Taco Casserole

• 1 lb. Ground beef
• 1 (15 oz) pkg. Cornbread mix
• 1 (20 oz) can Refried Beans
• 1 pkg Taco Seasoning
• 2 T.Water
• 1 c. Shredded  Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brown ground beef until no longer pink, and then drain.  Mix the cornbread batter according to the directions on the package, and then set aside.  Mix refried beans, taco seasoning and water together in a medium bowl, and then spread beans on the bottom of a 9 x 13 in baking dish. Add a layer of the ground beef and top with cheese.  Pour cornbread batter over the cheese and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until cornbread is done and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Garnish each serving with toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, onion, sour cream etc), or serve plain.

Enchilada Casserole

• 1 lb.Ground Turkey
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1 T. +1/3 c. Canola Oil, divided
• 1/3 c. Flour
• 2 T. Chili Powder
• 1/4 t. Salt
• 1/4 t. Pepper
• 2 c. Water
• 12 (7 in) corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 c. Salsa
• 1 1/2 c. Shredded cheese

In a skillet over medium heat, cook turkey and onion in 1 tablesppon oil until meat is no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle with flour, chili powder, calt nd pepper.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and cook 8-10 minutes. In another skillet, fry tortillas in remaining oil about 20 seconds total, turning one time.

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cut 9 of the tortillas in half and place the cut edges of 1 tortilla against the short side of a greased 9x13 in baking dish.  Overlap remaining tortilla halves until bottom of dish is covered.  Spoon 2 c. meat mixture over tortillas and layer 1/2 c salsa over meat. Sprinkle with 1/2 c.cheese. Repeat layers and top with remaining tortillas, meat mixture, salsa and cheese. Bake uncovered,20 minutes; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 minutes more or until cheese has melted.

Chicken Avocado Burritos

Fast, easy, AND healthy burritos! A new family favorite!

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• 2 c. Shredded Cooked Chicken
• 1 c. Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• 1 Avocado, diced
• 2 T. Chopped Fresh Cilantro
• 4 Large Tortillas

Mix chicken, cheese, avocado, and cilantro in a medium sized bowl. 

Add 1/4 c. mix to center of tortilla and form into a roll. Place on an oiled pan or griddle and let cook 2 minutes on each side,or until golden brown. 

Serve with sour cream or plain greek yogurt and some yummy pico!

Mexican Haystacks

This was a fun, quick and simple spin off of Hawaiian Haystacks which are a favorite in this house. While it was tasty, there are a few things I will do differently next time. Read on to find what that is...

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• 1/2 Onion, diced
• 1 T Butter
• 1(29 oz) can Refried Beans
• 1/2 c. Water
• 2 T Taco Seasoning
• 1 (6 oz) can Tomato Sauce
• 6 c. Cooked Rice, any kind
• Shredded cheese (I had shredded Mozzarella on hand and took the easy way out)
• Sour Cream (we use plain greek yogurt instead)

Saute onion in butter in a skillet over medium heat until translucent.

In a saucepan, warm the refried beans over medium heat for 8-10 minutes.  Add water and taco seasoning.  Add tomato sauce and stir until mixed until thoroughly

To serve, place 1 cup rice in center of plate.  Layer 1/2 cup bean mixture and layer onions on top. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream. 

Here's where I think needs changed. The bean mixture is delicious but I felt like this needed more toppings. I think next time we will do slices olives, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and Fritos. These leave lots of room for creativity!

Quick Freezer Burritos

With my husband being a full time busy grad student he always takes a lunch to school with him. I felt bad he was stuck with PB&J every day (he really didn't mind though), he gets sick of left overs, and freezer meals are so nasty and bad for you. So, I came up with some homemade slightly healthier,not to mention very easy, freezer burritos that he loves and are great to grab and go.

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• 1 can Fat Free or Vegetarian Refried Beans
• 1/4 c. Salsa
• 1/2 Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
• Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
• Tortillas (any size; my husband prefers the large ones)

 Mix bean, salsa and seasoning in a small bowl. Spread bean mixture onto the center of tortilla and top with cheese. Roll up,  folding ends in burrito style. Wrap in saran wrap and put in freezer. Microwave unwrapped, for 1 minute or until warm.

{Recipe makes 5 large burritos or 7-10 small burritos}

Baked Tacos

We are taco lovers in this house. Instead of our typical soft tacos that we eat so often we switched things up a little and had baked tacos. This recipe got approval all around the table.

