King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This recipe is actually in our family cook book, put in by Lynette.  I use to make it quite often when I was first married, but then as children came I kind of forgot about it, thinking it wasn't real kid friendly.  That theory was proven wrong when we had it for dinner last night.  They all ate it, even my 5 year old who is sensitive to spicy.  My oldest two really liked it! I did make a couple adjustments to the original recipe.  If you haven't tried this recipe yet give it a go!  My picture wasn't great of it, but for some reason it won't let me post it.




King Ranch Chicken Casserole


1 c. onion, diced
1/2 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can Rotel tomatoes w/green chilies
1 tsp chili powder 
12 corn tortillas, quartered (flour can be used, but I recommend corn)
1 c. green pepper, diced
2-3 TBS butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c chicken, cooked and diced
1 clove garlic, minced


In a large pan, sauté onion, pepper, and mushrooms in butter, after they are done add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add in the soups, Rotel, and chili powder.  Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with tortillas (using half of them).  Spread half of the chicken over the tortillas and top with half of the sauce, then half of the cheese, and then repeat the layers.   Bake at 350 for 30 min. or until bubbly.  Lynette says it freezes well.

Baked Tacos

My family really enjoyed this recipe.  The part I liked most was the filling is kind of glued to the shell and doesn't dump out when you take a bite, and the fact that they are prefilled before every one is sitting at the table so serving kids is simplified.

Baked Tacos

2 lbs ground beef
4 tsp dried minced onion
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp 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

Optional Condiments
Lettuce, shredded
tomato, diced
Salsa
Guacamole

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

In a large skillet brown the ground beef over medium-high heat.  Drain off grease.  Add the 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 baking dish, standing up.  Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell.  Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 min. or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through.  Remove from the oven and top with any additional condiments for serving.

Source: Blogchef

Chicken Chimichangas

Aunt Cherrill sent me this recipe and she got it from Nancy.  I have no idea where Nancy got it but I made it and it turned out very good, Clark really liked it.  Don't suppose it is very healthy since it is deep fried, but does taste good and it isn't hard to do.  I made hush puppies to go with it so we really weren't that healthy.  Needless to say, I halved the recipe but this is the full recipe.  Enjoy.

Nancy's Chicken Chimichangas

1 whole chicken or 3-4 lbs boneless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 lb Colby cheese, grated (didn't have Colby so used cheddar)
1 can diced green chilies
chopped onion to taste
2 - 10 oz cans enchilada sauce or 1 large can
2 cans cream of chicken soup ( or if cooking a whole chicken, make a gravy out of the broth instead of using the soup)
10 - 12 tortillas, burrito style
oil for frying

Mix soup and sauce in a pan and set aside.   Mix chicken, chiles, and onions and add just enough sauce to make it stick together, (about 1 1/2 cups).
Divide mixture among tortillas and make an envelope fold and secure with toothpicks.   Deep Fry at 300 degrees turning them as they brown.   Drain on a paper towel. 
Serve topped with a spoonful of remaining sauce mix on top and garnish with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, olives and guacamole or whatever is your pleasure.   We don't do olives so eliminated them.

Rice and Beans with chicken and an apple salsa

As it is a new year I am on a quest for new recipes since all the same olds are getting old. This recipe was simple, inexpensive and my family loved it! The salsa makes the whole thing delicious and it also goes well in a tortilla to entice kids more. Bottom line its a keeper at my house.

Black Beans and Rice with Chicken and Apple Salsa

Adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2012/taken from ourbestbites.com

1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion, divided

2 limes

1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon chili powder

3/4 teaspoons coriander

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 13.5 ounce can chicken broth

2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups cooked brown or white rice

1 rotisserie chicken, or 4 grilled chicken breast

s4-6 lime wedges

Combine apple, cilantro, 2 tablespoons onion, and the juice from half a lime. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and black pepper. Set aside.

Combine remaining onion, bell pepper, and oil in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until completely softened, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and next 3 ingredients; stir constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer briskly, mashing some of hte beans with the back of a spoon and stirring often, until sauce is thickened, 8-10 minutes (or longer if needed). Season with salt and pepper to taste and a big squeeze of lime juice.

Divide rice and beans among plates. Top with some chicken and apple salsa. Garnish with additional cilantro and lime wedges. Serves 4-6.

Chili Rellenos

My husband loves Mexican food and when it comes to gardening he always over does it especially with tomatoes, tomatillos, and all kinds of peppers. He took some of our excess up to the school to give to one of the teachers he told her she could have this bag of "goodies" on one condition, give some instructions to make chili rellenos. So we used her advice and instructions and this is what we come up with. They were quite delicious!

Chili Rellenos

Yellow chilies

Cheese (any flavor, cheddar, mozzarella, Monterrey jack)

Eggs, separated, mix whites till stiff peaks then fold in beaten egg yolks add a couple pinches of salt (I used 3 eggs and there was plenty for 5 chilies)

Flour

salt

First roast the peppers and then put them in a bag to sweat and then remove the skins. Just below the stem make a slice down the side just big enough to slide the cheese stick in. Put the flour on a plate and lightly coat the pepper. Then dip the pepper in the egg. Place in a pan of hot grease to cook till golden brown. Place on a paper towel to remove excess grease.

Tortillas

Being tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo I have the perfect recipe for you to try. I got this tortilla recipe from a friend (Vonie, who I believe got it from one of the local Hispanic ladies). Every time I make these I think -how easy and delicious, why don't I make these more often! I'll post a picture with in the week. I usually cut the recipe in half for my family. Enjoy!

