A Christmas party for the 30’s Sunday school class my husband teaches took place in our church gymnasium Saturday evening. The meal was “potluck” – so there was a little bit of everything. We ate first, then had a family game of Cat in the Hat. This is a game that is played at The Wilds. Pretty sure that Wild is a great description of the game too! I vowed I was not going to get aggressive, but before the game was out, I had used force to remove a little 4-year old from the chair I was pursuing! Bless his little heart, but it was all a part of the game…really!
While the story of Cat in the Hat was being read by my husband, everyone was either Mother, Sally, or Fish. If your story name was read, you were to leave your chair and find an empty one more than one seat away from where you had been sitting. It looks like they were dancing, but here are a couple groups scrambling to find a chair.
There was one less chair than people. If you didn’t get a seat, you remained in the middle and got a point against your team. =( Even the little ones enjoyed it, well, all except when the adults took their chair. Ah-hm!
For our meal, I signed up to bring a casserole and opted for Enchilada Casserole. Rather than making individual enchiladas, you layer all the ingredients in a baking dish.
I topped it off with lettuce and sour cream. Delish!
I made the entire casserole the night before. I wasn’t sure if that would make the tortillas shells soggy with enchilada sauce, but it didn’t. So, here’s a great do-ahead dish!
For dessert I took a Kentucky Derby Pie. This is a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition at our house. It’s so full of chocolate and gooey filling – all you need is a small piece. It whips up very quickly and disappears just as fast!
Here are my recipes:
Enchilada Casserole
2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cans Enchilada sauce
1 can Refried Beans
Tortilla shells
4 cups Cheddar or Mexican cheese
Brown hamburger and onion. Drain fat. Stir in one third enchilada sauce. Spread another third on the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan. Place three tortillas over sauce, tearing to fit bottom of pan. Spoon half of meat mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Add three more tortillas. Spread refried beans over tortillas; top with remaining meat. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups cheese. Layer remaining tortillas; top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream, chili peppers, lettuce, and/or guacamole.
Kentucky Derby Pie
1 stick butter or margarine, melted and cooled.
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts or pecans
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Unbaked pie shell
Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla to cooled butter. Stir well. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
What’s been cooking in your kitchen? Are you baking up Christmas traditions? Tell me about it!
With love,
RefreshHer 
“you just need a small piece…”
we do not use that phrase when referring to derby pie, especially the adjective “small.”
what were you thinking? =)
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You can have a “big ol' piece”, Whitney! It's wating for you! =)
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Hi Denise. A couple questions about the pie – do I use a frozen or just refrigerated crust? Deep dish or just regular? I have pecans that are chopped really small (they say ” cookie chopped”) – is that OK or are bigger pieces better? Does the pie turn out firm or thin? I’m hoping to take it to a church party. Thanks so much!
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Hi Jenny,
You can use either a frozen or fresh crust; both are fine. I’d use a regular depth, not a deep one. The pecans would be fine really small – really it’s your preference. I usually chop mine in “chunky” pieces, but small ones won’t change the way the pie turns out. The pie will firm up as it cools.
It’s such a delicious dessert! I hope it turns out well!
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Hi Denise 🙂 I made the pie! It was so delicious! We really enjoyed it – my daughter is already talking about when we can have it again! Also, I made your Broccoli & Corn Scallop too – I took it to a Bible study group party and it was enjoyed too. Thank you for your delicious recipes and for answering my questions 😉
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You’re welcome, Jenny! So glad the recipes were loved! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out!
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