Tuesday's Food Tip: A Fast Dinner Without Fast Food

Weekday evenings are usually very busy for families. There isn’t time to spend preparing an elaborate meal so you can sit down together at a beautiful table complete with fresh flowers, REAL silverware, and your good china.



But just because you need dinner "fast," it doesn't mean you have to turn to fast food and plastic tableware or cardboard containers.



Try this easy dish for a busy weekend dinner. Cook the chicken ahead on a Sunday afternoon, then serve this dish on a Monday night, and you can have it made up, baked, and ready to serve in less than an hour.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

6-8 chicken breasts, cooked and cut up

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

12 oz. sour cream (you can use light sour cream)

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 to 1/2 c. diced onion

1 pkg. corn tortillas (you won't use the entire package)

1/2 to 3/4 c. shredded cheese


Boil 6 to 8 chicken breasts in water, with plenty of seasonings, until done. Let cool, then tear or cut the chicken into small pieces. Note: This can be done a day ahead and the chicken pieces can be put in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x12 inch baking pan. Mix together Ro-Tel, mushroom soup, chicken soup, sour cream, seasonings, and onion in a large bowl. Tear tortillas in half and line the pan. Layer with 1/2 of the chicken, then 1/2 of the other blended ingredients. Repeat layers, starting with tortillas. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Put shredded cheese on top and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Add a tossed salad, some fresh fruit for dessert, and you’ve got a complete dinner "fast" – without relying on fast food!