Green Chile-Chicken Casserole

This would be a good casserole for a pot luck supper. Are those coming back with the economy in tatters?

Notes: I made my own chicken broth and used full-fat sour cream. Certainly a reduced fat could be used, also for the cheddar if you like. I don't use non-fat anything except for celery.

I cut the recipe in half but added the small can of green chilis AND part of a pepper in adobo sauce (very hot)--used just a tablespoon. I also used a whole clove of garlic for half the recipe. My casserole was 7 x 11, and I could only get 8 - 10 as opposed to 12 tortillas in it. This is an economical recipe if you shop the supermarket sales. It's also fast. Tortillas don't have to be cooked. I heated the first nine ingredients in the microwave, thereby saving getting a pot dirty. Might be enhanced with a little chopped chives or cilantro after baking.

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole: looked just like the photo Don't even think of substituting flour tortillas, which belong on the West Coast with Astroturf and "the wave." Think of the word "Californication." Got it? Good!

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=550015

Grapeshot

Eine Kleine Dessert

This is something I made yesterday for my writing group: Mixed-nut shortbread from Gourmet's "every day quick kitchen."

It was fast and economical and ever so tasty:

Mixed Nut Shortbread

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup plus 1 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
3/4 cup salted and roasted mixed cocktail nuts, coarsely chopped

Put rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
Stir together butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl with a wooden spoon until combined well. (note: good arm exercise).
Stir in vanilla, then add flour and mix with your hands until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking sheet and spread evenly with your fingers to form an 8-inch square.

Sprinkle with nuts evenly over dough, pressing down to help them adhere. Press in a business-like way or they will fall off.

Sprinkle remaining 1 T. sugar over nuts and bake until shortbread is ddep golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
Cool baking sheet on a rack for 10 minutes.

Cut into 18 bars, about 3-by-1 1/2 inch bars.

Note: If you have unsalted nuts, sprinkle them with a little salt in addition to the sugar. I did this and it worked fine.

The shortbread took a while to firm up, but in a few hours, it was wonderfully crisp and the flavor is excellent. Mixed nuts are frequently on sale in your drug store as well as the supermarket.

Enjoy!!!