Italian and Mexican Love Child

Sunday evenings in our household are spent doing laundry and going grocery shopping. Zach tackles the mounds of laundry. And I head to the grocery store. I know, I know. I’m one lucky lady to have a husband that does the laundry. He inherited this duty right after we got married and spent all of Sunday watching football. Throw a load of laundry in the washing machine. Watch football while waiting. Throw laundry into dryer. Watch football while waiting. Fold laundry while watching football. See how perfect this works out. Barely has to miss any of the game.

I hate doing laundry. But I hate grocery shopping just a tad bit more. Mainly because I never know what to make for supper. I try so hard to plan out our meal for the week, but usually end up only planning Monday and Tuesday. Which means by Wednesday I have to make another trip to the dreaded grocery store. And the cycle continues. Making it a never ending chore.

I always ask Zach if he has any supper ideas for the week. And he responds with only a handful of answers. Spaghetti, fajitas, enchiladas, or stirfry. All of which I love. But I always try to put some kind of little twist on the good ‘ol classics. Mainly because I hate making the same recipe twice.

And so I knew I had to make this chicken enchilada spaghetti when I saw it on How Sweet It Is (one of the blogs I read religiously.) Only seemed fitting to combine two of Zach’s favorites into one dish! Why don’t I ever think of these things.

The dish was very tasty! Loved the crunch of the onion and peppers. The spicy and cheesy sauce. And of course I loved the carb-filled pasta!

I highly, highly recommend this dish. But plan to make one minor change the next time around. You may very well like it just the way it is. But I tend to like a little creamier sauces. And so next time I might add just a little dallop of sour cream to the mix.

Chicken Enchilada Spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

pinch of cayenne pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1/2 pound spaghetti

10 ounce can of enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

cilantro for garnish

Boil water for pasta and prepare pasta according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions and peppers. Let cook until vegetables are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, then stir in chicken, cumin, cayenne, paprika and chili powder, along with the can of enchilada sauce. Turn the heat down to low, drain the cooked pasta, then add pasta to the skillet too. Fold in cheese and mix thoroughly to combine. Toss with a set of kitchen tongs until everything is mixed, then serve with a bunch of fresh cilantro.

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