Chicken Enchiladas

3 chicken breasts or 9 chicken tenderloins
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 C Sour Cream
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 C Salsa
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp peppers
1 tsp cumin
Velveeta Cheese
Shredded Cheese
10-12 Tortillas

Cook chicken in oven until tender and shred. Brown onion and garlic in oil. Mix all ingredients minus cheeses with chicken and browned onion and garlic.Spoon into tortillas. Sprinkle shredded cheese and Velveeta cheese on top. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Corn, Black Beans & Beef Empanadas

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Filling
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pound 85% lean ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup taco shredded cheese blend

1 package empanada dough rounds

To make the filling, heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onions and garlic until softened. Add the corn, black beans, cumin, cayenne, and cloves and cook until fragrant. Crumble the beef into the pan and brown. Add the chicken broth to the pan to deglaze and transfer the beef mixture to a bowl; cool.

Stir in the cilantro leaves into the beef mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cool completely in the refrigerator. Once cooled completely, fold in the cheese.
To assemble the empanadas, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place a large baking sheet in the oven. Using the premade empanada dough, place 1/3 cup of filling mixture in the center of each dough round. Brush the edges of the dough with water and fold dough over the filling. Press the edges to seal and crimp the edges using a fork.

To bake, drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over the surface of the large preheated baking sheet and then return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the empanadas onto the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with oil. Place the baking sheet of empanadas in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until well browned and crisp. Cool empanadas on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the empanadas as directed above. Once assembled, place empanadas in a gallon sized freezer bag in one layer. Remove any excess air from the bag and freeze flat. When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a large baking sheet in the oven. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over the surface of the large preheated baking sheet and then return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place the frozen empanadas onto the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the empanadas with oil. Place the baking sheet of frozen empanadas in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until well browned and crisp. Cool empanadas on a wire rack for 10 minutes and serve.

Fiesta Pasta Salad

Ingredients

10 oz bow tie pasta

1 can black beans

1 can corn ( I prefer shoe peg)

1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

green onion

green pepper

(4 ck breasts)

Dressing

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 pkg. taco seasoning

ranch dressing (about 1/4 cup)

Directions

Cook the pasta until al dente. Chop up all the veggies. Mix together the dressing. Add as much ranch dressing as you like to the dressing- I did about 1/4 cup. Add the veggies, corn and beans to the pasta. Add the dressing and mix everything together. It's even better the next day!

I found this recipe...HERE

Enchiladas Verde

This would also be good with some Spanish rice... I got the recipe from all recipes.
Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 serrano peppers
• 1 pound small green tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 9 corn tortillas
• 3 cups water
• 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 store-bought rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded ( I used my own chicken)
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 (8 ounce) container Mexican crema, crema fresca
• 1 cup grated cotija cheese

Directions

1. Cover a large griddle with aluminum foil and preheat to medium-high.
2. Cook the garlic, serrano peppers, and tomatillos on the hot griddle until toasted and blackened, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes for the garlic, 10 minutes for the peppers, and 15 minutes for the tomatillos. Remove to a bowl and allow to cool.
3. Heat oil in a small, deep skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Using kitchen tongs, fry the tortillas individually, turning them once. They shouldn't be in the hot oil for more than 5 seconds per side. Remove excess oil with paper towels and keep warm. Remember that the hotter the oil, the less that the tortillas will absorb.
4. Place the toasted garlic, serrano peppers, tomatillos, and the water in a blender and blend until smooth; pour into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Dissolve the chicken bouillon into the mixture, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. The sauce shouldn't be too thick.
5. Soak three tortillas in the sauce, one at a time, for a few seconds, fill them with shredded chicken, sprinkle the meat with some of the sauce, roll them and place them seam side down on a pasta bowl. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over them and top them with lettuce, cilantro, crema, and cotija cheese. Pour a little more sauce over the whole thing if desired. Repeat the procedure twice more. Serve immediately.

Tacos with Gringo Taco Meat

I found the recipe for this taco meat in The World Wide Ward Cookbook and made it for dinner the other night. It was a good one!! I think it is one of those recipes that comes from a cook who doesn't really use recipes because there are a lot of things added "to taste" and not in exact amounts. :) So I have added a few notes about how I made it.

Gringo Taco Meat

Beef (a cheap cut), cubed - I bought a little over a pound of beef stew meat
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped - I only used 1/3 of an onion
salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and Chili powder to taste

Mix all ingredients together and put in the oven or crock pot at a low temperature for a few hours until the meat is cooked through and the moisture is absorbed.

When I made this recipe, all of the moisture didn't absorb, but the meat was done, so I shredded the meat and then strained the extra moisture off before serving.

Serve with tortillas, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc. to make tacos.

Jalupas

For Monday night we used our leftover chilli that was in the freezer for a quick meal! (I love it when that happens)
We made what our family calls JALUPAS ( I don't know where the name came from)
Jalupas:
Fritos
Chilli
Shreded cheese
Sour cream
Lettuce
Tomatoes or salsa
Olives
Avacado
Layer these ingredients that are all optional any way on your plate. Eat up, Yum!

Chicken and Rice Burritos

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 3/4 cups long grain white rice
• 1/2-1 (1oz) packed taco seasoning
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1/3 cup green onions chopped
• salsa
• guacamole
• shredded cheese
• tortillas

In a large skillet, place chicken, rice seasonings, water and tomato sauce. Bring mixture to boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until most of moisture has been absorbed. Add chopped tomato and green onions and stir to combine evenly. Place filling in tortillas and add desired toppings and roll burrito style!

