"Michelle" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all,
>
> My office is having a potluck lunch on May 5, with a Mexican theme.
> I'm looking for something a little out of the ordinary to bring.
>
> Normally for potlucks I bring a dessert, but that's already provided
> this time. There are usually lots of people who bring chips and dip,
> so I'd prefer to stay away from that.
>
> Since this is at work in the middle of the day, the dish needs to be
> either cold, or crock-pot-able. The microwave generally has a line
> during the lunch hour, so no last-minute heating is possible.
>
> I'm thinking of some kind of pork that could be cooked the night
> before, shredded, and served from a crock-pot along with tortillas --
> but I don't cook enough Mexican food to know how to season it, beyond
> cumin.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks
> Michelle

King Ranch Chicken # 1

3-4 c. cooked chicken, diced
1 pkg. (10-12) flour tortillas
1 med. onion, chopped
2 (10 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
1 can (1 c.) tomatoes & chilies
4 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca
4 c. grated Cheddar cheese

In a large bowl mix chicken, soup, tomatoes, chilies and tapioca. Rip 2 to 3
tortillas into pieces and line the bottom of a 5 quart crockpot. Add 1/3 of
the chicken mixture; top with 1/3 of the onion and cheese. Repeat layers of
tortillas, chicken mixture, onion and cheese two more times. Cover; cook on
low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3 hours. For a smaller 3 quart crockpot
makes 1/2 recipe. This is a good take-in dish or potluck.

You certainly can substitute cooked pork for the chicken


KING RANCH CHICKEN # 2

1/2 to 2/3 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
Garlic salt, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 doz. corn tortillas
2 frying chickens, boiled, then cut into bite-size pieces (save stock)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 can tomatoes

Put Cheddar cheese in a bowl and sprinkle with chili powder and seasonings.
Then spread soups over cheese. Quickly dip tortillas in boiling chicken
stock to wilt. Layer a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with tortillas and add
ingredients in the order listed above. Bake 30 minutes at 325F.


Quite complex.

King Ranch Chicken # 3

This flavorful dish has many variations. Our recipe includes its own
well-seasoned sauce, omitting the canned soup commonly found in King Ranch
Chicken recipes. Yes, it's a little more trouble, but the resulting dish is
worth the effort. This casserole freezes well, and will be a big favorite at
your table.

Ingredients:
3 T Butter
2 Large cloves garlic, minced
½ t Chili powder (homemade, if possible)
3 T All-purpose flour
¾ C Chicken stock or broth
¾ C Buttermilk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 T Butter or olive oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
½ Large green bell pepper, chopped
1 Medium poblano, chopped
1 C Finely chopped mushrooms
2 Plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 1/2 cup canned tomatoes)
2 T Chopped pimientos
Canola oil for softening tortillas
8 Corn tortillas
3 to 4 C Cooked, diced chicken (mixture of light and dark meat preferred)
1/3 C Sliced green olives
1/3 C Green onions, including tops, chopped
2 C Grated longhorn or mild cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or 3-quart casserole.

Make the Sauce:
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and
chili powder, and sauté for a minute or two. Raise the heat to medium.
Quickly sprinkle in the flour and stir to mix. Pour in a small amount of the
chicken broth, stirring constantly to remove lumps and allowing the flour to
"cook" briefly. Gradually add the remaining chicken broth, add the
buttermilk and continue stirring until sauce has thickened, 3 or 4 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be prepared in advance and
refrigerated.

Make the Filling:
Warm a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the butter or olive oil, and
sauté the chopped onion, green pepper, poblano, mushrooms, tomatoes and
pimientos until onion is transparent, about 4 or 5 minutes. Fold into the
mixture the diced chicken, olives and green onions, combining well. Remove
from heat.

Assembling the Dish:
In a small skillet, heat about about half an inch of canola oil. Using
tongs, dip the tortillas in the hot oil one at a time, for just a few
seconds, so that they are softened. Cover the bottom of your baking dish
with 4 of the softened tortillas. Layer the remaining ingredients in the
following order:
Half of the chicken/vegetable mixture
Half of the grated cheese
Half of the sauce
The remaining 4 softened tortillas
The remaining chicken/vegetable mixture
The remaining grated cheese
The remaining sauce

Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F until casserole is heated through and bubbly.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Notes:
Possible substitutions: A small can of Ro-Tel tomatoes and chiles for the
tomatoes and poblano, OR a small can of green chiles for just the poblano.


Dimitri

If you can find some pre-made mole seasoning in a Latin market (dry mixed
spices or paste are best; in a jar not quite as good), you can do this:

- Boil and simmer turkey pieces in water (turkey is the most typical but
chicken will do in a pinch)
- Remove turkey and add mole seasoning to the stock; simmer until it
thickens/reduces to a fairly thick sauce
- Return turkey to the sauce
- Reheat in a crock pot
- Serve with sesame seeds scattered on top and rice and/or tortillas on the
side

You can find mole recipes on the net if you want to make your own (search
for mole poblano, mole negro, etc.), but these tend to be very labor
intensive (using at least 3 kinds of chiles and many other spices as well).

