Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (National Enchilada Day – May 5)
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, divided
4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles
1 cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 corn tortillas
19-ounce can green chile enchilada sauce
Preheat oven to 350º. Combine chicken, 1 cup cheese, green chiles, sour cream, cilantro, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Heat enchilada sauce in a small skillet. Set aside. Dip each tortilla in the sauce for a few seconds to soften. Spoon chicken mixture in center of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla and placed in a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce and 1 cup cheese over top. Bake 20-30 minutes.
Creamy Shrimp (National Shrimp Day – May 9)
2 tablespoons butter
6 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 pound shrimp, tailless and deveined
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
5 ounces sun dried tomato strips in oil, drained
1¾ cups half and half
salt and pepper
3 cups baby spinach leaves
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute. Add shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes on each side (until pink). Place shrimp in a bowl, and set aside. Cook onion in butter until translucent. Add tomatoes, and cook 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to low-medium and pour in half and half. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach leaves. When leaves are wilted, add cheese and simmer until melted. Combine cornstarch and water and pour into sauce. Stir until thickened. Add shrimp back into the skillet. Sprinkle with herbs and stir. Serve over pasta or rice.
Coconut Cream Pie (National Coconut Cream Pie Day – May 8)
1 pie shell, cooked and cooled
6 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1½ teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
3 egg whites, room temperature
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
7 ounces marshmallow cream
Cook cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk and continue until mixture thickens. When you see bubbles, take a little of the milk mixture and stir into the egg yolks. Then stir the eggs into the milk mixture. Whisk for one minute, and remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and coconut. Pour into pie shell. Cover and chill. When chilled completely, preheat oven to 350º. Mix egg whites on medium speed. Add cream of tartar. Mix until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Add marshmallow cream, and mix 2-3 minutes until firm. Top pie with meringue, sealing to crust. Bake 10-15 minutes or until meringue browns. Chill pie until ready to serve.
Monkey Bread (National Biscuit Day – May 29)
4 (10 count) cans flaky biscuits
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1¾ cups sugar, divided
1 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter
Preheat oven to 350º. Combine 1 tablespoon cinnamon and ¾ cup sugar. Quarter biscuits and drop in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Drop into greased Bundt pan. After each can of biscuits, sprinkle with pecans. Combine 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 2 sticks butter in saucepan. Cook until butter is melted and mixture is well combined. Pour over biscuits and nuts in pan. Bake 45 minutes. Cool in pan about 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto serving plate. Serve warm.
This article originally appeared in Mature Living Magazine.