In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought it would be appropriate to give my own mother a shoutout, along with her food. Throughout my entire life, I had the privilege of receiving my mother’s home-cooked meals, but all that changed when I was served dining hall meals last year. This year, in order to save money and live a reasonably healthy lifestyle, I had no other choice but to cook for myself. Thankfully, almost everything I cook is a copy of what I ate growing up, courtesy of my mother. 

Rice and beans are the perfect sides to serve with the cheesy casserole.

Starting off with my all-time favorite recipe of hers: chicken enchilada casserole. The process to make the entire dish is a bit tedious but completely worth it; I would easily choose this meal over any restaurant course. It also makes for great meal-prepping, as you can bake the casserole in a large dish and eat it throughout the week. You can cook the chicken in multiple ways, but I prefer my mother’s way of slow cooking it in a crockpot for the entire day. This allows the chicken to fall apart and completely soak in the enchilada sauce, enhancing the flavor. The next part is simple: in your pan, lay down your tortillas, cover with cheese and chicken and repeat. While it bakes, you can start prepping both of your sides: rice and beans. Pour your cups of rice in a pan and cover with broth and tomato sauce. While that cooks, heat up your beans in a pan on the stove on the lowest setting. Growing up, we always ate Rosarita refried beans from the can, which I have never gotten tired of. Once the casserole is done, serve it with your sides and enjoy!

I cannot express enough how big of a deal this was (and still is) when my mother would announce that we were having her famous chicken enchilada casserole for dinner. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and that it can become a staple recipe for you as well. 

Be prepared for this iCarly-inspired dish to conjure up some childhood family memories.

Another nostalgic recipe of hers that I make quite often (despite the unconventional combination) is spaghetti tacos. I know it sounds strange, but my mother started creating these after we saw them appear on iCarly, a show my family loved. Once, we were sitting as a family watching the show, and thought spaghetti tacos sounded too interesting not to try. It started off as a joke, but I grew to love them so much that I make the recipe multiple times a month. This creation is exactly what it sounds like and is very simple to assemble. All you need to do is boil your noodles, add spaghetti sauce and cooked ground turkey. I prefer turkey meat over beef, as it has a better texture and taste. Next, heat up your hard taco shells in the oven and toss in your spaghetti. I like to top it off with some grated cheddar cheese and parmesan. All I have to say is don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and mother figures out there. However you’ve cared, guided or nourished, thank you.

Chicken enchilada casserole with rice and beans

Servings: 6-8 

Time: 7-8 hours

Ingredients

For the chicken: 

• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 (19-ounce) cans Old El Paso Mild Red Enchilada Sauce
• 1 pack yellow corn tortillas
• 1 block cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon canola oil

For the rice:

• 1½ cups white rice
• ¼ red onion, chopped
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• ¼ tespoon salt
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

For the beans:

• 1 (16-ounce) can Rosarita refried beans
• Cheddar cheese, shredded (for topping)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken

1. In a crockpot, pour in both cans of the enchilada sauce.
2. Add the chicken breasts, cover and cook on low for five hours.
3. Once done, shred the chicken with two forks and leave it in the sauce.

2. Prep the tortillas

1. Heat a small pan over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of canola oil.
2. Lightly cook each tortilla by dipping it in the oil, letting both sides touch the heat.
3. Once warm, set aside.

3. Assemble the casserole

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 
2. Line the bottom of the casserole dish (9 by 13 inches) with a single layer of tortillas.
   Add a layer of shredded chicken, followed by a layer of shredded cheese.
3. Repeat the layers: tortillas → chicken → cheese, until the dish is full.
4. Top generously with shredded cheese.

4. Bake the casserole

1. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 25 minutes.
2. Prepare the rice while the casserole bakes. 

5. Cook the rice

1. Add rice to a strainer and rinse it until the water runs clear.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of canola oil.
3. Add the rice and stir frequently until it turns light golden brown (about 10 minutes).
4. Stir in the tomato sauce and chopped onion.
5. Add salt and chicken broth.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
7. Remove from heat and let rest for five minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

6. Prepare the beans

1. In a small saucepan, heat Rosarita beans over medium heat until they begin to bubble (about five minutes).
2. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top and allow it to melt.

7. Serve

Plate the chicken enchilada casserole with a side of rice and beans. Enjoy!

Spaghetti tacos 

Servings: 4-6 

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey (or whichever protein of your choosing)
• 1 cup water
• 1 (26-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 (8-ounce) box spaghetti noodles
• 12 hard taco shells
• Parmesan cheese (optional, for topping)
• Cheddar cheese (optional, for topping)

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the spaghetti noodles and cook according to package instructions until al dente ( about 8-10 minutes).
3. Drain and set aside.

2. Prepare the meat sauce

1. In a large skillet or saute pan, cook the ground turkey over medium heat until browned and fully cooked (about 7-10 minutes).
2. Add the jar of spaghetti sauce to the cooked meat.
3. Stir to combine, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes until heated through.

3. Combine spaghetti and sauce

1. Add the cooked spaghetti noodles to the meat sauce.
2. Toss until the noodles are well coated in the sauce.

4. Assemble the tacos

1. Gently warm the hard taco shells in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 3-5 minutes, if desired.
2. Spoon the spaghetti mixture into each taco shell.
3. Top with parmesan and/or cheddar cheese.

A version of this article appeared on p. 8 of the May 15th, 2025 print edition of the Daily Nexus.