Christmas dinner is my thing.
I don’t do Thanksgiving. I don’t do Easter. Our Halloween shindig consists of a bunch of tasty finger food offerings and beverages. And, I go to a block party on the 4th of July and only take a dessert.
I don’t generally enjoy hosting large scale dinner parties with courses and real plates and expectations.
But Christmas. Christmas is my thing.
What I don’t enjoy about holiday meals is the days on days on days of prep that goes into it. I don’t like being in the kitchen on a good day (unless it’s to bake something filled with sugar where I can take periodic breaks to lick the bowl) and serving meals that require days of in kitchen prep make me dodgy.
But, it’s tradition, and I love having everyone around the table for the meal. I just wish that like, someone else would cook it. And clean my house before. And then, like one or two times right after. And maybe weekly for the rest of my life.
Not gonna happen, but this holiday season, when the entire family was home and literally begging me for meals every three hours, I found an easy way to sort of reduce my time slaving around the stove that doesn’t involve hundreds of dollars to pull off: The Ninja Cooking System. Take a look…
Now, smile.
We received one to test out recently and I have essentially fallen in love with it. DudeDad even commented recently that he’s never seen me use a cooking product so much. Nor has he ever seen me actually joyful about any cooking that doesn’t result in a cupcake.
Here’s why I love my Ninja Cooking System:
- When slow cooking, you can sear and slow cook in the same pan. No searing on stove and then placing your seared meat in the slow cooker afterwards, thereby increasing the number of dirty dishes you have to deal with.
- One pot meals can be ready in 30 minutes!
- Roasting meals in the system is healthier than what you can do in your oven thanks to steam. Steam=less fat!
- Same with baking. Less fat in your baked goods means you can eat like 30% more (this is not a scientific fact, this is me making the fact that I ate 3 cupcakes this afternoon okay)
So far I’ve used it to make one pot lasagna, chicken tortilla soup, red beans and rice, and white bean and chicken chili.
Our favorite Ninja Cooking System meal is this super easy vegetarian black bean enchilada that I make.
Super quick and easy weeknight meal idea that you can just add to your repertoire and it’s made even easier when you use the Ninja Cooking System.
Black Bean Enchilada Recipe
2 cans black beans
2 cans corn
1 can Rotele diced tomatoes
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 an onion, diced
10 flour tortillas
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Cook onion in Ninja (or regular pan) until soft.
2. Add beans, corn, tomatoes. Stir until heated through. Remove from heat.
3. Warm tortillas in microwave or on stove top just so they’re soft.
4. Add one cup of cheese to mixture then spoon a little into each tortilla. Just enough so it will be full, but not so much that you can’t roll those bad boys up.
5. Coat bottom of Ninja pan (or regular pan) with enchilada sauce then add the rolled tortillas (it’s okay if you have to stack them up to fit, just put some enchilada sauce between each layer).
6. Cover with remaining sauce and cheese.
7. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cheese will be all melty and delicious looking.
8. Eat what your mama made you. Or in this case, what you, as the mama, made. I don’t know, it felt right before I typed it.
*I received a Ninja Cooking System free of charge to facilitate this review. All opinions, words, and enchiladas are my own.
Shea says
So can I just send you my address and you mail these to me. :) Wishful thinking!!
These look so yummy!!
I definitely will be sharing this recipe with others!
Elaine says
I have never, outside of Kansas – where I grew up, seen a recipe that called for Rotele. So full of awesome. I always thought people on the east coast were too snobby to eat it. But alas! I have been proven wrong. The enchiladas sound delicious.
DudeMom says
Lol! I’m not a native East Coaster, maybe that’s what it is. California girl who moonlighted in Kansas for a year here!
Elaine says
Thank heavens there is at least a small Kansas connection. That must be what drives you to Rotele. My world is back in alignment.