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•  2 lbs. Ground Beef
• 4 t. Dried Minced Onion
• 3 t. Chili Powder
• 1 t. Cornstarch
• 1 t. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 t. Ground Cumin
• 1/2 t. Dried Oregano
• 1/8 t. Cayenne Pepper
• 1 (8 oz.) can Tomato Sauce
• 1 (16 oz) can Refried Beans
• 2 c. Shredded Colby-Jack Cheese
• 18-20 Hard Taco Shells

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine dried minced onion, chili powder, cornstarch, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess liquid. Add refried beans, tomato sauce, and prepared taco seasoning. Mix well.

Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up.  Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments (lettuce, tomato, salsa, guacamole, etc.)

Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas with Fiesta Rice

This dinner was so yummy and so quick! I had a main course and a side dish whipped up in just a matter of minutes. My kind of busy night dinner!
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• 2 cans chunk Chicken Breast
• 1 can Cheddar Cheese soup
• 1 c. canned Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 c. Chunky Salsa
• Tortillas

Stir the soup, beans and chicken in a 1 1/2 qt saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until hot.

Put the tortillas on 2 baking sheets. Top half of each tortilla with about 1/3 c.  of the soup mixture, spreading to within 1/2 inch of the edge.  Moisten the edge of each tortilla with water. Fold over and press the edges together to seal.  Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes or until the filling is hot. Serve with fiesta rice.

Fiesta Rice

• 1 can Chicken Stock
• 1/2 c. Water
• 1/2 c. Chunky Salsa
• 2 c. uncooked instant Brown Rice 

 Heat chicken stock, water, and salsa in a 1 1/2 qt sauce pan to a boil.  Stir in instant rice.  Cover and remove from the heat.  Let stand for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork. 

Mexican Macaroni And Cheese

•  1 box Mostacolli
• 1 lb. bulk pork sausage
• 1/2 c. onion, chopped
• 1 16 oz. jar green salsa
• 2 8 oz pkgs Monterey Jack cheese

Lighly grease a 9x13 in. baking dish.  Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain and set aside. 

In a large skillet cook sausage and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender.  Stir in salsa.

In the baking dish, layer half of the cooked pasta, half of the sausage mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat layers.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, bake uncovered or about 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

• 1 12 oz. pkg. Jumbo Shell Macaroni
• 2 large Red Sweet Peppers, chopped
• 1 1/2 c. chopped Red Onion
• 2 T. Vegetable Oil
• 2 c. cooked, chopped chicken
• 1 16 oz can Refried Beans
• 3 T. Taco Seasoning Mix
• 2 10 oz. cans Enchilada Sauce
• 1 8 oz shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend
• 2 c. Nacho cheese Doritos, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain, rinse and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook peppers, onion and 1/4 t. salt in hot oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, beans, taco seasoing mix, and 1/2 enchilada sauce. Cook and stir 5 minutes.  Stir in 1/2 c.  of the cheese. 

Divide filling among shells. Spread 1 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce in 9x13 inch baking dish.  Arrange shells atop sauce and drizzle with remaining enchilada sauce. 

Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with chips.  Serve with avocado dip and/or sour cream.

Easy Enchiladas

• 1 (12 count) package of Corn Tortillas
• 2 cans Chili (no beans)
• 1-2 c. shredded Colby Jack Cheese

Lightly cook the tortillas in hot cooking oil to soften them. Spread a little chili and stuff some cheese in each tortilla and place in a 9x13 inch pan.  Top with the remainder of chili and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

{These enchiladas are surprisingly very tasty! To top it off, I'm pretty sure this is the easiest enchilada recipe I've ever seen!}

Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 c. chopped green peppers
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 3/4 c. Picante sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend

In a large saucepan, combine the onions, peppers, tomatoes, picante sauce, garlic and cumin.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in the beans. 

Spread a third of the mixture in a 9x13 inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.  Layer with four tortillas and 2/3 cup cheese.  Repeat layers; top with remaining bean mixture.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand 5 minute or until cheese is melted.  Serve with toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, olives, green onions, sour cream, etc).

Chicken Ranch Tacos

• 2 lbs. thawed boneless chicken breasts
• 1 oz. packet Taco seasoning
• 1 oz. packet Ranch dressing mix
• 1 can Chicken stock

Mix taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, and chicken stock and pour into crockpot over top the chicken. On low, cook for 3 hours.  Shred chicken then cook for another 30 minutes.

