Fiesta Beef & Black Bean Enchiladas

I love my Kraft Food & Family Magazine, in fact I keep every issue just in case I feel the need to look back though them and try something new. Which is exactly what I did here, this one comes from their Holiday 2010 edition and it's a great family recipe that we all loved.

Prep 20 minutes
total 50 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. Velveeta pasteurized Prepared Cheese product, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, divided
1 1/4 cups Taco Bell Home Originals Thick 'N Chunky Salsa, divided
1 cup rinsed canned black beans
12 flour tortillas (6 inch)
1/2 cup Breakstone's or Knudsen Sour Cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions
Heat oven to 350ºF.
Brown meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in half of the Velveeta and 1/2 cup salsa; cook 5 min. or until Velveeta is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. Stir in beans.
Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake enchiladas, uncovered, 10 min. Top with remaining Velveeta and salsa. Bake 20 min. or until enchiladas are heated through and Velveeta is melted. Top with sour cream and cilantro

Top 5 Recipes of 2011; Mexican Chicken Casserole

It's time for my number two pick in this year's Top 5 Recipes of 2011! The number two pick has become a part of our weekly rotation because it's so delicious, pretty easy to put together, and the whole family loves it.


My wife has been bugging me lately to go look at her Pinterest site to see what recipes she has linked to. Well I finally gave in and I found two new recipes to try, there were quite a bit more so the list of things to fix has grown.

Now we love enchiladas at our house, but they can be a little tedious to make, hello ADD. Well not to worry because this recipe doesn't have you going all OCD and rolling all the delicious filling into a tortilla, instead it all gets put in a casserole dish and everything gets to mingle together making for some really great flavor. I fixed this for a recent get together we had with another couple while our kids had a little play date. It was a hit with most every body, one of the little girls was more interested in playing then eating which is no surprise for a two year old, so I feel confident in calling this one Tot Approved.

Recipe from myrecipes.com as seen in Cooking Light December 1998

Ingredients
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5 ounce) cans chopped green chiles divided (I omitted this in fear of being to spicy for the kids and substituted with 1/4 cup of mild Pace Picante Salsa)
1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces)shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Directions
Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken ; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; saute 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterrey jack, cream cheese and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixtures. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

My wife has been bugging me lately to go look at her Pinterest site to see what recipes she has linked to. Well I finally gave in and I found two new recipes to try, there were quite a bit more so the list of things to fix has grown.

Now we love enchiladas at our house, but they can be a little tedious to make, hello ADD. Well not to worry because this recipe doesn't have you going all OCD and rolling all the delicious filling into a tortilla, instead it all gets put in a casserole dish and everything gets to mingle together making for some really great flavor. I fixed this for a recent get together we had with another couple while our kids had a little play date. It was a hit with most every body, one of the little girls was more interested in playing then eating which is no surprise for a two year old, so I feel confident in calling this one Tot Approved.

Recipe from myrecipes.com as seen in Cooking Light December 1998

Ingredients
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 (4.5 ounce) cans chopped green chiles divided (I omitted this in fear of being to spicy for the kids and substituted with 1/4 cup of mild Pace Picante Salsa)
1 3/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (2 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup (2 ounces)shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar
1 ounce tortilla chips, crushed (about 6 chips)

Directions
Combine broth and 1 can of chiles in a large skillet; bring to a boil. Add chicken ; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning chicken once. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, reserving cooking liquid; cool chicken. Shred meat with two forks, and set aside

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can of chiles and onion; saute 3 minutes or until soft. Add reserved cooking liquid, milk, Monterrey jack, cream cheese and enchilada sauce; stir well. Stir in shredded chicken; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place 4 tortillas in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Spoon 2 cups chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers twice, ending with chicken mixtures. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and chips. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Gameday 2011

  Fall is nearly here and you with it comes the start of football season, thankfully on both accounts. But my crazy schedule has yet to slow down and I haven't had much time for some new recipes to fix on game day. So I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of the recipes I have done that would work great for a game day in your own living room or easily fixed while tailgating. The first up is Tex-Mex Nachos!
  I fixed this for the last Superbowl and it was a hit, not to mention it's incredibly easy to make more for a crowd and fairly healthy; for those that are inclined to watch their waist line.

Ingredients:
 3/4 pound ground round
 1/4 cup green onion
 3/4 cup taco sauce
 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
 1 (8-3/4 ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
 2 ounces baked tortilla chips( about 3 cups or about 42 small chips)
 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
 1 cup chopped tomato
 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
 1/2 cup bottled salsa
 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

 Directions
 Cook beef and green onions in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well; return beef mixture to pan. Stir in taco sauce, garlic powder, pepper, beans, and corn; cook until thoroughly  heated. Spoon 1 cup beef mixture over 3/4 cup chips; top with 3/4 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup tomato, 1.4 cup cheese, 2 tablespoons salsa, and 2 tablespoons sour cream. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients. Yield: 4 servings.

Chicken Tacos!