Tortillas
4 c flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c shortening
Mix the above ingredients together like a pie crust. Add 2 cups warm/hot water. Roll into 24 balls. Roll out thin and cook on non-greased skillet.

Mexican Haystacks

I would guess most of you have made "Hawaiian haystacks" but have you tried "Mexican haystacks"? I had never even heard of such a thing till I got married, my in-laws introduced them to me.
My parents and brother will be getting back from their cruise to Mexico tomorrow so I thought of them. (Not that this is remotely authentic, to my knowledge.) Welcome back Mom!
This is a good go-to-meal-fast and easy!

Mexican Haystacks
1 lbs ground beef
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained (kidney, white, what ever kind you like)
2-3 TBS taco seasoning (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 1/2 c rice

Toppings:
Corn, frozen or canned, warmed then drained
lettuce
Cheese, shredded
Tortilla chips, broken into bite size pieces (which I forgot in the picture above)
Olives, sliced
Onions, chopped
Tomatoes
Salsa
Use what ever your family likes on tacos (My one son likes his with ranch.?.)

Get your rice cooking first. Then brown the burger and add in the drained beans and sprinkle the taco seasoning on top. Stir till evenly coated and cook till beans are warmed through.

I don't suppose it really matters what order you go in but I put the crushed tortilla chips first then the rice and the meat and bean mixture, then corn. I like my cheese to get a bit melted so I put it on next. Then just layer the cold toppings on top of that.

Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce

This recipe comes from Food network courtesy of Stacy Lamons. When I made this I actually cut the recipe in half and had plenty. This sauce would go great with many different dishes. So far I have enjoyed it with Southwestern egg rolls, Mexican haystacks, and I plan to try it with my mock Cafe Rio burritos the next time I make them.

Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce

2 (10 oz) cans Mexican-style diced tomatoes (I used Rotel w/green chilies)

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

2 c loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (about 1 bunch)

1 c sour cream

3 garlic cloves, minced

Place ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Yield: 3 cups

Baked or Fried Southwestern Egg Rolls

My family really enjoyed these egg rolls. There was a tiny complaint about the spinach (mostly me), so I might fore go the spinach next time. I liked the idea of making them healthier by baking them, which they tasted good but I like a good fried egg roll as well, so suit yourself and pick your cooking method.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Recipe Adapted from Annie's Eats

2 c frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 c shredded Mexican cheese blend (I used cheddar, cause that's what I had on hand)

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained

4 green onions, chopped (I cooked 1/4c reg. onion w/the chicken)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

In a large bowl combine the above ingredients. Mix well.

1 pkg egg roll wrappers

2 Chicken breasts

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili pwd

Salt & Pepper

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces. Add chicken to an olive oil coated pan. Season with salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp chili powder. Cook till chicken is done. Shredd or chop into smaller pieces. Add the chicken to the filling mixture. Stir till well combined.

Place 1/4c of the filling mixture in the center of an egg roll wrapper. Follow the instructions on the egg roll pkg to make a beautiful egg roll.

Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 min, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking. Serve warm with salsa or Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce (recipe posting tomorrow).

Fajitas

When we took in our last beef to the butcher I asked about having fajita meat cut. Which they didn't charge any more to do. This makes it a lot faster for me to cook to not have to worry about cutting the meat.
I got this recipe from mom years ago. We have used it on beef and chicken.

Fajitas
1 lbs. fajita meat-steak or chicken (brown in 2 tbs of cooking oil
2 TBS Lemon Juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp crushed re pepper flakes (or Tabasco)

Onion
Green and Red Bell peppers

Mix all ingredients together other than the meat. Once your meat is browned add the mixture to it in the fry pan. Cover and let steam till meat tenderizes. (I usually add a little bit of water for moisture). Add sliced onions and peppers (what ever color bell peppers you like) Cook uncovered till onions a peppers are tender.
Place in flour tortillas and top with favorite toppings: cheese, avocados, sour cream, salsa

I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day on nachos, not bad!



I made salsa to go with them as well, which I will be posting soon.

Tacoritos

Our poor neglected food blog. I had a good excuse for not contributing-dead computer (that will do it every time) and the house is finished-I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off anymore! (just running) Any way enough of the excuses, I'm planning on doing better at posting!

This recipe I got out of the Taste of Homes Feb/March 2010 issue. I saw the ground beef contest winners and thought, can you ever have to many ground beef recipes?!? No!

So this is the grand prize winning recipe. (By Monica Flatford/Knoxville, TN) While making this I started getting a little skeptical that my family wouldn't like it, but it turned out to be a winner at our house too.

Tacoritos

1/4 c butter

1/4 c flour

4 c water

3 TBS Chili pwd (This scared me, I used maybe 2 1/2 TBS)

1 tsp garlic salt

1 lb ground beef

1 lb bulk pork sausage

1/4 c onion, chopped

1 c refried beans

8 flour tortillas

3 c shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (I just used cheddar, it's what I had)

Optional toppings:

lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, avocados, etc.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in chili powder and garlic salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 10 min.

In a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in refried beans; heat through.

Spread 1/4 c sauce in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Spread 1 TBS sauce over each tortilla; place 2/3 c meat mixture down the center of each. Top each with 1/4 c cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 18-22 min. or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with optional toppings if desired.

My sauce didn't seem thick enough so I add a little bit of thickening to it. Of course in my book the more cheese the better, so I add some extra on top.