 

Southwest Chicken and Rice

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 c. Salsa
• 1 pkg. Taco seasoning
• 2 c. Water

In a large skillet, bring ingredients to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. With 2 forks, shred the chicken breasts. Return to a boil and stir in:

• 2 c. Minute rice, uncooked
• 1 c. Black beans, drained

Sprinkle cheese on top.  Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and chips or on a tortilla.

Crunch Wrap Supreme

The husband was craving Taco Bell last night so we whipped up a homemade crunch wrap supreme to ease his crave with a healthier alternative.

• Large flour tortillas
• Hamburger, browned
• Taco Seasoning
• Refried beans
• Corn tostadas or tortilla chips
• Sour cream
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Cheese, shredded

 Start off by browning hamburger in a medium sized pan over medium-high heat.  Add taco seasoning according to package directions, then set aside.

In the center of a large tortilla spread a layer of refried beans, and sour cream. Top with browned hamburger.

Top hamburger with corn tostada or tortilla chips.

On top of tostada place lettuce, cheese and tomatoes.

Then fold the tortilla around the toppings.

Place open side down in a already warmed skillet {medium-low heat}and brown the tortilla. Keep a close watch; it goes fast. Flip the crunch wrap and brown the other side.

The last step: eat up.

These are easy and a great substitute for a Taco Bell run. Do I dare say they taste even better than the originals??

3 Cheese Enchiladas

• 1 8oz. Package Cream Cheese (I went with low fat to help with the health factor a bit)
• 2 c. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Salsa
• Size Medium or Large Tortillas

In a large bowl, mix the cheeses and 1 cup salsa until smooth. Spoon mixture onto tortillas and roll up enchilada style. Place in a 9x13 in casserole dish.  Continue doing this until pan is full and cheese mixture is used.  Cover the top with salsa and extra shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until the cheese in the enchiladas is melted.

Taco Bake

• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 8oz. can tamato sauce
• 1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
• 1 pkg. Crescent Rolls
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 8 oz. container sour cream
• Nacho Cheese Doritos

In a large skillet, brown hamburger. Then add tomato sauce, taco seasoning and a little bit of water. Let simmer about 5 minutes. 

In a 9x13 inch casserole dish press crescent rolls in bottom of pan and flatten making a crust.

Layer on top of crust, hamburger mixture, sour cream,  and cheese. Top with about 3/4 of a bag of crushed Doritos. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

7-Layer Tostadas

• Tostada Shells or crisped tortillas
• 1 can Refried Beans, warmed
• Sour Cream
• Favorite Taco Seasoning
• Guacamole
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes, cubed
• Grated cheese
• Sliced Olives

To crisp your own tortillas,  preheat oven to 450 degrees. Preheat baking sheet as well by placing in the oven for about 10 minutes. Drizzle a tiny amount of Olive oil onto baking sheet, then spread around evenly with a paper towel and place tortillas on baking sheet. Let crisp watching them closely. It will take less than 5 minutes to crisp.

While tortillas are crisping, warm the refried beans in the microwave. Then mix a few tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning into sour cream.

Putting it together:

On a plate spread a thin layer of beans onto tostada shell.  Then a thin layer of guacamole (not pictured, someone put together a faulty shopping list).  Following the guacamole, a thin layer of sour cream mixture.  On top of that some lettuce, tomatoes, olives and a pinch of cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Taco Stuffed Shells

• 1 lb. Ground Beef
• 1 pkg. Taco Seasoning
• 14 oz. pkg. Cream Cheese
• 15 large Pasta Shells
• 1 c. Salsa
• 1 c. Taco Sauce
• 1 c. Colby Jack Cheese {shredded}
• 1 c. Pepper Jack Cheese {shredded}
• 1 c. Crushed Tortilla Chips {crushed}

1. In a frying pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to the package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool.  While burger is cooking, cook pasta shells, drain, and toss well with butter.

2. Pour salsa in bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. Stuff each shell with meat mixture.  Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover shells with the taco sauce.

4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

5. After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheeses on top.  Cook for about 15 minutes more.  Serve with sour cream and your other favorite taco toppings.

This is my own rendition of a recipe I found on Pinterest.  It is simple, full of lots of flavor and a fun way to jazz up those taco nights!

Beefy Enchilada Skillet

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 jar (16oz.) Pace Picante Sauce or Thick & Chunky Salsa
• 8 corn tortillas (6 in.) cut into 1 inch squares
• 4 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese (about 1 cup)
• Sour Cream

Cook the beef in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until it's well browned, stirring often to break up the meat. Pour off any fat

Stir in the picante sauce, tortillas, and half of the cheese in the skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.

Top with the remaining cheese.  Serve with sour cream