Queso

This is a Mexican appetizer that we love! I got it off the

Food Network website, I think it is from Paula Deen.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Velveeta

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 can diced green chilies

hot sauce

Cut 1 lb. Velveeta into cubes, put in a saucepan and melt, stirring frequently until smooth. Add one can petite diced tomatoes (drained) and one can diced green chilies (not drained). Stir together and add 1-2 tsp. hot sauce to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tamale Pie

1 Lb ground beef, browned
1 15 oz can corn, drained
1 small can sliced olives
1 clove minced garlic
1 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
1 TB chili powder
1 15oz can pinto or black or kidney beans, drained
1 1/2 C shredded cheese
2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients and place in 9x13 pan.

To make crust combine the following in a saucepan on medium to high heat:
1 C cornmeal
2 1/2 C cold water
1 1/2 tsp salt

Stir frequently until thick. Add 1 Tb butter and stir until melted. Spread crust mixture on top of meat mixture. If freezing, place in pan, cover tightly and freeze. Otherwise, cover and bake at 375* for 40 minutes.

Mexican Lasagna

This is a new family favorite. It is rare at my house for my kids to request or eat leftovers, but they love love love this.

Spray 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray

Layer two times: (use half of each item for the first layer and half for the second)
Browned and seasoned (add cumin) beef
torn corn tortillas
1 can rinsed black beans
1 can stewed tomatoes diced (can also use regular diced tomatoes)
1 can olives sliced
1 can Enchilada sauce
Sour cream (a few dollops spread around)
Cheese

Top with crushed tortilla chips under the last layer of cheese

Bake covered at 350 for 20 minutes.

Hearty Fiesta Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can chicken broth
1 (16 oz) can fat-free refried beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.25 oz) can corn, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes & chilies
Directions:
Put the broth and refried beans into a soup pot and heat, while whisking together, until the beans have incorporated fully into the broth. Add the rest of the ingredients and heat, while stirring until the soup is boiling.
Serve with cilantro, cheese, sour cream and corn chips.

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes (southwest style, if possible I used petite diced tomatoes w/ sweet onion)
1 packet enchilada sauce mix (or if you can't find this, mild taco seasoning works well too, this is what I used)
1 1/2 C water
1 can tomato sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 C milk
3-4 boneless chicken breasts (I only used 2 chicken breasts)

In crock pot, mix the enchilada packet together with the water and tomato sauce. Add cream of chicken soup and milk and whisk together until smooth. Add chicken. Pour drained black beans, drained corn and diced tomatoes on top of that.Cook on low 6-8 hours.Before serving, take out chicken and shred or dice, then put back and stir it all together.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, lime, avocado, or tortilla chips.

Sour Cream Chili Bake

1 lb. Ground Beef
¼ C. Chopped Onion
1 can (16 oz.) Kidney Beans, Drained
1 can (15 oz.) Tomato Sauce
1 envelope Taco Seasoning mix
1/4 C. Dehydrated Onions
1 can of Corn, Drained
1 C. (4 oz.) Shredded Cheddar Cheese
3 ½ C. Fritos
1 ¼ C. Sour Cream

Cook ground beef and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, corn, onion and ¾ C. cheese. Sprinkle 2 ½ cups Fritos in bottom of 8x8 baking dish. Cover with Chili. Bake at 350 degree for 20-25 minutes. Spread sour cream of chili. Top with remaining corn chips and cheese. Bake 3-4 minutes longer.

Mexican Potato Casserole

4 medium potatoes, with peel
2 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cups salsa
1/2 cup chopped peppers (red, green or yellow)
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces and place in greased casserole dish.
Melt butter...stir in taco seasoning.
Pour over the potatoes and stir to coat well.
Bake uncovered at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.
Brown and crumble beef; add onion and cook until soft...then drain.
Stir in salsa and chopped peppers.

Stir...bake 10 minutes longer.

Sloppy Jose

Kind of a silly name, but it is soooo good.

Sloppy Jose

3 Chicken Breasts boiled and cut into pieces
1 big can cream of chicken
1 sm can of green chilies
1 Cup sour cream
1 Cup milk
2 Cups grated Monterrey Jack Cheese
corn tortillas
1 med can enchilada sauce or a little taco seasoning (depending on how spicy you want it)

In sauce pan heat soup, milk, sour cream, seasoning and chilies stirring all together. In greased 2 quart casserole dish put a little bit of the sauce. Tear tortillas into pieces and make a layer, top with chicken, then grated cheese and end with the sauce. Repeat this twice more for a total of three layers ending with sauce. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour at 375. We eat this with corn chips and Spanish rice.

Oven Baked Chimichangas

• 2/3 cup salsa
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken or beef
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 2 green onions or regular diced onion
• 6 flour tortillas
• 1 Tbsp butter

Mix first 6 ingredients. Put 1/2 cup of mix on each tortilla, fold sides in then roll from bottom. Place seamside down on cookie sheet and brush with butter. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

This is the true recipe...I almost always add black beans and/or rice and usually use more salsa and cheese then it calls for. I've also found that we enjoy them more if I keep the cheese out and put that on the tortilla before adding the rest of the mixture! I've also used a variety of different meats and usually just dice them (left over pork or a roast of some sort are perfect). I also use the largest tortillas they make and put more than 1/2 a cup in. This is an easily adaptable recipe to personal preference...hope you enjoy!

Pork Tacos

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground pork
1 large onion, sliced
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar - Original
1/4 cup water
8 (7 inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Optional garnishes: diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro, shredded cheese, salsa verde


DIRECTIONS
Heat salt in a large non-stick skillet over high heat.
Add ground pork, onion, chili powder, garlic, and pepper. Cook and stir 8 minutes.
Add undrained pinto beans, Rice Vinegar - Original, and 1/4 cup water. Cook and stir 10 minutes.
Wrap ground pork in tortillas. Serve with garnishes, as desired.