I found this recipe from a Kraft magazine, while it was very close to how I liked to fix my tacos it did add another ingredient that really rounded out our taco eating experience. That ingredient was plain old canned corn, I mean how simple is that? But the result was delicious and it gave our toddler, who can be picky at times, something more to eat on taco night.

Ingredients
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
Taco seasoning
Romaine Lettuce
Shredded Cheese
Canned Corn, drained
Favorite Salsa or Taco sauce
Sour Cream
Re-fried Beans
Flour tortilla

Directions
Place the chicken in a crock-pot with enough water to cover and cook for approximately 2 hours or until the chicken is falling apart. Remove the chicken from water and shred with two forks. Place the shredded chicken back into the water, add your favorite taco seasoning and allow to simmer for another hour.

Assemble the tacos with the beans, meat, shredded romaine lettuce, shredded cheese, canned corn, salsa, and sour cream.

Taco Burger

I came up with this idea from a cook book I recently got, it's Bugers by Paul Gayler. While thumbing through the book I came across teh new Mexican Burger, which is a buger on a corn tortilla served with salsa, sour cream, lettuce, and guacamole. I decided to take this recipe and give it my own spin while trying to keep with the theme. I seasoned the meat with my favorite taco seasoning, served it on a bun and covered it with all the ussual taco toppings. The end result was delicious and loads of fun to eat. The best part is it's Tot approved! My little girl loves tacos so it was no big deal to be eating all the ussual taco ingredients.

Ingredients
Hamburger buns
1lb lean ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
sliced cheese
sour cream
taco sauce
lettuce
2 avacados
1 small onion
2 roma tomatos
1 tbsp Lime juice
salt to taste

Make the guacamole by slicing the avacado in half, remove the pit by striking it with the sharp edge of your knife and simply twisting the pit loose. Next take an avacado half and slice the avacado with a kitchen kife into small cubes then scoop out with a spoon into a small bowl. Chop the onion and roma tomatos into small pieces and combine with the avacado. Add the lime juice and mix well with a fork, add enough salt to taste.

Combine the taco seasoning with 1lb ground beef, being sure to fully incoporate the two. Set the grill up for direct grilling and cook through, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. To assemble place the hamburger patties on a bun and topped with cheese, lettuce, a spoonfull of guacamole, and a touch of taco sauce.

Inspired by the book Burgers by Paul Gayler

Holla Beef Enchiladas!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!! I hope every one has a great day enjoying friends, family, good drinks, and most of all some good food. If you haven't decided on what to eat for dinner and want something really filling then I've got the recipe for you. I found this recipe from an episode of, yup you guessed it, Guy's Big Bite! Guy calls this dish Holla Beef Enchiladas, I guess because their so good they'll make ya' Holla! Which is true because we loved them!

This recipe was a great challenge for me because it required me to do two things I haven't done thus far; brazing and using my new dutch oven. I have to say the entire process went very smooth, but this is not a quick and easy meal so be sure to leave it for when you have plenty of time to be in the kitchen.

Ingredients
5 1/2 pounds chuck, trimmed and ut into 2 inch cubes
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp canola oil, plus more for frying
2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced in 10inch rounds
8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 cup low-sodium beef stock
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup warm water
Enchilada sauce, about 4 cups worth
16 corn tortillas(6 inch)
2 cups grated cheddar
2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives
1 cup sour cream, for garnish

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F.

Trim, cut, pat dry, and season the beef with salt and pepper. Coat the bottom of a large heavy Dutch oven with oil. heat the oil, over medium heat, and brown the beef, in batches, being careful to not crowd. Add 1 tbsp of oil, if needed, to finish the beef. As the beef browns, add it to a bowl and keep warm, Add 1 tbsp of canola oil to the pot over medium heat and add the onions; cook for 3 to 4o minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute more, then stir in the stock to deglaze the pan. Add the browned beef, the vinegar and the water and cover tightly. Put the pot in the oven and after 45 minutes, give the beef a stir. Cover and cook for an additional 2 hours and 15 minutes, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes. remove from oven and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Shred with forks, incorporating the onions and garlic.

When ready to assemble, put 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking pan. heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat with just enough enchilada sauce to coat the bottom. Dip the tortillas, 1 at a time, into the sauce, and cook until tender, about 1 minute each. Combine the cheeses in a medium bowl. Remove the enchiladas to a flat surface. Fill each with some of the shredded meat and cheese, (reserve some cheese for the top of the baking pan). Roll and arrange them, seam side down, in the baking pan, packing the enchiladas tightly. Add additional sauce to come 1/3 up the sides of the enchiladas, then sprinkle a line of cheese, lengthwise, down the center of the pan. Garnish with green onions and black olives. Bake until bubbly, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes and then serve with sour cream
Serves 8

Mexican Pizza!

