Cooking Through Magnolia Table In A Year: Week 31

Despite not making enchiladas very often, I was encouraged at how easily this recipe came together. As the rotisserie chicken is already cooked, there is little prep work involved other than stirring your sauce together and rolling the enchiladas. I found that this was a great way to stretch a rotisserie chicken if you are feeding a large group, as one chicken could make for an entire 9×13 pan of 10 enchiladas. Similarly, the pairing with the toppings, rice and beans makes for a wonderful Tex-Mex dinner with each component feeling cohesive, yet distinct. Likewise, we loved the addition of the cream of chicken soup and sour cream to the enchilada sauce as it provided for a thicker sauce that prevented the enchiladas from being too runny and interfering with the rice and beans. 

Crowd Average Rating: 

As Charlie and I love Mexican food, we gave these enchiladas a great average rating of a 7! A warm comforting staple, these Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas are creamy, savory and flavorful. When I was lucky enough to have a bite that featured the rice, cilantro, squeezed lime and tomato, it felt like a 9 or 10 rating, but I would say that on the whole, the dish was a solid 7. If you are having a crowd or are in a Tex-Mex mood, I most definitely recommend checking this recipe out. 

Complementary to the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Joanna suggested within the recipe notes to pair these two dishes together. Having now experienced this tip, I would second her suggestion by saying that the Mexican Rice is a perfect side item for the enchiladas above. Tasty and tender with subtle flavors of cumin, onion and tomato, this rice recipe is a good one to have on hand if you are looking for a homemade Mexican Rice dish. 

Crowd Average Rating:

Coming in just under the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, this Mexican Rice recipe gained an average rating of 6.5. While this dish is tasty, for me, I am not positive that the final results were worth the many steps of the process compared to the ease of a typical box mix of Mexican rice. Certainly if you are looking for a homemade version, this is a good recipe to try, but likely in the future, I will stick with my classic boxed side of rice simply for the ease and simplicity of the process.

Growing up, my grandma was known for her fabulous lemon cake. It was requested for birthdays, get-togethers, church functions and everything in between. So going into this recipe for the Lemon Bundt Cake, I had somewhat high expectations. That being said, having now had Joanna’s Lemon Bundt Cake, I believe it would be perfect for someone who is looking for a cake with a subtle lemon flavor, much like the Lemon Pie featured in Week 29. While this cake was delicious, the bulk of the lemon flavoring comes from the icing, so the remainder of the cake has just a hint of lemon from the added lemon zest. 

Crowd Average Rating:

After being reviewed by multiple family members, this Lemon Bundt Cake gained an average rating of a 6! I believe that most of us began our taste testing with the hope for a really lemony lemon cake, so the subtle lemon was a bit of a surprise. That being said, bites that had plenty of icing certainly had more lemon flavor, but on the whole, I believe we had been anticipating a very lemony cake, while this lemon cake has just a hint of lemon. This cake definitely is delicious, but likely, for me, I will stick to my grandma’s recipe.

• Black pepper
• Kosher salt
• Brown sugar
• Soy sauce
• Sparkling dessert wine or sparkling grape juice
• Sesame oil
• Crackers

• Green onions
• Garlic
• Beef tenderloin, rib-eye, top sirloin or sirloin steak
• Cucumbers
• Gochugaru
• Sugar

• Rice vinegar
• White rice
• Sesame seeds 
• Cream cheese
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Marinated artichokes
• Garlic powder