Spicy Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce

2-4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts or 2 large cans Canned Chicken (Sam's Club Style)
6 Scallions, thinly sliced
Course Salt and Ground Pepper
1 can (15 ounces) Pumpkin
4 Garlic Cloves, peeled or 1 teaspoon Dehydrated Garlic
1 Jalapeno Chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
2-1/2 cups Chicken Broth*
6-8 (6-inch) Corn Tortillas
2 cups grated Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (about 10 ounces)

*If cooking chicken, use reserved broth. If using canned chicken, use canned chicken broth or 2-1/2 cups water and 3 bullion cubes.

1. If using uncooked chicken, clean and remove any fat. Place chicken breasts in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Add 1 Tablespoon dehydrated onions or 1/4 medium onion, chopped. Toss in 4-6 peppercorns. Cook on High heat for 18-20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and shred. (Strain broth and reserve for later.) Put chicken in a medium bowl. If using canned chicken, drain and put in a medium bowl.
2. Combine chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper, set aside.
3. In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder and 2-1/2 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth (hold top firmly as blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.
4. If making rolled enchiladas, lay tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish.
5. If making the casserole, layer 3 tortillas on sauce, followed by half the chicken, and 1/3 of the cheese. Next layer 3 more tortillas, the rest of the chicken, the remainder of the sauce and the last of the cheese.
6. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes

Don't be scared to try these. I know pumpkin enchiladas- it doesn't sound too appealing, but they are REALLY GOOD!!! And so fun to make in the fall.

Pumpkin Crescent Roll

1 (8-ounce) package Cream Cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can Pumpkin
1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup Pecans, finely chopped
4 (8-ounce) packages refrigerated Crescent Rolls

Creamy glaze:
2/3 cup melted Butter (1 stick plus 2 Tbsp.)
4 cups Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla
4 to 8 Tablespoons hot Water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, blend cream cheese, pumpkin Eagle Brand, flour, spices and nuts until combined and smooth.
2. Unroll crescent rolls, lay flat on baking sheet. Place parchment paper on top of dough and with rolling pin, or by hand, flatten the seams together. Remove parchment paper and spread 1/4 of the pumpkin mixture over the uncooked dough. With a pizza cutter, cut 1-inch strips from the edge of the dough to the pumpkin layer down both sides of the roll. Take opposite sides of the the dough strips, pull over the top of the pumpkin layer and twist the ends together.
3. Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

To prepare glaze: In medium bowl, mix melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla; add hot water 1 Tbsp. at a time until glaze reaches desired spreading consistency. Drizzle over slightly cooled roll.

This is SOOOO yummy!

Caramels

Mix in large saucepan:
2 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 C white corn syrup
1 C cream + 1 C milk (or 2C ½ & ½)
1 C butter, regular, salted (don’t use margarine)
Cook to 245-250º and stir while cooking, especially at the end to prevent burning. Then add:
4 t vanilla
Pour into buttered 9x13 pan and allow to cool. Let set up overnight, cup and wrap in wax paper.

Baklava

1 lb. filo dough
4 C finely chopped walnuts
1 C finely chopped almonds
1 C sugar
2 t cinnamon
1 C veg oil

Preparation: In a 11x17” pan, spread some oil over pan and put 5 filo leaves in each corner of pan and then 10 leaves in the bottom of the pan. Then layer ¼ nut mixture and place another 10 leaves on top of that. Press down. Repeat process until all of the nuts are used and filo leaves are topping all. Fold over sides. Cut into diamonds. Pour oil over top of all then set while over preheats to 325º for 1 hour.

While cooking prepare syrup:
2 ½ C sugar
2 C water
8 whole cloves
5 cinnamon sticks
Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer 45 min. until thick. Remove from heat and add:
¾ C honey
2 T lemon juice
Set aside, remove cloves and cinnamon sticks. Pour 2 C warm syrup over hot baklava. 1 hour later pour the rest over all. Place pan in cool place, tightly covered, and let sit one day for flavor.

Pumpkin Bars

bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
16 oz canned pumpkin
2 c. flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 t. clover
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder

frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
1 t. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until fluffy. mix dry ingredients together and add to pumpkin mixture. pour into ungreased pan (15x10). bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. beat frosting ingredients together, spread on cooled bars and top with candy pumpkins.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 T baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/8 t. ground cloves
1 c. pureed pumpkin (can be canned)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 T. molasses
12 oz. chocolate chips

preheat oven to 400 degrees. lightly grease or line a 12 muffin tin. sift (or just stir together) flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. in a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk, oil and molasses. pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix. fold in chocolate chips. fill the muffin tins 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

easy peach cobbler

3/4 c. flour
1 stick margarine or butter
1 t. baking powder
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. milk
4 c. fresh or frozen fruit

melt butter in 2 quart baking dish. combine flour, baking powder and 1 cup sugar (save the other 1/2 c. sugar) and salt. the add dry ingredients to melted butter. add milk and stir well.

boil fruit and the remaining 1/2 c. sugar in a saucepan. pour fruit into baking dish, do not stir. the hot fruit will sink to the bottom.

bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes

serve with ice cream

Melting Pot Stew

1 t. oil
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. ground cumin
1 garlic clove
6 c.3-16 oz. cans) chicken broth
1 1/3 c. cubed, peeled baking potatoes (or sweet potatoes)
1 can garbanzo beans
2 c. corn
3/4 t. salt
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 c. diced tomato
1/3 c. fresh cilantro

boil chicken broth, then cook all vegetables until soft (15 mins) in broth. add spices, boil on med for approx. 15 mins. let simmer. can serve in hollowed out pumpkin for parties, etc.

toppings: cilantro, cheese, sour cream, fresh squeezed lime, tomato