Our Monthly Cooking Class

A group of women in my neighborhood decided to get together once a month and have a cooking class. There really isn't a set format- we choose a subject or food we want to learn about and then someone volunteers to demonstrate in their home and we all get to eat. Not a bad set up if you ask me.

Last night we learned how to make a versatile dish that has interchangable ingredients and is fast and easy to prepare.

Chicken Bake

Cut two chicken breasts (the meat) into bite size pieces and saute in 1 Tbs hot oil with 3 cloves of garlic minced, until golden. Then put the heat to low and let it cook for 15 minutes, covered.

Spray a 9*13-inch pan with cooking spray and layer whole wheat tortillas, torn into 1 inch strips, on the bottom of the pan. Make sure the tortillas cover the entire dish. Spread half of the cooked chicken over the top, 4 oz. of green chiles (or green pepper or scallions, whatever you have on hand) and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the layers again starting with the tortillas, and ending with the cheese.

In a large bowl, whisk together 8-10 eggs, 1/4 -1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp each of pepper, salt,garlic powder,chili powder, and thyme.

Pour the egg mixture over the top of the casserole and place 12-15 thin slices of tomatoes on the top.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

This recipe can also be made with 1 lb. browned sausage or ground beef.

She served it with Rice- 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. fry the rice in 2 Tbls oil for a couple of minutes, and the super hot water, bring to a boil, and boil for 4 minutes. Then turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes.

She also made a chocolate cake (mix) and showed us a frosting recipe

Take 8 oz. cream cheese, softened and 1 cup powdered sugar and blend with a hand mixer. Add 1/2 cup sour cream and mix a little more. Fold in 8-10 oz Cool Whip and spread on top of cooled cake. This is also a good topping for jello.