Another alternative would be to find a block of achiote (ah-chee-OH-tay -
annatto in English) in a Latin market. Make a marinade by mixing it with
vinegar, or OJ and lemon juice, or just OJ, marinate chicken pieces
overnight or for a couple of days, and grill the chicken pieces (or roast in
the oven).

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


"Michelle" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all,
>
> My office is having a potluck lunch on May 5, with a Mexican theme.
> I'm looking for something a little out of the ordinary to bring.
>
> Normally for potlucks I bring a dessert, but that's already provided
> this time. There are usually lots of people who bring chips and dip,
> so I'd prefer to stay away from that.
>
> Since this is at work in the middle of the day, the dish needs to be
> either cold, or crock-pot-able. The microwave generally has a line
> during the lunch hour, so no last-minute heating is possible.
>
> I'm thinking of some kind of pork that could be cooked the night
> before, shredded, and served from a crock-pot along with tortillas --
> but I don't cook enough Mexican food to know how to season it, beyond
> cumin.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks
> Michelle

Those recipes might be good, but they are a lot more quasi than Mexican.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"


"Dimitri" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Michelle" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Hi all,
> >
> > My office is having a potluck lunch on May 5, with a Mexican theme.
> > I'm looking for something a little out of the ordinary to bring.
> >
> > Normally for potlucks I bring a dessert, but that's already provided
> > this time. There are usually lots of people who bring chips and dip,
> > so I'd prefer to stay away from that.
> >
> > Since this is at work in the middle of the day, the dish needs to be
> > either cold, or crock-pot-able. The microwave generally has a line
> > during the lunch hour, so no last-minute heating is possible.
> >
> > I'm thinking of some kind of pork that could be cooked the night
> > before, shredded, and served from a crock-pot along with tortillas --
> > but I don't cook enough Mexican food to know how to season it, beyond
> > cumin.
> >
> > Any suggestions?
> >
> > Thanks
> > Michelle
>
> King Ranch Chicken # 1
>
> 3-4 c. cooked chicken, diced
> 1 pkg. (10-12) flour tortillas
> 1 med. onion, chopped
> 2 (10 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
> 1 can (1 c.) tomatoes & chilies
> 4 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca
> 4 c. grated Cheddar cheese
>
> In a large bowl mix chicken, soup, tomatoes, chilies and tapioca. Rip 2 to
3
> tortillas into pieces and line the bottom of a 5 quart crockpot. Add 1/3
of
> the chicken mixture; top with 1/3 of the onion and cheese. Repeat layers
of
> tortillas, chicken mixture, onion and cheese two more times. Cover; cook
on
> low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3 hours. For a smaller 3 quart crockpot
> makes 1/2 recipe. This is a good take-in dish or potluck.
>
> You certainly can substitute cooked pork for the chicken
>
>
> KING RANCH CHICKEN # 2
>
> 1/2 to 2/3 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated
> 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
> Garlic salt, to taste
> Salt, to taste
> Pepper, to taste
> 1 can cream of mushroom soup
> 1 can cream of chicken soup
> 2 doz. corn tortillas
> 2 frying chickens, boiled, then cut into bite-size pieces (save stock)
> 1 large onion, chopped
> 1 large bell pepper, chopped
> 1 can tomatoes
>
> Put Cheddar cheese in a bowl and sprinkle with chili powder and
seasonings.
> Then spread soups over cheese. Quickly dip tortillas in boiling chicken
> stock to wilt. Layer a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with tortillas and add
> ingredients in the order listed above. Bake 30 minutes at 325F.
>
>
> Quite complex.
>
> King Ranch Chicken # 3
>
> This flavorful dish has many variations. Our recipe includes its own
> well-seasoned sauce, omitting the canned soup commonly found in King Ranch
> Chicken recipes. Yes, it's a little more trouble, but the resulting dish
is
> worth the effort. This casserole freezes well, and will be a big favorite
at
> your table.
>
> Ingredients:
> 3 T Butter
> 2 Large cloves garlic, minced
> ½ t Chili powder (homemade, if possible)
> 3 T All-purpose flour
> ¾ C Chicken stock or broth
> ¾ C Buttermilk
> Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
> 2 T Butter or olive oil
> 1 Medium onion, chopped
> ½ Large green bell pepper, chopped
> 1 Medium poblano, chopped
> 1 C Finely chopped mushrooms
> 2 Plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 1/2 cup canned tomatoes)
> 2 T Chopped pimientos
> Canola oil for softening tortillas
> 8 Corn tortillas
> 3 to 4 C Cooked, diced chicken (mixture of light and dark meat preferred)
> 1/3 C Sliced green olives
> 1/3 C Green onions, including tops, chopped
> 2 C Grated longhorn or mild cheddar cheese
>
> Directions:
> Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or 3-quart
casserole.
>
> Make the Sauce:
> Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic
and
> chili powder, and sauté for a minute or two. Raise the heat to medium.
> Quickly sprinkle in the flour and stir to mix. Pour in a small amount of
the
> chicken broth, stirring constantly to remove lumps and allowing the flour
to
> "cook" briefly. Gradually add the remaining chicken broth, add the
> buttermilk and continue stirring until sauce has thickened, 3 or 4
minutes.
> Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be prepared in advance and
> refrigerated.
>
> Make the Filling:
> Warm a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the butter or olive oil, and
> sauté the chopped onion, green pepper, poblano, mushrooms, tomatoes and
> pimientos until onion is transparent, about 4 or 5 minutes. Fold into the
> mixture the diced chicken, olives and green onions, combining well. Remove
> from heat.
>
> Assembling the Dish:
> In a small skillet, heat about about half an inch of canola oil. Using
> tongs, dip the tortillas in the hot oil one at a time, for just a few
> seconds, so that they are softened. Cover the bottom of your baking dish
> with 4 of the softened tortillas. Layer the remaining ingredients in the
> following order:
> Half of the chicken/vegetable mixture
> Half of the grated cheese
> Half of the sauce
> The remaining 4 softened tortillas
> The remaining chicken/vegetable mixture
> The remaining grated cheese
> The remaining sauce
>
> Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F until casserole is heated through and bubbly.
> Makes 6 to 8 servings.
>
> Notes:
> Possible substitutions: A small can of Ro-Tel tomatoes and chiles for the
> tomatoes and poblano, OR a small can of green chiles for just the poblano.
>
>
> Dimitri
>
>