This recipe is my take on the Casey's Taco Pizza that I have come to really enjoy. If you don't live near a Casey's Gas Station, I'm sorry because your missing out on some really good pizza. Which is something I didn't realize till just a couple of years ago when I started working at a fire station that had a Casey's right across the street from it, I even lived about 6 blocks from one for a number years and still hadn't tried it. My take on this recipe used a lot healthier choices than their pizza, but it was every bit as good. The only down side was that it didn't make the tot approved list, my little girl didn't even want to touch it. But strangely she was good eating all the items like shredded cheese and low fat re-fried beans off her plate, she just didn't like them all cooked on a pizza I guess.

I used this recipe as a way to use up some left over taco's that were setting in my freezer making it even all that much better.

Ingredients
Pre-made pizza crust
Re-fried Beans
Shredded Mozzarella
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Taco Meat
Taco Sauce
Lettuce
Tomatoes

Directions
1. Spread enough re-fried beans to cover the pizza crust, just like pizza sauce.
2. Spread a 1/4 cup of taco sauce over the top of the re-fried beans, just enough to create a thin layer. Then sprinkle with mozzarella, cheddar cheese, and taco meat to cover and place in the oven. Bake the pizza according to the pizza crust instructions or until the cheese is melted.
3. When pizza is finished baking and cheese is melted, remove from the oven and slice. Next take chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and any other favorite taco toppings and place on the pizza.

Tex-Mex Nachos

With Super Bowl this weekend I've been looking for some healthy alternatives to serve and this will be sure to satisfy. It's loaded with flavor and low on calories, so it will be sure to help you keep that new year's resolution to lose some weight and eat healthier.

Ingredients:
 3/4 pound ground round
 1/4 cup green onion
 3/4 cup taco sauce
 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
 1 (8-3/4 ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
 2 ounces baked tortilla chips( about 3 cups or about 42 small chips)
 3 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
 1 cup chopped tomato
 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
 1/2 cup bottled salsa
 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

 Directions
 1. Cook beef and green onions in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well; return beef mixture to pan. Stir in taco sauce, garlic powder, pepper, beans, and corn; cook until thoroughly  heated. Spoon 1 cup beef mixture over 3/4 cup chips; top with 3/4 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup tomato, 1.4 cup cheese, 2 tablespoons salsa, and 2 tablespoons sour cream. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients. Yield: 4 servings.

Layered Mexican Chicken

This past year I have been pretty focused on losing weight and getting in shape. To do so I tortured my self with eating a lot of grilled chicken breast and I have found my self no longer able to eat plain grilled chicken. So the hunt was on to find a possible replacement and I happened across this Weight Watchers recipe for Layered Mexican Chicken. I knew once I read the ingredients and the amount this recipe makes it would be perfect for cooking, cutting into proper portions, and freezing up for meals on the go.

Ingredients
1 spray olive oil cooking spray
2 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups fat-free sour cream
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese, divided
8 oz chopped green chilies, two 4-oz cans
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 medium corn tortillas, cut into 2 inch strips
1 cups slasa, mild, medium, or hot

Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Coat lasagna pan with cooking spray

Place chicken in medium saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover chicken. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat o medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes; drain. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cunt into 1-inch pieces.

Transfer chicken to a large bowl and add beans, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese, chilies, cumin, and pepper; mix well and set aside.

Arrange half of tortillas in bottom of prepared lasagna pan, overlapping pieces to cover surface. Top tortillas with half of chicken mixture, layer with remaining tortillas and then top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese.

Bake until filling is bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into 12 pieces. Serve with salsa on the side.

POINTS Value: 6
Servings :12

Cheesy Beef-Corn Chip Skillet

I first started cooking when I got married and I only had so many things I knew how to cook. The one recipe that was quick and was always easy were tacos, and my wife loved them so much she requested them every week. Well needless to say doing this blog has really pulled us out our newly wed recipe rut. But when I saw this recipe that offered something new by adding Velveeta, I had to at least try it. This recipe did not disappoint and is a great alternative to regular old tacos.


Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (I this recipe twice, once with beef and once with ground turkey. I liked them both.)
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 pkg. Taco Bell Home Originals Taco seasoning
2 cups corn chips
1/4 lb. Velveeta (4 oz.) cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 tomatoes, chopped


Directions:
Brown meat with onions in large skillet; drain. Add water and seasoning mix; cook as directed on package.
Cover meat mixture with chips and Velveeta; cover. Cook on low heat 5 min. or until Velveeta is melted.
Top with lettuce and tomatoes.

Easy Beef Enchiladas

We love Mexican food and are in need of something quick and easy, and this recipe from Campbell's is just that. It's a great recipe that can be put together and ready to eat in about 30 minutes, making it great for school nights.

1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix or burrito seasoning mix
1 can re-fried beans(about 16 ounces)
1 can Campells's Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup(10 3/4 ounces
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
12 flour tortillas (10 inch), warmed
1 1/2 cups prepared enchilada sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat the oven to 350 F. Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat. Stir the seasoning mix, beans, soup, onion and rice, if desired, in the skillet.

Divide the beef mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down into a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Pour the enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling.