual discipline and less about abstaining from things. But this year, I’m trying to minimize my footprint in many ways. Cutting back meat for a full SIX WEEKS (not that I’m counting) seemed like a good start.

So here I am, counting down to a good Easter Sunday steak dinner. Meanwhile… this soup. I’m trying it on my family this weekend and I can tweak it before whipping up another batch for church Wednesday.

It has less than 10 ingredients and took me less than 10 minutes to whip up and throw in there. What could be better than that??

For starters, gold potatoes: I’m a recent Aldi convert, having not really understood the rage for a long time but having finally figured out how to work the system. The quarter in the cart thing, the bring your own bag thing, etc. I’ve been really impressed by the quality of their produce lately, so I’m shopping there much more often.

2 standouts on my last trip: Yukon gold potatoes, and some great looking green onions.

And I really love gold potatoes. They cook quickly, they have this great buttery texture and–best of all–you don’t have to peel them. I’ve always said, life’s too short to peel potatoes.

You know I’m also a sucker for can-o-cream of something soup, right? (Whether mushroom or chicken…sigh). Don’t judge me! It makes everything work. Especially in the slow cooker. Score some more points for Aldi when I found that their store brand doesn’t have MSG in it. (Campbell’s does). SO. That’s how this soup came together. You’ll need:

4 to 6 Yukon gold potatoes, washed and diced (but not peeled!)

1 carrot, shredded 

chopped green onion (I used two whole ones) 

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 tbsp minced garlic

about 4 oz. sliced portabella or crimini mushrooms

16 oz. vegetable broth

seasoning of your choice (I used Penzey’s Greek, b/c I put that on everything. You could also use an Italian blend or herbs de provence, etc)

grated parmesan for serving

That’s about it–put all of that in the crock pot and cook on low for 5 or 6 hours. It’s a lovely, rich-looking soup that’s pretty low-fat and low-cal. Which is good because if I can’t have meat, you’d better believe I’m having an extra glass of wine (or two).

Garnish with parmesan and serve with some good crusty bread. Dinner managed.

I’ll probably double this for the church crowd, but quantity is about right for a small fam, with maybe some lunch leftovers. Bonus.

 

Vegetarian Tamale Pie

I got swallowed by October! At our house it is 3 birthdays, and our anniversary, and Halloween, and this year all sorts of incidentals… so it has been forever since I wrote here BUT I REALLY HAVE BEEN FEEDING MY FAMILY. Just…nothing to write home about, you know. #pizza #sandwiches #birthdaycake #repeat

Anyway… Here is a standby at my house. I’m from the south-ish, so I love to make casseroles. Anything involving egg noodles and/or cracker crumbs and/or Bisquik and/or some kind of shredded cheese is fine by me. This is a really easy one to throw together on a weeknight. I made it up, initially, as a good way to use up leftover meat. Even though I usually just do a meatless version now, you can always throw in some cooked chicken or ground beef if you prefer. Just cook a smaller portion in a mini loaf pan for the vegetarian(s) in the fam. *More another time on the wonders of the mini-loaf pan!

For starters –you need 2 cans of S&W chili beans.

Yes, other brands will work, but IT WILL NOT BE THE SAME. These are what you want! (We sometimes just heat them up with some rice and buttered tortillas, and they are a meal all by themselves.) Combine the beans with a small can of corn (I like Green Giant Shoepeg corn, but can’t always find it). If you wanted to take a few extra steps, you could add some cooked bell peppers, green onions, mushrooms, zucchini, or any others vegetables you want to use up (or sneak in). But it is good with just beans and corn. If you’re adding meat–add that to the bean and veggie mixture now. Place all this in a greased casserole dish or baking pan.

In a bowl, prepare 1 box of Jiffy Corn Mix according to package directions. (they make a vegetarian mix. Which tells me there is something in the regular, non-vegetarian variety that we probably don’t want to think about… but it is so good!) Once you’ve mixed in the egg and milk, add about a cup of shredded cheddar-jack cheese. If you feel adventurous and if your kids will eat it–go ahead and add 1 can of green chiles as well.

Pour batter over bean mixture and bake at 450 for about 20 minutes. (Cut into center to make sure it’s done. If not, cover with foil and bake about 10 more minutes).

It is really that easy. And so good! And so moderately vegetarian…