"Louis Cohen" > wrote in message
...
> Those recipes might be good, but they are a lot more quasi than Mexican.
>
> --
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ----
> Louis Cohen
> Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"

Of course!

If you want "real" Mexican then go he

http://cocinamexicana.com.mx/ingles/ingles.html

The library of recipes is much greater in Spanish. I think they use the
Students to translate the recipes into English.

Dimitri

Do your prep work the night before. Do the cooking in the morning if you
have time, or the night before. Keep warm in the crockpot at work

Here's a simple version (very quasi) that Google dredged up (at
wiktel.com). I'd throw the cheese into the main meal, not reserve it as
a topping.


Chicken Chilaquiles

4 Tbsp. diced Onion
1 Garlic Clove minced
2 cups Tomato Sauce
1-3 Chiles (jalapeños or serranos) cored, seeded and chopped
1/2 Chicken Bouillon cube
2 cups cooked Chicken Breasts shredded
8 Corn Tortillas cut into strips
Toppings (optional):
minced Onion
Queso Fresco

Tortilla strips my be cooked on a griddle or fried in oil until crisp.
Set aside. Saute onion and garlic in an oiled skillet until translucent.
Puree the cooked onion and garlic along with the tomato sauce, chilies
and bouillon cube in a blender. Place the blended mixture in a skillet,
bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tortilla strips and chicken
to the skillet mixture and heat through. Serve with optional toppings.
Preparation Time (min): 15 Cook Time (min): 20 Serves 4

Michelle wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> My office is having a potluck lunch on May 5, with a Mexican theme.
> I'm looking for something a little out of the ordinary to bring.
>
Snip
>
> Thanks
> Michelle

PUEBLO GREEN CHILE STEW

2 POUNDS BONELESS PORK, CHICKEN, OR BEEF
1 TABLESPOON OIL
2 PKGS (16 OZ) FROZEN CORN
2 STALKS CELERY, CHOPPED
2 MED POTATOES, DICED
2 MED TOMATOES, DICED
3 CANS (4 OZ) GREEN CHILIS (USE ONLY 1 IF YOU ARE FEEDING SISSIES)
4 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH (2 CANS, SWANSON'S)
2 TEASPOONS CUMIN (ONLY 1 TSP)
1 TEASPOON OREGANO (I OMITTED THIS)

These directions are simple-- throw everything in a pot and cook it one
hour. You can crock-pot this but cook longer.


The items in parenthesis are the way I made my version of these dishes.

(Michelle) wrote in message . com>...
> Hi all,
>
> My office is having a potluck lunch on May 5, with a Mexican theme.
> I'm looking for something a little out of the ordinary to bring.
>
> Normally for potlucks I bring a dessert, but that's already provided
> this time. There are usually lots of people who bring chips and dip,
> so I'd prefer to stay away from that.
>
> Since this is at work in the middle of the day, the dish needs to be
> either cold, or crock-pot-able. The microwave generally has a line
> during the lunch hour, so no last-minute heating is possible.
>
> I'm thinking of some kind of pork that could be cooked the night
> before, shredded, and served from a crock-pot along with tortillas --
> but I don't cook enough Mexican food to know how to season it, beyond
> cumin.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanks
> Michelle


Thanks everyone for the suggestions!