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Fresh guacamole with chopped tomato or hot prepared vegetable soup

Celery and/or carrot sticks

Chicken Chile Verde Casserole

Fresh strawberries

If you think of the deli in the supermarket as a place to buy ingredients to make dinner--rather than as the place to buy dinner itself--you’ll find that it’s an excellent resource. Barbecued chicken, for instance, can be shredded or diced for use in chicken salads and sandwiches. Here we’ve used it to make a Mexican-inspired casserole.

The prepared salsa verde , which is made from pureed tomatillos , added to the chicken filling is another convenient short-cut. If you make the salsa from scratch, you’ll need to puree several fresh tomatillos . Before pureeing, take off the paper husks and stems and steam the tomatillos in a small amount of water just until tender.

Many markets now offer prepared hot soups, which would be a perfect way to start a meal on a cool winter evening. Or you might try starting the meal with guacamole, which can be freshly made in no time. Take advantage of the creamy Haas avocados that are currently at low prices. Jazz up the mashed avocados with some chopped fresh tomatoes and lime juice. Then serve the dip with carrot and celery sticks--they come prepared in packages too.

Staples

1 clove garlic

1 onion

Oil

Salt

Shopping

1 package small roasted or barbecued chicken

8 flour tortillas

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream

1 bunch cilantro

1 (8-ounce) package shredded Jack cheese

Optional Shopping

1 basket fresh strawberries

Sliced black olives

2 avocados

1 tomato

Celery and/or carrot sticks

CHICKEN CHILE VERDE CASSEROLE

1 clove garlic

1 onion

Oil

1 (15.5-ounce) jar salsa verde or tomatillo sauce

1 small roasted chicken or 3 to 4 cups shredded home-cooked chicken

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 cup sour cream

Salt

8 flour or corn tortillas

8 ounces shredded Jack cheese or cacique cheese

Additional cilantro leaves and sliced black olives for garnish, optional

Crush and mince garlic. Chop onion.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in small skillet. Add and saute garlic and onion. Stir in salsa verde. Heat 2 minutes.

Bone and shred roasted chicken, removing skin, if desired. Mix with cilantro leaves and 1/3 tomatillo sauce. Season to taste with salt.

Divide mixture into 8 portions and use each to fill tortilla. Roll up each tortilla, crepe style.

Place small amount of remaining salsa verde in microwaveable casserole. Arrange filled tortillas on top. Spread with remaining salsa verde, then sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese and bake covered on HIGH (100% power) 3-4 minutes. Or use 13x9-inch baking dish or large oven-proof skillet and bake in conventional oven at 400 degrees 20 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with cilantro leaves and sliced black olives. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

678 calories; 796 mg sodium; 441 mg cholesterol; 34 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 49 grams protein; 0 fiber; 46% calories from fat.