As we begin to enter the fall season things always seem to amp up! Kids are back in school, business start to get ready for the holidays, the weather gets cooler, you get back to your normal routine and 3 day weekends are fewer and far between. With my schedule getting busier and the nights getting cooler it is finally time to take out one of my favorite kitchen gadgets; my crock pot. There is no better moment than stepping into you home after a long day and knowing a delicious meal is already hot and ready!
Crock pots are amazing firstly because of the flavor food gets when cooked slow but also because you turn them on and then you don’t have to think about them again until all of a sudden you have a delicious meal on your kitchen counter! That means time to spend with your family, your pets, reading, or maybe even taking nap! One of my favorite crock pot recipes is Red Chile Quinoa Enchiladas. The best part about this recipe is while there are a few things that you will definitely want to include, everything else can be your choice to add and subtract depending on your mood or what you already have at home!
Crock Pot Red Chile Quinoa Enchiladas:
2 cups of uncooked quinoa
30 oz. of Red Enchilada sauce
1 15oz. can of black beans
1 15oz can of sweet corn
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 medium to large russet potato (peeled)
2 medium tomatoes
3-5 cloves of garlic (can be more or less to taste)
1 can or 10 oz. of green chile
1-2 jalapeños (can be more or less to taste)
1 medium yellow onion
2 teaspoons of cumin
1 tablespoon of chile powder
Salt/pepper to taste
Optional: you can top with avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, lime juice or cilantro. You can also incorporate meat to this recipe, I would suggest preparing about 1 lb. of cooked meat to add to your crock pot for this recipe.
Instructions:
Chop all vegetables into small to bite-sized pieces. Put everything in the crock pot (if you are incorporating meat, cook the meat prior to adding it to the crock pot) and mix all ingredients well. Feel free to add extra spices, more or less green chile, and more or less jalapeno to your taste.
Cook covered on high for 3 -3 1/2 hours or on low for about 7 hours. I will add that cooking on low sometimes makes the quinoa a little too soft.
These ingredients make a full crock pot! So you’ll definitely have enough for a family or group, or some to save in your fridge! Let me know how you change up this recipe!
Enjoy the fall, food, and spare time 
-J
September 14, 2015
Leave a Reply