Marissa Mace

A home decor and lifestyle blog

The BEST Enchilada Sauce & Recipe

I’m picky about my Mexican food… it’s a blessing and a curse. So, when I make a recommendation, you know it’s going to be GOOD.

Growing up in a vibrant and delicious Mexican household, I enjoy the best homemade Mexican food made by my mom and grandma. One of those routine dinner favorites was enchiladas. Typically they made green enchiladas – plus those are my favorite over the ones with red sauce. Over the years, I noticed both my mom and grandma added one special ingredient to their green enchilada sauce…

Enchiladas were one of the first meals I ever made for my husband. It was an instant hit! He asked me, “what did you add to the sauce?” He later shared his rave reviews of my enchilada recipe with his coworkers. They then made them at home and said they were never making enchilada sauce any other way.

For me, enchilada sauce should be creamy and flavorful. That’s why I add a dallop of sour cream (or Mexican creama) to my green enchilada sauce. It does a couple of things: it adds creaminess and will mild any spiciness the sauce might have.

Now as a mom who works full time and has to make a quick dinner the entire family will enjoy – enchiladas have become a week night staple. Here’s my recipe and the products I use to make delicious enchiladas!

What you will need:

  • 1 can of green enchilada sauce (I use Siete Foods or La Victoria Green mild enchilada sauce.)
  • Corn tortillas or Siete Foods Almond Flour tortillas
  • One pound of shredded chicken
  • Shredded Colby Jack cheese
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • Pepper to your liking
  • 2-4 tablespoons of sour cream

How to make them:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degree.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cooked shredded chicken with the garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Warm the tortillas in a microwave for 30 minute (I use a microwave tortilla pouch) until they’re warm and pliable.
  4. Assemble the enchiladas by filling each tortilla evenly with the shredded chicken mixture and a generous pinch of shredded cheese. Roll them tightly to close and place in a large baking dish seam side down.
  5. Pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and then top them with the remaining cheese. I like to save a little sauce on the side to pour once served on a plate.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve.

The BEST Keto Meatloaf Recipe

Whether you’re a fan of meatloaf or not – this Keto meatloaf recipe will knock your socks off! It’s easy, delicious and extra juicy. This is a favorite weeknight dinner with our family. It’s kid approved and mom and dad love it, too!

My husband and I went Keto and low carb late last summer. It has been an incredible change for our personal health journey’s. But it did mean we needed to find keto friendly recipes for our favorite meals.

We both love meatloaf, but didn’t want traditional ingredients that would blow our allowed carbs for each day. Good news – this recipe was by far the best one out of all the other meatloafs we’ve ever tried. It’s extremely juicy, low in carbs, simple to make and the entire family devours it!

If you’re not a meatloaf fan, this recipe will convert you into one. The almond flour I add even gives a little crisp to the meatloaf that is Devine.

For being less than 5 carbs per serving, you won’t believe how juicy this meatloaf is. Make sure to send this recipe to your fellow meatloaf lover or your spouse as a dinner idea!

FOR MEATLOAF
2 lbs ground beef
▪️1 medium onion finely chopped
▪️2 cloves garlic minced
▪️2 large eggs
▪️1/4 cup sugar free ketchup (I use Primal Kitchen Foods)
▪️1/4 unsweetened coconut milk
▪️3/4 cup almond flour or keto bread crumbs
▪️1 teaspoon salt
▪️1 teaspoon pepper

FOR GLAZE
▪️1 cup sugar free ketchup
▪️1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
▪️2 tablespoons brown sugar substitute (I used golden monk fruit)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, add all Meatloaf ingredients. Mix them all together. Place the meat mixture into a non-stick loaf pan. I used my Caraway loaf pan from their baking set.

P.s. if you haven’t invested in a Caraway cooking set – 2024 is the year to do it! You won’t regret it. Use my code MARISSAMACE_10 to save!

Shape it for it fits into the pan then place in the oven for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, take the loaf out and spread the glaze on top. Then bake for 15 more minutes. Let it sit for 5-ish minutes before serving to soak up the juices. ENJOY!

