Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

This recipe is stolen from sixsistersstuff.com.  I LOVE their site.  A LOT of my cooking ideas come from these incredible ladies.  On their site, they introduce this casserole as "all the goodness of a taco in an easy to make casserole."  I agreed and Dale actually hates the crunchy tacos, so this was a WIN for us because I finally got the "crunchy" taco :)

Here is what you need:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 can (16 ounce) refried beans
• 1 jar (16 ounce) salsa
• 1 package (1 ounce) taco seasoning mix
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely broken tortilla chips
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 4 medium green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• see savings
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
• 1 cup shredded lettuce

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in refried beans, salsa, and taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat to medium. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
2) In greased/sprayed 2-quart casserole or 9x13, place 2 cups of the broken tortilla chips. Top evenly with beef mixture. Sprinkle with bell pepper, onions, 1 cup of the tomato, the cheese, and olives.
3) Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Top baked casserole with lettuce, remaining 1/2 cup tomato, and remaining 1/2 cup tortilla chips.

Very basic and very easy and very tasty!

Chili Rellenos Casserole

I love Mexican Food.  I know I have mentioned that at least 100 times before.  I have never attempted to make chili rellenos before but I have ordered them/it (not sure if it is singular or plural) at restaurants before.  The main reason why I have never attempted chili rellenos at home is because I am a lazy cook.  I love cooking, but things that I perceive hard or taking alot of time, just don't happen.  So, I cam across this recipe from the Green Cattle Blog and thought, what the heck?  If I can get all the chili rellenos flavor and taste in a casserole, great! A further bonus is that I still had some super awesome large Anaheim Green Chili peppers frozen from last year's garden, so I figured that I could swap them in for the canned whole chili peppers.  Fabulous!

Here is what you need:

• 1 lb. beef
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cans whole green chilies
• 1 can green chilies, chopped
• longhorn cheese (I just used plain cheddar)
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• red pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375. Brown meat and onion. Add salt and pepper and about 1 T. of red pepper (use less if you like a more mild "zing"). In a casserole dish, place whole green chilies on the bottom (cut open so they lay flat-at least that is what I did).

2) Top the chilies with cheese.  Then top the cheese with meat. Then top the meat with another layer of cheese. Then top with chopped green chilies (I personally think that the green chilies can be mixed in with the beef while it is cooking).

3) In a bowl, beat the eggs.  Add in the milk and flour and beat until well mixed.  Pour over the casserole.

4) Bake for 50 minutes-25 uncovered and 25 covered. 

 

Enjoy!

Chicken Ranch Tacos

I made this awhile back. I used a pork tenderloin instead of chicken. It was quite tasty. I am not sure why I never think about doing the simplest things when I cook.

Here is what you need (as it is written):
3 chicken breasts (i used a 1 lb pork tenderloin)
1 pkt. taco seasoning (chicken or beef)
1 pkt ranch dressing mix
1 can chicken broth
taco shells
lettuce
cheese
Any other taco topping

1) Place frozen chicken or pork in the slow cooker. Add the taco seasoning and ranch mix. Top with the broth.
2) Cook on low all day or on high for 3-4 hours.
3) Shred the chicken.
4) Use the taco shells or tortillas and form your taco.

Enjoy!!!

Pulled Pork Enchiladas

I know that I have mentioned before that we love Mexican food at our house and I am always a fan of trying something new.  These are super easy to make and are similar to other enchiladas that I normally make.  I just never would have thought of using the pork or seasoning it the way this recipe does.  Quite tasty and yummy.  Thank you Better Homes and Gardens for the wonderful idea! Another great thing about this recipe is that it is adaptable to your family's taste buds.

Here is what you need for these:
3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I used a 2 pd pork roast and it made 11 enchiladas)

1-14 ounce can chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ground cumin

2-3 tsp ground chipotle chile pepper or hot chili powder

1 tsp salt

3-10 ounce cans enchilada sauce (here is where you can alter to suit your family.  I used 1-10oz can medium and 1-29oz can mild)

1 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro

4 ounce can diced green chile peppers

8 ounces cotija cheese, shredded (2 cups) (I used normal shredded cheese)

8-12 8 inches flour tortillas

Snipped fresh cilantro

Diced tomato or quartered grape tomatoes

Sour cream (optional)

 

1.Trim fat from pork. In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine pork shoulder, broth, onion, garlic, cumin, ground chipotle chile pepper or chili powder, and salt. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 11 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove pork from slow cooker, reserving cooking liquid. Using two forks, pull meat into coarse strands.*

3.

4. In a medium bowl combine the remaining enchilada sauce, 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking liquid (discard any remaining cooking liquid), and the diced green chile peppers. Spread about 1/2 cup of enchilada-green chile pepper mixture in the bottom of a 3-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside.

5. Divide pork mixture and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese among tortillas, placing meat and cheese near the edge of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas. Place filled tortillas, seam sides down, in the prepared baking dish (place tortillas close together); top with the remaining enchilada-green chile pepper mixture. Cover with foil; bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake, uncovered, about 5 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is softened and starts to brown slightly.

6. Sprinkle with additional snipped cilantro and tomato. If desired, serve with sour cream. Makes 6 servings.

 

It looks like a lot to do, but it is so simple since the majority of it is done in the crockpot.  The flavor was great and the meat was so tender.  Definitely a keeper and a repeat at our house.

 

PS...if there ends up being a weird a bullet point in the middle of the ingredients, I am sorry.  I tried very hard to remove it.

Chicken with black beans and rice

Lately, I have been going through one of my cookbooks. All the recipes are supposed to be one-dish meals and able to be made in 30 minutes or less with the exception of the crockpot recipes. I have had fun trying new things from a new cookbook again.

This recipe was extremely simple but extremely delicious. Though we did not eat it this way, I think that it would be fabulous served on tortillas making it a chicken, rice, and bean taco.

Here's is what you need.
1 pound chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp oil
1 package Spanish rice mix (I think if you have a homemade version, it would be great too)
1 3/4 Cup Water
1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-14.5 oz can diced tomato, undrained
Sour cream (optional)
Sliced green onion (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

1) Brown the chicken in 1 Tbsp of oil. Remove chicken from skillet.
2) Add the last 1 tbsp oil and rice mix. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in rice seasoning mix, water, beans, and tomatoes. Add the chicken. Bring to boil. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is done.
3) If desired, serve with sour cream, green onion, and lime wedges.

We also served ours with cheese on top.

Chicken Ole

I am back and at it again. Sorry for the delay in posting. This Chicken recipe is a wonderful crockpot meal. As it is written, it needs more prep work then most slow cooker recipes, but I think that it could also be a great recipe for using left over chicken up. I did not have left over chicken, so I had to thaw and cook chicken first, hence the more prep work. I considered just using raw chicken, but I didn't want to do that knowing that the casserole as a whole did not cook very long. Anyway, that is my jabbering about it. We LOVED it and we definitely will be having it again.

Here are the ingredients:

1 Can Cream of Mushroom (omit if you don't like)
1 Can Cream of Chicken (use 2 if you don't like cream of mushroom)
1 Cup sour cream
2 Tbsp grated onion
1 1/2 Cup grated cheese
12 flour tortillas, shredded into bite size pieces (I used maybe 3 or 4, but I use the HUGE tortillas)
3-4 Cups cubed cooked chicken
7 oz of salsa (I used more)
1/2 Cup grated cheese

1) Mix soups, sour cream, onion, and 1.5 cups of cheese in a bowl.
2) Place 1/3 of each of the following in layers in slow cooker: torn tortillas, soup mixture, chicken, and salsa. Repeat the layer 2 more times.
3) Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours (I used warm because my low is way too high)
4) Gently stir and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Cover until cheese melts.
5) Serve with lettuce and tortilla chips (if desired).

Southwestern Flair

A.k.a. Shredded beef tacos

These are super yummy and super easy to make since it is a crockpot meal.

Here is what you need:

3 or 4 pound roast

1 package taco seasoning

1 small can diced green chilis

2 Cups water

1) Place all ingredients in a lightly greased or lined crockpot. Cook on low 9 hours.