P.s. for my green beans, I coated them in a light avocado oil, sprinkled salt, pepper and garlic powder 👌🏻 baked for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. I baked them on my Caraway baking sheet for easy clean up!

Can’t wait for you to try!

XO, Marissa

Three Non-Toxic Beauty Swaps I am Loving

Making smart, clean switches in your beauty and daily routine doesn’t have to be hard. For years, I did not pay enough attention to what I was using on my skin. To be quite honest, I would buy whatever was on sale or switch to a new product every month. Now that I am in my mid-30s (wow, when did that happen?!), I am more aware of the products I use. From food to skin care and even the vitamins I take daily.

Discovering new products is all part of my wellness journey. In a recent blog post I spilled all the details on how I am changing the focus of my wellness – and this is just another chapter in that journey.

I heard someone once say: your skin is like sponge, it absorbs everything you put on it and ultimately releases it into your body.

That immediately gave me a new perspective on skincare. 

I know I struggled to understand what to use, how to use it and where to find products. Hopefully these three items help you start on your clean, non-toxic beauty routine. 

Dry shampoo: Did you know some dry shampoos have gluten as a main ingredient? Yeah, I didn’t either. This past summer and fall, my hair was falling out like crazy. It usually does, but not that much. I started thinking back to what changed. I was using the same shampoo and conditioner, same hairspray – but I was using a new dry shampoo. I starting reading the label of the last bottle I had (I bought a pack of two at Costco…) and low and behold… GLUTEN, BUTANE and PROPANE. They are the main ingredients. I was shocked. Even my husband was shocked. I stopped using it immediately and did some research. I stumbled on Primally Pure. All of their products were so clean and fairly inexpensive. I bought the Primally Pure dry shampoo and my hair is back! And it works SO well! It is an amazing dry shampoo.

Deodorant:

Vulnerable moment: I was very hesitant to switch to a non-toxic, clean deodorant. Would it work? Would I end up smelling like B.O.?

Let me tell you – it worked like a charm! And I smell GOOD! I’ve been using Primally Pure’s deodorant and it lasts all day and smells wonderful. We all have heard by now how bad aluminum is for you and it can be found in deodorant. With our armpits being so porous, they soak in all those nasty chemicals. I’ve been using the bergamot and eucalyptus deodorant.

And, it doesn’t cost a fortune to switch. The Primally Pure deodorant I use starts at $16 and it has lasted longer than the store bought one I used to wear for years.

Skin care: loving your skin is self-love. I’ve shared this before in a previous blog post – I would often go to bed with make up on still. Then use a make up remover wipes and place new makeup. It was AWFUL. DREADFUL. But, I know better now.

Frankly, I look forward to cleaning my face and moisturizing it each morning and night. I’m currently loving a new natural and clean skin care brand, Fount Society. Within a week of using it, I was getting so many compliments on my skin. I’m also noticing a more even tone. My face is definitely more moisturized than it ever has been. I use The Routine kit but swear by their gel cleanser, balancing mist and water cream.

The products have been extremely gentle on my skin. This line can be a bit more of a splurge, but if you are willing to make the investment – you won’t regret treating yourself to the entire kits. Right now, you can use my code: MARISSAMACE_20 for 20% off sitewide. Such a good deal!

P.s. if you’re looking for a super moisturizing body butter, add Primally Pure’s almond vanilla body butter to your cart! My skin is loving it.

Of course, not everything I use is clean or of natural ingredients. But, I’m slowly making progress and switching to cleaner products. They work super well with my skin. But like I mentioned above, the dry shampoo I was using was causing my hair to fall at a rapid speed – that was a major sign that something was wrong. Listen to your body, find products that work well with you.

And most importantly, don’t overwhelm yourself. If you are trying to go non-toxic – take baby steps. This will turn into a lifestyle for you. Enjoy the process and have fun finding products you love and brands you enjoy supporting.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and YouTube where I’m always sharing finds, tips and all things healthy home and beauty.

XO, Marissa

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