2) Shred beef roast with forks and mix back in the crockpot to season it.

3) Serve on tortillas with cheese and other favorite taco toppings (lettuce, tomato, sour cream, etc). Can also serve with rice.

Super delicious and oh so EASY!

Baked Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Tonight for dinner I made this yummy chicken enchilada casserole. I posted it A LONG time ago on my personal blog, but I thought I would share it again. This is my ALL TIME favorite recipe.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1 small bag of taco/nacho Doritos
1 small chicken, cooked and shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup (if you don't like mushroom, use 2 chicken soups)
1 Cup chicken broth
1 can green chilies
shredded cheese

#1) Spray a 9 x 13 pan. And preheat oven to 350.
#2) Crush chips and spread in the bottom of the pan.
#3) Spread shredded chicken over chips.
#4) Spread chilies over the chicken.
#5) Combine soups and broth in a bowl. Mix together. Pour over the chicken and chilies in the pan.
#6) Sprinkle cheese (desired amount) evenly over the soup mixture.
#7) Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

TWEAKS...I did not have Doritos. I used regular tortilla chips. I also did not crush them; I just layered them in the bottom of the pan. I also used 2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded instead of a whole chicken. You can also use 2 cans of canned chicken breast. When combining the soups and broth, I added about a 1/4 cup taco seasoning (making up for not having Doritos). Add more or less depending on your families "spicy" taste.

Additional note--I also double the recipe and make 2 layers in the pan (like a lasagna). I have never had it this way, but I am POSITIVE that you can use cooked ground beef in place of the chicken and make a Beef Enchilada Casserole instead.

I served this with nice huge healthy salads and corn. Dale chose to use his casserole as a dip for additional tortilla chips. Either way, it was SOOO GOOD!

Chili Verde

So, I admit, I copied this from a friend's blog. She calls it Chili Verde, but if you were to actually order Chili Verde from a restaurant, there is ALOT more to it. Anyway, this is another crockpot meal. It is super yummy and super easy.

1-3 to 5 lb pork loin
1-can diced tomatoes

1-can Rotel (mild, original, or hot--your taste)

1-small can diced green chilies

Put everything in the crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred pork loin before serving and mix it all together. Serve on tortillas with cheese, sour cream, and/or guacamole. Serve with rice or another side of choice, if you desire.

Super yummy and easy burrito. My 2 year-old even LOVED this. :-)

-- from http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This turned out SO good! It is definitely going to be a keeper. It is also so GREAT because if you don't like a certain ingredient, it can easily be left out.

(before picture without the top layer of tortillas)

Note: I use crockpot liners in ALL my crockpot recipes. I HIGHLY recommend them if you don't use them. They are 1.8o something for a box of 4 liners (kinda pricey), but SO worth having NO clean-up.


1 onion, chopped (or minced)
1 garlic clove, minced (I used garlic powder)
1 Tbsp oil
10 oz Can enchilada sauce (your choice: mild, medium, hot)
8 oz can tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
8 corn tortillas (I think flour will work, but I used corn)
3 chicken breast, cooked and cubed (I used 2. Can also use canned chicken)
15 oz can Ranch style beans, drained (I used chili beans)
11 oz can Mexicorn, drained
3/4 lb shredded cheese
2 1/4 can sliced black olives, drained

1) Saute onion and garlic with oil in a pan. Stir in enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
2) Place 2 tortillas in bottom of crockpot. Layer 1/3 chicken, 1/3 sauce mixture, 1/3 beans, 1/3 corn, 1/3 olives. and 1/3 cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times.
3) Top with 2 additional tortillas. (Mine top ones turned out really crusty, so next time I am going to either leave them off or add a little of the sauce to the top of them)
4) Cook on low for 6-8 hours. (My crockpot has high, low, and warm settings. So my low is kind of a medium. Therefore, I cook it on low for about 3 hours and warm for about 2 hours--Just know how your crockpot cooks)

Makes approximately 4-6 servings.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, tortilla chips, or Doritos. All your choice!

Enjoy!